What is a Type 4 printer driver?
Type 4, or the version 4 (v4) driver model, is the Windows printer driver architecture Microsoft introduced with Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. Print Management shows these drivers as Type 4 - User Mode in the Driver Type column. Like Type 3 drivers, they run in user mode; the differences are in how they're built, how print jobs are processed and how clients get them. Type 4 has nothing to do with virtualization or CPU features.
What changed from Type 3
- XPS print path: jobs are spooled in the XML Paper Specification (XPS) format instead of the GDI-based EMF path, and the driver converts XPS into the printer's language.
- Class drivers: one driver can cover a whole family of printers, so manufacturers ship fewer, smaller drivers. Many are included in Windows or delivered through Windows Update.
- Customization moved out of the driver: instead of custom code inside the driver, vendors add features through companion apps or printer extensions.
- Different sharing model: clients connecting to a shared printer don't download the vendor driver from the print server the way Type 3 Point and Print does.
Type 4 drivers and print servers
With Type 3 drivers, a print server must host a separate driver for every client CPU architecture. Type 4 removes that chore. When a client connects to a printer shared with a Type 4 driver, it uses a matching v4 driver it already has or can get from Windows Update. If there isn't one, Windows can fall back to a Microsoft compatibility driver and let the server's driver do the rendering; Microsoft calls this Enhanced Point and Print. For admins, that means fewer drivers to stage and maintain on the server.
Type 3 vs. Type 4 at a glance
| Type 3 - User Mode | Type 4 - User Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Print path | GDI (RAW and EMF data types) | XPS |
| Typical driver | Vendor driver per model or series | Class driver for many models |
| Shared printers | Client downloads the server's driver | Client uses its own v4 driver or a compatibility driver |
| Drivers on the server | One per client architecture | No per-architecture copies needed |
A Type 4 driver can expose fewer advanced options than a full vendor Type 3 driver, so some admins still choose the vendor's Type 3 driver for features such as finishing (stapling, hole punching) or detailed tray control. Windows also includes a Microsoft IPP class driver that works with many network printers without any vendor driver.
For the CompTIA A+ exam
Driver models aren't named in Core 1 (220-1201). They tie into objective 3.7 (using the appropriate driver for the operating system, print servers and shared printers) and objective 2.3, which lists print servers as a server role. When a question involves a print server and clients on different systems, the underlying issue is how each client gets its driver, which is exactly what changed between Type 3 and Type 4.