{"id":30684,"date":"2020-03-27T08:03:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T12:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tcn.tidbits.com\/?p=7676"},"modified":"2020-03-17T22:17:31","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T02:17:31","slug":"troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print\/","title":{"rendered":"Troubleshooting Steps for When Your Mac Won\u2019t Print\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s little more frustrating than being unable to print a document when you need it. You choose File &gt; Print, and nothing happens. Or, worse, macOS looks like it\u2019s printing, so you focus on some other task, only to realize 20 minutes later that nothing has come out of the printer. Now what? Try these troubleshooting steps.<\/p>\n<h3>Check the Printer\u2019s Print Queue App<\/h3>\n<p>Whenever you print, the printer\u2019s Print Queue app appears in your Dock, named for the printer. (If it doesn\u2019t, open System Preferences &gt; Printers &amp; Scanners, select the desired printer and click Open Print Queue.)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7679 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"425\" height=\"152\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 425px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 425\/152;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the Print Queue app, look at the status of the printer and the print job. First off, if you print to multiple printers, does the app correspond with the correct printer? If not, cancel the job by clicking the X button to its right, quit the Print Queue app, print again, and choose the correct printer from the Printer pop-up menu in the Print dialog.<\/p>\n<p>The Print Queue app may also display a useful error message that tells you what\u2019s wrong, such as the printer being offline or not connected. You may also see old print jobs stuck in the queue that are blocking the current job\u2014delete them by clicking the X next to their names.<\/p>\n<p>If something has caused the printer to be paused, click the green Resume button. That won\u2019t work if the printer has paused itself due to a paper jam or low supplies\u2014in such a case, resolve the problem first.<\/p>\n<h3>Check the Printer and Its Connection<\/h3>\n<p>Error messages may have given you a hint about problems with the printer itself, but they\u2019re not always helpful. Verify the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Is the printer turned on?<\/b> Doh! If necessary, turn it on. Also, try turning it off and back on\u2014this resolves a surprising number of printing problems.<\/li>\n<li><b>Is the printer connected?<\/b> It should be connected via either USB or your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network\u2014make sure the cables are plugged in and it\u2019s on the same network as your Mac. Consider restarting your router if there seem to be communication issues.<\/li>\n<li><b>Does the printer have paper in it?<\/b> No paper, no printout.<\/li>\n<li><b>Is there a paper jam?<\/b> Printers usually squawk about paper jams. Clear it before trying again.<\/li>\n<li><b>Are any ink or toner cartridges empty?<\/b> Some printers are notorious for refusing to print if even one ink cartridge is empty, or even low. That can be true even if you\u2019re printing only in black and a color cartridge is empty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There\u2019s one final check of the printer you can perform: printing a test page directly from the printer (check your printer\u2019s manual for instructions). If that fails, the printer may need servicing.<\/p>\n<h3>Check Your Mac\u2019s Printing Setup<\/h3>\n<p>The final place to look for a solution to printing problems is in your Mac\u2019s printing subsystem. Problems here can be specific to your document or to its app, or they can be related to the printer driver.<\/p>\n<p>For your first test, try opening your document in Preview as a PDF (in the document\u2019s Print dialog, choose PDF &gt; Open in Preview) and printing it from Preview.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7680 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"713\" height=\"536\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 713px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 713\/536;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If that works, you know that your Mac can print, so the problem has to do with either the document or the app. To isolate the problem to the document or the app, print another simple document from the app. If that does print, you know the problem is with your document, but since you\u2019ve already gotten a PDF to print of that document, your immediate problem may be already solved. If the problem is with the app, you\u2019ll eventually need to solve it, of course. But most of the time, the problem actually lies with your printer driver.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s uncommon for driver updates to come outside of macOS updates these days, but check System Preferences &gt; Software Update just to make sure. You can also check the printer manufacturer\u2019s Web site for updates; Google on \u201c<i>printerNameAndModel<\/i> Mac driver\u201d to find what\u2019s available. Compare that against what you see when you select the printer in System Preferences &gt; Printers &amp; Scanners and click the Options &amp; Supplies button. If there\u2019s a newer version, download and install it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7678 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-2.png\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-5.png 980w, https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-6.png 480w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"665\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/665;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If installing a new version doesn\u2019t work, try deleting the printer from Printers &amp; Scanners and re-adding it. Select the printer in the list and click the \u2013 button at the bottom to delete it. Then click the + button and add it back.<\/p>\n<p>No luck? Try deleting the driver and adding it again, but choose a different option from the Use pop-up menu at the bottom. Start with the name of the printer itself instead of Secure AirPrint to ensure you\u2019re using the manufacturer\u2019s driver instead of Apple\u2019s. If that doesn\u2019t make a difference, try again with Generic PostScript Printer or Generic PCL Printer\u2014beware that they may not provide full functionality beyond basic printing. For the ultimate in trying something different, if it supports your printer, try installing an independent driver from <a href=\"http:\/\/gimp-print.sourceforge.net\/MacOSX.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the open-source Gutenprint project<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7677 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"503\" height=\"433\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 503px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 503\/433;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One note: if possible, avoid using the Printer Sharing feature that\u2019s been in macOS for years. It works, but it requires that the Mac doing the sharing be turned on and awake whenever anyone using the shared printer wants to print.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re still stuck, go nuclear. Go back to the Printers &amp; Scanners preferences, Control-click any printer, and choose Reset Printing System. As the warning dialog tells you, doing so will delete all your existing printers, scanners, and faxes, and any pending print jobs. You\u2019re basically resetting your printing system to factory defaults, after which you\u2019ll have to add printers back again.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7682 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"688\" height=\"451\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 688px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 688\/451;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of these solutions will almost certainly solve your problem, but if not, give us a call!<\/p>\n<p>(Featured image by Adam Engst)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unable to print from a Mac? Look for a solution in our comprehensive troubleshooting steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[39,67,5,365,125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-how-to","category-mac","category-print","category-troubleshooting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/troubleshooting-steps-for-when-your-mac-wont-print.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6YLEm-7YU","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33375,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":0},"title":"Ever Have Trouble Printing? Try a Different Printer Driver","author":"computeradv","date":"August 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Some clients have reported problems with HP laser printers failing to print. Sometimes there\u2019s an error. Other times, the print job just disappears into the ether. It\u2019s unclear why this is happening or how widespread it is, but here\u2019s a workaround that can help. Create a new printer configuration by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Apple Pros&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ever-have-trouble-printing-try-a-different-printer-driver.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28035,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/apple-is-discontinuing-its-photo-printing-services-here-are-7-alternatives\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":1},"title":"Apple Is Discontinuing Its Photo Printing Services\u2014Here Are 7 Alternatives","author":"computeradv","date":"August 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sad news: Apple is discontinuing its photo printing services, which enabled you to create and order physical prints, cards, calendars, and books from within Photos on the Mac. If you\u2019re building such a project right now, be sure to place your order before September 30th, 2018. After that, Apple is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Apple Pros&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Print-projects-dialog.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Print-projects-dialog.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Print-projects-dialog.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Print-projects-dialog.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33651,"url":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":2},"title":"When It Comes to Wi-Fi Networks, Sometimes It\u2019s Better to Forget","author":"computeradv","date":"October 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s easy, particularly when traveling, to end up connecting to a Wi-Fi network that doesn\u2019t provide Internet access, requires credentials you don\u2019t have, or lacks access to the network\u2019s printer. Unfortunately, once your iPhone, iPad, or Mac has connected to such a network, it may reconnect to it later, causing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/when-it-comes-to-wi-fi-networks-sometimes-its-better-to-forget.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29897,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":3},"title":"Consider USB Peripherals When Troubleshooting Mac Problems","author":"computeradv","date":"November 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019re experiencing a sporadic problem with your Mac, the sort of thing that happens often enough to be annoying but not so frequently as to be reproducible, allow us to suggest one little-known troubleshooting tip. Malfunctioning USB devices\u2014keyboards, mice, hubs, printers, etc.\u2014can sometimes cause truly inscrutable problems ranging from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ASMC Archive&quot;","block_context":{"text":"ASMC Archive","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/asmc-archive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/consider-usb-peripherals-when-troubleshooting-mac-problems.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27892,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/what-os-version-are-you-running-heres-how-to-find-out\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":4},"title":"What OS Version Are You Running? Here\u2019s How to Find Out.","author":"computeradv","date":"June 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In Troubleshooting 101, one of the first questions is always, \u201cWhat version of the operating system are you running?\u201d There\u2019s a big difference between Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and macOS 10.13 High Sierra, and the solution to any particular problem will likely revolve around knowing what operating system\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AirPods&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AirPods","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/airpods\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Which-OS-Mac-1024x619.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Which-OS-Mac-1024x619.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Which-OS-Mac-1024x619.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27396,"url":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/make-your-holiday-cards-with-apples-photos-app-this-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":30684,"position":5},"title":"Make Your Holiday Cards with Apple\u2019s Photos App This Year","author":"computeradv","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s that time of year again, when we realize that if we\u2019re going to do holiday cards, we should get started. You can take the easy way out and buy a few packs of generic reindeer cards at the drugstore, but with a little work in Apple\u2019s Photos app on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Apple Pros&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Apple Pros","link":"http:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/category\/apple-pros\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Cards-select-format-1024x552.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Cards-select-format-1024x552.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Cards-select-format-1024x552.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tcn.tidbits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Cards-select-format-1024x552.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computeradvantage.us\/v3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}