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Printer Drivers

Apple seem to do this every time they upgrade, my printer is now unusable. I have been onto the Epson site on one page it says my printer is useable with Big Sur and when I try to find the Driver it says there is not one. Apple, although I like my Mac your updates have a lot to be desired.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 3:03 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 24, 2020 10:41 AM

Okay, but before you do please try the following:


Please do the following in this order:

 

·Uninstall all Epson software, put in the Trash and empty the Trash.

·Please reset the printing system per Reset the Mac printing system to solve a problem

·Next, follow the instructions in Adding a printer


9 replies

Nov 24, 2020 4:13 AM in response to RAB52

Hi,


You do not mention the printer model. I guess that you have checked the compatibility via https://www.epson.eu/viewcon/corporatesite/kb/index/1018. Doing so, you may have seen a reference to a printer driver v10.85 to be used for Big Sur. Yes, for many models, but not all, this driver has not been available. Some have then checked whether a v10.85 driver can be found on another model's support page (similar or not), and downloaded that file. This seems to have worked in a number of cases. If one tries to search (Search - Apple Community) for something like Epson (limiting results by Filter -> Time -> Last week), one will find several posts on this topic. If applicable, look upon this as an experiment; it may or may not work with your printer.

Nov 24, 2020 10:20 AM in response to RAB52

I am sorry for your problem and I can appreciate your frustration. If I may, I'd like to clarify an issue. Please bear with me. Many times when a new OS update or upgrade is released, a lot of us experience having printers that stop working. As you know, this requires a new printer driver download. Often times the printer manufacturers do not support older printers. (Their bad.) They all have many months (or years) advance notice of what they need to do to meet compliance with the upcoming new operating system. They, not Apple, own the code to their software. Apple simply can not write or provide the needed software for the many hundred of different model printers that exist. It is the drivers that have to be compliant with the operating system. Not the other way around. What I am trying to explain is that Apple does not do this to us. Companies like Epson do it to us.

There are some potential solutions, however. First I would keep checking the Epson web site for the missing driver. Lean on their customer service people. If it is not available, ask them when it is to be released. Second, if your computer has the Air Print feature, that will work and no drivers are needed - not ever. Third, the link below provides many drivers for older printers which work with newer OSs. Check it out. One may work with your printer. Good luck.

Gutenprint Supported Printers

Nov 24, 2020 10:28 AM in response to RAB52

In addition to the sage advice already noted, Apple does not provide printer drivers. These are created by the printer manufacturers who participate in Apple's beta projects in order to develop new drivers on printers they wish to continue supporting. When printer manufacturers stop developing drivers on legacy devices that means they are either do not have the manpower to support old devices or it is their way of telling you it's time to buy a new device. Developing printer drivers is out of Apple's hands.


What this means for end users like you, me and all others who post here is that we may be a bit vigilant to ensure our legacy peripheral devices and their software are still supported and if they are not, then we need to seek alternatives.

Printer Drivers

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