Solve printing problems on Mac
If you’re having trouble printing, first try these suggestions:
If your printer is connected to your Mac, make sure the printer cable is firmly connected, and the printer is plugged into a power point and turned on.
If the printer is on the network, make sure your Mac and the printer are still on the same network, the printer is turned on, and the network isn’t experiencing problems. If the network has multiple printers, check which printer you chose — it may be different from the one you think you chose.
If you use a shared printer connected to another Mac, make sure the Mac has macOS 10.5 or later installed, isn’t in sleep and has sharing turned on. See Share your printer.
If your printer is connected to your computer’s USB port, open System Information, then click USB. If the printer’s name appears in the hardware list but the printer doesn’t work, review the printer’s documentation for further troubleshooting information or see If a USB device doesn’t work with Mac.
If you still can’t print, see the additional troubleshooting information below.
Try to resume printing
On your Mac, click the printer’s icon in the Dock to open the printer’s queue window.
Do any of the following:
If you see the Resume button in the toolbar, the printer is paused. Click the Resume button.
If another job is holding up the queue because of an error, select that job, then click the small Delete Job button on the right (marked with an X).
If an individual print job in the list is paused, select it, then click the Resume Job button on the right (marked with a curved arrow).
If you don’t see your print job in the printer’s queue, you may have printed to a different printer. Check the queue windows for other printers, or try printing again, making sure you choose the correct printer.
To check the print queue for other printers, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners. Select a printer in the list, then click Open Print Queue.
Try to print from another app
Try printing from another app, such as TextEdit. If the problem occurs only in one app, review that app’s documentation for further troubleshooting information.
Turn off Print Dialogue Extensions
Some printer software and apps use Print Dialogue Extensions (PDEs) to make custom print options and dialogues available when you print. If you experience printing problems with software that uses PDEs, you can turn the use of PDEs off for that printer.
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners.
Select the printer in the printers list, click the Options & Supplies button, select the Use Generic Printer Features tickbox, then click OK.
Check the printer
Go to the printer and check the following:
It’s turned on and is displaying normal status lights.
It has paper, and the paper isn’t jammed.
It has enough ink or toner.
Its cables are properly connected.
Add the printer again to create a new printer queue
On your Mac, if the printer is on the network, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners.
If you can print to the newly added printer queue, delete the old printer queue.
If you can’t add the printer because it doesn’t appear in the list of available printers, it may be turned off, or your Mac may be on a different network now. If the printer was shared by another user, the user may have stopped sharing it, or the user’s Mac may be offline. If you don’t manage the printer, ask the person who does for help.
Make sure you have the latest software
Make sure you have the correct version of your printer’s software (also called its printer driver). If you’re using a printer that another user is sharing, make sure you’re both using the same version of the printer software.
On your Mac, to find out which version of printer software you’re using, choose Apple menu > System Preferences on your Mac.
Click Printers & Scanners, then select the printer.
Click Options & Supplies, then click General. Note the driver version.
If you’re using a network printer or a printer connected to your Mac, make sure you have the latest version of the software for the printer. If you still have problems, try different printer software for your printer.
If you’re using an AirPrint-enabled printer, you can check with the manufacturer to see if there’s an update for your printer model.
If none of the previous solutions work, the printer’s queue may be corrupted. Try deleting it and setting up your printer again.
If you still can’t print, reset the printing system.