We may have gone digital for a lot of things, but there are still instances when you’ll need to print out a hard copy of something. Whether you’re using one of the latest Macs with macOS Sonoma, or an older model, you’ll need to set up a printer first to be able to do this. Depending on the printer, you can use a wired or wireless connection; the setup process will also differ based on your printer and network. But the method to get a fresh, crisp printed document, webpage, spreadsheet, or other content from your Mac is generally the same with any model.
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Set up your printer
Photo: Canon
The first thing you’ll need is, of course, a printer. Once you have one, you’ll need to connect it to your Mac. This will involve installing printer software first, which will come in the box or, more likely, will be available to download online or install when you connect the printer via cable. Once you have installed the printer software on your Mac, your computer will remember it.
You can connect the printer to your Mac via cable any time you want to print or, if the printer has the capability, set up wireless pairing when you have access to Wi-Fi. Follow the instructions in the printer’s user guide to do this. Once the computer is paired with the printer wirelessly, it will automatically connect, provided both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. It should work for printing from most apps on your Mac as well.
How to print from a Mac
Once you’ve connected the printer and Mac computer, follow these steps to print what you need.
- Open the document, file, image, or web page you want to print.
- Select File in the top menu bar.
- Select Print.
- Alternatively, with most apps, you can select Command + P to easily initiate printing.
- You’ll then see a drop-down menu with your printer name or multiple printers if you have more than one (maybe one at the office and one at the home office, for example). Select the printer you want to use, after verifying the model information.
- You can also select things like the number of copies, page range, or just print the current page. You can also choose to have multiple pages collated or un-check this if you don’t need it.
- Choose Print from the bottom right. The page(s) will begin printing.
The print view screen and the instructions in these steps may look slightly different from your browser’s print view if you are printing from Google Chrome.
Print different sizes on a Mac
The default print size will always be the 8.5 x 11-inch “Letter” size, but you can change this if you have a different type of paper loaded or want a different size. For example, you might want a 4×6-inch photo or an 8.5 x 14-inch legal document.
- Select File, Print.
- Select Paper Size.
- Choose the appropriate size.
Adjust more print settings on a Mac
You can adjust additional printer settings from a Mac like any other computer.
- Adjust the orientation of the page to be either portrait or landscape.
- Change scaling to fit more or less text or imagery per page. This is ideal if you have a spreadsheet that’s slightly too large to fit on a single sheet, for example.
- For Safari webpages, choose to leave out headers and footers and print straight text for a cleaner page.
- If you are printing more than one page of a document, you can modify the Print Range to only print certain pages.
- Adjust the layout to do things like including more than one page per sheet, which is a great way to save paper if you only need to review content and can deal with smaller copy sizes or you’re reviewing a slideshow presentation.
- You can also customize paper handling. Adjust collation and print order, scale content to fit the page, and how many copies you want to print.
- Other printer options available with many models include printing in black and white or grayscale to preserve ink or two-sided printing to save paper.
What printer should you get?
Photo: Epson
Once you have the process for printing from a Mac down pat, it’s time to choose the right printer. A printer with Wi-Fi capability is useful if you work from home and like to work in different rooms. For example, I often work in the dining or living room, whereas my printer is in my home office in the basement. Wireless functionality means I can print items from anywhere in the house and grab them from the printer when I’m downstairs, and it’s more convenient than being tethered.
I also recommend a refillable ink printer from brands like Epson and Canon. These come at a higher upfront cost, but use refillable ink reservoirs instead of cartridges. Each comes with a two-year supply in the box, so you’ll rarely ever have to get new ink, even if you print frequently. Alternatively, you can check out our selection of the best Mac printers.
Finally, it’s important to use the customization features offered by printers so you aren’t wasting paper. Switch to grayscale printing when you’re printing draft copies for editing and review. Use double-sided printing or print multiple pages per sheet to conserve paper. Remove extraneous information from websites when printing to save paper and ink, not to mention make it easier to read. Finally, don’t forget to recycle the paper once you’re done with it. I like to use the backside of printed sheets as scrap paper for brainstorming or making calculations.