# Sharing a Printer Connected to Your Mac

You can use any printer connected to your Mac to print from your Windows applications.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**: This functionality is also available in Linux with [Parallels Tools installed](/landing/pdfm-ug/v19-en-us/parallels-desktop-for-mac-19-users-guide/advanced-topics/installing-and-updating-parallels-tools/parallels-tools-for-linux.md).
{% endhint %}

To print a document from a Windows application:

* Open the document and simply print it the way you normally would (for example, choose **File** > **Print**).

In the print window, you can choose any printer that's connected to your Mac.

### Share Printers Connected to Your Mac

1. Do one of the following:
   * Click the Parallels Desktop icon in the menu bar and choose **Configure.**
   * If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose **Actions** > **Configure**.
2. Click **Hardware** and select **Shared Printers**.
3. Select **Share Mac printers with Windows**.

### Set a New Default Printer

By default, Windows is set to use the same default printer as your Mac. To use a different default printer for Windows.

1. Do one of the following:
   * Click the Parallels Desktop icon in the menu bar and choose **Configure.**
   * If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose **Actions** > **Configure**.
2. Click **Hardware** and select **Shared Printers**.
3. Deselect **Synchronize default printer**.

Now, you can set a new default printer in Windows the way you normally would.

### Show Page Setup Before Printing

When you choose to print a document from Windows, you first need to set how the document will be printed. You usually have to specify various printing settings, such as orientation, page size, whether to print the document on one or both sides, etc. Once everything is ready and you click **Print** in Windows, the macOS window with printing settings appears as well. It's done by default for you just to ensure that the document will be printed exactly the way you want.

To make the documents print without showing this macOS page setup window:

1. Do one of the following:
   * Click the Parallels Desktop icon in the menu bar and choose **Configure.**
   * If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose **Actions** > **Configure**.
2. Click **Hardware** and select **Shared Printers**.
3. Deselect **Show page setup options before printing**.

### Add a Printer in Linux

The procedure of adding a printer in a Linux guest operating system depends on the Linux distribution. In this example, we describe how to add a printer to a virtual machine running RHEL 5.4 Server. However, you can use these guidelines as general instructions on how to add a printer to a Linux virtual machine:

1. Start the Linux virtual machine and log in when the guest operating system boots up.\
   \
   [**Note:** You must log in as root or acquire root privileges after successful login. If you don't do that, you will be required to enter the root password when starting the `system-config-printer` administration tool in the next step.](#user-content-fn-1)[^1]
2. Start the `system-config-printer` administration tool by doing one of the following:
   * Click **System** > **Administration** > **Printing**; or
   * Start the Terminal and enter the following command:

     ```
     system-config-printer
     ```
3. In the displayed window, click **New Printer**.
4. In the next window, you must type a printer name. Under this name, the printer will be displayed in your Linux guest operating system. You can also enter the printer description and location. When ready, click **Forward**.
5. Now you have to specify how your Mac printer will be shared with the virtual machine. As the printer is connected to the virtual machine printer port, select **LPT #1** (or another port to which the printer is connected) and click **Forward**.
6. Then specify the printer manufacturer and model. No matter what printer you have, choose either HP Color LaserJet 8500 PS or Apple Color LW 12/660 PS. When ready, click **Forward**.
7. Click **Apply** to finish setting up the printer.

Now the printer is properly configured, and you can use it to print documents from your Linux virtual machine.

[^1]:


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