Most printers will be automatically supported by Ubuntu. The Printer Configuration application allows you to add printers, as well as modify their settings. You can also use this application to share the printer with other computers on a network, disable the printer, or restart it.
A local printer is one which is directly connected to your computer (as opposed to a network printer, discussed in the following section).
To setup a new local printer, plug your printer into your computer and power it on. Most printers will automatically be detected and configured. Once detected, a printer icon will appear in the notification area and after waiting a few moments, you should get a popup with the text Printer added.
If your printer was not detected after a few moments, then you will need to follow these steps:
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Obtain the model name of your printer.
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Ensure the printer is turned on.
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Choose → →
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Click .
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Your printer should be automatically detected. If so, simply click and then .
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Finally, you can enter in a description and location for your printer.
If your printer was not automatically detected, you can try to select the port and printer driver manually. Some printers need further setup. Search the databases at LinuxPrinting.org or check the Ubuntu Wiki Printer page for information on your printer.
You can also configure your Ubuntu system to send print jobs to a remote print server. Remote printers are hosted somewhere on a network. To configure a remote printer:
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Obtain the model name of your printer.
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Ensure the printer is turned on.
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Choose → →
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Choose .
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If your printer is directly connected to a Windows machine on your network, choose Windows Printer via SAMBA. Otherwise, select the protocol your printer uses to communicate.
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Insert the details of the network printer and click .
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Select the printer model and then click .
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Finally, you can enter in a description and location for your printer.
![[Note]](../../libs/admon/note.png)
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If you do not know the protocol or details of your network printer, you should consult your network administrator. |
To check if your printer works correctly:
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Choose → →
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Right click on the printer's name in the list.
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Click .
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Under the Settings tab, Click . A page will then be printed if your printer is working correctly.
To find out how much ink is left in your printer, follow the instructions which apply to your printer:
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Hewlett-Packard (HP) printers: Press Alt+F2, type
hp-toolboxand click . Select the Supplies tab in the HP Device Manager window which appears to view a summary of ink levels. -
Epson and some Canon printers: Install the mtink package and click → → to check your ink levels.
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Some other Epson and Canon printers: Install the inkblot package, press Alt+F2, type
inkblotand click . A printer icon will appear in the notification area on the top panel; click it to view ink levels.
For printers from other manufacturers, the best chance of viewing ink levels for your printer in Ubuntu is to install an official Linux printer driver from your manufacturer if one exists.
