Setting Up Printing on a Mac

macOS is designed to make printing simple, especially with printers that support AirPrint. In many cases you add the printer once and never think about it again.

Adding a printer

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings (called System Preferences on macOS Monterey and earlier).
2. Select Printers & Scanners in the sidebar.
3. Click Add Printer, Scanner or Fax. On older versions, click the + button below the list.
4. The default tab lists printers found on your network and printers connected by USB. Select yours.
5. In the Use menu, choose AirPrint if it's offered; otherwise macOS suggests suitable software.
6. Click Add.

What AirPrint is

AirPrint is Apple's built-in printing technology. Printers that support it can be used from a Mac, iPhone or iPad without installing a driver. Most printers sold in recent years list AirPrint support, but not all, so check your model's specifications.

If your printer isn't listed

• Confirm the Mac and the printer are on the same network.
• Use the IP tab in the Add Printer window to add the printer by its network address, which you can find on the printer's network report.
• If the printer doesn't support AirPrint, the manufacturer's website may offer macOS software for it.

Print options worth knowing

Press Cmd+P in almost any app to open the print dialog. Alongside the printer and copies, you'll find paper size, two-sided printing, and a menu of app-specific and printer-specific options. You can save a set of options as a preset so you don't have to choose them every time.

Steps reflect recent macOS releases. Names may differ slightly on older or newer versions.