how to set printer as default

 

For many people, the most important device for printing documents is their printer. With this entry in your device list, you can access printers from other computers on the same network as well as from remote locations. However, like any other piece of hardware or computer program, printers need to be set up properly and running with the correct settings before you can start printing.

This blog post will cover how to set a printer to automatically print at its default settings and make it the default printer for your account if it's not already. You'll also learn how to change or disable print jobs and security options so that others cannot view or print your documents without proper permissions.

 

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Note: if you're running a Mac OS X version prior to Mojave (10.14), you will need to make changes via the command line. To do so, just open Terminal, type this in and press Enter: sudo xattr -d com.apple.printer /Applications/Utilities/Printing & Scanning/bin/. This will allow you to change the permissions for Printer Assistant preferences, printing and scanning preferences as well as other parts of the printer admin interface on older versions of OS X.

Setting a printer as default

To start, open the Print & Scan preference pane from your computer's System Preferences. This preference pane can be opened from any Finder window by heading to FILE > PRINT or by clicking on the Apple menu in the upper left corner of your screen, clicking System Preferences and then Printing & Scanning. When you open it, you can see all available printers. Underneath each printer is a list of current print jobs and information about its status. You'll also see options to add printers to your device list and change printing preferences.

 

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Expand your printer list by clicking on the Printer & Scanners entry in the sidebar. This will show you all printers that are connected to your computer, including standalone models and networked printers. Then select your printer from the list and click the Options & Supplies button in the toolbar. On some older versions of OS X you may need to click Printers & Scanners instead.

This will open a new window with a number of options, but we're interested in only one at this time: Default Printer. If yours is already set as your default printer, it will say so here, but if not, you can choose it from this drop-down menu. If there is a checkmark next to it, your printer is currently set as the default and you don't need to change anything else. If it's not already checked, simply click the box next to your printer's name, then close out of any open windows.

Your printer should now be your default and will automatically print out any documents unless you specifically change its settings. However, if you need to access certain functions on your printer, such as changing its default paper size or changing security settings (although changing the settings on your computer will override the ones that are on the actual device), use this section of System Preferences instead.