Managing the print service

Printer output is illegible

If the printer prints illegible output:

Determine the baud rate for the serial printer and check to see that it matches the baud rate for the computer. (No baud rate is associated with a parallel port, although stty(1) does display one.)
To change the baud rate for a serial printer, in the Printer Setup Manager select the printer name, select Printer Properties, then select Serial Settings and then choose a new baud rate.
Print a sample file.
Verify that the parity setting matches the computer's parity setting. (If the printer is directly connected to the computer with a wire that is less than 50 feet long, it does not have to use the parity bit.)
To set the parity bit, in the Printer Setup Manager select the printer name and then select Printer Properties. Select Serial Settings and choose a new parity setting.
Check to see that the tabs are set correctly. See ``Printer output spacing is wrong'' for more information.

If the settings and baud rate are correct and the output is still illegible, check to see that the printer model is correct. If you set up the printer with the wrong model name, the wrong control characters can be sent to the printer. This situation can cause output to disappear or be illegible.

To verify and change the printer model, in the Printer Setup Manager select the printer name and then select Printer Properties. Choose a new printer model.