Mac OS® X Leopard™ Bible

Chapter 16. Printing and Faxing

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Overview of Mac OS X printing

• Configuring page setup

• Adding a printer

• Setting print options

• Sending a fax

• Administering print and modem queues

• Maximizing OS X printing

This chapter discusses how to print and fax in Mac OS X Leopard. Aside from the data that appears on-screen, printing is one of the most common forms of output in computing. Because Mac OS is a preferred platform in print and graphics industries, Apple did everything in its power to equal and often surpass the printing capabilities of its predecessors and its competition. Not only does Mac OS X deliver print connectivity options superior to any other OS, but it also provides built-in faxing and PDF capabilities.

Overview of Mac OS X Printing

Regardless of printing needs—from graphic artists, Apple Certified Technical Coordinators (ACTCs), and book or newsletter editors, to letters and birthday cards printed at home—understanding the underlying technology that the Mac OS X print architecture is composed of is helpful in its operation. Mac OS X's printing services are based on the Common UNIX Printing System, better known as CUPS. CUPS is a cross-platform open source printing architecture that supports both PostScript and raster printers.

Mac OS X supports a multitude of printer connectivity types: AppleTalk, Bluetooth, IP Printing, Bonjour, USB, FireWire, and Windows Printing.

In order to print, Mac OS X requires a driver. A driver is a piece of software that enables the operating ...