just got a brother hl-l2350dw, my mac is on catalina and it won't install the software. says not supported. what do i do?

Diagnosis

The Brother HL-L2350DW printer was released several years ago, and its original driver software package was certified for older macOS versions (10.10.5 through 10.12.x). Your Mac is running macOS Catalina (10.15), which was not on that original supported list, causing the installer to fail with an "unsupported" message.

How to Fix It

You need to manually download and install a newer, compatible driver from Brother.

1. Go directly to the Brother USA support site for your model: support.brother.com/g/b/producttop.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=hll2350dw_us.
2. Click on the "Drivers & Downloads" tab.
3. Select "macOS" as your Operating System. The site should now show available software packages.
4. Download and install the "Brother Printer Driver" package. This is the essential driver. You can also download the "Scanner Driver" if you need scan functionality.
5. After downloading, open the .dmg file and run the installer. You may need to allow installation from an unidentified developer in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
6. Once installed, add the printer in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners by clicking the '+' button. Your Mac should now automatically detect the printer using the new driver.

If That Didn't Work

If the official driver still doesn't work or isn't listed for Catalina, try these steps:

• Use the built-in "AirPrint" functionality. This printer supports AirPrint. Simply ensure the printer is connected to your Wi-Fi network, then add it in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners. Your Mac will use generic AirPrint drivers for basic printing, though advanced features may be limited.
• Check for a more recent "CUPS" driver package on the Brother support site, which sometimes has broader OS compatibility.
• If you have access to another computer, you can set up the printer on a shared network from a Mac with a supported OS and then share it to your Catalina Mac.

Heads Up

While the original software suite is outdated, Brother has generally provided updated core drivers for newer macOS versions. The AirPrint method is a reliable fallback for standard printing. Avoid using third-party driver websites; always get software directly from Brother to ensure safety and compatibility.