Share a Printer Connected to Your Mac

You can use any printer connected to your Mac with Windows applications.

Note: This functionality is also available for Linux with Parallels Tools installed.

To print a document from a Windows application:

  • Open the document and simply print it the way you normally would (for example, choose File > Print).

In the print window, you can choose any printer that's connected to your Mac.

Share Printers Connected to Your Mac

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Configure.
    • If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Configure.
  2. Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.

    Note: The Shared Printers pane is available for Windows 2000 and newer versions of Windows.

  3. Select Share Mac printers with Windows.

Set a New Default Printer

By default, Windows is set to use the same default printer as your Mac. To use a different default printer for Windows.

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Configure.
    • If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Configure.
  2. Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
  3. Deselect Synchronize default printer.

Now you can set a new default printer in Windows the way you normally would.

Show Page Setup Before Printing

When you choose to print a document from Windows, first you need to set how the document will be printed. You usually have to specify various printing settings, such as orientation, page size, whether to print the document on one or both sides, etc. Once everything is ready and you click Print in Windows, the macOS window with printing settings appears as well. It's done by default for you just to ensure that the document will be printed exactly the way you want.

To make the documents print without showing this macOS page setup window:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Click the Parallels icon in the menu bar and choose Configure.
    • If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose Actions > Configure.
  2. Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
  3. Deselect Show page setup options before printing.

Add a Printer in Linux

The procedure of adding a printer in a Linux guest operating system depends on the Linux distribution. In this example, we describe how to add a printer to a virtual machine running RHEL 5.4 Server. However, you can use these guidelines as general instructions on how to add a printer to a Linux virtual machine:

  1. Start the Linux virtual machine and log in when the guest operating system boots up.

    Note: You must log in as root or acquire root privileges after successful login. If you don't do that, you will be required to enter the root password when starting the system-config-printer administration tool in the next step.

  2. Start the system-config-printer administration tool by doing one of the following:
    • Click System > Administration > Printing; or
    • Start the Terminal and enter the following command:

      system-config-printer

  3. In the displayed window, click New Printer.
  4. In the next window, you must type a printer name. Under this name the printer will be displayed in your Linux guest operating system. You can also enter the printer description and location. When ready, click Forward.
  5. Now you have to specify how your Mac printer will be shared with the virtual machine. As the printer is connected to the virtual machine printer port, select LPT #1 (or another port to which the printer is connected) and click Forward.
  6. Then specify the printer manufacturer and model. No matter what printer you have, choose either HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS or Apple Color LW 12/660 PS. When ready, click Forward.
  7. Click Apply to finish setting up the printer.

    Now the printer is properly configured and you can use it to print documents from your Linux virtual machine.
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