How do I force greyscale as default?

[abillybob]

Hey Guys

 

We have just got this new Sharp printer. Nice bit of kit. We also run PaperCut in school, but I can't for the life of me get the PaperCut Client working (That's another story)

 

I'm trying to find a way where I can set our new colour photocopier to only print Greyscale unless specified otherwise. I know a lot of different schools do this and I was hoping one of you could help me, we also have a Mac Server which I need to do this on as well. I've been working on it for around 2 weeks and can't find a decent way to do this!!

 

Anyone... Please... Help

[witch]

Can't you contact the support line for the manufacturer? I had the same issue with our new Ricoh and they sorted out a modified driver to set the defaults that I wanted.

[abillybob]

Can't you contact the support line for the manufacturer? I had the same issue with our new Ricoh and they sorted out a modified driver to set the defaults that I wanted.

 

Thanks But I've already tried, and they're no help at all when it comes to the Mac side. They did set the driver to be Black and White on the Windows machines but the staff get confused as they have to modify the driver back and uptick a checkbox buried quite deep in the setting so it will print colour again. Hoping there would be an easier way so that word documents and things are automatically set to greyscale and the staff just have to change it on Microsoft Word rather than go via the driver settings!?

[elsiegee40]

We double install all our printers (I have even done it at home with our colour laser) with one version named MONO with greyscale as default and the second named as COLOUR. The MONO version is then made the default printer. Users like it as it is easy to switch between the two and be certain of the outcome.

 

Your print management solution just sees them as two different printers making it easy to manage

Edited November 18, 2015 by elsiegee40

[mikeprice]

We double install all our printers (I have even done it at home with our colour laser) with one version named MONO with greyscale as default and the second named as COLOUR. The MONO version is then made the default printer. Users like it as it s easy to switch between the two and be certain of the outcome.

 

Your print management solution just sees them as two different printers making it easy to manage

 

Thanks - sound like a simple but cool idea - might even work with my technophobic lot

[abillybob]

We double install all our printers (I have even done it at home with our colour laser) with one version named MONO with greyscale as default and the second named as COLOUR. The MONO version is then made the default printer. Users like it as it is easy to switch between the two and be certain of the outcome.

 

Your print management solution just sees them as two different printers making it easy to manage

 

Thank you Will give this a shot. Life saver.

[beany1]

Once you have the PaperCut client installed, never used Sharp printers but if the drivers are PS or PCL you could use PaperCut scripts to ask the user to convert to greyscale?

[LeMarchand]

I like @elsiegee40 's idea!

 

No need to cater for Macs, but we just set the printing defaults server side and the staff have to change to colour if that's what they want.

[sonofsanta]

I might be missing something here, but all we do is:

1) On the print server, right click the printer and choose Printer Properties

2) Advanced Tab

3) Printing defaults

4) Set everything here

 

Nowt to do with PaperCut or PCounter, just bog standard Windows stuff.

 

If you want to remove the possibility of colour altogether, then you'll need some fanciness involved. We do it using PCounter because that's what we have; it converts any print job from a student to greyscale.

Edited November 18, 2015 by sonofsanta

[dry]

I might be missing something here, but all we do is:

1) On the print server, right click the printer and choose Printer Properties

2) Advanced Tab

3) Printing defaults

4) Set everything here

 

Nowt to do with PaperCut or PCounter, just bog standard Windows stuff.

 

If you want to remove the possibility of colour altogether, then you'll need some fanciness involved. We do it using PCounter because that's what we have; it converts any print job from a student to greyscale.

 

Yes, this is the way to do it.

@elsiegee40 is on the money with that idea. We implemented it at my previous place and it worked very well- means you don't have to train users to go into printing preferences yada yada yada

[elsiegee40]

@elsiegee40 is on the money with that idea. We implemented it at my previous place and it worked very well- means you don't have to train users to go into printing preferences yada yada yada

It also means that when you change the printer all the user has to is carry on printing to something called "Science Block COLOUR" or whatever and they don't have to learn their way round the properties menu of the new printer.