Hello
I recently bought a Brother DCP-1602 to print via USB cable from my MBP running macOS Big Sur v11.3.
I was surprised to discover that this printer wasn’t listed when I tried to install it and have been unable to find the drivers online. Can anyone help?
Thanks
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13
Hi,
The Brother DCP-1602 appears to be a USB-only printer. If nothing else works, it could perhaps be worth testing a macOS Catalina 10.15 printer driver even under macOS Big Sur 11. It has been reported that macOS Catalina 10.15 drivers work with some models when Big Sur drivers are not offered.
https://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadlist.aspx?c=us_ot&lang=en&prod=dcp1602_us&os=10060
However, look upon this as a pure experiment. It may not work at all with your printer. There is always a certain risk involved with an experiment. Software conflicts cannot be ruled out. You may have to erase and reinstall everything on the computer. Data may be lost. A hardware problem is unlikely, but it is impossible to guarantee anything. Do not proceed unless you know what you are doing. In any case, make sure that at least three backup copies of important files are available.
Also, if may be a good idea to reset the printing system before any tests.
Reset the Mac printing system to solve a problem - Apple Support
Hi BDAqua. I did what you suggested and have downloaded the Brother iPrint&Scan app but this appears to only work for scanning over USB. In the meantime, Brother confirmed that there are no drivers ready for my printer under Big Sur but that they are working on it...
Thanks for your interest.
Hi Jan,
Many thanks for the tip. I could make a clone of my HDD before running the experiment. But to be honest, given the potential major hassle, I’m thinking of donating the Brother, doing my research and buying a printer that is compatible my MBP. You’d think someone would have created a universal printer app by now. This is not the first time I have this issue. Thanks again anyway.
Hello again,
You're welcome! Since the macOS 10.15 driver (link above) is for the DCP-1602, I would not be too alarmed. The most important thing is to have several backup copies of photos and other important files if something goes wrong. Whatever you decide, good luck!
Go here, I think you might need AirPrint...
https://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadtop.aspx?c=us_ot&lang=en&prod=dcp1602_us
Thanks BDAqua. You mean I should connect to the DCP 1602 over LAN? I’m not sure it has wireless capability. Does it?
Dang, I should've checked if it has Wifi, but did you select your OS on the link I posted to get the Driver?
Thanks for the info my friend.
Printer problem macOS Big Sur
