- CompTIA A+ 220-901 Exam Topics
- Key Topics
- Selecting a Printer
- Installing Printers
- Installing Multifunction Printers for SOHO
- Printer Drivers
- Configuring the Printer
- Local Connections
- Network Printer Installation
- Wireless Printing
- Cloud Printing/Remote Printing
- Apple Printing
- Secure Printing
- Study Resources
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Printer Drivers
Most printers are plug-and-play (PnP) devices, so when connecting, the OS will install what it needs automatically. If not, insert the disc that came with the device and install the driver and utilities. You also can go to the website of the manufacturer to get the latest drivers.
If the correct driver is not installed, the printout will appear as strange characters or garbage print. To determine the correct driver, note the printer manufacturer and the model of the device. It also is important that the driver match the OS version and the edition (32-bit versus 64-bit).
Drivers control many of the printer functions, such as how to handle specific media types, paper size, quality, the correct tray, how many copies, and so on. Some of the functions are controlled by the software using the printer as well as the driver. Page setup can be one of those functions. It can change from portrait to landscape, normal-size page layout versus reduced size or enlarged size, borderless versus borders, fitting to the size of the page, and scaling.
