The IEEE 1284 standard (sometimes referred to as IEEE 1284 Parallel Port standard) is an older interface used for connecting printers and other peripherals to a computer. It's a bidirectional parallel communication standard that was widely used before USB became the dominant connection method for printers and other devices.

When a printer is IEEE 1284 compatible, it means that it can connect to a computer via a parallel port and communicate using the IEEE 1284 standard. The term IEEE 1284 compatible printer Windows driver refers to the software needed to ensure that a printer connected via this parallel port can work correctly on a Windows operating system.