As I've attempted to summarize in the title we've used a basic PS script to mass-deploy printers for a while and haven't noticed much of an issue.

The difference here is that we're now deploying the printers to machines that may be WFH and so when the install runs its not communicating with the printer, and that presumably resulting in the issue of failing to detect all printer capabilities like color and finishing options (stapler, hole punch, and extra trays)

Downloads the latest HP Smart Universal Printing Driver upd-pcl6-x64-7.2.0.25780
pnputil.exe -a $driverInfPath # Adds the driver to the system
Add-PrinterDriver -Name "HP Universal Printing PCL 6 (v7.2.0)"
# Add Printer Ports and Printers
Add-PrinterPort -Name "IP_172.29.101.20" -PrinterHostAddress "172.29.101.20"
Add-Printer -Name "Grotto-HPE78625 - B&W" -DriverName $DriverName -PortName "IP_172.29.101.20"
Add-PrinterPort -Name "IP2_172.29.101.20" -PrinterHostAddress "172.29.101.20"
Add-Printer -Name "Grotto-HPE78625 - Color" -DriverName $DriverName -PortName "IP2_172.29.101.20"
# Set printers to single-sided printing
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName "Grotto-HPE78625 - B&W" -DuplexingMode "OneSided"
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName "Grotto-HPE78625 - Color" -DuplexingMode "OneSided"
# Restart Print Spooler Service
Restart-Service -Name Spooler

For the Color and stapler it seemed like an easy fix ...

Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName "Grotto-HPE78625 - Color" -PropertyName "Config:DynamicRender" -Value "COLORDEVICE"

Another post gets into the suggestion -- turn "Automatic Configuration" off, and set "Device Type" to either color or monochrome, not Autodetect. If you're using powershell, these should be "Config:Autoconfiguration" set to "NotInstalled" and "Config:DynamicRender" set to "COLORDEVICE" or "MONODEVICE".

but it doesn't work, nor does other variants I've tried ...

A colleague also said he noticed this exact change occurs when manually setting it in the printer properties UI ... with nothing else changed as far as we can see.

dove in on the registry to see what might be there ... but I also believe those are the temp settings that while they show the printer capabilities are more specific to what setting you just made on your last print...?

We tried switching to the SUPD-4.07.1.3204-V4-x64.zip and that has resulted in a set of other weird glitches. On-network where the printer is reachable 1) Oddly, the color defaulted to B&W at first but then saved after going into the printer properties in Word. 2) The staple feature didn’t show up until I hit refresh. 3) The window pops off-screen on the Lenovo 16:10 displays, so you can’t actually see the blue save button except for a sliver. ... haven't gotten to trying it off-network.

and another person printed a PDF and the printer printed out an error of:
PCL XL error
Subsystem: KERNEL
Error: Il legalOperatorSequence
Operator: SetColorSpace
Position: 3

Also through this - it would appear that the printer capabilities are in part an XML file thats loaded ... and maybe that is what gets hashed and loaded into binary format in the registry -- but make lots of assumptions with that.

I setup a script to use the basic driver ... but it turns out the basic driver I downloaded wasn't even for this printer, and it doesn't seem to have a basic driver ... but amusingly does show color without issue.

I've spent many hours certain that there must be flags to do this ... I generally consider myself somewhat knowledgable on this ... but I am lost

Questions

1) with UPD 7.2 is there another setting I need to use to indicate the printer has color rather then

Set-PrinterProperty -PrinterName "Grotto-HPE78625 - Color" -PropertyName "Config:DynamicRender" -Value "COLORDEVICE"

2) would it be helpful to enable the Config:Autoconfiguration property? And is there a way to trigger the printer driver to recognize the change if its on-network or would going into the printer properties do it on the fly?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!