Set up your printer

You can print from your Chromebook with compatible printers that connect to the internet or USB cable. Currently, Chromebooks don't support Bluetooth printing.

Find compatible Chromebook printers.

Tip: If you connect your printer to your Chromebook through a USB cable, a notification appears. Follow any on-screen instructions, then proceed to Step 2.

Step 1: Connect both devices to the same internet connection

Important: Your printer and Chromebook must be connected to the same internet network.

Turn on your printer.
Connect your printer to the internet network.
- If you need help, follow your printer manufacturer’s instructions.
Turn on your Chromebook and sign in.
Connect your Chromebook to the same network as your printer.
- Learn how to connect your Chromebook to Wi-Fi.

Step 2: Select your printer

Important: To select your printer, follow these steps.

To show the print dialog box and print your page, image, or document that’s on-screen, on your keyboard, press Ctrl + P.
Next to "Destination," select the Down arrow .
Select See more....
Choose your printer.
- Some printers listed in the drop down menu may not be compatible with your Chromebook. When you select your printer, your Chromebook does a compatibility check.
- If you can’t find your printer on the list:
  - Find compatible Chromebook printers.
  - Add a printer manually, then select Manage.
Select Print.

Step 3: Save your printer to your Chromebook

When you save your printer to your Chromebook profile, it becomes the default.

At the bottom right of your Chromebook, select the time.
Select Settings .
Under "Device," scroll down to “Printers and scanners.”
Select Print.
Under "Other available printers," next to your printer, select Save.
- Some printers listed in the drop down menu may not be compatible with your Chromebook. When you select your printer, your Chromebook does a compatibility check.
Under "Your saved printers," check that your printer appears at the top.

Tip: If your printer doesn’t display, connect your Chromebook to Wi-Fi.

Scan a document

Important: Before you attempt to scan, make sure your printer can scan.

At the bottom right of your Chromebook, select the time.
Select Settings .
Under "Device," scroll down to “Printers and scanners.”
Select Scan.
- Tip: Alternatively, to find the Scan app, open Launcher and search for Scan.
To select your scanner, under "Scan" select the down arrow menu on the right.
- Tip: You can customize your color mode, page size, resolution, and scan options under “More settings.”
To start your scan, select the Scan button.

Tip: Scanned files are saved to the location you specified in the "Scan to" option. To find your scanned files, select Show file location. You can also scan documents with your Chromebook’s camera.

Fix printer setup problems

You set up your printer, but it won’t print

At the bottom right of your Chromebook, select the time.
Select Settings .
Under "Device," scroll down to “Printers and scanners.”
Select Printers.
Next to the name of your printer, select More Edit.
Make sure all your printer information is correct, with no typos or misspellings.

If all your printer info is accurate, try removing and re-adding your printer:

Next to the name of your printer, select More Remove.
Set up your printer again.

Tip: If you still can't print, you may need to update your printer's firmware. Visit your printer manufacturer's website for more information.

Your printer won't connect to Wi-Fi

Turn your printer off, then back on.
Try to connect to Wi-Fi again.

Tip: If your printer still won’t connect to Wi-Fi, contact your printer manufacturer for help.

Add a printer manually

If your printer doesn’t appear under "Your saved printers," you can also add your printer manually.

Important: If you're using a Chromebook at work or school, and you're not able to add a new printer, contact your administrator.

If you haven't already, connect your printer to the internet.
- Tip: Your Chromebook and printer must be connected to the same internet connection.
At the bottom right of your Chromebook, select the time.
Select Settings .
Under "Device," scroll down to “Printers and scanners.”
Select Printers + Add printer manually.
Enter your printer information:
- Name: Enter any name to help you recognize your printer.
- Address: Enter your printer’s IP address. If you need help finding your printer's IP address, contact your printer's manufacturer or check the printer's instructions.
- Protocol: For most printers, the supported connection protocol is Internet Printing Protocol (IPP).
- Queue: For most printers, the queue is ipp/print.
Select Add.

If your printer can't be set up automatically, you can continue to follow the on-screen steps for the advanced setup process.

Use the advanced setup process

If your printer can't be saved automatically, you can use the advanced setup process.

Next to the printer name, select Set up.
In the box that appears, choose your printer manufacturer and model.
Tip: To find this info, look at the label on your printer.
Select Add.
Check that your printer appears at the top, under "Your saved printers."

If your printer doesn't appear in the manufacturer or model drop-down menus, Chromebook may not support your printer. You can try to use a "Generic" Postscript Printer Description (PPD) from the drop-down menus or you can specify your own PPD.

PostScript Printer Description

Chromebooks use PPD files to support printers. PPD files are different from printer drivers and tell your Chromebook how to support a specific printer model.

In the box that appears next to “Or specify your printer PPD,” select Browse.
Choose your printer PPD, then select Open.

Important: Chromebooks support .ppd or .gzip file formats with a file size up to 250 KB.

Other available printers

At the bottom right of your Chromebook, select the time.
Select Settings .
Under "Device," scroll down to “Printers and scanners.”
Select Printers.
Under “Other available printers,” on the same Wi-Fi network, you’ll find compatible printers. Only connect to devices that you trust.

Tip: It may take time for your Chromebook to recognize other printers or scanners on your network.

Related resources

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