Print to Shared Windows Printer (PSC 1315)

Question

I'm a Windows tech with a problem on my spanking new Intel MacBook.
I have a PSC 1315 connected via USB to an XP desktop PC.
I can print to the 1315 from the desktop with no problem.
Other Windows based PCs on my home network can print to it via a generic SBC router, which is handling network traffic and Internet access.
I have downloaded the OSX drivers for the PSC 1315 from the HP website and successfully loaded them onto the MacBook.
The HP Assistant that pops up asks me to add the HP printer that's either connected via USB or via IP. I have to bypass that setup. You'll see why below.
On the Mac I can not only see the folders that are shared from the desktop PC, but I can ALSO see the shared 1315 printer from across my wireless network. I can access shared files from the desktop on my Macbook.
So far, so good, right? Not.
I can't print to the PSC 1315 across my wireless network. All jobs go into a 'completed' mode but the printer never sees them. The driver that loads when I make the PSC 1315 my default printer on the Mac is 'generic postscript'. The PSC is not a postscript printer. I have scrolled down the list of HP printer drivers that are listed and can't find the PSC series listed anywhere. The HP drivers that I downloaded from the HP website for this printer are apparently only good for directly connected or print server-based PSC series printers - NOT for printers available as shared from an XP computer. In addition, the driver I downloaded from the HP website doesn't add itself to the large list of HP drivers that appear to be native to the Mac OS.
It gets better. I have Parallels loaded on the MacBook, with a copy of XP. When I fire up XP I can print to the PSC 1315 across my wireless network with absolutely no problem. Just like all of my other PCs and notebooks.
Back to the Mac OS side. I've discovered that one can access some sort of printer admin program using 127.0.0.1:631/printers. This is a 'CUPS' interface (I have no idea what CUPS is). I have tried to use this interface to further configure the PSC 1315 printer that shows up on that page, but to no avail.
I can only assume that the PSC 1300 series set of printers is just not designed to be accessible from a MacBook across a wireless network.
If anyone can dispute that I would love to hear about it. Until then, the only way I can print is if I fire up XP using Parallels when I want to print wirelessly.
Intel MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

For what it's worth, let me provide you some background and other ideas. As a Windows tech, you should be able to understand more why things might be failing with some basic background and other ideas.
I've discovered that one can access some sort of printer admin program using 127.0.0.1:631/printers. This is a 'CUPS' interface (I have no idea what CUPS is).
CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) is the printing system used in Mac OS X. It runs its own server which can be accessed on your localhost at <http://127.0.0.1:631>. Apple has made additions to the CUPS software as distributed by cups.org, so the web interface does not provide access to all the extras Apple has added.
CUPS is uses "front end" drivers and/or filters. The data to be printed is manipulated into a form that the particular printer can understand. This information is then handed off to the "backend" which handles the communication between the computer and the printer.
The HP drivers that I downloaded from the HP website for this printer are apparently only good for directly connected or print server-based PSC series printers - NOT for printers available as shared from an XP computer.
As you have found out the drivers HP supplies are limited and will only work when the printer is connected in certain ways. This is a limitation set by HP, not the Mac OS or the CUPS printing system. For whatever reason, the major printer manufacturers have essentially bypassed CUPS. They use just enough of it to direct the print job back to their own proprietary software. No real "frontends" and certainly none of the CUPS "backends" are used.
In order to print to a printer connected to a Windows computer, we must therefore turn to drivers that integrate with CUPS and can use the "smb" or samba backend that Apple provides. The hpijs and the Gutenprint (Gimp-Print) drivers fulfill this role.
At present there is not a specific PPD for the HP PSC 1315 in either package. That is most likely why the Generic PostScript PPD was assigned. The OS tries to match the manufacturer and printer model that the printer relays to the OS with a PPD that is exactly the same. When this fails, the system falls back to whatever default is specified in the software.
Does that mean that the PSC will absolutely not work? No. HP shows that the PSC 1315 is part of the 1300 series. A 1300 series PPD does exist within the hpijs driver set. It will show in the list of printers as "HP PSC 1300 Foomatic/hpijs". You can manually select this as your PPD.
I removed the driver (HP) anyway and downloaded the HPIJS set.
This is good. Did you also remove any HP files from the /Library/Printers/PPD Plugins directory? Please do if you have not already done so. You will have to kill off a number of processes before you are fully rid of these plug-ins. Perhaps the easiest way is to just restart the computer after you trash the PPD Plugins. It is important to be sure these are disabled. Just having the HP supplied drivers installed will most likely "tie up" the printer and make it unavailable to any other driver set. The PSC is an all-in-one machine. The HP software ties up the continuously looking for the command to start scanning.
Windows already is sharing the printer. I'm trying to connect to it over my wifi network.
I think Apple just doesn't support the PSC1315 that way.
Apple, just like Windows, doesn't "support" any particular printer. Nor do they write the drivers for them. Greg is more of an expert at Windows printing from a Mac than most of us. He can correct me if I am wrong, but I think all the necessary elements should be available to make your combination work. Make sure you have gotten rid of all or disabled the HP supplied software and try manually selecting the "HP PSC 1300 Foomatic/hpijs" printer within the context of the Windows printer sharing article Greg cited.
Hope this helps.
Matt
Mac Mini; B&W G3/300