Setting up a wireless printer especially in Mac operating system devices can be daunting to some people. So we came up with this guide to help Mac users easily install a wireless printer to their devices.
The Mac operating system automatically downloads and installs drivers for new printers detected by your device. This feature makes connecting a network or wireless printer much easier. You just need to follow these steps to start using your printer.
1. Setup your wireless printer. Follow the printer manual for the printer to be connected to the network. Also make sure that the printer and your Mac device are connected to the same network or WiFi connection.
2. Make sure your Mac OS device is connected to the internet. This is for the system to automatically download and install the printer drivers.
3. Go to System Preferences by clicking the Apple icon on the top left corner of the screen and select System Preferences.
4. Now click on Printers & Scanners which have a printer icon. For older Mac OS versions this will appear as Print & Scan under the Hardware section.
5. Click the “+” icon on the lower left corner of the Printers & Scanners screen. On old Mac OS you will have to click Add Printer or Scanner after clicking the “+” icon.
6. Next click on the Default tab and select your printer. If your printer won’t show up, check if both the printer and your Mac device are connected on the same network, you can also get the IP address of the wireless printer and enter it to the IP tab.
7. Select the printer software you want to use in the Use field. You can choose from the following:
- AirPrint - This is Apple’s native printing technology but the printer should also have AirPrint capability to use this.
- Printer’s own default driver. - This is the base driver of the printer. Use this if your printer has no AirPrint capability.
8. Lastly, click Add and then the printer will be added to the list of printers on the left-hand side of the Print & Scan window.
9. Print a test page to confirm the printer is functioning correctly.
That’s all you need to do to add a wireless printer to your Mac device. Hope this will make your day a lot easier when going for a wireless printer to use.
