Can't get printer to connect to my iMac

sciencemagic wrote:

/.../ I tried downloading the driver "Mountain Lion v10.8" I was able to finally choose that printer driver that was available from the list. But, when I tried to install the driver to my Mac I got the message " The package is incapable with this version of mac OS" So, the different driver option that was maybe a possibility wouldn't work. /.../

Hello again,

This means that you have about four options:

• Try a Gutenprint MP510 driver. Purely experimental, not supported, and may not work at all in this case.
• Print to/save as PDF on the iMac, and then transfer the PDF files (on a USB flash drive or via network) to a Windows PC for printing. This would be the easy way.
• Buy a new, inexpensive AirPrint-compatible printer from Canon or elsewhere.
• Try to use a Raspberry Pi as a print server, with the intention of making the MP510 work in an AirPrint-like way with a modern Mac (see, for instance, the posts by Techguyuk in the discussion Can’t print with iPadOS17 - Apple Community). Again experimental, and probably not the most suitable solution for an MP510.

Thank you for the information.

It is one thing that the Mac has identified the MP510 printer as such, but an appropriate printer driver must be found as well. This appears to be a problem here. The Canon drivers are for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or earlier, and it is not sure that Gutenprint drivers will work with macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.

The main objective would be to find a working printer driver. Even a driver for another/similar Canon model could perhaps be worth testing. However, be careful when looking for drivers on the Internet. There are several dubious third-party "support" sites, often with misleading names. Only download from a trustworthy source, such as Canon or Apple.

Everything you do here will be experimental. The Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac – Apple Support (UK) article has further information. See also Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem – Apple Support (UK).

Since MP510 drivers from Canon are available for up to at least Windows 8.1 (may work with a few later Windows versions as well), a workaround could of course be to print to/save as PDF on the Mac, and then transfer the files to the PC for printing. Not ideal, but possible.

Any information about the iMac model/year and its exact operating system version?

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html

Printer drivers from Canon for the PIXMA MP510 do not appear to exist for anything newer than Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (one should perhaps not rule out that a few later operating system versions possibly could be OK as well).

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/pixma-mp510

There were experimental third-party Gutenprint drivers for up to approx. macOS 10.14 Mojave (but Mac is no longer supported).

https://gimp-print.sourceforge.io/p_Supported_Printers.php

Hi Rick,

Yes, Canon says (on the support page) that the MP510 has been retired. It is per se possible to find/download an old printer driver via the following sequence, but I have to assume that the driver in question is not going to work either (you may have tested this exact route already):

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/pixma-mp510 -> DOWNLOADS -> Software & Drivers -> 1. Operating System Mac -> 2. Version OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 -> 3. MP510 CUPS Printer Driver Ver. 10.67.2.0 (OS X 10.5/10.6/10.7/10.8)

sciencemagic wrote:

I tried downloading the driver "Mountain Lion v10.8" I was able to finally choose that printer driver that was available from the list. But, when I tried to install the driver to my Mac I got the message " The package is incapable with this version of mac OS" So, the different driver option that was maybe a possibility wouldn't work.

FYI, Mountain Lion is seven major versions of the operating system behind Catalina – nine major versions behind Monterey. Lots of stuff could have changed in the operating system in that time that would have broken old print drivers.

One big one is that Catalina dropped support for 32-bit code. In Mountain Lion's day, developers had the option of writing 64-bit code, but a lot of them were still writing 32-bit code.

Another is that to improve system security, Apple started deprecating kernel extensions (which run with OS-level privileges) in favor of more narrowly focused system extensions. That change requires a complete code rewrite. In the case of Apple Silicon Macs, those can't run Intel system code. Kernel extensions built for Mountain Lion – which predated Apple Silicon by many years – would not be able to run on an Apple Silicon Mac even if Apple had not decided to get rid of kernel extensions.

When I replaced a Mac running High Sierra with one running Ventura, I found that Canon did not provide Ventura drivers for my all-in-one printer/scanner. Fortunately, the printer was AirPrint-compatible – so it was possible to save it using a combination of AirPrint (for printing) and VueScan (for scanning). If you ever get any new printer for your Mac, be sure that it is AirPrint-compatible.

Hello,

If nothing else helps, maybe you could check whether the following dmg download from Apple possibly would work (despite the text Not compatible with macOS v12 and newer). If so, look for a Canon MP510 driver.

Canon Printer Drivers v3.4 for macOS - Apple Support

Since all this is experimental, make sure that you have made backup copies of any important files that you may have installed on the Mac. Software conflicts cannot be ruled out.

If you use the exact route mentioned in my previous message, you will find the available drivers and other applications for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. The one of interest for printing is a CUPS printer driver (date 09.01.17, that is, from 2017). You could try it, but I would not expect too much from this. See also the information under details.

If you would select a newer operating system version (under 2.), you will not find a later printer driver, so this is what can be done via the Canon support site. Under DOWNLOADS -> Manuals you will find an MP510 user manual (Mac), a quick start guide, and setup instructions, if necessary.

Gutenprint drivers would be totally experimental. It is unclear whether they would work with anything newer than macOS 10.14 Mojave, and since Mac is no longer supported by the Gutenprint project (see https://gimp-print.sourceforge.io/index.php), I cannot recommend this.

The User Guide for macOS Monterey could perhaps be of some help.

macOS User Guide - Apple Support

See, for example:

Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

Print documents from your Mac – Apple Support (UK)

Solve printing problems on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

sciencemagic wrote:

/.../ In the past when I clicked on that printer icon in the dock, a printer "window" or box would appear showing the Canon printer and the various options that are in that window associated with that printer. Such as print queue, options & supplies, location, kind, and status. /.../

Do you mean something like the box shown, for example, in the Update your printer software if your printer has a printing problem on Mac – Apple Support (UK) article (disregard AirPrint)?

Canon has a general article about installing drivers (it may show a different operating system and another printer model, but ought to explain the idea a such):

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART167560

Could this possibly be of interest?

Also, you may want to try the Mac help system on your computer for more information.