Mac 101: How to set a default printer
Over time you may wind up with several printers set up for your Mac. This results in a list of available printers every time you go to print. If the default (the first one selected) isn't to your liking you can always change it. To do so, bring up System Preferences and go to Print & Fax. Now right-click (you can hold the Ctrl key down if you don't have a 2-button mouse) on a printer in the list and choose: Set default printer. There you go!
Note the plus and minus signs below the list of printers. If you're just getting started, click the plus to add a printer. If you've sold a printer, click the minus to delete one after selecting it. Apple has an excellent 101 of their own about setting up a printer on your Mac.
Want more tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's Mac 101 section.
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Over time you may wind up with several printers set up for your Mac. This results in a list of available printers every time you go to...
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I'm sure I'm not the only one to say that I would really enjoy reading a TUAW article on how to set up wireless all-in-one printers (ie: Lexmark X9350, HP Officejet 6500, etc) with Apple's Time Capsule to share across a WLAN for Mac users.
April 18 2009 at 10:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI'm sure this will be helpful to at least one person but even if you switched from a PC you'd know this.
I guess it could be confusing if you switched from a PC to an Apple one button mouse.
As someone who supports over 250 users who recently switched to the Mac, I can say that, no not everyone knows this. There are many different levels of proficiency, even in those who've been using a computer for years. Try not to be so presumptuous.
April 17 2009 at 11:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySetting a default printer is not a problem, sharing the printer with a Windows computer on the network is a problem....
I have a HP Laserjet hooked up to a Mac mini with Printer sharing enabled. I can print using the printer from a MacBook, but can't seem to get it working from a Windows notebook on the WiFi network.
Some help would be great!
Mac 101: How to press the power button.
Maybe it would be good to have newbies write-in and ask questions and then maybe answer a few in a post. Videos + screen shots. Even a mac101 podcast for newbs to subscribe to.
Also engadget has a way to turn off apple posts. Can we get a system to disable mac101 posts?
There's a built in "disable" feature. It's called not reading the post.
Or...
lpadmin -d "printQueue"
lpoptions -d "printQueue"
Dear Friends
How do you get to turn off or uncheck the default paper size in Adobe Photoshop CS4?
The uncheck box is not highlighting.
I can not get to print any thing bigger than 2x3 feet with my Epson 7600 ultrachrome.
I have a 15.4 inch Macbook pro, Mac os 10.5.6
Please help, thanks in advance.
i would assume it is not too different from cs3. Can't you just page setup and select your printer and paper size? note: select the correct printer before you page setup, otherwise it will go back to default.
April 17 2009 at 2:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWe just bought an HP M1120 all-in-one recently, and it's
connected to our Router via LAN. I Have no trouble at all
printing wirelessly from my MBP as well as, to my surprise,
scanning over WiFi.
All I did, was download the latest Drivers & Software from
the HP website, and install them.
Uhm, I really don't want to ruin this Article...
But did anyone notice that there is a "Default Printer" pop up selection menu right at the bottom of the Print & Fax System Preferences window??
That's how I usually set my default printer, seem like the more intuitive
way to me.
And it's weird because that one seems less intuitive because of the "last printer used" setting -- yet every time I printed to that HP inkjet, it stubbornly refused to set it as default so I had to manually change it. First thing I thought: right-click the printer in the list.
April 16 2009 at 8:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyhahaha that is even better advice, because that locks it in.
April 17 2009 at 2:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyGot a harder one for you TUAW or anyone really.
I have an all in one HP scanner/printer attached to a mini. The mini shares the printer with my MacBook via its built in airport. Printer works fine from the MacBook, but scanning from the macbook...... not so much.
Any idea how I can use the scanner from the Macbook? I have been trying to figure this out for weeks.
Agreed with @jason. Can't you just moves these to a beginners section? Thought everybody who reads this site (and owns a mac) would know that.
April 16 2009 at 6:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWe don't have "sections" like that. This is clearly labeled Mac 101, a series we've run for over a year. And every time we post a 101 we get the same "everyone already knows that" comments...
Yet how would you know if you've never done it? The presumption of everyone knowing something is a fallacy I wish I could remove from the human brain, but until then I'll just repeat myself: the 101 posts are for people who have recently switched to the Mac.
"Yet how would you know if you've never done it?"
Read about it, heard about it, stumbled upon it or done something similar.
people learn in different ways.
e.g. for "done something similar/stumbled upon it: In windows, I open the printers folder in the control panel, so on OS X I must open the printers folder in the control panel (system preferences)[which is default in the dock on a new mac]
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