Printers and scanners
A printer or scanner driver made only for Intel processors stops after macOS 27, even when every app runs natively.
Printer and scanner drivers aren’t apps, so they’re easy to forget. Vernacular reads the drivers in your Mac’s Library folder and says which ones are made only for Intel processors. Printers and scanners in the sidebar lists them all.
A printer driver that stops reads like this:
WON’T PRINT AFTER macOS 27 “This printer driver is made only for Intel processors. It runs today through Rosetta. The printer won’t print from this Mac.”
A scanner driver says WON’T SCAN AFTER macOS 27: “The scanner won’t send pages to this Mac.”
One maker, several models
When one maker has drivers for several models, they’re shown as one item, with a note such as “Drivers for two models: Ridgeway 200 and Ridgeway 300.” If only some of them are made only for Intel processors, a note says which: “Only the driver for Ridgeway 200 is made only for Intel processors; the others run natively.” Vernacular can’t know which model you own, so the item still needs you.
If a background service starts the driver, it’s counted as part of the driver, and a note names it.
What to do
- Look on the maker’s site for a driver made for Macs with Apple silicon, and install it.
- Read again here. A new version shows as running natively.
- If there isn’t one, it keeps working while this Mac stays on macOS 27.
For many printer and scanner makers, Open the maker’s site opens their own driver page in your browser. Show the driver on the Overview, and Show in Finder on the driver, show its folder.