Sharing a Printer Connected to Your Mac
You can use any printer connected to your Mac to print from your Windows applications.
Note: This functionality is also available in Linux with Parallels Tools installed.
To print a document from a Windows application:
Open the document and simply print it as you normally would (for example, choose File > Print).
In the print window, you can choose any printer that's connected to your Mac.
Note: When you print from Windows for the first time using the printer connected to your Mac, the default page size is set to A4 (8.27 by 11.7 inches/210 by 297 mm). Change it once to whatever size you use.
Share Printers Connected to Your Mac
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.
Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
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:
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.
Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
Deselect Synchronize default printer.
Now, you can set a new default printer in Windows how 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.
Note: This option relies on PostScript and is therefore not available on Macs running macOS Sonoma 14 or newer.
Thanks to the implementation of IPP, users on newer versions of macOS can set the page parameters directly from their Windows virtual machines. In Windows 11, the relevant settings are available under Settings -> Bluetooth & Devices -> Printers & Scanners -> {Printer_name} -> Printing Preferences.
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:
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.
Click Hardware and select Shared Printers.
Deselect Show page setup options before printing.
Add a Printer in Linux
Starting from Parallels Desktop for Mac 20, Linux virtual machines on Macs running macOS Sonoma 14 or newer benefit from the implementation of IPP (Internet Printing Protocol), which enables them to simply use the printers already set up in your main macOS system.
Note: Printers connected to Linux virtual machines via IPP can not yet synchronize the default page size with your Mac's operating system, and the default settings are used. Make sure the right page size is set when you print from Linux.
To ensure that your Linux virtual machine has your Mac's printer set up, open the Settings app on your Linux machine and check the Printers section.
Below are the general guidelines on how to add a printer to a Linux virtual machine on a Mac running macOS Ventura 13 and earlier:
Start the Linux virtual machine and log in when the guest operating system boots up.
Start the
system-config-printeradministration tool by doing one of the following:Click System > Administration > Printing; or
Start the Terminal and enter the following command:
In the displayed window, click New Printer.
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.
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.
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.
Click Apply to finish setting up the printer.
The printer is now properly configured, and you can use it to print documents from your Linux virtual machine.
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