Installing Printer Drivers on MacOS

When installing a printer on the latest MacOS it is essential that it is set up with the latest driver from the manufacturer’s web site – not the MacOS AirPrint Universal Driver.

AirPrint is a simplified driver that macOS uses by default when it detects a connected printer.
It is a quick and easy route to print, but lacks advanced settings such as color profiles and media types. It may also ignore custom driver features (especially on photo printers), and does not have the ability to disable color management to correctly make and use ICC profiles.

1. Download and Install the Official Driver

• Go to your printer manufacturer’s website and download the latest macOS driver for your printer model.
• Install the driver before connecting or adding the printer. Also, make a note of the driver version as it will help later on.

2. Connect Your Printer

• Connect the printer via USB, or ensure your printer is on the same Wi-Fi network.

3. Add the Printer Manually

• Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners
  (or System Preferences on older macOS versions).
• If the printer you are installing already exists in the list it is probably using the AirPrint driver, so select it and in the dialogue click ‘Remove Printer’ before continuing.
• Click the Add Printer, Scanner or Fax button (on older operating systems you may need to use the ‘+’ button).
• Wait for your printer to appear in the list.
• Do NOT click on the printer immediately.

4. Choose the Correct Driver Manually

• When your printer appears:
  • Click on it once to select it.
  • Look at the ‘Use:’ dropdown at the bottom of the dialogue.
  • Do not use either the AirPrint or Secure AirPrint option.
  • Click the ‘Use:’ dropdown and click ‘Select Software’: The manufacturer’s driver you have installed should appear in the list (e.g., “Canon PRO-300”, “Epson XP-15000 Series” etc)
  • Select the correct driver to highlight it and click ‘OK’
• If the correct driver doesn’t appear, it means it may not have been properly installed or be compatible with your macOS version.
• In this case try installing it again or refer to the manufacture’s web site to check you have the correct driver.

5. Test and Confirm

• After installation close all dialogues and open Printers & Scanners again in the system settings.
• Click the printer and then the ‘Options & Supplies’ button, in the info window you can confirm the printer is using the correct driver noted down from earlier.
• When you then launch your print dialog from apps like Calibrite Profiler or Photoshop you should now see the advanced driver-specific settings, such as:
  • Color management
  • Media types
  • ICC profile handling

This process sets the printer with the correct driver options to get the best results when creating and using your own ICC profiles.

Details on the correct driver setting options when creating and using ICC profiles are available Here.

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