Choosing the Right Konica Minolta Printer Driver & How to Install it

What print driver do I download for my Konica Minolta MultiFunction Printer (MFP) PCL, or PS? What’s the difference anyway?

What Is A Printer Driver and What Does It Do?

A “driver” is a small application that translates. When added to your computer it translates your computer’s instructions to a specific device’s instruction set. There is a driver for each and every peripheral it is possible to add to your computer.

In the specific case of a printer, it converts your computer’s requests for color/B&W, page size, paperweight, margins, font substitution, duplexing, imposition, stapling, etc. into device-specific commands that the printer understands. 

Given the complexity and remarkable abilities of these modern-day miracles, getting just the right driver for your exact make and model of multi-function printer, written for your particular operating system version, is more important, and more complex, than ever.

Thankfully, Konica Minolta makes it easy.

A printer driver is defined as software that sends data to the printer and allows the users to interface and control the device.  Oftentimes when a new MFP arrives at the customer location the conversation begins with figuring out which print driver they want to be loaded for the new device.

The print driver is basically the software that is loaded onto a computer, network, or device to allow for printing to a specific copy machine or printer.

The printer drivers for your Konica Minolta MFP can be downloaded at www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us. 

 

https://kmbs.konicaminolta.us/  > Support & Downloads > Products and Support Self-Help > Drivers

Will bring you to this self-help portal for driver downloads.

Let’s look at a typical scenario: A search for a color multifunction printer allowed us to find our particular model, the Bizhub C360, and here we see the multitude of OS flavors to choose from, Windows, Linux, and Mac, as well as server versions. 

The site will even allow you to download previous versions of the driver if the current version proves problematic due to your configuration.

Generally speaking, you should be looking for the most current version (most recent creation date) for your specific Operating System version, which is usually at the top.

There are 4  primary steps to installing the print driver.

Those steps are listed below, before downloading the print driver you’ll want to know which driver is best suited for your environment.

PCL (printer command language) vs PS (postscript)

Postscript is the computer programming language that enabled the desktop print revolution in the mid to late 1980s. It is the great-granddaddy of PDF (Portable Document Format) and PCL (Printer Command Language.) It gave rise to all modern design applications, from Photoshop and Illustrator, (or any other graphic application from Adobe, since they invented and released Postscript in late 1984) to web page architecture, screen displays, and online shopping cart behavior.

The primary advantages to Postscript are that it is both device-independent and wholly devoted to page description. Meaning that it does nothing but define and enumerate the printed image, and it does this for every print device in use.

That being said, it is probably overkill for your needs, and you are better off with PCL.

Sounds counter-intuitive right? But the truth is that most applications and suites got on the Postscript bandwagon years ago, which is one of the reasons why it is the standard today. When using these apps, your printing is seamless.

Most, but not all. As you might guess, the holdout was Microsoft.

All of the Microsoft Office products are meant to provide swift inter-office communication, and they do that very well. They are not intended for high-end print production, but rather getting those reports printed and out the door by five. They do not make use of most of the higher-end printing functions of Postscript, instead of using a slimmed-down version from Hewlitt-Packard known as PCL.

For example, there is zero color management from Microsoft Office. Everything produced is in the machines’ default RGB, which in Windows is sRGB, where the s stands for smaller.

The upside to this is that if you are operating in the Windows environment, the driver for your version of Windows and the model of MFP device makes the translation both seamless and instant. 

If you are cranking out pages from Office, PCL works great.

If you have more elaborate print requirements, look to Postscript, but better yet, look to your account rep at CSBS to help guide you through the more complex options.

Pros:

• Fast print processing.
• Widely supported in many different Operating System platforms.

Cons:

• The same print job on two different printers may vary slightly.
• Quality of graphics is dependent on the print device.
• Not supported in most Macintosh environments

Select, Download, and Install the Right Printer Driver

Step 1

Identify the model of your Konica Minolta MFP and determine what operating system you are using on your computer, network, or device (Bizhub C360 / Windows 10 – 32 or 64 bit).

Step 2

It is very important to only download a print driver from a known, trusted source, such as the original equipment manufacturer or the distributor who leased your digital print device. While there are thousands of download sites, they come with risks, hacked print drivers can allow digital intrusion or data mirroring if undiscovered. Your printer may even be forced to print unwanted materials.

We recommend using the Konica Minolta driver download site as previously outlined.

Download the correct print driver from a credible source (PCL or PS). The company website for your printer is often the best place to download drivers for your printer. In this case, you can find your drivers on the Konica Minolta website, which can be found here.

Step 3

Your print driver will be downloaded in a compressed, secured format, usually configured as a self-installer. They will usually have a name that is product descriptive, like c360_c280_c220_pcl6_win32_v370ssd14_WHQL_en_add

If it has a .exe extension, it is an executable installer.

If it has a .zip or .tar extension, then it is a compressed folder that must be uncompressed (right-click on it) and then inside of the uncompressed folder, you will find the installer or setup executable.

Open your recently downloaded driver and install the print driver.

Step 4

Test to verify that your device is printing.

All print devices have a printer test page built into their firmware. It is usually run at the end of the initial install. It can be run at any time. Running this test is a quick and easy way to learn the current status of your printer, its IP address, security, and some other features, like low ink levels on a color device.

If you have any additional questions about multi-function printers or digital printer drivers, feel free to reach out to us with your questions.

Konica Minolta makes it easy, but working with a trusted partner like CSBS makes it even easier. We are just a phone call away.