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HP LaserJet, HP OfficeJet Enterprise, HP PageWide Enterprise, HP Managed - How to select the correct printer driver
If there is more than one driver available for your printer, use the information in this document to help you determine which printer driver to choose.
Otherwise, to quickly determine which driver is recommended, and/or whether your printer is supported, go to one of the following support documents:
This document provides instructions for print drivers only. A full feature driver or software solution with other features, such as scan applications, etc., might be available from hp.com for some HP multifunction printers.
To find out if a full solution is available for your printer, use one of the links below.
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Printers compatible with macOS Monterey 12.0, macOS Big Sur 11.0, and macOS Catalina 10.15
Download a driver
If you know which driver to select, follow these steps to download and install the driver from the Software and Driver downloads page.
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Go to support.hp.com, click Software and Drivers in the menu bar, and then click Printer.
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In the text field, type your printer model. If prompted, select your printer in the drop-down list.
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In the list of available drivers, locate the driver that you want to download, and then click Download.
Note:Drivers are typically found under either the Driver, Software, or Utility sections. You do NOT need to download drivers from each section.
Before you select a driver
Many HP printers come with a driver built into the Windows operating system (OS), such as the In-OS driver that can be found in Windows Devices and Printers, or a driver available from Windows Update. Likewise, for macOS systems, drivers are usually available via Apple Software Update. For some printers, these are the only drivers available.
In Windows, for many users, Windows detects the printer hardware and automatically installs the correct driver when the USB or network cable is connected from the printer to the computer (if connected to the internet) and you do not need to download any software.
If Windows does not automatically detect and install the driver, you might need to install the driver using Devices and Printers (formerly Add a Printer wizard) in Windows.
Select a driver
In general, driver selection depends on which features you want, in which environment you are using the printer, and the number of printers that you want to update. Use the following links to navigate to the appropriate section for your operating system.
Click the section below for your operating system to learn about the driver options that are available.
Windows drivers
For Windows users, there are HP printer-specific drivers and HP Universal Print Drivers (UPDs).
Refer to the sections below to learn about these types of drivers.
Model-specific drivers for Windows
The following tables contain information about printer-specific software and driver options for the Windows operating system.
For most Windows users, in most situations, HP recommends the full solution driver. When available, this model-specific driver is typically called the Full Solution, Full Software Solution, Full Feature Software and Driver, or HP Product Installation Software.
Printer-specific driver option |
Description |
---|---|
HP Easy Start |
|
HP Smart |
Note:
Go to 123.hp.com to install HP Smart app. To set up HP Smart for the first time, you must create or sign in to an HP account to access all printer functions. |
Full Solution, Full Software Solution, Full Feature Software and Driver, or Product Installation Software |
Note:
Use this option if you need to reinstall the software, or want the latest driver. |
HP PCL 6 and Basic driver |
Note:
Use if there is not a full solution available, or as a distributable driver alternative to the HP UPD. |
HP PCL 5 (PCL 5c, or PCL 5e for some printers) |
Note:
This driver can be used to achieve backward compatibility with previous PCL versions or older printers. |
HP PostScript |
Note:
The printer must have PostScript printing capability to use this driver. |
Host-based basic 1, 2 Host-based print/scan*1, 2 Plug and Play 1 Print/Scan Plug and Play 1 |
Note:
Use to obtain the most features if there is no full solution available. |
Point and print driver bundle |
|
1 - USB cable or parallel port connected only
2 - Host-based print drivers use the computer's (host's) resources to process print commands and convert the text and graphics into pixels or dots that the printer can place on the page, thereby taking advantage of the computer's memory and processing power. Host-based printers cannot use PCL or PS drivers. Plug and Play drivers are specifically designed to assist with installing printers connected via a USB or parallel port.
Drivers are available for most printers. If a driver for your printer was not included in Windows Devices and Printers, and you have not been able to locate a driver in Windows Update, or on hp.com, your printer might not be supported.
Printer-specific driver option |
Description |
---|---|
In-OS or Windows Update driver |
|
HP Universal Print Drivers for Windows
The Universal Printer Driver (UPD) was created to facilitate printer installations in a managed (IT) business environment where multiple printer models and multiple drivers might otherwise be needed. Driver management is greatly simplified. UPD types can be identified by the name appended to the end of the title (e.g. PCL 5, PCL 6, PostScript).
For Windows users that want a driver without an installer or extra software, the HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) is recommended.
The HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) is a single driver which provides printing support for multiple HP printer models in a Windows environment in lieu of printer-specific drivers for each printer. This makes it easy for system administrators and IT help desks to distribute.
When to choose a UPD
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When you have a managed print environment with multiple HP printer models, in order to reduce the number of unique printer drivers to be installed and managed (typically used by print administrators or IT staff)
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When a driver was not included with your Windows OS (In-OS driver) and there is no Windows Update driver option available
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When you want more advanced driver functionality or features that are not available with the In-OS driver
Which UPD do I choose?
UPD drivers can be used when connected via network or USB.
Driver |
Description |
---|---|
HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL6 |
|
HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PostScript |
Note:
The printer must have PostScript printing capability to use this driver. |
HP Universal Print Driver for Windows PCL5 |
|
For more information, or to download the HP UPD, go to www.hp.com/go/upd.
Driver types in Windows Devices and Printers menu or Windows Update
The PCL6, PCL5, and PS driver options that you find listed in the Windows Devices and Printers menu vary slightly. Use the following table as a guide to help you choose which driver is best for your printing needs.
PCL5 is NOT supported in Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10.
Driver type |
When to use |
---|---|
PCL6 |
|
PS (PostScript) |
Note:
The printer must have Postscript printing capability to use this driver. |
The "Class" driver listed in Devices and Printers is typically the In-OS driver. This driver is not recommended unless no other option is available.
macOS drivers
Most drivers for macOS are available only in Apple Software Update. For some HP printers, this driver might not include scan options.
Check support.hp.com for an HP Full Solution driver.
If a full solution is not available for your printer, use Apple Software Update, or the HP Mac Postscript driver (typically built into the Mac operating system), and then use the Apple Image Capture feature to scan.
Linux drivers
For more information on Linux printing, and to obtain drivers, click the link below.
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Search help
Tips for better search results
- Ensure correct spelling and spacing - Examples: "paper jam"
- Use product model name: - Examples: laserjet pro p1102, DeskJet 2130
- For HP products a product number. - Examples: LG534UA
- For Samsung Print products, enter the M/C or Model Code found on the product label. - Examples: “SL-M2020W/XAA”
- Include keywords along with product name. Examples: "LaserJet Pro P1102 paper jam", "ProBook 440 G3 bios update"
Need help finding your product name or product number?
