Preparing a printer driver

By default, when you create a new print queue in PaperCut Hive and Pocket, it uses a generic printer driver with basic finishing options that work on most printers.

For more finishing options, you can replace this generic printer driver with a manufacturer’s print driver. This will:

• enable more advanced finishing options such as stapling and hole punching
• set available finishing options that a user can choose from
• set default finishing options like color vs black and white, and one-sided vs two-sided (Windows)
• enable printing to printers that are not compatible with the generic printer driver.

To upload a manufacturer driver into PaperCut Hive or Pocket:

1. Download a manufacturer’s printer driver onto a reference computer running the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client.
2. Install, configure and validate the printer driver.
3. Apply the printer driver to one or many print queues in PaperCut Hive or Pocket.

Keep reading to learn how!

Download a manufacturer’s printer driver

On a computer running the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the printer driver for your printer(s).

How to choose the right manufacturer printer driver

• If there’s a choice of drivers and you want to provide your users with support for the widest range of PaperCut features (like Watermarking ), choose a driver that uses the PostScript, PCL5, or PCL6 languages.
  Note: PaperCut Hive and Pocket don’t yet support Printer Support Apps (PSAs).

• Most Windows manufacturer printer drivers are either made for ARM64 architecture or X64 architecture. Make sure you download the printer driver for the architecture you want to support.
  

• Universal print drivers (UPDs) can simplify deployment across multiple printer models within a single brand — but might sacrifice some advanced features. For more advanced finishing options like saddle stitching, you might need to opt for a printer model-specific printer driver.

• If multiple versions of a driver are available, opt for the latest version. Sometimes the latest printer driver might not have functional changes but it could include important security updates.

Install the printer driver

On the same computer that you used to download the printer driver, create a regular print queue using your chosen driver. Use the manufacturer’s recommended driver setup process.

Many drivers change their available print options depending on which printer they connect to, or even require a connection to a printer to successfully install. Therefore, when you’re creating the print queue, be sure to point your print queue at the printer with the options you want to be available.

When presented with the option, use a direct connection to the printer:

• Windows: TCP/IP or LPR protocol
• macOS: HP Jetdirect - Socket

Configure the printer driver

Configure the default print settings on the new print queue. The settings will be deployed along with the print queue, so choose whatever makes sense for your users.

You might like to consider defaulting to both black & white (grayscale) and 2-sided (duplex) printing for regular, efficient use of resources. Users will still be able to change the settings if they need to.

Windows

1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

2. Right-click a printer and select Printer Properties. The Printer Properties pop-up is displayed.
   Note
   Printer Properties is different from Properties.

3. On the Advanced tab, click Printing Defaults.

4. Configure your default print settings. These are the global/system printing defaults (the ones you would use if you were creating a Windows printer to share).

   
   

macOS

On macOS, configure the default print settings:

1. In System Settings > Printers and Scanners, select the printer. The printer details are displayed.
2. Go to Options & Supplies > Options, and configure the default print settings.

Test the printer driver before uploading to PaperCut Hive or Pocket

Before you upload a printer driver to PaperCut Hive and Pocket, always validate the security of the printer driver and run a test print.

Validate the security of the printer driver

Check that you are using the latest driver version offered by your manufacturer. If not, search for security vulnerabilities for the version you are using.

• After the driver is installed on a test computer, run virus scanning software like Microsoft Defender or similar.

To deploy a Windows printer driver, it must be package-aware (external link) and digitally signed with a trusted certificate, preferably by Microsoft. If the certificate is provided by a third-party vendor, it must be preinstalled on all of the clients.

Perform a quick print test

PaperCut Hive and Pocket will give you an opportunity to do another test by deploying the driver to a test computer later, but let’s do a quick test now to see if this driver is at least appropriate for your printers.

On the reference computer, print a multi-page document that includes an image and at least one printing option, for example, two-sided color (if applicable).

1. Check that the default paper size is appropriate. For example, Letter if you are using Letter paper, or A4 if you are using A4 paper
2. Choose a more advanced finishing option like stapling, if applicable, and check it works.

Test the printer driver before deploying to all users

When updating a driver, you get the option to “Test deploy” * * the driver to a specific computer. Here is an example test plan to ensure the driver works as expected.

Test finishing options:

• One-sided color, and check that default paper size is appropriate, for example, Letter if you are using Letter paper, or A4 if you are using A4 paper.
• Two-sided Black & White, 2 copies (double-check that collation is correct):
  • ​​Copy 1: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
  • Copy 2: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
• N-Up (multiple pages)
• If applicable, test stapling, hole punching options. Include options available like top left, left edge.

Test printing using an application: for example, test a print job from Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Reader, Chrome, and an email client.

Test printing on various computers:

• For Windows, expect that driver will in most cases only support ARM64 or X64 chipset. Test on an appropriate device
• For macOS, test the driver on both ARM and Intel chipsets
• Check that the speed of printing is in line with the expected performance of the printer.

Bulk update print queues using CSV

To apply a driver to multiple print queues, you can opt to use the Bulk deploy print queues using CSV feature instead. Before using the CSV method, first apply the driver to one print queue, test that you are happy with it, then download the CSV template. Copy the Windows x64 driver ID or macOS driver ID values to all the print queues you want to apply the driver to.

When you upload the CSV, it will automatically update all the print queues with this driver.

Best practices

When to create multiple print queues

If you have printers from multiple vendors, or from the same vendor but the printers are significantly different, you should use multiple drivers, each deployed on a separate print queue. The manufacturer’s website will indicate the models supported by each driver.

You might also want multiple print queues that use the same printer driver but have different default print settings. For example, one queue could default to black & white (grayscale) printing, and another to color, with names to match. This can save users time when they’re selecting the appropriate queue when printing, and save users from having to change (potentially confusing) print settings.

Check for new printer drivers regularly

Driver updates often include fixes for bugs, compatibility improvements, or critical security patches. While there’s no fixed schedule that works for every environment, we recommend:

• quarterly reviews of drivers across your fleet
• rrigger-based reviews (for example, when new devices are added, or a new OS version rolls out)
• vendor mailing lists and RSS feeds — subscribe to manufacturers to stay informed about updates.

Let your security software help you stay alert

Most enterprise-grade endpoint protection or vulnerability management tools can detect out-of-date or vulnerable print drivers.

• Configure your security software to flag CVEs related to print drivers.
  For example, the PrintNightmare vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) highlighted how outdated or misconfigured drivers can allow privilege escalation.
• Set up alerts for CVEs that mention printing subsystems or driver DLLs.

🛡 Did you know? A vulnerable driver can be a gateway to elevated system access — even on otherwise locked-down machines

What’s next?

Now that the print queue is ready, you can deploy it to your users .