Your Printer Guide

Setup and connection steps for most current printers

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Overview

Your printer, your device and where to start

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Model pages

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Start here

1Before you beginPower, paper and network4Add to your deviceSteps for your device5Print a test pageConfirm everything works

Before you begin

Power, paper and network

A few minutes of preparation makes the rest of the process much smoother. Most of these checks apply to any current printer, whatever the brand.

  • Power and placement. Plug the printer straight into a wall outlet rather than a power strip where possible, and switch it on. If it's a wireless setup, place it within reasonable range of your Wi-Fi router for now; you can move it later.
  • Packing materials. New printers often ship with tape and protective inserts inside the paper path or under the scanner lid. The printer's quick-start sheet shows where they are.
  • Ink or toner. Install the cartridges, tanks or toner that came with the printer. Some printers run a one-time initialization cycle the first time, which can take several minutes. Let it finish.
  • Paper. Load a small stack of plain paper in the main tray and adjust the paper guides so they touch the edges of the stack without bending it.
  • Your network details. For a Wi-Fi connection, know your network name (SSID) and password. They are often printed on a label on the router if you haven't changed them.
  • Your device. Keep the computer, phone or tablet you plan to print from nearby, charged, and connected to the same Wi-Fi network the printer will use.
  • The printer's controls. Look at what your printer has: a touchscreen, a small text display, or only buttons and lights. Printers without a screen are usually set up with a button sequence or a manufacturer app, so the quick-start sheet matters more.

Choose a connection method

Wi-Fi, USB and more

How a printer connects decides who can use it and from where. Many printers support more than one method; check which ones your model lists.

Wi-Fi (wireless network)

The printer joins your home or office Wi-Fi, and any device on that network can print to it. This is the most flexible option and the one phones and tablets usually need.

Some printers only work with the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. If your router uses one network name for both bands, this is normally fine.

USB cable

A cable runs from the printer to one computer. It's simple and doesn't depend on your network, but only that computer can print to it directly. A USB cable is not always included in the box.

Ethernet (wired network)

Some printers have a network port, so you can connect them to your router with a network cable. Every device on the network can then print, without relying on Wi-Fi signal strength at the printer.

Wi-Fi Direct

Where available, the printer creates its own small wireless network so a phone or laptop can connect to it directly, without a router. Handy for guests or places with no Wi-Fi.

Bluetooth

Mostly found on compact photo and portable printers. Some larger printers use Bluetooth only during setup to help an app find them, not for printing itself.

Manufacturer app

Many brands offer a companion app that walks through connecting the printer to Wi-Fi and adds extra features such as scanning to your phone. It's optional for basic printing on most current devices.

If you're unsure, Wi-Fi is the usual choice for a household with phones and laptops, and USB suits a single desktop computer next to the printer.

Connect the printer

Common setup methods

These are the common ways printers are put on a network or linked to a computer. The exact menu names depend on the model, so use them as a map rather than a script.

Option A: using the printer's own screen

  1. On the printer's control panel, open the wireless or network settings. It's often marked with a Wi-Fi symbol or found under Settings or Setup.
  2. Choose the wireless setup wizard (the name varies) and wait while the printer lists nearby networks.
  3. Select your network name and enter the Wi-Fi password. Passwords are case-sensitive.
  4. Wait for the printer to confirm the connection. Many printers can print a network configuration or connection report, which is useful to keep.

Option B: WPS push button

  1. Check that your router has a WPS button and that WPS is enabled. Some routers and internet providers turn it off.
  2. Start WPS on the printer, either from its menu or by holding its Wi-Fi button, as its quick-start sheet describes.
  3. Press the WPS button on the router within the time window the printer gives you, typically about two minutes.

Option C: the manufacturer's app

  1. Install the brand's app from your device's official app store, or download its software from the manufacturer's own website. Avoid third-party download sites.
  2. Open the app and choose to set up or add a new printer. The app usually finds a printer that is in setup mode nearby.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to choose your Wi-Fi network. Some apps ask you to create or sign in to an account with the manufacturer; whether to do so is your choice, and what it's used for is explained in the manufacturer's own terms.

Option D: USB

  1. Check the manufacturer's quick-start information on whether to connect the cable before or after installing any software; brands differ.
  2. Connect the USB cable to the printer and to the computer, with the printer switched on.
  3. The computer normally detects the printer within a minute and adds it automatically.

Add the printer to your device

Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android

Once the printer is on your network (or connected by cable), your device needs to know about it. Choose the tab for the device you use.

Windows

  1. Open Settings from the Start menu.
  2. On Windows 11, go to Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners. On Windows 10, go to Devices › Printers & scanners.
  3. Select Add device (Windows 11) or Add a printer or scanner (Windows 10) and wait while Windows searches your network.
  4. When your printer appears in the list, select it and choose Add device. Windows will often set it up with a built-in driver.
  5. If it doesn't appear, look for the option to add a printer manually. You can then add it by its IP address, which is shown on the printer's network report.

Recent versions of Windows can print to many network printers without any extra software, using standard printing protocols. Manufacturer software may add features such as scanning or ink-level alerts; if you want it, get it only from the manufacturer's own website or the Microsoft Store.

Read the full Windows printing guide

macOS

  1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings (on macOS Monterey and earlier, System Preferences).
  2. Select Printers & Scanners.
  3. Click Add Printer, Scanner or Fax (on older versions, the + button).
  4. Choose your printer from the list. In the Use menu, AirPrint is often the simplest choice when it's offered.
  5. Click Add. If the printer isn't listed, the IP tab lets you add it by its network address.

Many current printers support AirPrint, Apple's built-in printing technology, which means a Mac can print to them without installing a driver. If your printer doesn't, the manufacturer may provide macOS software on its website.

Read the full Mac printing guide

iPhone & iPad

  1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer.
  2. Open what you want to print, such as a photo, web page, email or document.
  3. Tap the Share button (a square with an upward arrow) or the More menu (three dots), then tap Print.
  4. Tap Printer and choose your printer, then set the number of copies and other options.
  5. Tap Print.

This uses AirPrint. There's nothing to install when the printer supports it. If the printer doesn't appear, the manufacturer's app is the usual alternative.

Read the full iPhone and iPad guide

Android

  1. Connect your phone or tablet to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer.
  2. Open Settings and search for Printing. On many devices it's under Connected devices › Connection preferences › Printing; on Samsung devices it's often under Connections › More connection settings.
  3. Check that a print service is turned on, such as the built-in Default Print Service, or add one (for example the Mopria Print Service or the manufacturer's plugin) from Google Play.
  4. In the app you want to print from, open its menu (often three dots) or Share, and choose Print.
  5. Use the printer selector at the top of the screen to choose your printer, then tap the print button.

Menu names differ between Android versions and device makers, so searching Settings for "print" is often the quickest route.

Read the full Android guide

Print a test document

Confirm everything works

A short test confirms that everything is connected before you rely on the printer for something important.

  1. Open a simple document with a little text, or a web page.
  2. Choose Print: Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on a Mac, or the Share or menu option on a phone or tablet.
  3. Check that your printer is the one selected, and print one copy.

On Windows, the printer's page in Printers & scanners also offers a Print test page option. Many printers can print their own status or configuration page from the control panel, which doesn't involve your device at all.

Helpful printer settings

Save paper and ink

These options appear in the print dialog on most devices. Knowing them saves paper and ink.

Default printer
On a computer with several printers, set the one you use most as the default so it's pre-selected. Windows can also choose the last printer you used; you can turn that behavior off in Printers & scanners.
Two-sided (duplex) printing
Prints on both sides of the page. Printers with automatic duplexing do it for you; others ask you to turn the stack over.
Print quality
"Draft" or "Economy" uses less ink or toner for everyday pages. "High" or "Best" suits photos and important documents.
Paper size and type
Tell the printer what's loaded, such as Letter, A4 or photo paper. The right paper type setting changes how much ink is used and how it dries.
Color or grayscale
Printing text in grayscale or black and white saves color ink.
Pages per sheet and page range
Print only the pages you need, or fit several pages onto one sheet for reference copies.

If your model has different options

When steps don't match

Printers change from model to model, and operating systems and apps are updated regularly. Menu names, button positions and the order of steps can be different from what's described here. That's normal.

  • Use the steps on this page as an outline of what usually happens.
  • For model-specific details, the manufacturer's own documentation is the authoritative source: the quick-start sheet in the box, the user guide, and the manufacturer's website.
  • If your printer shows an error message or a fault, the manufacturer's own support resources are the right place to go. Ask Buddy doesn't diagnose or repair printers.

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