Podcast Summary: Hands-On Mac 170: macOS Print Center Walkthrough

Podcast Information

• Title: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
• Host/Author: TWiT
• Episode: Hands-On Mac 170: macOS Print Center Walkthrough
• Release Date: February 20, 2025

Introduction to Print Center

In the latest episode of Hands-On Mac, host Micah Sargent delves into an often-overlooked utility within macOS—the Print Center. Geared towards users who still rely on printers at home or in the office, this walkthrough aims to demystify the functionalities and benefits of the Print Center application.

“Today we are taking a look at an important app utility for those of us who, yes, still have printers at home.” [00:28]

Accessing Print Center

Micah begins by demonstrating the various methods to access the Print Center, highlighting the versatility and ease of finding the application through different navigation paths.

• Using Spotlight:
  “My favorite way of finding an app is by holding down the command key and then hitting space to bring up Spotlight.” [00:40]

• Via Finder:
  “You can also go into your Finder, go into Applications, find the Utilities folder, and then get to Print Center.” [00:50]

He showcases the quick access method by typing “pri” into Spotlight, swiftly launching the Print Center.

Managing Printers and Print Jobs

Once inside the Print Center, Micah provides an overview of its interface, emphasizing the intuitive layout for managing multiple printers and print jobs.

“You'll see that I have two printers and one of them is also a fax machine.” [01:10]

Key Features:

• Print Queue: Located in the sidebar, this section displays active and pending print jobs.
• Printer Status Indicators:
  “For the OfficeJet printer, you can see that there's a green circle. That means everything's okay, but it's currently idle.” [02:00]
  In contrast, alerts such as low toner are indicated with a yellow icon.

Adding Printers

Micah guides listeners through the process of adding a new printer to the Print Center, offering troubleshooting tips if default methods fail.

“If you don't see your printer, go ahead and click the little plus icon in the bottom left-hand corner.” [03:15]

Steps to Add a Printer:

1. Discovery Methods:

   • Bonjour: Default network protocol for discovering devices.
     “The default option uses Bonjour, which is a network protocol that sort of makes devices just by being plugged in and available on the network to discover.” [03:30]
   • IP Address: Manually entering the printer’s IP address.
     “You can also type it in by the IP address specifically.” [04:00]
   • Windows Setup: For printers integrated into Windows networks.
     “If it's working through a Windows setup, then using the Windows option gives you that ability to try to find the printer that way.” [04:15]

2. Selecting Protocols: Micah recommends choosing AirPrint for compatible printers to ensure seamless connectivity across Apple devices.
   “I recommend choosing AirPrint. If your printer supports it, it is the easiest way to make that printer available not just to your Mac, but also to your iPhone and iPad and other Apple devices.” [04:45]

3. Driver Selection:
   “Auto select will choose the best available option that's built into the Mac. If you download the printer drivers, then you can select those instead.” [05:10]

After selecting the desired printer, clicking "Add" integrates it into the system and the network.

Printer Options and Settings

Micah explores the various options available once a printer is selected within the Print Center, highlighting tools for managing print jobs and accessing printer information.

“The pause icon will stop a job that is in the work and make it so that you can say, oh no, I want to cancel that or I want to do something else.” [06:00]

Key Tools:

• Pause and Resume Print Jobs: Control active print jobs directly from the interface.

• Printer Information:
  “I can see the model for this and you'll see that it shows that it's an AirPrint printer... see a button. You can click here to show the printer web page and gain access to that.” [06:30]

• Supply Levels:
  “Depending on the drivers and the built-in firmware, you may also be able to check the supply levels.” [07:00]
  Micah demonstrates viewing toner or ink levels, essential for maintaining printer functionality.

• Scanner Integration: For multifunction printers, the scanner can be accessed via the Image Capture app.
  “I can right click on any of these and also choose to pause. I can see information as well. Used with the I button. Make it the default printer...” [08:00]

Troubleshooting Printers

Addressing common issues, Micah provides practical solutions to ensure uninterrupted printing operations.

“Print center is your means of being able to kind of troubleshoot and add, remove, adjust printers as needed.” [10:00]

Tips Include:

• Resetting the Printing System:
  “You can reset the printing system if you're ever having troubles with that reset known printers, which of course would remove those.” [09:30]

• Removing and Re-adding Printers: A simple yet effective method to resolve connectivity or driver issues.

• Accessing Printer Web Pages:
  “I find that being able to figure out the printer's online webpage and going there makes it the best way to do so.” [10:30]

System Settings Integration

Micah ties the Print Center functionalities back to the broader macOS system settings, illustrating seamless integration for comprehensive printer management.

“At the top in our menu bar, we do have some other options. Printers and scanners settings here. And that will take us into the system settings page where we will see what options we have.” [09:00]

Features Accessible Through System Settings:

• Default Printer Selection
• Paper Size Configuration
• Queue Management
• Driver Information
• Test Page Printing

Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Micah emphasizes the utility of the Print Center for users managing multiple printers or encountering frequent printing issues.

“If you're not getting it via just typing in the IP address in your browser or something like that, heading into Print center and finding it there lets you do that configuration that you might not otherwise be able to do.” [11:00]

He advocates for utilizing the Print Center to avoid unnecessary installation of bulky printer software, promoting a streamlined and efficient printing experience on macOS.

“I find that being able to figure out the printer's online webpage and going there makes it the best way to do so.” [10:50]

Final Thoughts

This episode of Hands-On Mac serves as an essential guide for Mac users seeking to optimize their printing setup. Through clear instructions and practical insights, Micah Sargent demystifies the macOS Print Center, empowering listeners to manage their printers with confidence and ease.

Note: Advertisements, introductory remarks, and outro segments have been omitted to focus solely on the informative content of the episode.