How to Find Your Printer on an iMac: A Simple Guide

Encountering issues when your iMac can’t seem to locate your printer? This is a common frustration, but thankfully, there are straightforward methods to resolve it. Often, Apple devices use a protocol called Bonjour to seamlessly discover printers on a network. However, if Bonjour is malfunctioning or your printer isn’t properly configured, you might need to use an alternative approach involving its IP address. This guide will walk you through both methods to ensure your iMac finds your printer and gets you printing smoothly.

Method 1: Checking for Your Printer Using Bonjour

Bonjour is Apple’s zero-configuration networking technology, designed to make device discovery simple. If your printer isn’t showing up, let’s first ensure Bonjour is active and correctly identifying devices on your iMac.

1. Verify Bonjour is Enabled in Safari:
   Start by opening Safari, your web browser, and navigate to ‘Preferences’ from the Safari menu.
   In the Preferences window, click on the ‘Advanced’ tab.
   Look for the ‘Bonjour’ entry at the bottom of the tab. Tick the box next to ‘Show Bonjour in the Bookmarks menu’. Close the Preferences window.

2. Access Bonjour and Locate Your Printer:
   Now, click on the ‘Bookmarks’ menu in Safari’s menu bar. You should see a ‘Bonjour’ option listed. Select ‘Bonjour’. This action should display all devices discovered via Bonjour on your network. Look for your printer in the list. In this example, a Canon MB5360 is shown.

   If your printer, like the Canon MB2360, is visible here, simply select it, and your iMac should now be able to add it as a printer.

3. Test with an iPad to Isolate the Issue:
   If your printer is still not visible in Bonjour on your iMac, grab an iPad or iPhone to test if the printer is discoverable on the network at all.
   Try to print a document or webpage from your iPad. iOS also uses Bonjour to Find Printers and Apple’s AirPrint for driverless printing.
   Do you see your printer (e.g., MB2360) listed as a printer option on your iPad?

   • If Yes (printer visible and prints from iPad): This indicates that the printer is correctly set up on your Wi-Fi network, and the problem likely lies within your iMac’s Bonjour configuration or printer settings. Proceed with the next steps to add the printer manually on your iMac.
   • If No (printer not visible on iPad): This suggests a problem with the printer’s connection to your Wi-Fi network. In this case, you might need to re-establish the printer’s Wi-Fi connection. Consult your printer’s manual for instructions on connecting to a wireless network. You can also check your Wi-Fi router settings to see if the printer is listed as a connected device.

Method 2: Adding Your Printer Using its IP Address

If Bonjour is not working for you, or if you prefer a more direct connection, you can add your printer using its IP address. This method bypasses Bonjour and establishes a connection directly to the printer on your network.

1. Find Your Printer’s IP Address:
   You will need to locate the IP address assigned to your printer. This is usually found in the printer’s network settings menu, accessible through its control panel.
   On a Canon printer, typically you can find this by navigating through: Setup > Device Settings > LAN settings > Confirm LAN settings > WLAN Setting List > IPv4 address. The exact menu path might slightly vary depending on your printer model, so refer to your printer’s manual if needed. Note down the IPv4 address.

2. Add Printer via IP Address on iMac:
   On your iMac, open ‘Printers & Scanners’ from System Preferences.
   Click the ‘+’ button to add a new printer.
   In the ‘Add Printer’ dialog, select the ‘IP’ icon.
   In the ‘Address’ field, enter the IPv4 address you obtained from your printer’s settings.
   Set the ‘Protocol’ to ‘Line Printer Daemon – LPD’. Leave the ‘Queue’ field blank.
   In the ‘Name’ field, you can enter a descriptive name for your printer, such as ‘Canon MB2360’.
   For the ‘Use’ field, you may be able to select your printer model from the dropdown list if the driver is already installed. If not, choose ‘Select Software…’ and search for your printer model (e.g., MB2360) to select the correct driver.
   Click the ‘Add’ button to finalize the printer setup.

3. Test Printing:
   After adding the printer, try printing a test page to confirm that your iMac can now successfully communicate with the printer.

Conclusion

By following these two methods, you should be able to successfully find and connect your printer to your iMac. Whether using the automatic Bonjour discovery or manually adding your printer via its IP address, these steps cover the most common scenarios for connecting a printer. If you continue to experience issues, ensure your printer and iMac are on the same Wi-Fi network, and consult your printer and iMac’s documentation for further troubleshooting steps.