Lexmark E210 Printer install from .ppd file

Solution 1:

This should work.

The key here is that it uses the gdi driver; though it's no longer maintained by Samsung, it is is community maintained and appears to have current support. It's also built into Ghostscript, so it should be there.

The short answer is you should be able to manually add the printer using one of the printer models listed on the driver page (link above).

Manually Installing on macOS

The location for the (English) PPD files is /Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/en.lproj. Simply copy your PPD file there.

When you Add your printer, the very last field labeled "Use" will be where you specify your driver. From the drop down, choose "Select Software" (left image). A list of printer software will open (right image). Start typing the name of the driver you copied in the filter box at the top; you should find your printer.

Note: In my example, I used "localhost" as I currently don't have the printer hooked up to my network, but you would use the IP address of the printer. As for protocol, use "LPD" for these older printers.

Printer Drivers

One thing you should note is that not all printers are created equal. It may seem trivial, but depending on engine that drives your printer, you may or may not be able to continue using them. For example, this printer uses a "Host Based Printing System."

This means that it's the operating system the local computer that actually does all the rendering of the graphics, not the printer itself. It's a cost saving move for the manufacturer. The downside is you have a good chance of this becoming a paperweight down the road. Fortunately, this was based on a processor from Samsung that had continued support (they also sold this one to Fuji/Xerox)

Going Forward... When purchasing a new printer, be sure to look for a printer that has support for printing languages like PCL and/or Postscript. If it supports both, it's even better! If it supports emulations like "HP LaserJet" or "Epson" or even "IBM" you can use those generic drivers as well. These printers do cost a little more, but they make up for it in longevity.