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Installing new laser printer

mgipe

mgipe

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 6, 2009
675
145
CA
I just bought a new Brother MFC-9340CDW all-in-one printer, but haven't set it up yet. It has the usual instructions to install all sorts of poorly identified stuff (drivers, software, utilities, etc?) from CD-ROM. My experience with Macs has been that most or all of this is unnecessary for Macs, and that all the drivers needed are already there in OSX. But I'm not sure if this is true for this printer.

I've always hated the bloatware software and drivers needed for HP printers on Windows, and I want to avoid that mess for this new printer.

Does anyone have any experience with this printer? Is it necessary to follow Brother's instructions for installing all their software in order to set it up? What minimum set can I get away with? I do want to use the standard features of the printer, but probably don't need "automatic birthday card maker" and other fluff.

Thanks for your help and advice.
 
mgipe said:
I just bought a new Brother MFC-9340CDW all-in-one printer, but haven't set it up yet. It has the usual instructions to install all sorts of poorly identified stuff (drivers, software, utilities, etc?) from CD-ROM. My experience with Macs has been that most or all of this is unnecessary for Macs, and that all the drivers needed are already there in OSX. But I'm not sure if this is true for this printer.

I've always hated the bloatware software and drivers needed for HP printers on Windows, and I want to avoid that mess for this new printer.

Does anyone have any experience with this printer? Is it necessary to follow Brother's instructions for installing all their software in order to set it up? What minimum set can I get away with? I do want to use the standard features of the printer, but probably don't need "automatic birthday card maker" and other fluff.

Thanks for your help and advice.
Click to expand...

Open Print And Scan in System Preferences and try to add it. It will then download the appropriate driver if Apple has one. You could also use AirPrint and that is driverless so no fluff. However, I am not sure if that will use all features.

If Apple doesn't have the driver, then download the CUPS driver from here.

http://welcome.solutions.brother.co...40cdw_all&dlid=&flang=English&os=132&type2=-1

This is a basic driver with no fluff as you like!
 
I proceeded as you suggested. I did have to download the cups driver from Brother, which then showed up in Apple's printer installation dialog. That was all that was needed. Printer and scanner both work with all functions.

Thanks for your assistance.
 
mgipe said:
I proceeded as you suggested. I did have to download the cups driver from Brother, which then showed up in Apple's printer installation dialog. That was all that was needed. Printer and scanner both work with all functions.

Thanks for your assistance.
Click to expand...

No problem. Drivers are meant to be invisible to the user and also should be light weight. It is essentially like the key to a car. I don't understand why anyone needs a cinderblock (excess software) attached to their keychain.
 
...plus a trunk full of wet concrete and a dead skunk. If you lose the skunk, the next automatic update will restore it.
 
Scan to e-mail/file from MFC to MAC OS 10.9

Hi everyone,

I tried helping a friend to configure her new MFC-9340 as to use the Scan to email or scan to file function... but was unable to complete the software installation. The provided CD only provides MAC OS 10.8 apps and drivers...

We were able to print and SCAN from the MAC to the MFC , but unable to use the scan to file or email function from the MFC to the MAC. I know that Brother offers the Control Center4 driver/app on PC but I have no idea how to do this on MAC OS. Brother seems to have named the ControlCenter4 utility "Remote Setup Software", but I'm not sure. Unless it is "Internet FAX* / Scan to E-mail Server/ Fax to Server*/ LDAP* Install Tool"...

Please help!

Thank you!!
 
Deadbird said:
Scan to e-mail/file from MFC to MAC OS 10.9

Hi everyone,

I tried helping a friend to configure her new MFC-9340 as to use the Scan to email or scan to file function... but was unable to complete the software installation. The provided CD only provides MAC OS 10.8 apps and drivers...

We were able to print and SCAN from the MAC to the MFC , but unable to use the scan to file or email function from the MFC to the MAC. I know that Brother offers the Control Center4 driver/app on PC but I have no idea how to do this on MAC OS. Brother seems to have named the ControlCenter4 utility "Remote Setup Software", but I'm not sure. Unless it is "Internet FAX* / Scan to E-mail Server/ Fax to Server*/ LDAP* Install Tool"...

Please help!

Thank you!!
Click to expand...

Did you ever get the scan from MFC to Mac working? I have the control center2 software which lets me add the name of my mac to the scan-to list on the MFC but it fails and brings up an error on the mac.
 
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