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You can print from your MacBook by connecting a printer via USB or Wi-Fi and pressing “command + P” in most applications.
I’m Jon, a MacBook expert, and owner of a 2019 MacBook Pro. I use my MacBook to print through Wi-Fi and USB printers.
And I put together this guide to show you how.
So, let’s get started.
How to Print on MacBook [Step-by-Step Process]
- In the top left corner, click the Apple symbol. Then, click System Preferences.
- Click on the Printers & Scanners icon.
- Click the plus “+” sign to add the printer.
- A new tab or window will appear.
- Once set up, add the printer to your computer, and it should show up in your printers list.
How to Print on MacBook
Printing on your MacBook is simple and doesn’t take much time. First, you need to connect and set up your printer to your MacBook (see our recommended Mac printers).
A USB cable is the most common way to connect a printer to your MacBook. You may need a USB-A to USB-C adapter depending on your MacBook model. Once you plug the printer into your MacBook, macOS should recognize it and automatically download any software or drivers it needs.
Depending on the application you print from, things might vary just a bit, but the almost universal command to begin the printing process is:
Command + P
Or, you can also go to the menu at the top of the screen, click on File and then click Print. Either way, you will enter into the printing settings menu, where you can make changes to formatting and other aspects of the document before clicking on the final Print command.
We will look at a few of those settings below, but that is really all there is to it. Hit Command P or go to File and then Print; click Print in the printing settings, and your document will start to print.
Wireless Printing Connections
Wireless or Wi-Fi printers are becoming more common. And the wireless printing process is the same as above, except you don’t need to plug in a physical cable.
To print to a Wi-Fi printer, simply:
- Hit Command P or click File and then Print.
- Select the wireless printer from the available printers in the dialog box.
- Click Print.
Print Settings
You can adjust different print settings on your MacBook before printing your document’s final version. Once you hit the print command, a dialogue box similar to this will appear:
You can see here that there are several options and a small preview of the document to be printed.
You can choose different options here, like how many copies of the document you want, which color and layout options you prefer, page selection, and other preferences you may have for the document.
The dialogue box is specific to Microsoft Word, but many other programs and apps have virtually the same options at this step.
In this print preview and settings menu, you can complete the final touches on your document before printing, allowing you to get everything just right before hitting the Print button on the bottom right.
If you make a mistake and only notice once you’ve printed a page, it’s no big deal, simply go back into your document and make any needed changes until you have everything set up exactly as you want.
Final Thoughts
Printing is a basic task on a MacBook; all you have to do is press “Command + P” in most apps.
The basics of printing are simple, but for troubleshooting printing issues on your MacBook, these additional printing resources from Apple are helpful.
What type of printer do you use with your MacBook? Have you ever had difficulty printing?
About Jonathon Jachura
