How do I set the default print settings when I print from Windows or my Mac?

  • When you change your print settings from within a program, the changes apply only while you're printing at that time in the open program. If you want to select different settings to use in all your programs, you can change the default print settings in Windows or save a preset of printer options on Mac. Follow the steps below for your operating system.

    Windows
    1. Right-click the  printer icon in the task bar (bottom-right corner of your screen), and select Printer Settings.

      If you don't see the icon, see No Printer Icon Appears in Windows Taskbar for instructions on making it appear or do one of the following:

      Windows 7: Click and select Devices and Printers. Right-click your printer and select Printing Preferences.

      Windows Vista: Click , and select Control Panel (or point to Settings and then select Control Panel). Select Printer (under Hardware and Sound) or Printers. Right-click your printer and select Printing Preferences.

      Windows XP: Click Start, and select Control Panel (or point to Settings and then select Control Panel). Select Printers and Other Hardware (if available) and then Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer and select Printing Preferences.
    2. Select the settings you want to use as defaults in all your Windows programs.
    3. Click OK to accept the changes.

    Mac OS X
    1. Open a document and select Print from the File menu.
    2. Define the print settings you want to save.

      Note:
      Some options may not be able to be saved in a preset.
    3. Click the Presets pop-up menu and select Save As.
    4. Enter a name for your preset, and choose whether this preset can be used with any printer or only with the currently selected printer.
    5. Click OK.
    When you are ready to print with the preset you saved, click the Presets pop-up menu, select your preset from the list, and click Print. Once a preset has been selected, it will continue to be automatically selected in the print dialogue until another preset is selected. To go back to the original default print settings, select Standard from the Presets pop-up menu.

    If you don't want to create a preset and simply want to print with the last print settings you selected, select Last Used Settings in the Presets pop-up menu.
Published:  Apr 28, 2011 Was this helpful? Thank you for the feedback!
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