Tray selection ignored — media mapping in driver & printer PDL

Joe B.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: Windows 11/10, macOS (Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey), Printers, Networking, Office Equipment

Tray selection ignored on Windows 10/Windows 11 or Mac — HP, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Canon, Xerox, Brother

Technician

Hey! When a printer ignores tray selection or always pulls from the wrong source, it’s usually a media mapping problem between the print driver and the device’s PDL (printer language: PCL, PostScript/PS, UFR II, KPDL, IPP Everywhere/AirPrint). Tell me your brand — Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Canon, Xerox, Kyocera, Sharp — plus OS (Windows 10/11 or macOS) and which paper source (Tray 1/2/3, bypass/MP tray, manual feed) you want.

Customer

Windows 11 with a Konica Minolta bizhub. We select Tray 2 with Letterhead but jobs always come from Tray 1. Sometimes the printer forces Bypass asking for thick paper. Paper sizes and types look correct.

Technician

Got it. Classic case of media-type / paper source mismatch. Here’s what usually causes tray selection ignored:
• The Windows queue is using a generic PDL (Microsoft IPP Class Driver / AirPrint) that sends only media-col hints; the device policy maps that to a default tray.
• In the vendor driver, the Paper Type is set to Auto while the device has Letterhead or Thick 1 in Tray 2 — the controller can’t match and falls back to Tray 1.
• PDL mismatch: you’re printing PS but the Konica PS Plug-in expects different PJL/SNMP options than the PCL queue.
• Device has Paper Catalog or Custom Media names; the driver doesn’t know those names until you Update/Obtain Device Information over SNMP.

Customer

Where do I set that mapping in Windows? I see options for Paper Type and Source but not sure which controls the tray behavior.

Technician

Fix tray mapping — Windows 10/11:
1) Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → your device → Printing preferences.
2) In the vendor driver (Konica/Ricoh/HP etc.), set both Paper Source = Tray 2 and Paper Type = the exact match (Letterhead, Plain, Thick, Recycled). Avoid Auto.
3) Click Device Settings → Auto Detect/Obtain Device Information. Ensure trays, sizes, and Paper Catalog names are fetched via SNMP.
4) If the queue uses Microsoft IPP Class Driver, replace it with the manufacturer’s PCL/PS driver (or Type4 with full tray control).
5) For stubborn apps (SAP/ERP, legacy line-of-business), set a PJL default tray in the driver’s advanced tab or create an Output Profile locking media-source.

Customer

We also print from Macs. On macOS the job keeps asking to load paper in the bypass tray. How do we force Tray 2 with Letterhead?

Technician

macOS: map media to the correct tray
• Re-add the printer and choose the vendor driver (Konica PS/PCL, Ricoh PCL6, Canon UFR II) instead of AirPrint if you need strict tray control.
• In the print dialog open the Printer Features / Finishing panel → set Paper Source = Tray 2 and Media Type = Letterhead (or the exact custom catalog name). Save as a Preset.
• In System Settings → Printers & Scanners → Options & Supplies → Options enable additional trays/finishers so the driver exposes them.
• If the device forces bypass, check the device panel: set Tray 2 media to Letterhead (Keep Facing) or disable Letterhead Mode for duplex if not required.

Customer

We run Ricoh with User Codes and sometimes SAP prints. Could the PDL be part of the problem?

Technician

Choose the right PDL and policy:
• PCL is fast and reliable for tray calls like media-source (Tray 1/2/3).
• PostScript respects media and media-col attributes; with some devices PS uses the Paper Catalog names, so update device info first.
• IPP Everywhere/AirPrint simplifies setup but often ignores vendor-specific tray commands — good for general use, not for special media.
• In Ricoh/Konica admin, check Tray Priority, Auto Tray Switching, and any paper policy that redirects to Bypass for “Thick” or unknown types.

Customer

We need letterhead from Tray 2 and labels from the MP tray. Can we save one-click presets so staff stop changing settings?

Technician

Create locked presets:
• In the driver’s preferences, set Paper Source and Media Type, then click Save/OK and choose Set as Default for the queue.
• For apps: Word/Office and Adobe Acrobat allow named presets (e.g., “Letterhead – Tray 2”, “Labels – MP Tray Thick”).
• Some vendors (Ricoh/Konica/Xerox) provide Output Profiles/Favorite Settings you can export to users to keep media-source locked.

Customer

After a Windows Update, the job started pulling from Tray 1 again. Do we have to redo everything?

Technician

You shouldn’t. Updates often swap your vendor driver for a Class Driver. Do this once:
• Remove the queue and driver package (Print Management → All Drivers). Reinstall the manufacturer’s PCL/PS driver.
• Re-run Obtain Device Information so the tray list and Paper Catalog are synced.
• Optionally disable automatic driver changes via Device Installation Settings or Group Policy in managed environments.

Customer

Any other app-specific gotchas? Especially PDFs and Google Docs.

Technician

Acrobat/Reader: use Printer Properties from the print dialog to set the driver’s Paper Source and Media Type; don’t rely on the app’s “Choose paper source by PDF page size”.
Browsers/Google Docs: open the System Dialog (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Option+P) to access vendor tray controls.
Word: for letterhead, build a template with the tray stored in Page Setup → Paper Source.

Customer

Perfect — Tray 2 now works for letterhead and labels feed from MP tray. Thanks!

Technician

Summary: If tray selection is ignored, align Paper Source and Media Type in the vendor driver, update device info, and use the correct PDL (PCL/PS) instead of generic IPP/AirPrint. Save locked presets for Tray 2 letterhead, MP tray labels, or bypass heavy paper. Need hands‑on help? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when tray selection is ignored (Windows 10/Windows 11/Mac): use the manufacturer driver (PCL/PS), Obtain Device Information to sync trays, and explicitly set Paper Source + Media Type (e.g., Letterhead in Tray 2, Labels in MP Tray). Avoid generic AirPrint/IPP Class drivers if you require strict tray control.

FAQ

Step‑by‑step (Windows 10/11)

1. Open Printers & scanners → your printer → Printing preferences → set Paper Source and Media Type (avoid Auto).
2. Printer properties → Device Settings → click Auto Detect/Obtain Device Information to sync trays & catalog.
3. If using a class driver, remove the queue and install the vendor PCL/PS driver; then add the printer again.
4. Create presets for Letterhead (Tray 2), Labels (MP tray), etc., and set defaults.

Step‑by‑step (macOS)

1. Re‑add the printer with the vendor driver in System Settings → Printers & Scanners (not AirPrint for strict control).
2. Options & Supplies → Options → enable additional trays/finishers.
3. In the print dialog choose Printer Features → set Paper Source and Media Type; save as a Preset.

Sources

• PWG — IPP media & media-col attributes
• Microsoft — Troubleshoot printer problems (Windows 10/11)
• Apple — Manage printer features on Mac
• Konica Minolta — Drivers & utilities
• Ricoh — Printer drivers and utilities

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