Installing drivers for the Brother QL-500/550?

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Level 1

22 points

Installing drivers for the Brother QL-500/550?

I picked up a used Brother QL-500 label printer, downloaded the latest firmaware, drivers, and editor app from the Brother website, but can't get it to work. OSX 10.5.8 doesn't 'see' the printer driver. I've installed it three times, restarting after each install, but still 'System Preferences > Print & Fax' doesn't show it as being available for this printer. The file I'm using is: "qd550m204x5us.dmg". Brother's website says it's compatible with OSX 10.5 (Intel) ideas?

 8-core Mac Pro, 10GB Ram, 4TB HDD (internal), Mac OS X (10.5.6), (All tools, no talent!)

Posted on Aug 13, 2009 1:11 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Aug 13, 2009 2:29 PM in response to transco

Problems with a third-party supplied driver should be addressed to the manufacturer, Brother's support site.

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Answer 2

Oct 7, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Kappy

I have exactly the same issue on much the same hardware, and it just MAY be an Apple problem, you know? Apple already has a QL-500 CUPS driver installed, which might be conflicting with the latest software from Brother.

Neither company provides a way to deinstall drivers for this nice label printer.

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Answer 3

Oct 7, 2009 11:44 AM in response to Loren Miller1

Okay, I'm replying to my own post, because I solved it.

Apparently somewthingin OSX 10.5 precvents the Brother download form actually UN-BUNDLING the raster driver.

I went here:

Startup Volume<Library>Printers>Brother>Filter

And noticed the "rastertobrotherQL500.bundle" was the only item of its kind among all the Brother filters listed.

So I right-clicked to Show Package Contents.

In the Contents folder was a "rastertobrotherQL500" file which looked right for the list.
So I dragged it out and into the existing list.

Closed everything up, logged out and in again, and voila.

So yes, I suspect OSX here, not completing an install.

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