Universal Print Driver Overview

Print drivers are pieces of software that 'translate' data to be printed into page description language that a specific printer(s) understand(s). The primary purpose is to enable any application (e.g. document editor) to print without the need to understand the capabilities and language of each printer. Once the document is converted into the appropriate description language, it can be spooled and then sent to a particular printer.

Each printer or MFD manufacturer equips their devices with either a highly device-specific or product family-specific or generic (universal) print driver for all their devices. These can be used along with Dispatcher Paragon and require separate deployment (installation and configuration at each workstation) and maintenance.

The multi-vendor solution, Dispatcher Paragon, offers the Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver which ensures administrators do not have to install vendor-specific print drivers for standard print needs. This also means that users do not have to worry about which printer to use to retrieve their print job—literally any vendor that is indicated as compatible with Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver can be used to retrieve print jobs.

Deployment

Unlike print drivers provided by manufacturers, the Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver can be deployed on workstations in a more autonomous fashion, together with the Dispatcher Paragon Client interface or in the case of client-based Print Roaming deployment. This way, the user only sees relevant print drivers—Dispatcher Paragon automatically installs and configures the correct local print queues. When on the go, the user simply opens their laptop at a new location and see the available local print queues.

Supported Platforms

Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver fully supports

• Windows 8.1 or newer
• Windows Server 2012 or newer

User Interaction

Legacy PCL Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver

To simplify operation for users, the Universal Print Driver provides a simplified user experience at the workstation—together with a rich and fully enhanced embedded terminal, the user can configure additional print job settings, such as finishing options, when standing and working with a particular printer or MFD.

Key remarks

• Dispatcher Paragon still supports manufacturers' print drivers.
• Dispatcher Paragon newly offers an option to deploy the Dispatcher Paragon Universal Print Driver at select OS platforms.