How do you connect a printer to a laptop

From speeding up your laptop's boot time to customizing your action center, there are plenty of 10-minute tasks you can execute to improve the usability of your laptop. Installing a printer in Windows 10 is a painless task that gives you the ability to start printing immediately after a quick setup. Here's how to add a printer in Windows 10.

One way to connect a printer to your PC is by USB cable, which makes it a local printer. You can also install a wireless printer or add a printer connected to another laptop or PC on your network. We'll cover these scenarios below.

Add a local printer

1. Connect the printer to your computer using the USB cable and turn it on.

2. Open the Settings app from the Start menu.

3. Click Devices.

4. Click Add a printer or scanner.

5. If Windows detects your printer, click on the name of the printer and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation. And you're done.

If Windows doesn't find your connected printer, click on "The printer that I want isn't listed" link.

Then let the Windows troubleshooting guide help you find your printer. It will search for available printers and help you download the drivers for them.

If that doesn't work, head to your printer manufacturer's website and download the drivers and installation tools for your printer.

Add a wireless printer

The steps to install a wireless printer may vary by manufacturer. In general, however, modern printers today will detect your network and automate the installation.

1. Use the printer's LCD or touchscreen panel to enter the wireless setup. On my Epson printer this is under Setup > Wireless LAN Settings.

2. Select your Wi-Fi network. You'll need to know your home network's SSID, which you can find by hovering your mouse over the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar.

3. Enter your network password.

In some cases, you might need to temporarily connect your printer to your computer via USB to install software. But otherwise, that's it. You should find your printer automatically added in the Printers & scanners section under Settings > Devices.

If you run into trouble, make sure your printer is relatively close to your computer and not too far from your wireless router. If your printer has an Ethernet jack, you could also connect it directly to your router and manage it with a browser interface.

Add a shared printer

Windows' home networking feature called HomeGroup automatically shares printers and certain files with other computers on your home network. Here we'll set up a HomeGroup, if you don't already have one set up, and connect to the shared printer.

Set up a HomeGroup

Skip this step if your home network already has a HomeGroup set up. If you're not sure, follow steps 1 and 2 below to check.

1. Right-click on the wireless icon in the taskbar and select "Open Network and Sharing Center".

2. Click "Ready to create" next to HomeGroup. If a Homegroup already exists on your network, it will say "Joined."

3. Click the Create a homegroup button.

4. Click Next.

5. Select what you want to be shared. (Printers & Devices are shared by default.)

6. Write down the HomeGroup password Windows creates for you. You'll need it for each computer you want to join the HomeGroup.

Knowing how to connect a printer to a laptop or desktop computer is important for those who regularly need to print documents, photos, manuscripts and more. Whether you have a Windows or Apple computer, connecting a printer is fairly similar for both. We’ll show you how.

There are two primary ways to connect a printer to your computer. The simplest method is to connect via USB cable. Connecting wirelessly involves a few more steps, but isn’t overly difficult even for casual users. Whichever method you choose, we’ll detail all the steps necessary to get you printing in no time.

Note that we're detailing the simplest methods to connect a printer to a single computer. The methods outlined below work with most modern printers.

How to connect a printer to a laptop or desktop computer: Windows via USB cable 

1. Connect your printer to your laptop or desktop with a USB cable. After that, turn on your printer.

2. Click on the Start button and type "Settings".

3. Click on Bluetooth & Devices.

4. Select printers and scanners.

5. Click on your printer name and follow the setup instructions.

That's it! We told you this was the easiest method.

If, for some reason, your printer doesn’t appear, click on "The printer that I want isn’t listed" link. This will take you through some troubleshooting steps whereby hopefully you can resolve your issue. If not, you may have to get in touch with the manufacturer of your printer for support. Check the manufacturer's website or your printer's instruction manual for more details.

How to connect a printer to a laptop or desktop computer: Windows via wireless

1. Connecting to a wireless printer is a bit more involved than doing so via USB.

As detailed in the previous step, ensure your printer is turned on. After that, you'll have to turn on your printer's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This varies by manufacturer so refer to your printer's instruction manual.

Also ensure your printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. Again, this step varies by manufacturer.

2. Follow steps 2 - 4 of the previous section. After that, click on Add device.

3. Select your printer from the list. This will establish a connection.

How to connect a printer to a laptop or desktop computer: Mac via USB cable 

1. Click the Apple icon on the upper left corner and then Select System Preferences.

2. Click on Printers and Scanners.

3. Select your printer from the list on the left.

4. You can also add a printer by clicking on the plus sign underneath the printer list. You should see your printer listed on the following window. Click the add button on the bottom right to add your printer.

And that’s it! Once again, using a cable is pretty easy. However, on Mac, there's an even easier way... 

How to connect a printer to a laptop or desktop computer: Mac via AirPrint 

Many modern printers use a technology called AirPrint, which is meant to facilitate connecting wireless printers to a Mac computer. So long as your printer's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is enabled and both the printer and Mac are connected to the same network, they should connect seamlessly. If you have an older printer, you can follow most of the steps outlined above to connect wirelessly.

1. Be sure your printer is turned on before starting. Afterward, enable your printer's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Again, this varies by manufacturer so refer to your printer's instruction manual.

2. Follow steps 1-4 from the previous step. This is all the same, except that you're connected wirelessly instead of wired. So long as your printer is on the same network as your Mac, it will be listed under printers and scanners.

3. That's it! You're now free to print everything you need.

For more computing guides, be sure to check out our other how-tos, including how to use hot corners on Mac, how to split your screen on Mac, how to change the Windows 11 Start menu back to Windows 10, how to clone a hard drive and how to fix an external hard dive that's not showing up. 

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