How to share your printer on a network
Share your printer on Windows 11, Windows 10, and Mac
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Whether you’re in a home office with multiple computers or a small business environment, the convenience of shared printing can’t be overstated. But with differentoperating systemsand printer models in the mix, how do you really go about it?
After poring through pages ofprinterdocumentation fromHP,Epson, Xerox, and more, I’ll explore the various methods available for sharing your printer on a network, covering everything fromWindows 11toWindows 10to macOS. I’ll also touch on some general principles that apply across different systems. Let’s dive right in!
Related reading:The best home printers.
How to share your printer on Windows 11
Windows 11 makes it straightforward to share your printer across your network. Here’s how to do it:
Now that sharing is enabled, you can share your specific printer:
If you ask me, Windows 11 printer sharing is quite smooth and user-friendly. I’ve used the method above to share my home office printer with my family’s devices — it’s made our printing tasks much more convenient.
How to share your printer on Windows 10
The process for sharing a printer on Windows 10 is similar to Windows 11, with a few minor differences:
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Remember, for both Windows 11 and 10, the computer with the shared printer needs to be turned on for other devices to access it.
How to share your printer on macOS
Applehas made printer sharing on macOS quite straightforward, too:
macOS’s printer sharing feature works seamlessly with other Macs on the network. It’s been a lifesaver whenever I needed to print from my MacBook to the printer connected to my iMac.
What to do after sharing your printer on a network?
Now that you’ve successfully shared your printer across your network, whether on Windows or macOS, you’ve opened up a world of convenient printing options for all devices on your network. But the journey doesn’t end here – there are a few more things to consider:
We’ve listed the best small business printers.
Ritoban Mukherjee is a freelance tech and innovations journalist from West Bengal, India. His work focuses on reviews, guides, and features about consumer and business software, such as AI website builders and CRM platforms, among other things. He has been published on Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, Creative Bloq, IT Pro Portal, Gizmodo, Medium, Quartz, and Mental Floss.
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