How to Change the Default Printer on a Mac

If you have more than one printer, or if you're connected to a network with multiple printers, you'll want to make one of them the default or automatic selection.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Mac OS-compatible Or USB Printers
• Macintosh Computers
• Mac OS 9.0

1. Click on the Apple menu and select Chooser.
2. If the printer driver is installed, you should see an icon for your printer model on the left of the chooser. Click on the icon.
3. If you want to use a printer directly connected to your computer, choose the port (printer port or modem port) that the printer is connected to.
4. If you're on a network, make sure that AppleTalk is active. Find the printer you want on the network and click on it.
5. Click to turn background printing on or off.
6. If you don't see your printer's icon, either the driver (the instruction file your Mac uses to recognize and operate your printer) is not installed, or it is installed in the wrong place.
7. Search your hard disk (see "How to Find a File on a Mac") for the word "driver" or for your printer model name to see if the driver for your printer is there.
8. If your driver is not on your hard disk, find the disk that came with your printer and install your printer driver.
9. If your driver is on your hard disk but in the wrong place, drag the driver icon into your System Folder.
10. Click on the close box for the Chooser.

Tips & Warnings

• If you select the modem port for your printer, you cannot use your modem at the same time.
• If you turn on background printing, you can print while doing other tasks and working on other files, but the printing will either slow down your work or be slower itself.
• If you want to get around changing the Chooser each time you change printers, see "How to Use Macintosh Desktop Printers."

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