If your computer is connected to a network that has a printer installed, other users can use the printer over the network. Just as files and folders can be shared quickly and easily in Microsoft® Windows, a printer can be shared in a similar way. All users on the network who have been given access to the printer can send and print their documents to the same printer. The article below describes how to set up a printer so that it can be shared over a home network or any other network.
Instructions:
- Go to the “Start >Printers and Faxes (Devices and printers)” option.
- Right-click on the printer you want to share and choose the “Properties” option.
- Switch to the “Sharing” tab.
- Switch on the “Share this printer” radio button.
- Type the name of the printer in the “Share name” box.
- Click on the “OK” button.
Tips and Tricks:
- In Windows® 7 you can select the “Render print job on client computer” option, which means the document will be processed on the computer that has initiated the print request.
- If you will be connecting to computers with different operating systems (not uncommon for a home network), you should install the additional drivers by clicking on the “Additional Drivers…” button.
