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Ricoh model numbers explained: IM, IM C, MP, SP, Pro and Aficio
IM C3510SD tells you the generation, whether it prints colour, roughly how fast it runs and what is bolted to it. Once you can read one model code you can read the whole range.
A new laptop, a Windows update or a new starter in the team, and suddenly someone needs "the Ricoh driver". Searching for it turns up dozens of download sites. Only one source should be trusted: Ricoh's own support site, or the supplier who installed your machine.
The short version: find your exact model name on the machine, download the driver from Ricoh's support site for your operating system, and keep drivers up to date. Ricoh has said some driver security issues can only be fixed by updating the driver.
1. Find the exact model name
The model is printed on the front of the machine and shown on the operation panel, for example IM C3010 or IM C320F. The letters and digits matter: an IM C3010 and an IM C3000 are different models with different driver pages. If the names confuse you, see Ricoh model numbers explained.
For a network installation you also need the machine's IP address. Your IT team or supplier will have it, or it can be shown on the machine's network settings screen.
2. Download from Ricoh, not from a driver site
Ricoh publishes drivers model by model on its support site, support.ricoh.com. On a model's page you choose your operating system and the page lists the drivers and utilities available for it. For example, the IM C3000 page lists drivers by operating system alongside Ricoh tools such as Device Manager NX and Printer Driver Packager NX.
- PCL 6 is the driver most Windows offices use for everyday printing.
- PostScript drivers, where offered, are often preferred for design and publishing work.
- Ricoh also publishes a PCL6 Universal Print Driver that covers many Ricoh models with one driver, which IT teams use to simplify a mixed fleet.
Third-party driver download sites repackage files from many manufacturers. There is no way to know what has been changed, so don't use them on business computers.
3. Installing on Windows
- Download the driver for your Windows version from the model's page. It usually comes as a self-extracting package.
- Run the package to extract it, or follow the installer if one starts.
- If there is no installer, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, add the printer by its IP address, and when asked for a driver choose Have Disk and point it at the extracted folder.
- Print a test page and check that the options you rely on (stapling, punching, user codes, secure print) appear in the printing preferences.
4. Installing on a Mac
Select your macOS version on the same Ricoh model page and download the driver listed for it. Install the package, then add the printer in System Settings > Printers & Scanners, choosing the Ricoh driver rather than a generic one if you need finishing options or user codes.
What changed in Windows in 2026
Microsoft is phasing out the way manufacturers' printer drivers have been delivered through Windows Update. Its published timeline for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025:
| Date | What Microsoft says happens |
|---|---|
| 15 January 2026 | No new printer drivers published to Windows Update. Existing ones can be updated only case by case. |
| 1 July 2026 | Windows ranks its built-in IPP class driver first when choosing a driver. |
| 1 July 2027 | Apart from security fixes, third-party printer driver updates are no longer allowed. |
What this means in practice:
- Since July 2026, Windows may set up a newly added printer with Microsoft's generic driver rather than Ricoh's. Check that the options your team uses are available. If they aren't, install Ricoh's driver package from the support site.
- Microsoft says Windows will continue to allow manufacturers' drivers installed from their own installation packages, and that existing drivers can still be installed. Your current setup keeps working.
- Microsoft also says multifunction devices will work over IPP, with scanning through WS-Scan or eSCL on network devices.
Keep drivers up to date
In 2020 Ricoh published a security notice about a vulnerability in some of its printer drivers and said it could only be fully fixed by updating the driver. A driver installed years ago and never touched is worth checking. IT teams managing many computers can use Ricoh's tools to package and deploy one approved driver rather than letting each user install their own.
Need help?
If you bought or lease your Ricoh from Gtech FZE, ask us for the right driver for your model and operating system, or for help setting up a new computer. See Ricoh service and support in Dubai or contact us.
Sources
- Ricoh, IM C3000 downloads page (drivers and utilities by operating system)
- Ricoh, security notice on printer drivers (January 2020)
- Microsoft Learn, End of servicing plan for third-party printer drivers on Windows (timeline and FAQ)
Checked against Ricoh's and Microsoft's published pages on 4 November 2026. Menus, driver names and timelines can change, so follow the instructions on Ricoh's page for your exact model and operating system. This article is general information published by Gtech FZE, not technical advice, and creates no obligation. Ricoh and Ricoh product names are trademarks of Ricoh Company, Ltd.; Windows and macOS belong to their respective owners. To the extent permitted by UAE law, Gtech FZE accepts no liability for decisions taken on the basis of this article.
