How to Configure WPD Plotting in Sign Wizard 4 on Windows XP

WPD stands for Windows Printer Driver. WPD ports are a way to connect to a cutter using the Windows printer driver subsystem, which can solve certain plotting problems. Here are the steps you need to take to configure this type of port.

• Go to Start and Devices and Printers.

• Press Add a Printer on the left side.

• Press Next

• Check Local printer attached to this computer

• Uncheck Automatically Detect and install my Plug and Play printer

• Under Use the following port, select the port your cutter is attached to.

• Press Next

• Under Manufacturer, select Generic

• Under Printers, select Generic / Text Only

• Press Next

• Give a name to your printer (really a cutter), such as the make and model of your cutter.

• Press Next

• Do not print a test page

• Press Next

• Press Finish

• The driver will be installed into Windows.

• Launch Plot Manager with the F2 key or File | Plot. Depending on your version, you may need to have some object selected first.

• Select the port drop down list in Plot Manager and select Add/Remove Printer Port:
  
  

• This dialog box will appear:
  

• If you’ve installed a driver from your cutter’s manufacturer or followed the steps above, it will appear in this window and you can place a checkmark next to it as shown above. Place a checkmark next to the cutter you want to use, and press Select.

• If the new WPD port is USB or LPT (parallel), there’s nothing else to be done and you can proceed to cutting. If it’s a COM (serial) port, you will need to go into Control Panel to make sure the configuration matches the cutter’s configuration. With USB to serial converters, there will be a COM port listed that you can select.

• If using a COM (serial) port:

  1. Right click on My Computer on the desktop
  2. Select Manage
  3. Select Device Manager
  4. Open the Ports section
  5. Double-click on a “Communications Port”
  6. Select the Port Settings tab
  7. Make sure these port settings match your cutter’s settings. The standard settings are 9600, 8, N (None),1, and Flow Control set to Xoff/Xoff. If you can’t view your cutter’s settings, the above settings should work.
  8. The Flow Control MUST match what the cutter is using, otherwise you will get bad cuts.

• Go back to Plot Manager and make sure the new printer you’ve configured is selected as the current port in the Setup dialog box.

• Do a test plot and make it has enough data to test the flow control, such as a few lines of text.