How to Connect MacBook to Printer

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How to Connect MacBook to Printer – Overview

Printing has been a staple of office and home productivity for decades, and it’s hard to quantify the vast number of articles, documents, photos, and spreadsheets printed over the years.

In today’s era of wireless technology, it’s comforting to know that you can still directly connect your desktop or laptop, such as a MacBook, to a printer for offline document printing.

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Depending on your setup, you can use several methods to connect a MacBook to a printer. These include connections via an IP address, USB, and WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). Let’s explore these three methods in detail.

Connecting MacBook To Printer Via WPS

To connect a MacBook to a printer using WPS, you’ll need to press and hold the Wi-Fi button on your printer, followed by pressing the WPS button on your router. However, the specific steps can vary depending on the make and model of your printer and router.

Check your printer and router manuals for detailed instructions. After setting up WPS, follow the steps below:

Click on the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen.
Next, click on ‘System Preferences.’

How To Connect MacBook To Printer

Click on ‘Printers and Scanners.’ Note: If you have an older MacBook or haven’t updated the software on your newer MacBook, this option might appear as ‘Print & Scan.’

Click on the plus (+) sign under the list of printers. You may need to select ‘Add Printer or Scanner’ on older MacBooks after clicking the plus (+) sign. You might also see a ‘Nearby Printers’ list showing printers your MacBook has discovered.

If the plus (+) sign is unclickable, you may need to click the ‘Lock’ icon at the bottom of the window and enter your password to modify the ‘Print & Scan’ settings.
Select the printer you wish to add from your Wi-Fi network’s list of discovered printers.

In the ‘Use’ field, select the printer’s driver or software; options include:

AirPrint: Apple’s native printing technology supports wireless printing with AirPrint-compatible printers. If your printer is not AirPrint-compatible, you must download and install its drivers from Apple’s servers.
The printer’s proprietary software, if you have already installed it.
Auto-select: Choose this if you haven’t downloaded the printer driver and would like your MacBook to automatically download the appropriate driver during updates.

Finally, click on ‘Add.’ Your printer will now be listed among the available printers. The newly added printer can be seen on the left-hand side of the ‘Print & Scan’ tab.

Connecting MacBook To Printer Via IP Address

Connecting your MacBook to a printer using its IP address requires knowing its IP address. Follow the steps below once you have this information:

Begin by clicking on the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen.
Next, click on ‘System Preferences.’

Click on ‘Printers and Scanners.’

Click on the plus (+) sign under the list of printers.

How To Connect MacBook To Printer

Click on the IP icon, which resembles a blue globe.

Enter the printer’s IP address in the Address field.
Select the desired printer software in the ‘Use’ field.

How To Connect MacBook To Printer

Click on ‘Add.’ The MacBook will attempt to connect with the printer, which may take a few minutes.

Once the setup is complete, you can adjust the printer’s settings by clicking on ‘Options and Supplies.’

Connecting MacBook To Printer Via USB

Connect the printer’s USB cable to your MacBook.
Click on the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen.
Next, click on ‘System Preferences.’

Click on ‘Printers and Scanners.’

Click on the plus (+) sign under the list of printers.

Select the printer you wish to add.
Finally, click on ‘Add.’ The printer will now be added to the list of printers, and you can see it on the left-hand side of the ‘Print & Scan’ tab.

How To Connect MacBook To Printer

Note: Sometimes, your MacBook may not establish a connection with a printer due to issues such as corrupt drivers or loose cables. To resolve this, try restarting your MacBook and checking the connection cable for any issues.

Final Thought

You are now equipped with various methods for connecting a MacBook to a printer. If you are considering purchasing a new printer, we recommend selecting an AirPrint-compatible model to streamline the setup process and minimize the need for downloading additional drivers.