Print Driver

Print drivers are the software that comes with your printer or computer that makes your printer work. They interpret the data from your screen and convert it into signals that control your printer to recreate the images of text and graphics for hard copy. Suffice it to say they are pretty complex.

Print drivers may also provide additional features such as control over color renditions, maintenance and the ever problematic ink and toner level indication. The level indicator is not really a measurement of ink or toner in the cartridges. It is typically a calculation based on how much printing the printer has done. Few ink and toner cartridges are fitted with mechanisms to actually determine when levels are low.

You may have set up your computer to automatically update its printer driver. This is almost universally a bad idea. New software for your printer will rarely give it new functionality. Many new printer drivers incorporate a serial number testing systems that make the computer "aware" of "old" or non-OEM cartridges. Eventually the printer software will demand that you replace the cartridge whether you need to or not. New print drivers are often used to inject functionality more useful to manufacturer marketing departments than to give you an upgraded printer operation.