This article explains how to set up an IrDA-capable PowerBook to print to an IrDA-capable laser printer.

First, make sure that your computer can communicate with the printer. Open the Infrared control panel to check that the computer "sees" the printer. Next, open the AppleTalk control panel and make sure that AppleTalk is set up to use the IrDA port. Lastly, follow these steps to create a new Infrared desktop printer with the Desktop Printer Utility:

1. Open the Desktop Printer Utility.

2. Choose New from the File menu; a window appears (see Figure 1).

3. Select "Printer (Infrared)" from the list and click OK; a window opens (see Figure 2).

4. Click the Change button; a window containing a list of available PostScript Printer Description files appears (see Figure 3).

5. Select your printer from the list and click Select. If your printer does not appear in the list, select Generic (you may want to contact the printer manufacturer for their PostScript Printer Description (PPD) file).

6. Choose Save As from the File menu and save the printer file as a desktop printer.

Figure 1 Creating a new desktop printer

Figure 2 Picking the PPD file

Figure 3 List of Printer Description files