Adding Versant 180 to New Windows 10 Machines

[PrintAmy]

Hi, all! I just upgraded all our shop computers to new Windows 10 machines. I'm running into some issues with connecting to our Versant 180.
(NB: Yes, we do use Command Workstation, but also have some need to print directly using the driver from time to time.)
The issues I am running into when printing using the driver from PDF or InDesign are:
1) If we just try to print from the Adobe dialog without changing any settings in the driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
2) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and change settings in the Fiery driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
3) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and choose one of our saved print presets, the job prints (with one exception, below).
4) No matter what, if we choose to use the GBC Advanced Punch as part of the Properties settings, that setting does not "stick" and even if the job prints, it does not activate the punch. In fact, if we go to properties and choose the punch, then click Okay, then go back to the Properties, it is no longer selected.
5) Some of the computers don't recognize that the 180 has any accessories installed. Others see all the accessories. All were set up the exact same way. If I open the Accessories tab on Printer Properties (from the Windows 10 settings) the Accessories window displays for a few seconds, then closes with no error or popup.
We are using the most current driver from EFI, not the slightly older driver available on the Xerox website. However, the same issues occur with the older driver. This is a networked environment, and each computer is set to print directly to the printer using TCP/IP.

I'm stumped. Anyone else happily running their Versant from Windows 10 machines who could help me?

 

[azehnali]

why dont you make the changes in command work station

 

[PrintAmy]

As I said, we use CWS but sometimes need to print directly from Acrobat or InDesign. We had no issues doing this on our old machines running Windows 7. I need to preserve that workflow for certain situations.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

why dont you make the changes in command work station

This. You are trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

As I said, we use CWS but sometimes need to print directly from Acrobat or InDesign. We had no issues doing this on our old machines running Windows 7. I need to preserve that workflow for certain situations.

Change your workflow to not include doing that.

 

[PrintAmy]

Thanks, but please don't respond unless you have a solution to my specific question, rather than a workaround that involves CWS.

 

[Ynot_UK]

I do understand that occasionally there may be a need to print direct to a digital press.
In fact I had to do this today, on a job with a less common font that could not be embedded in the PDF or converted to outlines due to licensing restrictions.
This font is always problematic, as when emailing PDFs to the customer, there is always the accompanying explanation with a screen shot of what it will actually look like.
When printed from the IC-419 controller, font substitution occurred.
Printing direct to the C4080 and the font rendered correctly.

 

[PrintAmy]

I do understand that occasionally there may be a need to print direct to a digital press.
In fact I had to do this today, on a job with a less common font that could not be embedded in the PDF or converted to outlines due to licensing restrictions.
This font is always problematic, as when emailing PDFs to the customer, there is always the accompanying explanation with a screen shot of what it will actually look like.
When printed from the IC-419 controller, font substitution occurred.
Printing direct to the C4080 and the font rendered correctly.

Yes! Thank you for understanding. Fonts restrictions are a typical situation where we have to print directly. Line weights that don't properly translate from InDesign files to PDF are another case.

 

[pippip]

We have an external rip on V80. We print directly to the Hold Queue within the rip all the time, very occasionally import pdf (i'm aware this isn't an ideal practice). I've had similar issues with setting up as TCP/IP. Now we don't select ANY settings when printing. Just standard with or without trim and bleed and print quality within the inDesign/acrobat etc print window. We change all settings within Command workstation relating to printer settings. We never print directly to the print queue.

I'm no networking expert. I'd consider this a workaround rather than the correct method but I works for us. I set the Hold queue printer on the rip as shared. Then on the windows 10 you just select a shared printer, you can either enter in the name, mine is \\ex80\hold or you can use the browse function to locate it within your network. This works perfectly for me but I do notice jobs taking slightly longer to get through.

Update - Ok so I'm procrastinating work......

Under windows 10 - Add a printer - Blue line comes up "The printer i want isn't listed" click this.
Next "Add a printer using TCP/IP address of hostname -
- device type autodetect
- host name whatever the ip address is
- Post name will generate itself
Untick query printer for driver
Hit next

Install a printer driver
Here I can select Xerox and I have "Xerox EX 80 Server 1.2". Link for 180
Hit next

Asks if I want to use the driver currently installed. Hit next

Input printer name or leave as is. Hit next

Share or not share, whatever you want. Hit next

Now Print test page. Print or hit finish. At this point it's going straight through to print without entering hold queue.
If you select your new printer and enter printer properties, under ports, select the TCP/IP port it's using and hit configure.
If you change RAW to LPR you can then enter the print queue on your RIP you'd like it to go to i.e. Hold.
Assumption on LPR is that on your rip under configure server...job submission....LPD - here you should have enabled, mine is set to Print Queue here.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

If I am not mistaken it is more time effective to solve this problem at the front rather than figure out a fix in the middle of the process. If you solve whatever is stopping you from producing those PDF's you should be better off down the road. A "gigantic" amount of time spent right now is perhaps better than spending a "small" amount of time multiplied by 500 different jobs (and any additional waste produced by those jobs). I can infer that you are only "solving" the problem half way by the very fact that you just upgraded to Windows 10, and that you are installing print drivers on every computer. How the hell are you just now upgrading to Windows 10??? CWS was created to be a more stable platform, with known outcomes across multiple workstations. This is how you scale the number of jobs you print per day.

However, it is possible for you to fall into some traps that are not solved by using CWS and I understand that. It should be your goal to FORCE as many jobs as you can into the PDF so that it can be printed reliably on CWS. The less jobs you hit a snag on, the more money you make. Just common sense!

 

[jwheeler]

@PrintAmy , I run KM equpiment at my shop, but the concept of printing to a Fiery is the same accross the board. A couple of things to try/verify if you haven't already:

1. Did you confirm you are using the correct print driver? For the V180 Fiery, you have the EX-i180 and EX-180, and within each of those, you have version 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2.
2. Make sure to establish a static IP address for the Fiery and the printer. The default is not to have a static IP, so it is necessary to do this.
3. Make sure your Fiery is connected to the internet and install any patches/updates. Even though you're not using CWS, the Fiery is still what processes the files.
4. When you try the windows test page from the devices and printers/control panel, does it go through without an issue?
5. When you installed the drivers, it should have prompted you to choose which queue you wanted to use, either the "Print" (which starts printing right away) or the "Hold" which holds the job in CWS for you to release it. I find best practice is to setup for the "Hold" queue which allows to me to not only make sure the proper paper is loaded before I release it, but I can verify all of the job settings 'stick' such as the GBC setting.
6. Call Xerox service

 

[imxtoeknee]

Hi, all! I just upgraded all our shop computers to new Windows 10 machines. I'm running into some issues with connecting to our Versant 180.
(NB: Yes, we do use Command Workstation, but also have some need to print directly using the driver from time to time.)
The issues I am running into when printing using the driver from PDF or InDesign are:
1) If we just try to print from the Adobe dialog without changing any settings in the driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
2) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and change settings in the Fiery driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
3) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and choose one of our saved print presets, the job prints (with one exception, below).
4) No matter what, if we choose to use the GBC Advanced Punch as part of the Properties settings, that setting does not "stick" and even if the job prints, it does not activate the punch. In fact, if we go to properties and choose the punch, then click Okay, then go back to the Properties, it is no longer selected.
5) Some of the computers don't recognize that the 180 has any accessories installed. Others see all the accessories. All were set up the exact same way. If I open the Accessories tab on Printer Properties (from the Windows 10 settings) the Accessories window displays for a few seconds, then closes with no error or popup.
We are using the most current driver from EFI, not the slightly older driver available on the Xerox website. However, the same issues occur with the older driver. This is a networked environment, and each computer is set to print directly to the printer using TCP/IP.

I'm stumped. Anyone else happily running their Versant from Windows 10 machines who could help me?

How I normally have it setup (I am running windows 10) is I print my jobs from indesign directly to the hold queue. You have to make sure hold is activated in Command Workstation and you can simply add a network printer using \\V180\hold. (Its under Configure > Job Sumission > Queues)

This has always worked for me on every computer. If you have bi-directional communication activated you should have no problem. I believe the bi directional comms will also fix some of the gbc punch settings that don't stick.

 

[Ynot_UK]

I print my jobs from indesign directly to the hold queue.

You print straight from Indesign? Don't you make a PDF and print from that?

 

[imxtoeknee]

You print straight from Indesign? Don't you make a PDF and print from that?

I don't. If you have the print drivers installed I don't see what the point is in exporting to a pdf and then printing from that. The machine can interpret the orientation kinda funny (like top-top vs top-bottom) if you print from a pdf.

 

[Ynot_UK]

Each to their own, I guess.
Like many others, for our workflow, the PDF is fundamental, as that is what customers get sent for amendments & sign off. For many projects it is also archived for version control.

 

[imxtoeknee]

Each to their own, I guess.
Like many others, for our workflow, the PDF is fundamental, as that is what customers get sent for amendments & sign off. For many projects it is also archived for version control.

hmm maybe I'm doing something wrong then. will look into this. thank you!

 

[minitprint]

(NB: Yes, we do use Command Workstation, but also have some need to print directly using the driver from time to time.)
The issues I am running into when printing using the driver from PDF or InDesign are:
1) If we just try to print from the Adobe dialog without changing any settings in the driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
2) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and change settings in the Fiery driver, the job never appears in the print queue and does not print. There is no error or popup alert.
3) If we try to print from the Adobe dialog, but first go to Properties and choose one of our saved print presets, the job prints (with one exception, below).
4) No matter what, if we choose to use the GBC Advanced Punch as part of the Properties settings, that setting does not "stick" and even if the job prints, it does not activate the punch. In fact, if we go to properties and choose the punch, then click Okay, then go back to the Properties, it is no longer selected.
5) Some of the computers don't recognize that the 180 has any accessories installed. Others see all the accessories. All were set up the exact same way. If I open the Accessories tab on Printer Properties (from the Windows 10 settings) the Accessories window displays for a few seconds, then closes with no error or popup.
We are using the most current driver from EFI, not the slightly older driver available on the Xerox website. However, the same issues occur with the older driver. This is a networked environment, and each computer is set to print directly to the printer using TCP/IP.

I'm stumped. Anyone else happily running their Versant from Windows 10 machines who could help me?

I hope this helps for the accessories not sticking.
Go to Windows settings -> Devices -> Printers and Scanners. Left click the V180 -> Select Manage -> Select Printer Properties. Select the accessories tab. Ensure Two-Way Communication is selected and the IP address is correct. Ensure Update Fiery Driver When Open is checked. Click Update. Click Apply. Click OK.
Then try and print. I’m not in front of my laptop currently at work, but I believe this is what I have to do every time I install the driver on a new PC. Let me know if it works.