Set up a new printer out of the box

Put the printer on a flat, stable surface with room to open its covers and trays, away from direct sunlight and heaters, and within good Wi-Fi range if you'll use it wirelessly. Keep the box and packing for a while in case you need to return it.

Peel off the colored tape on the outside, then open every cover, the scanner lid, the trays and the cartridge access door, and remove tape, foam, cardboard and plastic inserts inside. Leftover packing is the most common cause of jam or carriage errors on a new printer.

Connect the power cord, turn the printer on and set the language, country or region, date and time when prompted. Some printers also ask about paper size here.

Install the cartridges, print heads, ink or toner exactly as the quick start guide shows, removing any protective tape or seals first. Ink tank printers need their tanks filled and then run an initial ink charge, which can take several minutes; don't turn the printer off while it runs.

Load plain paper, slide the guides against the stack, and let the printer print its alignment or calibration page if it asks. Some printers want that page placed on the scanner glass to finish the process.

On a printer with a screen, open its wireless setup wizard, choose your network and type the Wi-Fi password. Many printers use only 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, so pick that network if your router shows separate names. Printers without a screen usually connect through the maker's app or the WPS button.

For a single computer, a USB cable is simple and reliable. Connect it once the printer is on, unless the maker's installer tells you to wait; Windows and macOS usually set up a USB printer automatically.

Once the printer is online, check for a firmware update from its menu or the maker's official support site. Early updates often fix bugs and connection problems.

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and click Add device (Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners > Add a printer or scanner). Select your printer when it appears and wait for Windows to finish setting it up.

Wait a minute and search again. If it still doesn't appear, click Add manually (Windows 10: The printer that I want isn't listed) and add it by the IP address shown on the printer's network status page.

Basic printing usually works with the driver Windows installs. For scanning, ink levels or special features, install the full software package for your model from the maker's official support site.

Select the printer in Printers & scanners, click Printer properties and choose Print Test Page. A clean page confirms the printer and driver are working.

Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners and click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax. Select the printer, check that Use shows AirPrint or your printer's model, and click Add.

Open the printer's queue from Printers & Scanners, then choose Printer > Print Test Page from the menu bar.

On macOS 12 Monterey or earlier, use System Preferences > Printers & Scanners and click the add (+) button below the printer list.

Most current printers support AirPrint, so no app is needed. In an app, tap the share button, choose Print and select your printer, with the phone on the same Wi-Fi network as the printer.

Open a document, choose Print from the menu or share options, and select the printer. If it isn't listed, check the built-in print service is on in your phone's printing settings, or install the maker's print plugin from Google Play.

The maker's app can help with Wi-Fi setup, scanning and ink alerts, but basic printing doesn't need it. If it asks you to create an account, many printers let you skip that step; features such as remote printing or ink subscriptions usually need one.