Imagewriter II

[beachycove]

Oddly enough, I am kind of excited about this thing, as I have a sizable collection of Apple printers but none of the Imagewriters. And it works well with A/UX.

Looking back over the aeons since I began using computers for writing, I seem to see through the fog of time that DMPs are great for draft text, intended for marking up and then recycling; and A/UX, I know, works very nicely as an LPR spooler, and is in itself a great bridge between old and new protocols and connections. So my great question of the moment is whether I can get a MacBook Pro or a G5 tower to print to an ImageWriter via A/UX working as an LPR spooler.

If so, then I wonder: Can you still get (working) printer ribbons for ImageWriters?

 

[Macdrone]

I got a box of new sealed ribbons but I do not know if they are dried out or not. I got them in trade, but the box is so new I wonder if they still make them.

 

[beachycove]

I see someone on eBay has about a thousand of them to sell. Poor sod, I might just have to help him out.

 

[olePigeon]

There was a thread somewhere, but I can't remember if it was here or over at Vintage Computer. Imagewriter uses the same ribbon as some other popular in-use impact printer, and they still make the ribbons.

Edit: Quick Google found this: RB330 It's an Imagewriter compatible ribbon that you can still buy new.

 

[Brett B.]

Good score, I have been looking for one of those in good condition for a while.

 

[trag]

Here's a thread here discussing IWII ribbons, some pitfalls (long time since manufacture) and listing at least one possible source of affordable new ones:

http://68kmla.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=182584#p182584

 

[uniserver]

I have 3 or 4 Image WriterII's if anyone is interested, i know the one is like brand new.

pm me.

 

[beachycove]

So I decided to have a shot at re-inking the ribbon. The top pries off easily, and back in the day, apparently WD40 was applied to revive the dried ink. I added a shot of canon inkjet ink for good measure.

It worked.