Home printers
How to Print From Chromebook to a Home Printer, Step by Step
Written by Printer Co editorial team · Updated
Chromebooks are common in schools and as simple home laptops, and sooner or later someone needs to print homework or a form. The good news is that you can print from Chromebook laptops to most modern home printers with no driver to install. The less good news is that when it fails, the reason is rarely obvious. This guide follows Google’s own steps, adds what to do when the printer will not appear, and covers scanning too.
How Chromebook printing works
A Chromebook cannot install the Windows or Mac drivers that come with printers. Instead, ChromeOS talks to printers using the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), an open standard that most current network printers understand. The Printer Working Group, which maintains the IPP Everywhere standard, lists Chrome OS among the systems that support it and says 98% of printers sold today support IPP/2.0 and network discovery.
In practice: if your printer is a few years old or newer and connects to Wi-Fi, it will probably work. If it is much older, or connects only by USB, it may still work with a description file called a PPD (see below).
Before you start
- Same network. Google is clear that the printer and Chromebook must be connected to the same network. A Chromebook on a guest Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot will not see a printer on the main network.
- Printer online. Wake the printer and check that its panel or lights show a network connection. If it is not on Wi-Fi yet, follow our guide to connecting a printer to Wi-Fi.
- No Bluetooth. Google says Chromebooks currently do not support Bluetooth printing.
- School or work Chromebook? If the Chromebook is managed by a school or employer, it may not let you add new printers. Google advises contacting your administrator.
Step 1: Print a page
- Open the page, document or image you want to print.
- Press Ctrl + P.
- Next to Destination, open the list and select See more.
- Choose your printer. Google notes that the Chromebook runs a compatibility check, and that some listed printers may not be compatible.
- Set pages and copies, and look under More settings for paper size, two-sided printing and colour. Printing in black and white for drafts saves colour ink; see printing with only black ink for what that does and does not save.
- Select Print.
If the printer is connected by USB, Google says a notification appears when you plug it in; follow the on-screen instructions, then print as above.
Step 2: Save the printer
Saving the printer makes it the default and saves a step next time:
- Select the time at the bottom right of the screen, then Settings.
- Under Device, go to Printers and scanners, then Print.
- Under Other available printers, select Save next to your printer.
- Check that it now appears at the top under Your saved printers.
If your printer is not listed: add it manually
When automatic discovery fails, add the printer by address. You will need its IP address, which you can find on the printer’s network settings screen or a printed network configuration report.
- Go to Settings, Printers and scanners, Print.
- Under Other available printers, choose Add printer manually.
- Enter a Name you will recognise, the printer’s IP address, protocol Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), and queue ipp/print. Google says IPP and ipp/print work for most printers.
- Select Add.
If the printer cannot be set up automatically, Google describes an advanced setup: choose the manufacturer and model from the lists. If your model is not listed, you can try a Generic PostScript Printer Description (PPD), or select your own PPD file. Google says Chromebooks accept .ppd or .gzip files up to 250 KB, and that PPD files are different from printer drivers: they only describe the printer’s features.
Tip: a printer’s IP address can change when the router restarts. Reserving an address for it in your router (DHCP reservation) stops a manually added printer from disappearing; our Wi-Fi guide explains how.
Scanning from a Chromebook
If you have an all-in-one, a Chromebook can scan too. Google’s steps: open Settings, Printers and scanners, Scan (or search for Scan in the Launcher), select your scanner, use More settings for colour mode, page size and resolution, and select Scan. Then choose Show in folder to find the file. Google also notes you can scan documents with the Chromebook’s own camera. For settings that suit different jobs, see how to scan documents at home.
Fixing common problems
The printer is set up but nothing prints. Google suggests opening the printer’s entry under Printers and scanners, choosing Edit and checking the details for typos. If they are right, remove the printer and set it up again. If it still fails, Google says you may need to update the printer’s firmware from the manufacturer’s website.
The printer will not connect to Wi-Fi. Turn the printer off and on and try again; if it still will not join, the printer maker’s support pages are the place to go.
It printed once and then vanished. The IP address probably changed. Reserve an address for the printer in the router, then edit or re-add it.
The printer appears twice. One entry may be the network connection and the other Wi-Fi Direct or USB. Use the network one and remove the other.
Getting clean, correctly sized pages
Most Chromebook printing happens from the Chrome browser, so a few habits make a big difference to ink use and to how the page looks:
- Print web pages without the clutter. Use the site’s own print button where there is one, or a reader view, and in the print window leave background graphics and headers and footers off if those options appear under More settings. Our guide to printing a web page without ads has the details.
- Labels, tickets and forms. If something must come out at its true size, look for a scale setting in More settings and choose 100% rather than a fit option, then measure a test print. See fit to page vs actual size for when each one is right.
- Save to PDF first. Choosing Save as PDF (or Google Drive) as the destination lets you check the result before you spend ink, which Google’s Chrome help describes as part of the same print window.
- Ink levels. ChromeOS does not show detailed ink levels for most printers; check the printer’s screen or the maker’s app, as explained in how to check ink levels.
Choosing a printer that works well with Chromebooks
When buying, look for a printer that supports standard driverless printing: IPP Everywhere, AirPrint or Mopria in the specifications are good signs, because they all rest on IPP. Our comparison of AirPrint vs Mopria explains the labels, and the best printer for college students covers other features students tend to need.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my Chromebook find my printer?
Most often the two are on different networks, the printer is asleep or offline, or the printer is not compatible. Google says the printer and Chromebook must be on the same network. Wake the printer, check its network status, and try adding it manually by IP address.
Do I need to install a driver on a Chromebook?
No. Chromebooks cannot install Windows or Mac drivers. They use IPP for most printers, and for older printers can use a PPD file, a small description file rather than a driver.
Can I print from a Chromebook with a USB cable?
Yes, for compatible printers. Google says a notification appears when you connect a printer by USB; follow the prompts, then select it in the print dialog.
Can a Chromebook print over Bluetooth?
No. Google's help page says Chromebooks currently do not support Bluetooth printing.
How do I scan from a Chromebook?
If your all-in-one can scan, open Settings, Printers and scanners, Scan (or search for Scan in the Launcher), pick the scanner, set colour, page size and resolution under More settings, and select Scan.
Sources
Editorial team
The Printer Co editorial team researches and writes independent guides to home printers, ink and printing costs, using manufacturer documentation, standards bodies and consumer-protection sources.
