This wikiHow teaches you how to add and use a printer on a Chromebook. You can print any content from your Chromebook by adding the printer directly to the Chromebook's printer list. You can also print content from the Google Chrome browser on a Chromebook by adding a printer to the Google Cloud Print service on a computer other than a Chromebook.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Connecting the Laptop to the Printer
Step 1. Make sure the printer is plugged into a power source and turned on
In order to connect to a Chromebook, the printer must be connected to a power source and turned on.
Switch to cloud printing if you want to print documents from your Google account
Step 2. Connect the printer to the wireless network if necessary
If the printer is not already connected to a wireless network, open the printer menu, select the desired WiFi network, and enter the network password when prompted.
- The process of connecting the device to a WiFi network will be different for each printer. Therefore, consult the printer's manual or online documentation for specific instructions on setting up the connection if you need help.
- If the printer can't (or won't) connect to the wireless network, skip to the last step of this method.
Step 3. Open the Chromebook's WiFi menu
Click the profile icon in the lower right corner of the screen, then select the WiFi logo. The WiFi menu will be opened after that.
Step 4. Select the printer network
Click the network that the printer was previously connected to.
Your Chromebook and printer must be connected to the same network in order for you to use the printer
Step 5. Enter the network password when prompted
Type in the password used to log into the network.
Step 6. Click Connect
It's below the password field. After that, you will be logged into the network. At this point, you're ready to add the printer to your Chromebook.
Step 7. Connect the printer to the computer via a USB cable
If the printer can't be connected to the internet, you can connect it to your Chromebook via the USB cable that came with your purchase. Plug one end of the USB cable into the Chromebook, and connect the other end to the appropriate port on the printer.
Some printers use a USB-to-USB cable, while other printers use a USB-to-printer cable
Part 2 of 4: Adding a Printer to a Chromebook
Step 1. Click the account icon
It's in the lower-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will be displayed.
Step 2. Click Settings
This option is in the pop-up menu. The “Settings” menu will be opened after that.
Step 3. Click Advanced
This button is at the bottom of the “Settings” menu.
You may need to swipe up to see this option
Step 4. Click Printers
This option is in the "Printing" menu section.
Step 5. Click Add printer
A list of currently available printers will be displayed.
Step 6. Select a printer
Click the name of the printer you want to use.
Step 7. Click Add
This button is below the printer name. After that, the printer will be added to the list of printers that can be used on the Chromebook. When you're done, you can print the document directly from your Chromebook.
If prompted, click the specific name and/or model number of the printer before continuing
Part 3 of 4: Adding a Printer to the Google Cloud Print Service
Step 1. Connect the printer to a Windows or Mac computer
In order to enable the cloud printing feature for your printer, you will need to use a computer other than a Chromebook.
- You can connect the printer to a computer via a USB cable.
- Skip this step if you've already connected the printer to your Chromebook via WiFi.
Step 2. Open
Google Chrome.
Click or double-click the Chrome icon, which looks like a red, yellow, green, and blue ball.
Step 3. Click
It's in the upper-right corner of the window. A drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 4. Click Settings
This option is under the drop-down menu. The “Settings” page will be displayed after that.
Step 5. Scroll the screen and click Advanced
It's at the bottom of the “Settings” page.
Step 6. Scroll down and click on Google Cloud Print
It's in the "Printing" options section at the bottom of the page.
Step 7. Click Manage Cloud Print devices
This option is at the bottom of the menu.
Sign in to your Google account if prompted before continuing
Step 8. Select a printer
Click the printer you want to use to open its menu.
Step 9. Click Add printer
This option is at the bottom of the menu. After that, the printer will be added to the list of printers with the online printing feature of the Google account. Now, you can use the printer to print documents or content from Google Chrome on your Chromebook as long as you're signed in to the same Google account.
Part 4 of 4: Printing a Document from a Chromebook
Step 1. Go to the page or document you want to print
Once the printer is connected, you can print whatever is displayed on the screen.
If you connect your computer to the printer via the Google Cloud Print service, you will need to print the content via Google Chrome
Step 2. Open the "Print" menu
The quickest way to open it is to press Ctrl+P, but you can click the " Print " icon
or option " Print ” from the page or document menu. The "Print" window or menu will appear afterwards.
Step 3. Select a printer
In the "Printer" menu section that appears, click the name of the primary printer and select a printer from the menu that appears.
This step only needs to be followed if the computer's primary printer is different from the one you want to use
Step 4. Change the printing settings if necessary
Depending on the page or content you want to print, you may have the option to do several things, such as print the document in color, change the page orientation, and more.
The available options also differ depending on the printer used
Step 5. Click Print
It's at the bottom of the window. The content or document will print immediately.
