Introduction
This document explains how to install the print driver
and software for your printer for a USB cable connection.
A print driver is a software program that allows the computer to run the printer. HP offers a variety of print drivers and software on the CD you received with your printer and the HP website. The available choices vary by printer.
Click the plus sign (
) for more information.
) for more information.The CD that came with your printer might not have the full feature driver for OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion.
The current full-feature HP software package for your product is available on the
HP Software & Driver Downloads
page. The download includes the HP print driver, HP Utility, and HP Installer to walk you through the installation steps. Depending on your product, the download might also include HP Scan software and the HP fax driver.
HP recommends this installation method for all new and older products.
Additionally, HP recommends that you use this installation method in the following cases:
- You no longer have the product software CD
- You updated your operating system to a version that released after your HP product released

NOTE: Updated full-feature HP software might not be immediately available on the HP Software & Driver Downloads page after the public release of a new operating system. A release delay might be required for full testing and quality assurance of the final version of the operating system. If the software is not available, you can download the latest software using Apple Software Updates
.
Installing with the product CD is a quick and easy method. The CD includes the HP print driver, HP Utility, and HP Installer to walk you through the installation steps. Depending on your product, the CD might also include HP Scan software and the HP fax driver. This software is current to the date of the product release.
Important
: If you try installing the product on a computer running a newer version of the operating system that released AFTER
your HP product released, the CD installation method might not work
.
Visit
HP Software & Driver Downloads
to install the latest product software for the newer operating system.Apple Software Update is a quick and easy software download method available directly through the Mac OS operating system.
You do not need to download a driver from HP Software & Driver Downloads if you install using Apple Software Update.
This download method includes the HP print driver. Depending on your printer, the download might also include HP Utility, scanning software, and the HP fax driver.

NOTE:If your printer supports scanning, the software that you use to scan might be different than the software you used before upgrading your operating system. Depending on your printer driver update, you can use Preview
, Image Capture
, or the Scan
icon from the print queue to scan.
Additionally, HP recommends that you use this installation method in the following cases:
- You no longer have the software CD that shipped with your printer
- The updated full-feature HP software for the new version of Mac OS is not immediately available on the HP Software & Driver Downloads page
- You updated Mac OS to a new version that released after your printer released
- You are doing a first time install of a new version Mac OS on a new Mac
- You already installed HP software on a Mac running an earlier version of Mac OS and have updated to a new version of Mac OS

NOTE:Older HP software might not be compatible with Mountain Lion
. Do not try to install software that supports earlier versions of the Mac operating system, either from the original CD that shipped with the printer or from HP website.
Follow these steps to install the HP software from the HP website.

NOTE:Before you begin, make sure that the printer is turned on and in a ready state, and that you have a USB cable.
Step one: Uninstall any existing software for your printer
You might encounter installation issues if an earlier version of the printer software is installed on the Mac.
- From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD , and then click Applications .
- Click the Hewlett-Packard folder.
- Double-click the HP Uninstaller , and then click Continue .
- Select the printer to uninstall, and then click Uninstall .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password, and then click OK .
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD icon.
- Double-click the Library folder.
- Double-click the Printers folder.
- Right-click the HP folder, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Double-click the PPDs folder.
- Double-click the Contents folder.
- Double-click the Resources folder.
- Find your printer in the printer list, right-click on your printer, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - On the upper-left corner of the computer desktop, click the Apple icon (
), and then click System Preferences
. - Double-click Print & Scan .
- In the Printers list, click your printer, and then click the Minus button (
) to delete it.
Step two: Install the software
- Turn on the printer.
- Click this link: Get Software and Drivers .
- Check the instructions on the page, and then click the Plus sign (
) next to the correct heading for additional instructions:- Type your printer number in the window.
- Click Next . If necessary click your model in a list of similar printers.
- Click Software and Driver Downloads .
- Click the drop-down arrow (
), and then click your operating system. - Click Next , and then continue to the next step.
- Click the drop-down arrow (
), and then click your operating system. - Click Next , and then continue to the next step.
- Click the Plus sign next to Driver , and then click the driver that you want to download.
NOTE:HP recommends the Full Feature type of download, if available, to take advantage of all your printer features. - Read through the minimum system requirements and additional instructions. You can also click View directions for complete download instructions.
- Click Download . The Welcome to the HP Software window automatically opens with the HP Installer icon, and an HP Software icon displays on the desktop.
- Connect the USB cable to the printer, and then to the Mac.
- Double-click the HP Installer icon to open the software installer.
- When prompted, select your printer, and then click Continue .
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
The CD that came with your printer might not have the full feature driver for OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion.
If the CD that came with your printer supports Mountain Lion, follow these steps to install with the printer CD.

NOTE:Before you begin, make sure that the printer is turned on and in a ready state, and that you have a USB cable.
Step one: Uninstall any existing software for your printer
You might encounter installation issues if an earlier version of the printer software is installed on the Mac.
- From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD , and then click Applications .
- Click the Hewlett-Packard folder.
- Double-click the HP Uninstaller , and then click Continue .
- Select the printer to uninstall, and then click Uninstall .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password, and then click OK .
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD icon.
- Double-click the Library folder.
- Double-click the Printers folder.
- Right-click the HP folder, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Double-click the PPDs folder.
- Double-click the Contents folder.
- Double-click the Resources folder.
- Find your printer in the printer list, right-click on your printer, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - On the upper-left corner of the computer desktop, click the Apple icon (
), and then click System Preferences
. - Double-click Print & Scan .
- In the Printers list, click your printer, and then click the Minus button (
) to delete it.
Step two: Install the software
- Insert the product CD into the CD drive of the computer.
- The Welcome to the HP Software window automatically opens with the HP Installer icon and an HP Software icon displays on the desktop.
- Connect the USB cable to the printer, and then to the Mac.
- Double-click the HP Installer icon.
- Click Continue , and then click Agree to accept the Software License Agreement.
- When prompted, select your printer, and then click Continue .
- When prompted, select the installation option, and then click Install .
NOTE:The HP Recommended software provides full support for your printer. - Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Follow these steps to install the software using Apple Software Update.

NOTE:Before you begin, make sure that the printer is turned on and in a ready state, and that you have a USB cable.
Step one: Uninstall any existing software for your printer
You might encounter installation issues if an earlier version of the printer software is installed on the Mac.
- From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD , and then click Applications .
- Click the Hewlett-Packard folder.
- Double-click the HP Uninstaller , and then click Continue .
- Select the printer to uninstall, and then click Uninstall .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password, and then click OK .
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - From the computer desktop, double-click the Macintosh HD icon.
- Double-click the Library folder.
- Double-click the Printers folder.
- Right-click the HP folder, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Double-click the PPDs folder.
- Double-click the Contents folder.
- Double-click the Resources folder.
- Find your printer in the printer list, right-click on your printer, and then select Move to Trash .
- When prompted, type the Administrator name and Password for the computer, and then click OK . Wait for the authentication to complete.
- Click the Trash icon on the Dock, click the Empty button, and then click OK to empty the trash.
NOTE:By clicking OK , all items in your trash will be permanently deleted from your computer. To delete one item in the trash, click that item to highlight it, and then click OK . - On the upper-left corner of the computer desktop, click the Apple icon (
), and then click System Preferences
. - Double-click Print & Scan .
- In the Printers list, click your printer, and then click the Minus button (
) to delete it.
Step two: Install the software
- Click the Apple menu (
), and then click Software Update
. Software Update checks for available updates and updates the database that your Mac uses to determine available printer software. - Click Show Details , select any available software updates, and then click Install .
NOTE: Install all available updates for best printer performance and functionality. - Turn on your printer, and then make sure that it has paper in the tray and that it is in a ready state.
- Connect the USB cable to the printer and to the Mac. A print queue is automatically created for your printer. If the Mac already has current software for your printer, the print queue is created in the background.
NOTE:If you are prompted to install any additional software for your printer, click Install , and then follow the instructions to complete the installation. - Click the Apple menu, and then click System Preferences .
- Click Print & Scan , and then make sure that your printer is in the list of available devices.If your printer is not listed, click the plus sign (
) at the bottom of the left pane, click the name of your USB printer, and then click Add
.
NOTE: Quit and restart any applications that were open before adding the printer to use the updated HP software features.
HP might provide an update to your printer software after it releases. You can use Apple Software Update at any time to make sure that your drivers and software are up to date. Follow these steps to update the software.
Important
: Check the following prerequisites before you continue with the installation:- Turn on your printer, if it is not already on.
- Turn on your Mac, if it is not already on.
- Connect the printer to the Mac with a USB cable.OR
- Make sure that there is an existing print queue for your printer.
NOTE:If you get a prompt to download software, click Not Now , and then continue with these instructions.- Click the Apple menu (
), and then click Software Update
. Software Update checks for available updates. - Click Show Details , select any available HP software updates, and then click Install .
NOTE: Install all available HP software updates for best printer performance and functionality. - When prompted, enter your administrator account name and password.
- After the software updates complete, restart the computer (if required).
NOTE: Quit and restart any applications that were open before adding the printer to use the updated HP software features.
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