How to Print from a Mac (Yes, You Can Do It Without Calling Your Daughter)

“All I Want Is One Little Page…”

If you’ve ever muttered this while glaring at your printer, you’re in good company.
Printing from a Mac should be simple—but when the buttons are buried, the printer isn’t talking to your computer, or everything ends up in landscape when it shouldn’t… it’s tempting to just give up and call your daughter.

But guess what?

You can absolutely print from your Mac—on your own—with no rescue calls required.

Whether you’re printing recipes, tickets, or your grandson’s school photo, here’s the simplest guide to get it done—with calm, confidence, and just the right amount of encouragement.

Step 1: Is Your Printer Plugged In (or Connected to Wi-Fi)?

Let’s start with the basics.

If your printer uses a USB cable, plug it into your Mac and turn the printer on.
If it’s a wireless printer, make sure it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac. (Most modern printers have a little screen to help you do this.)

🖨️ Pro Tip:
If your printer is already plugged in and you’ve used it before, you can skip to Step 3.

Step 2: Add the Printer to Your Mac

Sometimes your Mac finds the printer automatically. But just in case it doesn’t, you can add it yourself:

Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner.
Choose System Settings (or System Preferences, depending on your version).
Select Printers & Scanners.
Click the + button to add a new printer.
Your printer should appear in the list—click it, then click Add.

🎉 Done! You’ve added a printer. That’s more than half the battle.

Step 3: Open What You Want to Print

Find the document, email, or photo you want to print.

Documents open in apps like Pages, Preview, or Microsoft Word.
Photos can open in the Photos app or Preview.
Emails can be printed directly from the Mail app.

Once the item is open, press Command (⌘) + P or go to the top menu and choose:

File → Print

You’ll see a Print window pop up, full of friendly options.

Step 4: Choose Your Printer and Settings

In the Print window:

Select your printer (if it’s not already selected).
Choose the number of copies (usually 1).
Select pages to print (e.g., All, or Page 1 only).
Orientation: Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide).
Click Show Details (if needed) for options like:
- Black & White only
- Two-sided printing (if your printer supports it)
- Paper size (A4, Letter, etc.)

Don’t stress about the options you don’t recognize—you can usually leave most things as they are.

Step 5: Hit Print—and Wait for the Magic

Once everything looks good, just click the Print button.

Your Mac will talk to the printer and—after a few humming and whirring noises—your page should appear.

If nothing happens right away:

Make sure the printer is on and has paper.
Check for a little yellow warning light or error message on the printer.
Look for a spinning icon in your Mac’s Dock (this shows the print queue).

What If It Still Won’t Print?

Don’t worry—here are a few simple fixes that work 90% of the time:

✅ Restart Everything

Turn the printer off and back on. Then do the same with your Mac if needed.
Yes, it’s the old “have you tried turning it off and on again?” trick—and it really works.

✅ Check Wi-Fi or Cable Connection

If it’s a wireless printer, make sure it’s on the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.
If it’s using a cable, make sure it’s securely plugged in at both ends.

✅ Remove and Re-Add the Printer

Back in System Settings → Printers & Scanners, you can click the printer, hit the minus (–) button to remove it, and then add it again using the + button.

Meet Harold: No More “Can You Print This for Me?”

Harold is 80 and likes to print out crosswords from the New York Times website every morning. For years, he would email the link to his daughter and ask her to print them for him.

One afternoon, after we walked through these exact steps together, he grinned and said:
“You’ve saved our relationship. Now she only has to hear from me when I actually want to talk.”

Harold now prints everything himself—from crossword puzzles to dog pictures—and has even figured out how to make double-sided birthday cards.

Quick Recap: Printing from a Mac (You’ve Got This)

✅ Plug in or connect your printer to Wi-Fi
✅ Add it in System Settings → Printers & Scanners
✅ Open your document and press Command (⌘) + P
✅ Choose your settings and hit Print
✅ Restart or reconnect if it doesn’t work right away

You can do this. And you don’t have to ask anyone for help.

Want More Calm, Clear Mac Help Like This?

Learning Mac for Absolute Beginners – 2025 Edition is filled with real-world lessons just like this—written for everyday users, not techies.

If this post helped you feel a little more confident with your Mac, you’ll love the step-by-step guidance, gentle tone, and practical tips inside the book.

Available on Amazon as an eBook or paperback—ready when you are.

Because learning a Mac isn’t about age or experience—it’s about having the right guide.
And once you’ve printed your first page all by yourself… there’s no going back.