# Mac print driver problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993 "2018-04-07T18:27:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/1 "2018-04-07T18:27:53Z")
I am using OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.8) It is an old mac and the OS cannot be further updated. I have just purchased a Brother J480DW and there is no available driver that I can find to run the printer from the Mac. Is there a way around this, perhaps some generic or prior driver that I can use? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/2 "2018-04-07T18:36:35Z")
I looked [here](https://www.openprinting.org/printers/manufacturer/Brother) but I can’t even see your printer’s model number. I don’t know Brother printers - is yours on there, under a different name? ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/3 "2018-04-07T18:45:56Z")
No it is not. It’s entire name is MFC J480 DW. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/4 "2018-04-07T18:58:35Z")
This is a GDI printer, so unless you can find a CUPS printer driver that is close enough, you are SOL. Snow Leopard is a nice OS, but it’s almost 9 years old. Time to upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/5 "2018-04-07T20:08:46Z")
Your best bet will be to find news of someone who got theirs working, on either a Mac or on Linux, and try whatever worked for them. Or confirmation that someone is sure why it can’t work. There can be CUPS drivers that sort of work - and sometimes sort of working is good enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/6 "2018-04-08T03:47:09Z")
I was pointed to [this set of drivers](http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php) on a Mac forum. It took several rounds of deleting the printer and restarting and deleting the printer again and restarting and creative swearing—but I finally got a page to emerge. However, it hasn’t reliably printed for me. Now I usually only get the top 15 percent of a page. Other options I intend to try: > **[Download Brother MFC-8420 CUPS Printer Driver - Opendrivers](http://www.opendrivers.com/download/889156beaceec608bffebb3af2da3292)** > > Download for Brother... [https://www.openprinting.org/printer/Brother/Brother-DCP-7020](https://www.openprinting.org/printer/Brother/Brother-DCP-7020) ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/7 "2018-04-08T13:38:20Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > " I am using OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.8) It is an old mac and the OS cannot be further updated. I have just purchased a Brother J480DW and there is no available driver that I can find to run the printer from the Mac. Is there a way around this, perhaps some generic or prior driver that I can use? " did you buy the printer through **ebay** or **amazon** or directly from **brother**? when you were deciding on which printer, what was your focus priority? how much time did you spend researching features 'n quirks/limitations 'n compatibility issues? from what i have read _(on amazon)_ … [ul] [li]the printer automatically cleans itself … this cleaning process wastes a lot of ink.[/li][li]if you use only black ink … once the black ink runs out, you will need to replace all four inks.[/li][li]if you need to use the scan feature, and one of your inks runs out, you cannot use the scan feature.[/li][/ul] again … i have no practical experience with the product … just what i have read. other points to keep in mind … [ul] [li]did you go to manufacturer’s website? did you visit their support website? have you read the manual? have you tried contacting brother support?[/li][li]brother offers a _“complete driver package”_ which, purportedly, installs all drivers for the designated os of your choice.[/li][li]what was the motivating factor behind choosing a brother product … and not, say, an epson or canon product?[/li][li]when deciding on the J480 model … did you tell the salesman your os is 10.6.8 … or did you merely assume the printer would be compatible with your outdated os?[/li][li]have you checked questions\*(371)\* and reviews\*(774)\* on amazon _([https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014U39MV0](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014U39MV0))_ for that particular product? yes … read every single excerpt in it’s entirety.[/li][/ul] [Brother Printer Drivers 2.10 for OS X - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/kb/dl894?locale=en_US) _(driver may be incompatible with newest printers)_ > **[Printer and scanner drivers for Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201465#brother)** > > If you have an older printer that doesn't support driverless technology, your Mac might automatically install the driver software needed to use that device. _(mac os automatically installs drivers)_ [http://imefimovadotu.cba.pl/vapal75hjh7r3.html](http://imefimovadotu.cba.pl/vapal75hjh7r3.html) _(free driver available for 10.6.8 and j480)_ [make sure you check for viruses before downloading ([www.virustotal.com](http://www.virustotal.com)) … and, once the file has downloaded to computer, again scan file with your local av. back up any important personal files before installing. if that website implements a _“managed”_ installer … i would look elsewhere … because the managed installer could piggy-back malware.] > **[Brother Technical Support & Contact Information | Brother](https://www.brother-usa.com/contact-us)** > > Have technical questions about Brother Products? Need to speak to someone from Brother? Contact us today! personally, i would use all three vehicles offered _(phone, chat, email)_. even if they isolate _“index-cards”_ to answer your query … you are bound to score a second prognosis by utilizing all three methods. finally … check other mac-osx forums … usually they offer sub-forums for 10.6.8/printers/devices/etc … google filter: _“apple mac-osx-10.6.8 forums”_ * * * disclaimer … owning a computer is a responsibility … it’s all on your shoulders going forward. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/8 "2018-04-08T13:52:04Z")
[QUOTE=albino\_manatee;20891657 [http://imefimovadotu.cba.pl/vapal75hjh7r3.html](http://imefimovadotu.cba.pl/vapal75hjh7r3.html) _(free driver available for 10.6.8 and j480)_[/QUOTE] This is a Malware site. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/9 "2018-04-09T05:37:15Z")
I don’t know if the lack of support for this printer is due to any fundamental changes in macOS or it’s simply a matter of Brother not spending the resources to fully test it on such an old OS. I haven’t done this before, but I would probably, as a long shot, try manually installing the 10.0.8 driver (4.0.4b). However this would take some shell/terminal expertise: 1. Download the 4.0.4b macOS driver ([this one](http://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadend.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=mfcj480dw_us_eu_as&os=115&dlid=dlf103303_000&flang=4&type3=10062)) 2. unarchive the .pkg file using xar 3. rename the Payload file to Payload.gz and use gunzip to uncompress it 4. use cpio -i \< Payload to unarchive the install payload 5. copy Library/Printers/Brother to /Library/Printers 6. copy Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/\* /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources 7. run ‘lpinfo -m’ and verify your printer driver shows up in the output (Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/Brother MFC-J480DW CUPS.gz Brother MFC-J480DW CUPS) 8. Add the printer from the System Preferences interface 9. Press print and pray HTH ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2018, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-print-driver-problem/811993/10 "2018-04-09T06:21:28Z")
You can email it to your iPhone/Android and print it from AirPlay / Google Cloud Print