How to Set Up a New Local Printer

The following procedure describes how to set up a new locally attached printer by using the CUPS Print Manager GUI.

1. Connect the new printer to your local system, then power it on.
   • When the printer is detected by the system, the Printer configuration dialog appears, displaying information about the newly detected printer.
   • If you are adding a new printer that was not automatically detected, do the following:
     1. Start CUPS Print Manager by choosing System → Administration → Print Manager from the desktop's main menubar or by typing the following command in a terminal window:

        $ system-config-printer

     2. Choose Server → New → Printer from the main menu.

        Alternatively, you can click the New icon that is located on the menubar.

     3. When prompted, type the root password.

        The Printer configuration dialog appears, displaying all of the configured printers and the newly connected printer.

2. In the Select Device window, select the appropriate device, then click Forward.

   By default, CUPS selects the USB device that is physically connected to your system or the device that was detected by HAL. Note that these two entries might be for the same printer. For more information about selecting a device, see Selecting a Print Device.

3. In the Choose Driver window, select a make for your printer, then click Forward.
4. Determine whether to accept the default printer driver or provide a PPD file.
   • To use the default driver, leave the Select Printer From Database option selected.
   • To provide a PPD file:
     1. Select the Provide PPD File option.

        The Select a File window is displayed.

     2. Locate the specified PPD file on your system, then click Open to associate the PPD file with the new printer.
5. From the left pane of the next Choose Driver window, select a printer model. From the right pane, select a printer driver. Then, click Forward.

   By default, CUPS selects a “recommended” printer model and driver for your printer. However, you can optionally make another selection from the list of available drivers.

6. In the Installable Options window, change any of the options that are available for your particular printer model, then click Forward.

   For more information, see Configurable Printer Properties.

7. In the Describe Printer window, provide the following information:

   • Printer Name

   • Description

   • Location

8. To save your changes, click Apply. If prompted, type the root password.

   After you have saved your changes, the newly configured printer is displayed in the CUPS Print Manager window.

9. (Optional)To set the printer as the default, right-click the printer name.
   1. Choose the Set as Default option.
   2. In the Set Default Printer window, choose one of the following options:

      • Set as the system-wide default printer (default)

      • Set as my personal default printer

10. Click OK to save the printer configuration.
11. (Optional)To verify that the printer is configured correctly and is working, print a test page.