HP LaserJet 1018: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the HP LaserJet 1018 right for you?

The LaserJet 1018 is a twenty-year-old USB laser that refuses to die, which is why it still appears in so many driver questions. It is slow by modern standards but the 12A toner is cheap and plentiful, and a cartridge lasts a couple of thousand pages. The catch is that it is a host-based printer with no Wi-Fi, so it only works with a Windows driver and will not print from phones or most print servers.

Best for: Cheap, simple mono printing from a single Windows PC

Setting up the HP LaserJet 1018

Windows 10 and 11 usually install the HP LaserJet 1018 driver automatically once the USB cable is connected; if not, install the HP basic driver package from HP's site and choose the 1018 in Add Printer. macOS support relies on open-source foo2zjs-style drivers and is unreliable. A faint print is cured by shaking the toner cartridge gently side to side before replacing it.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the toner cartridge and drum unit, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use HP's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The HP LaserJet 1018 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• HP 12A (Q2612A) toner

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications