Printer help needed from the Apple community

Question

Level 1

9 points

Printer help needed from the Apple community

Hello Apple Community,

Can you help me to print from a new Mac to an old Canon printer?

I'm here in Vietnam (first time in Asia) as a teacher. I have the latest model MBP (running Mac OS X 10.8.4). There's an old Canon that I'm trying to print to. I've Google'd the model number but nothing comes up for Mac. There are sites in the Google search that say they have the software. I'm worried they might be malware sites.

On the back of the printer it says L11121E. But when I connect it (via USB) and open Print & Scan it detects it as a Canon LBP2900.

I looked here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4670and here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4670.

But neither of those links list the Canon L11121E or LBP2900.

When I Google'd "L11121E mac driver" this link came up:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL899

Do you think that would work?

I checked for updates from the App Store (and System Preferences Print & Scan) with the USB cable of the printer plugged in. Nothing came back.

I'm a teacher trying to print material for my students. Any help at all would be appreciated.

😕

Confused,

.Sean

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Aug 20, 2013 12:11 AM

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Answer 1

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Aug 20, 2013 12:19 AM in response to echoda

That error message often appears even if your printer is supported. Instead, simply install the Canon drivers from this website > http://support.apple.com/kb/DL899

It will install the printer drivers on your Mac, so then, open System Preferences > Print & Fax, press the + button to add your printer and it will be using the driver you downloaded if your printer is supported

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Answer 2

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 20, 2013 5:29 AM in response to mende1

I installed the driver from that link. Canon L11121E or LBP2900 doesn't show up in the list. 😢

Is there another solution?

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Answer 3

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Aug 20, 2013 5:39 AM in response to echoda

Restart your Mac and try to add the printer again. When you want to add it, press the box next to "Use" and choose the drivers you installed.

If they don't appear, probably your printer is not compatible

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Answer 4

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 20, 2013 7:17 AM in response to mende1

I restarted and that didn't work. Is there any other possible solution at all that you're aware of?

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Aug 20, 2013 2:47 PM in response to echoda

Canon LBP2900 Printer in OS X Lion

CANON LBP 2900

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Answer 6

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 20, 2013 10:39 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thank you, Linc! 🙂

Following the instructions from AlexeyU (thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3217863) worked!

AlexeyU's instructions:

"Try this:

1) Download & Install official drivers for Lion v3.36 – http://support-au.canon.com.au/contents/AU/EN/0100359005.html

2) Download & Install this package –http://www.uzhva.com/temp/Canon_LBP3000_to_LBP2900_patcher.zip

3) Reboot

You probably will need to manually match your printer with LBP 2900 driver from drivers list."

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Answer 7

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 24, 2013 8:40 PM in response to echoda

I just upgraded my Mac to 10.9. I'm having a problem with this printer again. Nothing happens when I try to print. The Canon printing program opens. The print job is sent there. But it just sits there saying "printing...".

Any ideas?

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Answer 8

Oct 24, 2013 8:54 PM in response to echoda

In Print & Fax page, try deleting the printer and re-adding it.

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Answer 9

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 24, 2013 10:57 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

That worked. Thank you, Grant! 🙂 😝 😎

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Answer 10

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 9, 2013 11:28 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I have another problem. I'm hoping that Grant, Linc or mende1 can chime in with a response.

There's another printer here at the school. It's a color Canon (LBP5050). The other one I had problems with was a black and white Canon (LBP2900).

I just installed this driver to print to the color printer. I can print to the color printer. But now I can't print to the black and white printer. When I try to print nothing happens. No error message or anything. The printer just sits there like no print job was ever sent to it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I want to be able to print to either the color or the black and white printer.

😕

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Answer 11

Dec 11, 2013 8:17 PM in response to echoda

If these are Network Printers, you may be able to use "generic" postscript or PCL driver.

Are these printers connected all to the same Mac? maybe connecting to different Macs would help.

If these printers are "Shared" [which in Mac-land means offered for use by others], you should make certain the Drivers are chosen automatically when adding the Printer. Otherwise, rasterizing will happen in more than one place.

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Answer 12

echoda Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 12, 2013 7:10 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

The color printer is connected to a PC with a USB cable. When I print to it, I unplug the cable from the back of the PC and plug it into my Mac. There are 3 Windows PCs in that room. The B&W printer in the other room isn't connected to anything. It sits there and when someone wants to use it, they plug in with the USB cable. The person there uses a Windows PC to print.

I'm connecting my Mac with a USB cable to both of the printers. The color printer is on the network. I haven't tried to set it up to print through the network. I'm not sure if the B&W printer is on the network. Or if it's capable of being a network printer.

There's only one other person at this school with a Mac. It's a sea of Windows PCs. The principal has a Mac. She's away right now though. Someone set up her Mac to print over the network (using WiFi and Bonjour). She can print to both printers without any problems.

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Answer 13

Dec 12, 2013 7:23 PM in response to echoda

If anyone has ever printed to the color printer with WiFi, and the setup has not changed, you should find the Printer when you use the Add-a-Printer pane available to you (without a USB re-cabling) as a network printer. The network printer may use a different Driver that the USB-attached Printer.

NB> You cannot use the same setup to print to the color printer via USB and to print across the network. You could have one setup for EACH connection method, but that may be even more confusing.

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