Using Older HP Printers With macOS

Many modern printers support driverless technology (ex: AirPrint) to install/add printers in macOS; however, if you happen to be using an older HP printer that does not support driverless technology, macOS will typically download and install the required print drivers via Apple Software Update if those drivers aren’t already included in the latest version of macOS.

But what if the drivers aren’t available in macOS or through Apple Software Update?

Apple does periodically remove older printer drivers from their macOS installation packages and from their Software Update library. Fortunately, there is a solution!

You can download the HP Printer Software Update package for macOS on the Apple Support site which includes HP printing and scanning software/drivers for macOS. After installing the HP Printer Software Update package for macOS, you should be able to add the HP printer in macOS. If your HP printer is a multi-function device with scanning capabilities, the scanner should also function once the HP printer is added to macOS.

Keep in mind the HP Printer Software Update package for macOS is also periodically updated and may drop support for certain older HP devices which are obsolete. If your HP device falls into this category, it may be time to consider replacing your older HP device.

Generic printer drivers may be another option to consider; however, generic drivers are often hit or miss. They may work in some cases and may yield undesirable results in others. If you have an older HP printer for which a driver is not available natively in macOS or via Apple Software Update, try installing the HP Printer Software Update package for macOS first before trying generic printer drivers. The native HP drivers, if available, should generally provide better results than any generic printer driver.