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Microspot Backgrounder & MacPalette II Error
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-06-27 18:30:45
Thanks to @GameMan370, I now have working color ribbons for my IW II.

However, I’m having a problem with the MacPalette II driver. After I print a full color document, if I decide to print a second document (or another copy of the previous document), I get an error from Microspot Backgrounder telling me that the “Selected Port is in use by another application” and the IW II does nothing.

I have my IW II connected to my B&W G3 using a Keyspan USA-28 adapter. I am using the printer port in Chooser (serial port option does nothing). AppleTalk is disabled. Currently running OS 9.2.1

Pic of the error message:
IMG_2079.jpeg
Posted by: Byrd on 2026-06-27 20:29:10
Hi,

Never heard of this alternate driver; what benefits does it provide over the stock IW driver? As it's pretty early late OS 6/early OS 7 software it might be an incompatibility here over anything else - try it on an older Mac perhaps without Keyspan bridge running < OS 7.6
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-06-28 03:12:19
Never heard of this alternate driver; what benefits does it provide over the stock IW driver
It allows you to print in color on the IW II.

MS Word and Acrobat Reader have no way of telling the IW II to print a document in color at the print prompt. The MacPalette II driver (which replaces Apple’s IW II driver in Chooser) supposedly fixes this problem.
Try it on an older Mac perhaps without Keyspan bridge
Will do. I always seem to be slightly ahead of the times with software. 😎
Posted by: Phipli on 2026-06-28 03:18:00
Hum, you might struggle there. Isn't MacPalette about a decade older thant the G3, USB and the Keyspan adapter? Even more so compared to 9.2.1.

I'm pretty impressed that in even does the first print 😆

Or did MicroSpot keep updating it?
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-06-28 06:05:55
Or did MicroSpot keep updating it?
I just downloaded whatever version was available on the Macintosh Repository
Posted by: Phipli on 2026-06-28 06:13:10
It's only the demo, but a while back I uploaded the demo of version 2.5 as part of MacDraft here : http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/macdraft-51

That version of MacDraft is from like, 2003, so perhaps, possibly, that version of MacPalette is new enough to fix your issue.

Not sure what the demo limitations are. Perhaps you could email MicroSpot and beg for a newer version of the newest version they have. See if they'll sell you one.

MicroSpot are still going (last time I checked) support the old school long term Mac Developers 🙂 there aren't many left!
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-07-01 21:36:04
It's only the demo, but a while back I uploaded the demo of version 2.5 as part of MacDraft here
I downloaded both the zip and iso version. When I unstuff the zip version in 9.2.1, I get an error message stating that one of the files is damaged and nothing appears in the unstuffed folder.

The iso version shows up as a PC file in 9.2.1 and StuffIt Expander immediately closes.
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-07-02 07:54:28
I also tried downloading the same link from the Macintosh Repository. I get these errors:
IMG_2112.jpegIMG_2111.jpeg
Posted by: Phipli on 2026-07-02 08:00:18
I also tried downloading the same link from the Macintosh Repository. I get these errors:
View attachment 100823View attachment 100824

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to do to the poor iso and bin cue images. You don't open iso disk images in a decompression program, they're not compressed. Either mount it (Toast or http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/virtual-dvd-romcd-utility ), or burn it to a CD.

More generally use MacZip to decompress zip files on classic Mac OS http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/maczip-106
Stuffit isn't any good at unzipping.
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-07-02 09:33:31
I'm not quite sure what you're trying to do to the poor iso and bin cue images
All I did was download your zip file from the Garden using my W520. I then saved the downloaded file onto a USB stick, plugged it into my B&W G3, and used StuffIt to decompress the file. Same process I’ve done a million times before.
Stuffit isn't any good at unzipping
Unless I’m missing something here, MacZip isn’t faring any better. I downloaded version 1.06, dragged the MacDraft 5.1 zip file directly onto the MacZip icon, and all I get are a .bin and .cue file:
IMG_2113.jpeg
Posted by: kaleokeanu on 2026-07-02 12:24:14
I feel like its time to Toast some bin cues up or does VirtualCD/DVD run on OS 9? I'm a 68k guy don't know the ways of PPC. Its probably FAT for all I know.
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-07-05 09:45:14
I downloaded the Virtual CD/DVD-ROM utility and I was able to open the iso file.

Unfortunately, the 2.5 demo has the same issue as the previous version I downloaded in OS 9.2.1 (Selected port is in use by another application blah blah) plus I get these lovely messages before and during printing:
IMG_2122.jpeg
IMG_2123.jpeg
Seems like 1994 was the last version of this program. I might attempt to reach out to someone at Microspot to see if they are willing to come out with a Version 3 (unless of course someone knows how to print on an IW II in full color without this particular kit).

So it’s back to the trusty IIfx and System 7.1 for now. The only problem I seem to be having there is the Chooser keeps defaulting to the serial port instead of the printer port. Don’t know why. IW II is connected to the serial port for now.

I did some color prints of PDFs in Acrobat Reader 3.0 and some Clip Art in Corel 2.0 to showcase the quality of the new ribbons:
IMG_2124.jpeg
IMG_2125.jpeg
Posted by: trag on 2026-07-05 12:31:55
Microspot is still in business. I have no idea if they still sell MacPalette II.

mailto:sales@microspot.co.uk

I bought the Appletalk version from them long after they had stopped marketing it, and they were happy to sell it to me.
Posted by: Concorde1993 on 2026-07-05 14:17:25
I bought the Appletalk version from them long after they had stopped marketing it, and they were happy to sell it to me.
Cool. Do you remember how much you paid? Did it come on a disk/CD?

Hopefully it’s less than the listed price on the demo software from 94. Don’t really want to spend stupid money on a printer driver (if it’s even still available).
Posted by: cheesestraws on 2026-07-05 14:24:41
Microspot is still in business

Not only are they still in business, they still sell MacDraft! Though I would imagine it has basically zero of the original code left. But they're obviously proud of their history, so they might have a copy somewhere (or be willing to send you one)
Posted by: trag on 2026-07-06 23:15:09
Cool. Do you remember how much you paid? Did it come on a disk/CD?

Hopefully it’s less than the listed price on the demo software from 94. Don’t really want to spend stupid money on a printer driver (if it’s even still available).

I think that was before 2007, so almost 20 years ago. I think it was pretty similar to the listed prices. IIRC, the Serial Port version was near the middle of $100 and the Appletalk version was a little over. But I could be completely wrong. It was a package with one or more floppy disks. I find it difficult to believe that I was willing to pay over or even near $100, so I kind of think that memory is wrong.

I'd look for any relevant emails, but ones that old are on a hard drive somewhere in Eudora format.

In other words, I'm nearly completely useless on details.

If they're still as friendly as they once were, I'd just contact them and ask. They seemed tickled at the time not so much that they got to sell another copy as that there was someone still interested in their creation.
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