Free tool
Printer compatibility checker: will your printers work without drivers?
Run one small program on your network and get a report for every printer it finds: ready for driverless printing, ready once pages are converted, or not yet. It never prints and it changes nothing.
Windows, macOS and Linux, including Raspberry Pi. Nothing to install.
How it works
Two minutes, one report, no surprises later.
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Run it
Download the file for your computer and run it on the same network as the printers. There’s nothing to install and nothing else it needs.
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It finds your printers
It looks for printers that announce themselves with Bonjour, the way AirPrint and IPP Everywhere printers do. If that’s blocked, give it a subnet or a list of addresses.
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It asks each one
It asks every printer which formats and options it supports, using the standard IPP question. That’s all it sends.
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You get a report
A verdict for each printer, plus notes for IT, in an HTML page you can open or forward, and a JSON file with the details.
The verdicts
What the report tells you about each printer
Each printer gets one of five verdicts, based on what it says it can print.
| Verdict | What it means | Works with Commontray? |
|---|---|---|
| Ready | The printer accepts PDF directly. | Yes, today. |
| Ready (raster) | The printer supports IPP Everywhere and takes PWG raster pages. Commontray converts each page before sending it. | Yes, today. |
| Needs work | The printer only takes Apple’s AirPrint raster format. | Not yet. A converter is planned. |
| Not supported | No PDF, IPP Everywhere or AirPrint support. The printer needs its manufacturer’s driver. | No. |
| Not reachable | The printer didn’t answer IPP. It may be switched off, have IPP turned off, sit behind a firewall, or be on another network segment. | Check its settings and run the checker again. |
Notes for IT, in plain words
Some printers work but need a setting changed, or need something from Commontray when it prints. The report lists these under each printer.
- Requires IPP sign-in. The printer wants a user name and password, or a certificate, for print jobs. Commontray will need them.
- Requires an account or department code on every job. Many office MFPs track usage this way. The code has to be set for that printer.
- No encrypted IPP (IPPS). Jobs would cross the local network unencrypted. Turning on IPPS in the printer’s settings is recommended.
- Only IPP 1.x. Old firmware. Job status and page counts may be limited; a firmware update usually fixes it.
- Printer reports a problem. It was out of paper, jammed or stopped when the checker asked.
Read-only, on purpose.
It’s built to be safe to run on a network you don’t know well, including someone else’s.
- It never prints, not even a test page.
- It changes no setting on any printer.
- It doesn’t install anything or need .NET.
- It sends nothing to Commontray or anyone else.
The optional subnet scan only opens a connection to port 631, the IPP port, on each address, to see whether a printer answers.
Windows
Windows 10 and 11 (x64).
macOS
Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Linux
x64 and ARM64, including a Raspberry Pi.
Two files
An HTML report for people, a JSON file with the details.
Without the checker
How to tell if a printer supports driverless printing
The checker is the quickest sure answer, but you can get a good idea from the printer’s own paperwork first.
Look for IPP Everywhere
The Printer Working Group, which maintains the IPP Everywhere standard, keeps a public list of certified printers at pwg.org/printers. A model on that list supports the format Commontray uses.
Read the spec sheet
Under “mobile printing” or “supported protocols”, look for IPP Everywhere, PDF direct printing or IPP 2.0. “PCL only” usually means the printer needs a driver.
Treat AirPrint and Mopria as a hint
Most printers with these logos also take PDF or IPP Everywhere, but not all. The checker’s “Needs work” verdict is exactly those exceptions.
Check the printer’s web page
Open the printer’s address in a browser and look for IPP or AirPrint settings. If IPP is switched off, the printer shows as “Not reachable” until you turn it on.
Want the background? Our guide to driverless printing explains IPP Everywhere, AirPrint and Mopria, and how they differ.
Questions
Printer checker questions
Does the checker print a test page?
No. It never prints and never changes a printer’s settings. It only asks each printer what it supports, the same question a phone asks before it shows a printer in its list.
Is anything sent to Commontray?
No. The checker only talks to your printers. It writes two files on the computer you run it on: an HTML report for people and a JSON file. You decide whether to send them to us.
Our printers are on a separate network. Will it find them?
Run it on a computer that can reach the printer network. If Bonjour (mDNS) is blocked between networks, give it the printer subnet, for example 10.20.30.0/24, and it tries every address there. You can also name printers one by one by address or host name.
What does “AirPrint raster only” mean?
The printer only accepts Apple’s own raster format, not PDF or the IPP Everywhere format. iPhones and Macs can print to it, but Commontray can’t yet. A converter for it is planned but not built.
A printer says “Not supported (needs a driver)”. What now?
That printer only works with its manufacturer’s driver. Keep printing to it the way you do today, and use Commontray with the printers that are ready. Most spaces replace a driver-only printer the next time it’s due anyway.
Is the AirPrint or Mopria logo enough?
It’s a good sign, but not a guarantee. Those programs allow several print formats, and some printers carry the logo while only accepting the formats Commontray doesn’t use yet. The checker asks the printer directly, which is the only sure answer.
Check your printers before you decide anything.
The checker is free and read-only. Tell us where to send it and we’ll email you the download for your computer.