Your Brother printer was reliable for years, and then you updated macOS. Now it either won't print, only offers basic settings, or isn't showing up at all. Brother laser printers are particularly common in home offices, and the driver removal is hitting HL, MFC, and DCP series hard.
Why Brother Printers Break After macOS Updates
Apple has been removing third-party printer drivers from macOS since Ventura. Brother maintained a comprehensive driver library for their laser and inkjet printers on Mac. As Apple removes these drivers with each update, Brother printers lose the software they need to function properly.
Brother laser printers are especially affected because they rely on PCL and PostScript drivers that were specifically written for each model. Without those drivers, macOS falls back to generic alternatives that miss most of what makes your Brother printer useful.
Which Brother Printers Are Affected?
HL Series (Laser Printers)
Brother's monochrome and color laser printers:
- HL-L2300D, HL-L2320D, HL-L2340DW, HL-L2360DW
- HL-L2370DW, HL-L2390DW, HL-L2395DW
- HL-3170CDW, HL-L3210CW, HL-L3270CDW
- HL-L5100DN, HL-L6200DW
MFC Series (All-in-One)
Brother's multifunction laser and inkjet printers:
- MFC-L2700DW, MFC-L2710DW, MFC-L2730DW, MFC-L2750DW
- MFC-L2750DWXL, MFC-L2690DW
- MFC-9330CDW, MFC-L3770CDW
- MFC-J480DW, MFC-J880DW, MFC-J985DW
- MFC-J6530DW, MFC-J6930DW
DCP Series (Compact All-in-One)
- DCP-L2520DW, DCP-L2540DW, DCP-L2550DW
- DCP-L5500DN, DCP-L5600DN
Quick Check
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Click your Brother printer
- Check the driver field
If it says "Generic PCL Printer," "Generic PostScript Printer," or "Secure AirPrint" instead of your Brother model name, the driver has been removed.
Fix 1: PrintCast Driver (Recommended)
PrintCast Driver replaces the Brother drivers Apple removed. It works with HL, MFC, and DCP models that use PCL5 or PostScript.
Setup
- Download PrintCast Driver from printcast.app
- Open the .dmg and drag to Applications
- Launch from your menu bar
- PrintCast detects your Brother printer and restores driver support
What Gets Restored
- HL series: Duplex printing, print resolution settings, manual feed selection
- MFC series: Duplex printing, paper size selection, quality settings
- DCP series: Duplex, paper size selection, quality settings
PrintCast Driver restores printing itself, with the options your printer reports. Brother-specific extras — toner level reporting, secure PIN printing, scanner/ADF features — live in Brother's own software and are not restored by a replacement driver.
PrintCast is independent software and is not affiliated with any printer manufacturer — results vary by model, and the free trial lets you confirm your printer.
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Fix 2: Brother Driver Downloads
Brother has been relatively good about providing updated macOS drivers.
Steps
- Visit brother.com/support
- Enter your printer model
- Select your macOS version
- Download the "Full Driver & Software Package" if available
- Run the installer and restart your Mac
What to Know
- Brother often provides a "Full Driver & Software Package" that includes printer, scanner, and utility software
- The package can be large (200MB+)
- Some older HL models may only have a basic "Printer Driver" available
- Brother's support site is generally well-organized compared to other manufacturers
Fix 3: Brother iPrint&Scan
Brother offers their own app for printing and scanning.
Setup
- Download Brother iPrint&Scan from the Mac App Store
- Open the app and search for your printer
- Follow the setup wizard
Limitations
- Works with select Brother models
- Provides its own print interface rather than integrating with the system print dialog
- Not all features available for all models
- Scanning features may work when printing doesn't, or vice versa
Fix 4: CUPS Driver (Manual)
Brother provides CUPS drivers that can be installed manually.
Steps
- Visit Brother's support page for your model
- Look for "CUPS Printer Driver" download
- Download and install the .pkg file
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Remove and re-add your Brother printer
- The CUPS driver should now appear in the "Use" dropdown
When This Works
CUPS drivers are lower-level and sometimes survive macOS updates better than the full driver package. However, they provide fewer features than the full driver.
Fix 5: Re-add the Printer
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Remove your Brother printer
- For USB: disconnect and reconnect the cable
- For network: restart the printer and wait 30 seconds
- Click + to add the printer
- Check the "Use" dropdown for Brother-specific options
Brother Network Tip
Brother laser printers often use both Bonjour and LPD for network discovery. When adding via the + button, check both the "Default" tab and the "IP" tab. Sometimes entering your printer's IP address directly yields better driver options than automatic discovery.
Fix 6: Reset the Print System
- Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Right-click in the printer list
- Select Reset printing system
- Re-add your Brother printer
Brother-Specific Troubleshooting
Duplex Not Available
Brother laser printers are popular for their duplex (two-sided printing) support. When the specific driver is removed, macOS doesn't know your printer can duplex, so the option disappears from the print dialog. PrintCast Driver or the full Brother driver package restores this.
"Toner Low" Warning Disappeared
Toner level reporting requires the Brother-specific driver. Generic drivers can't communicate with Brother's toner monitoring system. This is a common complaint from HL series owners. PrintCast Driver doesn't restore toner readouts either — check the printer's own display or embedded web page.
Printer Shows "Offline" on Network
Brother printers use SNMP for status reporting. Without the Brother driver, macOS may not properly query the printer's status, showing it as offline even when it's connected and ready.
Fix: Try adding the printer using its IP address directly (System Settings > Printers & Scanners > + > IP tab). Enter the printer's IP and select a Brother driver or PrintCast Driver.
Secure Print Not Working
Brother MFC models support secure print (PIN-protected jobs). This feature requires the Brother driver. Generic drivers don't support it. PrintCast Driver does not implement secure print — jobs sent through it print immediately.
Brother Model Compatibility
| Brother Series | Typical macOS Status | Recommended Fix |
|---|---|---|
| HL-L2xxx (pre-2019) | Driver removed | PrintCast Driver |
| HL-L2xxx (2019+) | Mixed support | Brother download or PrintCast Driver |
| HL-L3xxx (color laser) | Often affected | PrintCast Driver |
| MFC-L2xxx (pre-2019) | Driver removed | PrintCast Driver |
| MFC-L2xxx (2019+) | Mixed support | Brother download or PrintCast Driver |
| MFC-J (inkjet) | Often affected | Brother download or PrintCast Driver |
| DCP-L (all models) | Often affected | PrintCast Driver |
The Bottom Line
Brother printers, especially the HL and MFC laser series, are workhorses that people keep for years. They were built to last, but Apple's driver removals mean the software side hasn't kept up with the hardware's longevity.
PrintCast Driver gives your Brother printer the driver support it needs to keep printing on current macOS. No hunting through Brother's download pages, and no worrying about the next macOS update breaking things again.