How to Add Printers to Mac OS Panther

The printers that you add to your Mac OS Panther system can be connected via USB, Ethernet, a print server or even a wireless network. Regardless of the kind of printer and the type of connection, the Mac OS takes the guesswork out of the process and will have you up and running in just a few minutes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Administrator privileges and password

Add Printers to Mac OS Panther (Basic)

1. Access the "Printer Setup Utility" by double-clicking its icon in "Applications/Utilities," or via the "Print & Fax System Preferences" pane. The latter method will bring up box with a button labeled "Set Up Printers". You should click here.

2. Click the "Add" button in the resulting "Printer List." If the "Printer List" is not immediately visible, select "Show Printer List" from the "View" menu.

3. Review the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog box, as it will list the seven basic ways to add printers to Mac OS Panther: AppleTalk, Bluetooth, IP Printing, Open Directory, Rendezvous, USB and Windows Printing.

4. Select your connection method, which will result in a second drop-down menu appearing for some connection types, plus a list area for all connection types.

5. Make the appropriate choices in the second drop-down menu to finish locating the printer, then select it from the resulting list that will appear below the drop-down menus.

6. Make your final selection from the third drop-down menu, which is at the bottom of the window for all connection types. This is where you choose your actual, specific printer model.

Add Printers to Mac OS Panther (Advanced)

7. Perform Step 1 precisely as described above in the Basic section.

8. Hold down the "Option" key when you click the "Add" button in the "Printer List" dialog box to access the "Advanced" options.

9. Click on the topmost drop-down menu and select the "Advanced" option at the very bottom of the list.

10. Review the second drop-down menu, labeled at the left with the word "Device," and choose the appropriate one for your printer.

11. Go to the "Device Name" field and enter the full name of your printer in the appropriate format for the connection type (with Windows Printer via SAMBA, for example, the device name is the name of the printer assigned by the Windows PC).

12. Enter the precise location of the printer in the appropriate syntax for the connection type (again, for Windows Printer via SAMBA this would be smb://winuser:password@workgroup/server/printer).

13. Specify the model of the printer in the bottom drop-down menu, then click "Add."

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that the printer you are adding has been set up, has ink cartridges installed and is correctly connected to your Mac.
• If you are using any Internet Protocol connections (HTTP, IPP, etc.), Windows Printer via SAMBA or AppleTalk Printer Access Protocol, make sure you have all the names and IP addresses of the servers and devices.
• If your exact printer model does not show up in the last step for identifying your device, consult MacGurus website to determine what printer model can be substituted from the built-in list (see Resources below). Alternatively, you can add the printer as "generic."

Resources

• MacGurus for printer model substitutions