Help setting up a printer with no Mac drivers

[Commodore]

Is there any way to set up a printer that doesn't have Mac drivers listed on the website? I inherited a Canon FP-L170 and there are no Mac drivers listed on Canon's website: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/copiers_fax_machines/fax_machines/faxphone_l170

What are my options? There has to be an open source driver somewhere that can get this thing to print. Apple couldn't find anything when I connected it.

Thanks.

 

[MisterMe]

...

What are my options? There has to be an open source driver somewhere that can get this thing to print. Apple couldn't find anything when I connected it.

Thanks.

Your option is to get a real printer. If your OS does not have Microsoft in its name, then Canon does not want your printer business. That is not entirely true. Although Canon is not as bad as Lexmark, its support for non-Microsoft operating systems is poor. However, the Linux Foundation's OpenPrinting project of CUPS drivers supports just about every printer for which support is possible. Apple now owns CUPS. If a CUPS driver is available for a printer, then it is likely that the printer can be used with MacOS X. However, the printer must have some internal intelligence to be supportable by CUPS. Canon's FAXPHONE L170 does not have a CUPS driver.

 

[Commodore]

Your option is to get a real printer. If your OS does not have Microsoft in its name, then Canon does not want your printer business. That is not entirely true. Although Canon is not as bad as Lexmark, its support for non-Microsoft operating systems is poor. However, the Linux Foundation's OpenPrinting project of CUPS drivers supports just about every printer for which support is possible. Apple now owns CUPS. If a CUPS driver is available for a printer, then it is likely that the printer can be used with MacOS X. However, the printer must have some internal intelligence to be supportable by CUPS. Canon's FAXPHONE L170 does not have a CUPS driver.

Thanks for the reply. This is really unfortunate. I thought I had a nice new printer. I guess I'll just give it back.

 

[Tomorrow]

FWIW, OS X includes drivers for HP printers right in the operating system; no extra drivers needed. Consider that when you go shopping.

 

[Commodore]

Thanks. Fortunately I didn't pay for this one. It was passed down to me. Still sucks to have a non-working printer though, especially a nice laser one.

 

[MisterMe]

Thanks. Fortunately I didn't pay for this one. It was passed down to me. Still sucks to have a non-working printer though, especially a nice laser one.

You do not have a printer. What you have is a fax machine that can be used as printer.