Set up a local printer

Your system can recognize many types of printers automatically once they are connected. Most printers are connected with a USB cable that attaches to your computer, but some printers connect to your wired or wireless network.

If your printer is connected to the network, it will not be set up automatically – you should add it from the Printers panel in Settings.

  1. Make sure the printer is turned on.

  2. Connect the printer to your system via the appropriate cable. You may see activity on the screen as the system searches for drivers, and you may be asked to authenticate to install them.

  3. A message will appear when the system is finished installing the printer. Select Print Test Page to print a test page, or Options to make additional changes in the printer setup.

If your printer was not set up automatically, you can add it in the printer settings:

  1. Open the Activities overview and start typing Printers.

  2. Click Printers.

  3. Depending on your system, you may have to press Unlock in the top right corner and type in your password when prompted.

  4. Press the Add… button.

  5. In the pop-up window, select your new printer and press Add.

    If your printer is not discovered automatically, but you know its network address, enter it into the text field at the bottom of the dialog and then press Add

If your printer does not appear in the Add Printer window, you may need to install print drivers.

After you install the printer, you may wish to change your default printer.