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I print photos and use an Epson printer. There are features in the printer driver not available via Apple AirPrint. Whenever I update the OS X I have to reinstall the printer drivers. Why is Apple making us use a feature? Also how can I keep my driver?
iMac 27″, macOS 11.2
Yes but I installed the drivers. The issue is, with each update of the OS, the driver is erased. I have an epson printer I use for photographic printing. It has many features I use to make the prints look how I like. I need access to those features through the drivers, which I am totally fine doing. It's what I am used to. Now with the AirPrint, the features are not available. So I install the drivers, like usual. No problem. Except when Apple puts out a new update, it erases those drivers and all of my settings. This is my computer and I do not want to have the drivers I knowingly installed on the device I purchased to be erased without my permission. If I did not want them on there, I would not have installed them. I wonder if there is a way to make them not be erased?
Epson would need to provide the drivers. Apple made AirPrint so that you don’t need drivers. If the manufacturer decides to offer other features not supported in AirPrint, it would require they build drivers to support their printers. Apple doesn’t write drivers for printers. The manufacturer does.
Then find another OS. I have no idea if the drivers get erased normally, because I haven’t used them in 10 years.
If you don’t like some thing about the OS you have freedom of choice, pick another.
If it is by design, none of us here can do anything about it. Complaining to us does absolutely nothing.
Provided your printer is supported by Epson with drivers compatible with the current operating system, and it is also supported by Apple's AirPrint, you alone reserve the decision whether to use AirPrint or the Epson drivers when you reset the printing system following an operating system upgrade. Apple is not forcing you to do anything, but Epson may when the day arrives that they no longer support your printer.
The drivers are compatible with BigSur. I installed them when I first updated. It's just that, when I update BigSur, which was twice now, after the update the printer and it's driver, were removed. The printer shows up under AirPrint, but the printer I installed with the driver does not. That's what I mean when I say Apple forcing me, because in previous versions, when I would update the OS, not to a new version, but an update within the existing version, 11.1 to 11.2 for example, like with what is happening now, it would not erase my printer causing me to reinstall it with the driver. So far BigSur has done this twice. I would think that once I install a printer, it shouldn't. That's why I was asking, is there a way to preserve the printer/driver combo I installed so that it will be be deleted after an OS update?
As I am using AirPrint myself as my Samsung laser no longer has any HP driver support, I am not in a position to determine if Big Sur is whacking printer drivers, and if it is, then my thoughts are that you will have no preventative option to avoid that issue. You are the first user that has mentioned this driver removal factor about Big Sur, to my knowledge.
I think I should reach out to Apple. Maybe I'm experiencing something new. Thank you for your reply.
Forced to use AirPrint?
