How to set default printer on Windows or Mac

This article will show you how to set default printer on Windows or Mac. Do you usually print most of your documents on the same printer? If so, make that printer your usual printer so that all of your apps use it by default. If you always use the same printer (and you have more than one printer installed on your computer, like a local printer and one or more network printers), you can make that printer the default printer that will be used every time you print from your Windows or Mac programs.

This location-aware printing tool is only available on mobile, battery-powered devices, so it won’t be on your desktop computer. But if you’re a businessperson who is always on the go, this useful feature lets your computer choose your chosen printer when you connect to the network at your office, warehouse, or home.

A default printer is the device to which print jobs are sent by default unless the user chooses a different one. In Windows 11, there are a number of ways to set a default (or favorite) printer. If you only have one printer, it might not seem like a big deal to do this, but there are still other ways to print to a file, like Print to PDF. This piece tells you how to set the default printer on a Windows or Mac computer.

How to set default printer on Windows

Via Settings App

1. Press “Window + I” keys to open Settings app.
2. Go to “Bluetooth & devices” section and click “Printers & scanners” option.
3. Scroll down on the settings page and turn off “Let Windows manage my default printer option” showing under “Printer preferences” heading.
4. Now, scroll up and click the printer’s name from the list.
5. Click “Set as default” option to use that printer as your default device.
6. Remember, you will not see the “Set as default” button if you do not turn off “Let Windows manage my default printer” option.

Via Control Panel

• Open Control Panel app by using the search box from your Taskbar.
• If you have “Category” view, there are quick links for “View devices and printers”. Unfortunately, you can’t navigate through these links as clicking on it will take you back to Windows Settings app.
• What you need is to paste this path Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers in Control Panel’s address bar and press enter key.
• You will see a list of devices and printers installed on your system.
• Right-click on the printer and select “Set as default printer” option.
• You will see a green tick mark and the “State” in the status bar shows “Default” indicating the printer is set as your default device for printing.

How to set default printer on Mac

Default Printer in Mac Preferences

1. Click Apple logo and go to “System Preferences…” menu.
2. You will list of icons and click “Printers & Scanners” icon.
3. The “Default printer” option will use “Last Printer Used” option by default.

Default Printer in Mac Settings

In Windows, the choices are spread out in different places, but in the new Mac interface, they are all in one app called “Settings.” But the layout is different between the old and new versions of macOS. If you want to know more information about this visit official Apple support site. If you are using macOS Ventura or a newer version, follow the steps below:

1. Click Apple logo and select “System Settings” option.
2. Scroll down to bottom of the sidebar in Settings app and select “Printers & Scanners” option.
3. Click “Default Printer” dropdown and select your printer from the list.
4. Click the dropdown and select your printer from the list and Mac will save your changes automatically.

What is default printer?

A default printer is the one that all print jobs go to if nothing else is said. Having a default printer stops a program from asking the user every time they print which printer they want to use.A default printer is the one that all print jobs go to if nothing else is said. When you have a default printer, a program doesn’t have to ask you which printer you want to use every time you print.

When you look at all of your computer’s devices and printers, you’ll see a green circle with a white cross in the middle. This is the icon for your default printer. As we keep working on combining with Admin IT, we will be switching some networks. Because of this, you might need to change the printer that your PC uses by default. It’s easy to change your usual printer.