Printer Network Protocols Explained: IPP, LPD, and More

IPP is the modern baseline

Printing over a network used to mean installing a vendor driver on every machine and manually building a print queue. Modern printers use the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), usually in the IPP Everywhere form defined by the Printer Working Group (PWG), to make that unnecessary. IPP Everywhere allows computers and mobile devices to find and print to networked and USB printers without vendor-specific software.

IPP Everywhere also covers more than a basic page. The PWG lists printer discovery, a full range of print media, two-sided printing, photo printing, and finishing features such as stapling, punching, and folding as part of the standard. When a printer supports these features, the operating system can expose them without waiting for a separate manufacturer application. If you are comparing models, treat IPP Everywhere support as one of the strongest compatibility signals.

• Common clients named by the PWG include Chrome OS, CUPS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.

LPD is the legacy protocol

The Line Printer Daemon protocol, usually shortened to LPD or LPR, comes from the early days of networked Unix printing. It sends jobs to a named queue on a print server or printer and remains useful when older business software expects a queue name. Many printers and print servers still list LPD/LPR in their compatibility information even if the printer is managed through a modern web interface.

Should you care? If you only print from recent Windows, macOS, or Linux systems, LPD is not the protocol you need to seek out. Keep it in mind for legacy accounting, warehousing, or industrial applications where the software was written around an LPD queue. For everything else, IPP is the better choice because it supports modern job controls and printer feature discovery. The printer driver languages guide explains how the print language and the network protocol work together.

Discovery protocols and mobile standards

IPP Everywhere is paired with DNS-SD so devices can advertise themselves on a local network and clients can find them without typing an IP address. The same discovery mechanism powers many of the printer lists you see in system dialogs. If you are setting up a wireless printer, check that the printer supports DNS-SD as well as IPP; otherwise your phone or laptop may not see it automatically.

For mobile printing, the Mopria Alliance provides certification that many Android, Windows, and Chromebook environments recognize. Mopria's own guidance says it makes mobile printing easy and that Windows supports Mopria certified printers. Certification is not the same as a protocol, but it is a useful shortcut: if a printer carries Mopria certification, the manufacturers have agreed on a common way for supported apps and operating systems to print to it.

Match protocols to your operating systems

Start by listing the devices that will send print jobs. A home office full of recent laptops will be happy with IPP Everywhere and DNS-SD, because Chrome OS, macOS, Windows, and Linux all appear in the PWG's list of common clients. An Android-heavy household should look for Mopria certification. If you need to share a printer with an older application that does not speak IPP, keep LPD in the mix by checking the spec sheet before you buy.

Network protocols do not replace the print language. The printer still needs to describe pages in a language the printer understands, such as PCL or PostScript. The network protocol carries those jobs, while the page description language shapes how the page is rendered. See the PCL versus PostScript guide if you are choosing between laser models, and use the connectivity options guide to check Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB before you commit.

What to look for on a spec sheet

Printer spec sheets do not always use the same wording. Look for IPP, IPP Everywhere, or IPP/2.0 support, and check that DNS-SD is listed as well. If you print from phones and tablets, look for Mopria certification or a compatibility note from the manufacturer. If you have any legacy software, look for LPD/LPR in the protocol list.

Beyond protocols: energy and lifecycle

Once you have settled on a printer with the right protocol support, look at the rest of the buying decision. ENERGY STAR certified imaging equipment is designed to save up to 35 percent versus conventional equipment by using less energy when working and especially when idle. The ENERGY STAR criteria also require automatic duplexing on certain printers and multi-function devices, which cuts paper use if you enable it.

You can also reduce waste by printing only what you need and setting the printer's sleep mode to stay on. If you are replacing an old network printer, dispose of it responsibly; the EPA's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle program explains donation and recycling options for used electronics. For product comparisons that include feature details, start with our best all-in-one printers or best laser printers guides.

What to pick for your use

Questions

What is IPP Everywhere?

IPP Everywhere is a PWG standard that allows computers and mobile devices to find and print to networked and USB printers without vendor-specific software. In practice, it means the printer can be set up using the printing support already built into the operating system.

Do I still need LPD?

Usually not. LPD/LPR is a legacy protocol for sending jobs to a named print queue. Modern IPP-based clients handle discovery, job control, and printer features more cleanly. Keep LPD only if older software requires a queue name.

What is Mopria certification?

Mopria is an alliance that certifies printers and software for easy mobile printing. The Mopria site lists Windows support and Android printing as key examples, so certification is a quick way to confirm that common phones and PCs can print without a separate vendor app.

How do I know if a printer supports IPP Everywhere?

Check the spec sheet for IPP, IPP/2.0, or IPP Everywhere, and look for DNS-SD as the discovery method. Many current printers support this combination; the PWG says 98 percent of printers sold today support IPP/2.0 and DNS-SD.

Does the network protocol affect print speed?

For normal office documents, the protocol is rarely the bottleneck. The printer's page description language and engine determine speed. The network matters more when large files or photo jobs are sent, but protocol support matters most for compatibility.