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HP Laserjet 1020 on OSX

We purchased a couple of dirt cheap LaserJet 1020 printers for the office and home. While they work fine in Windows and Ubuntu Linux (with proper hackery applied) getting it to work on OSX is not straight forward. If you google around you’ll find both success and horror stories on this printer. It seems HP supports the newer 1022 model officially but not the 1020. Turns out the 1022 driver will work fine for a 1020 if, and that’s a big IF, you get Mac OSX to list it in the printer list. This thread on macosxhints.com was the most informative of all. I tried the suggestions a couple of days ago but to no avail. This morning I tried again and with success! All the steps seem to be there, but the following order worked for me:

  1. Download; http://www.railsguru.com/assets/2007/4/16/1601_LJ_1022_Series_OSX.dmg;
  2. If you have anything for the HP 1020 in ”/Library/Reciepts” delete it.
  3. Delete anything for the HP 1020 in Printer in “Printer Setup Utility”
  4. Install the downloaded printer drivers
  5. Remove all files from /Library/Printers/hp/laserjet. Leave the 1020 subfolder! You’ll need the contents in the next step;
  6. Move all files from the 1020 subfolder to /Library/Printers/hp/laserjet (the parent);
  7. Restart Mac OSX, just for luck;
  8. Add new printer in “Printer Setup Utility”, select HP LaserJet 1020, driver should come up, click ADD

Disclaimer: this worked for me™. No guarantee the above steps will hose your printer setup or other things.

149 comments to HP Laserjet 1020 on OSX

  • Stem

    I followed your precious instructions, it finally worked for me, thanks!
    Stefano

  • I followed your precious instructions, it finally worked for me, thanks!
    Stefano

  • Booo

    Well boys and girls… nothing of this worked for me. I also did most of solutions from http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=40933 and nada! Only full manual mode worked.

    Here is my setup:
    MacBook Pro with 10.4.9, HP 1022n printer over IP

    I got 1601-LJ_1022_Series_OSX.dmg from one of the links above. When installing the package it keept saying – Nothing to install.

    So I opened the package with Show Package Contents and opened Archive.pax.gz

    In this arhive there is a folder Library/Printers/hp it contains folder laserjet. I moved it to Library/Printers/hp – ah, and before that I deleted the existing folder.

    That was it! OS found the printer (I had previously indicated the IP address of the printer) and it started working over something called Bonjour.

  • mwise

    Thanks for posting this helpful information.

    Unfortunately, it stopped working for printing via Airport connected LJ 1020 after the most recent Airport software update.

    Turns out, however, that there is a 4-2006 release of the 1022 drivers that does the job without any additional gymnastics:

    http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=219&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=439322&lang=en

  • kj@fbic.com

    I did exactly what you said and my HP Laserjet 1020 works on Mac OS Tiger 10. Thanks a lot.

    KJ Singh

  • Perfect! You are the man!

  • Perfect! You are the man!

  • Jefferson

    THANKS. I had this printer for months i never brother to sort it out and now is working! thanks again!

  • Janus

    I tried this with my MacMini 1.25 G4 running 10.4.9 and it worked perfectly. Thank you.

  • Ellen

    Thank You! Perfect instructions and it worked like a dream! 10.4.9

  • Mattie

    Worked perfectly on my 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo running 10.4.9! Definately had to restart before the correct driver was found – thanks for the help!

  • JB

    Thanks,
    Your precision in listing all the steps as well as having the link
    was the only solution to getting the 1020 rumming under 10.4.8 for me.

    Thanks

  • GB

    MacBook Pro, 2.33 ghz, OS X 10.4.9.
    I followed the procedure above, but skipped steps 5 and 6. I added the printer using the HP Laserjet 5 GIMP driver, quit the printer setup, relaunched it, deleted the Laserjet, and then clicked to add a new printer. For some reason, the Laserjet 1020 driver appeared as the default. Go figure. Works fine now via direct USB connection. Now to get it to work via Airport…

  • GTR

    j’aimerais savoir… J’ai acheté une imprimante hp 1020 laserjet, elle est supposer de fait 14 à copie à la minute. Mais elle en fait seylement 7 à 8 par minute. Est-ce que l’on peut augmenter la vitesse ou celà est problème de hp. J’attend la réponse par é-mail en retour…
    merci…

  • sebastien

    Unfortunately, it’s not working for me…
    mac osx 10.4.9
    2ghz intel dualcore

    I found an other way around to print in osx with the hp 1020. The solution is actually a repackaging of the linux driver.

    http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/foo2zjs

  • JK

    MACBOOK USERS:

    Andy’s instructions didn’t work for me (Intel Macbook, OSX 10.4.9).

    I ended up following the instructions in the comment above by miremba dated November 05 2006 which nearly worked, but when I came to add the printer in step 9), Printer Setup Utility located the 1020 OK, but could not find the drivers I had just installed, leaving the "Add" button frustratingly greyed out and inaccessible. To get it working though I had to add one extra step after miremba’s step 8. Lets call it step 8.5…

    8.5) Move all files from the 1020 subfolder to /Library/Printers/hp/laserjet (the parent);

    After that, reboot and follow the rest of miremba’s instructions. Thanks to both Andy and miremba. Hugely helpful! Good luck everyone else.

  • Arsal

    I got HP LaserJet 1320. Its printing only while the computer restart. What could be the reason?

  • 2Q

    I struggled for hours and then I realized my USB connection was loose…#$#@Q%
    All the steps worked just make sure everything is properly connected.
    Thank You All!

  • Hartmut Oertel

    Thanks for the primer. It works now!

  • Dear tomazza,

    I did all of the above posted by andy. You, tomazza, are the saving grace. BTW, I had to close out of the print utility window and then reopen in.

  • kc

    I have the same problem with my new HP 1200. I have read the ideas to install a windows program on part of my hard drive, try and hope hacking will work etc. This is the exact reason I sold all three of my pc’s runing all kinds of windows stuff. Here is the real fix. If HP wont support you dont support them. I have purchase a brother 2040 for only 69.00 at staples and it works great. They support mac users. I am really glad I had problems with the install and drivers (HP Only) due to the fact I needed to purchase new ink for my HP895cse and another HP I owned for years. Now I can throw them In the trash like the due their customer support. Note: If you are a PC person you will find after you upgrade to vista they dont support it either. To bad a name like HP has to go downt the drain.

  • DT

    I would like to comment that an opensource driver has been developed for mac os x. Search for "foo2zjs os x" in google.

  • Ali

    Brilliant!

    Thanks for the help!
    Worked for me!

    -Ali =]

  • bithalver

    hey all,

    because i didn’t install any printer driver (virgin osx install), i didn’t delete anything; just added the driver.

    works like a charm.

  • JotaDe

    "I would like to comment that an opensource driver has been developed for mac os x. Search for "foo2zjs os x" in google."

    This is the ultimate solution to this problem.

    My laserjet 1020 worked fine with the 1022 hp drivers through my airport basestation flawlessly on my PPC portable. However, ever since my Intel portable upgrade I haven’t been able to add or use the 1022 like in the past.

    This foo2zjs app works. I can now print wirelessly from my MBP to my 1022 for the first time ever.

    DT, good sir, may you be rewarded with gold for this valuable service you’ve provided (even if you just shared the link) ;)

  • deedavid

    thanks to all… just made the switch today from PC to iMac. Was worried for a moment that I would have to buy a printer. Quick google and found the answer… so far the switch has been flawless and no crashes ;)

  • the student

    blessings on you! your instructions worked perfectly. The install took only minutes.

  • davenyc

    Awesome. Worked on my new MacBook like a champ. Many thanks.

  • ebg

    I downloaded the driver and it worked perfectly!! However i have not been able to print using it as a shared printer shared from my windows 200 PC. Somebody please post a comment to help me!!

    Macbook 2.16GHz

  • I have tried your software in 10.4.10 mac pro intel core duo. it is not working. guide me to install hp laserjet 1020 in Macpro

  • eshock at gmail dawt com

    Parthasarathi, If you follow these steps it still works with 10.4.10. I just reinstalled OS X and set it up again and it works fine. If anyone needs the drivers email me and I can send them to you.

  • Opass Putcharoen

    Thank you very much! IT DOES WORK WITH MY iMac

  • Dude, thank you. That worked (restart wasn’t necessary, just FYI).

    Again, thanks for this post.

    Cheers.

  • Gary

    Excellent, worked a treat, thanks!!!

  • Lin

    Works perfectly~ thank you very much~

  • Umesh

    Thank you – this was perfect

  • portaflex

    Thank you very much.

    Leopard + hp1020 + your .pkg and intructions = success.

    No need to restart.

    Thank you Andy.

  • david

    plz help cant get this hp laserjet 1020
    working.
    im running osx 10.4.10
    feel like smashing it
    urgent !

  • Jim

    Sebastian wrote:
    the solution is actually a repackaging of the linux driver. http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/OpenPrinting/MacOSX/foo2zjs

    This worked perfectly for my 1020 Laserjet!!!!! After all the other described methods, I could never get it to work. I followed this link, installed the programs, and it prints perfectly now. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

    BTW: I’m running an Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with OSX version 10.4.11
    SO SIMPLE! THANK YOU THANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOU

  • Judy Robinson

    I followed your instructions and it worked like a charm.

    Thank you.

  • Wow! I have spent an hour (or more) on the internet at HP’s site and other "help" sites to no avail. My HP 1020 worked great under OS X.4 but I couldn’t find it to install it under Leopard. I found your suggestions; followed them to the letter and now have a working printer on Leopard.

    Thanks for your help! THANKS THANKS THANKS!

    Jay

  • kai

    thank you so much! easy and simple–i had panicked that it was going to be as much of a pain to install this cheap little printer in leopard as it was in OSX.4 but these instructions were awesome. 5 minutes, tops.

  • MaxTheSax

    Thanks!
    i have install with this instruction on Leopard and it’s work perfectly
    Great thank you

  • Merci,
    Ça marche extra

    Thanks a lot

  • Dossage

    Hurrah! You’re a star. Just done it in Leopard 10.5.1. Thanks a million.
    Tim

  • Adomas

    Works, great! Thanks a lot!

  • I am trying the Linux-foundation downloads per Sebastian’s comment, and its success with others. I have ver. 10.4.11. But a glitch: in installing the 3 downloads from Linux, a box opened up requiring me to give my admin password, and I am nervous because of the risk of an OSX trojan. Is this okay?

  • James

    Thanks for the fix! Saved me having to drive into the office on a snowy day!

  • bob

    Works a treat on Leopard! Many thanks!

  • Caroline

    This was great advice- I was totally lost. I am just getting used to my MacBook and had found it difficult to think outside the PC logic. All I did was download the file from the link (step 1) and the rest all just worked out after I restarted my laptop. I am thankful more than you can know!

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