One can easily connect Air Pods, keyboard, or a mouse to a Mac, but connecting printers to Mac requires some technical approach. The process of setting up the Macintosh printer is complicated. The process will vary depending on the type of printer, the manufacturer, the type of connection you are using. You may read a 100-page all-jargon book that takes ages to complete the printer documentation and get a good recommendation on how to add a printer on Mac. In contrast, modern printers that support AirPrint (Apple’s printing feature) are much easier to set up without installing any software or printer drives. So, read and follow the different methods in this blog to save your time and effort in connecting your printer to Mac.
Methods to Add Printer to a Mac
This guide includes different methods to add your printer to Mac. Read and follow each step of any of the picked methods very carefully as every method is complicated.
1. Add Printer to Mac via Wi-Fi
- If you own a wireless printer, you can connect it by Wi-Fi. So, start by pressing a ‘Wi-Fi’ button on your printer.
- Then, press a WPS button on your router and if that didn’t run, refer to the printer’s and router’s documentation for guidance.
- Now, ensure that you connect your printer to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac. Once they are both connected, install the printer on Mac.
- To do so, open the ‘System Preferences’ then move to ‘Printers & Scanners.’
- Now, tap on the ‘+’ icon to add printer Mac.
- Here, choose your printer from the list given.
- If you see the ‘AirPrint’ application next to ‘Use,’ it means your printer is enabled with AirPrint. So, you can connect by tapping on the ‘Add’ button.
- In case your printer doesn’t support AirPrint, choose your printer, then tap on ‘Add’ and download printer drivers from Apple servers, and the driver will start to download automatically.
2. Add Printer to Mac via IP Address
- Use this method in case your printer is not listed in the printer’s list. But you need to know your printer’s IP address to start this method. First, go to the ‘Apple’ icon and then tap on ‘System Preferences.’
- Now, select ‘Printers and Scanners’ and tap on the ‘+’ icon.
- Now, tap on the ‘IP’ icon. It will appear as a blue globe icon.
- Now, in the ‘Address’ field, type the printer IP address, and Mac will attempt to get the printer information.
- Now, in the ‘Use’ field, choose the print driver you would like to use and tap on ‘Add.’
Also Read: How to Find A Good Router for Your Home?
3. Add Printer to Mac via USB
- If you do not have networking capabilities, then in this case you can use USB or cable connection. First, plug your printer’s USB into your Mac device.
- Then, navigate to the ‘Apple’ icon.
- Now, select the ‘System Preferences’ and then tap to select ‘Printers and Scanners.’
- On earlier Mac models, under Hardware, you will see the ‘Print & Scan’ option.
- Now, click on the ‘+’ icon in the list of printers.
- Your Mac will automatically give a list to connect to network printer Mac under the ‘Default’ tab to add a printer.
- Look for a printer name that involves USB.
- Now, select the ‘Add’ button from the drop-down menu, and your printer’s name will be added to a list of available printers. You can see this on the left-hand side of the ‘Print & Scan’ window.
By following the above-stated stepwise methods, you can find it easy to understand Check out the steps above if you want to proceed with adding a printer. But remember to follow these steps mentioned above very carefully to avoid any further issues with your printing experience.