How to share your printer on a network

Whether you're successful a location agency pinch aggregate computers aliases a mini business environment, nan convenience of shared printing can't beryllium overstated. But pinch different operating systems and printer models successful nan mix, really do you really spell astir it?

After poring done pages of printer archiving from HP, Epson, Xerox, and more, I'll research nan various methods disposable for sharing your printer connected a network, covering everything from Windows 11 to Windows 10 to macOS. I'll besides touch connected immoderate wide principles that use crossed different systems. Let's dive correct in!

Related reading: The champion location printers.

Windows 11 makes it straightforward to stock your printer crossed your network. Here's really to do it:

1. First, guarantee that record and printer sharing is enabled connected your Windows 11 PC. To do this, unfastened nan Start paper and type "control panel". Select nan Control Panel from nan results.
2. In nan Control Panel, make judge nan "View by" action is group to "Category" and click connected "View web position and tasks".
3. Click connected "Change precocious sharing settings" connected nan near broadside of nan window.
4. Expand nan "Network discovery" conception and guarantee that some "Turn connected Network discovery" and "Turn connected record and printer sharing" are enabled.
5. Click "Save changes" astatine nan bottommost of nan window.

Now that sharing is enabled, you tin stock your circumstantial printer:

• Open nan Settings app by pressing Windows cardinal + I.
• Click connected "Bluetooth & devices" successful nan near sidebar, past prime "Printers & scanners" connected nan right.
• Click connected nan printer you want to share.
• Click connected "Printer properties".
• In nan caller model that opens, click connected nan "Sharing" tab.
• Check nan container adjacent to "Share this printer" and springiness it a sanction that will beryllium easy to admit connected nan network.
• Click "Apply" and past "OK" to prevention your changes.

If you inquire me, Windows 11 printer sharing is rather soft and user-friendly. I've utilized nan method supra to stock my location agency printer pinch my family's devices — it's made our printing tasks overmuch much convenient.

The process for sharing a printer connected Windows 10 is akin to Windows 11, pinch a fewer insignificant differences:

1. Open nan Start paper and spell to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select nan printer you want to stock and click connected "Manage".
3. Click connected "Printer properties".
4. In nan caller window, click connected nan "Sharing" tab.
5. Check nan container adjacent to "Share this printer" and springiness it a name.
6. If you're sharing nan printer pinch computers that mightiness beryllium moving different versions of Windows (32-bit vs 64-bit), it's a bully thought to cheque nan container adjacent to "Render people jobs connected customer computers".
7. Click "Apply" and past "OK" to prevention your changes.

Remember, for some Windows 11 and 10, nan machine pinch nan shared printer needs to beryllium turned connected for different devices to entree it.

Apple has made printer sharing connected macOS rather straightforward, too:

1. Click connected nan Apple paper and prime "System Settings".
2. Click connected "General" successful nan sidebar, past click "Sharing". You whitethorn request to scroll down to find this option.
3. Click connected nan info fastener (i) adjacent to "Printer Sharing".
4. Turn connected Printer Sharing.
5. Under "Printers", prime nan printer you want to share.
6. You tin past take who tin usage nan printer:
   1. To fto everyone usage it, click nan pop-up paper adjacent to "Everyone" and take "Can Print".
   2. To take circumstantial users, click nan Add fastener (+) astatine nan bottommost of nan Users database and prime nan users you want to assistance access.
7. Click "Done" to prevention your changes.

macOS's printer sharing characteristic useful seamlessly pinch different Macs connected nan network. It's been a lifesaver whenever I needed to people from my MacBook to nan printer connected to my iMac.

What to do aft sharing your printer connected a network?

Now that you've successfully shared your printer crossed your network, whether connected Windows aliases macOS, you've opened up a world of convenient printing options for each devices connected your network. But nan travel doesn't extremity present – location are a fewer much things to consider:

• Test nan connection: Try printing a trial page from different instrumentality to guarantee everything is moving correctly.
• Set up different devices: Make judge each nan devices that request entree to nan printer are decently connected to it.
• Consider security: If you're successful a business environment, you mightiness want to group up personification permissions to power who tin print.
• Keep package updated: Regularly update your printer drivers and operating strategy to guarantee soft operation.

We've listed nan champion mini business printers.