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Most Ubuntu desktop installations can be configured in a few minutes: connect the printer by USB or put it on the same network as the computer, open Settings → Printers, choose Add Printer, select the discovered device, and print a test page. Ubuntu normally supplies the printing system and may offer a driverless IPP queue; a model-specific driver is only needed when the printer is not discovered or its required features are not supported.
What you need before adding the printer
Have the printer powered on and ready to communicate before opening Ubuntu’s settings. The exact wording and location of controls can differ between Ubuntu releases and desktop environments, but the workflow is the same.
- For USB: a suitable printer cable and a free USB port. The printer may include a cable, so check its packaging before buying one; connector type and cable inclusion vary by model.
- For Ethernet: connect the printer to your router or switch and complete any network setup shown on the printer’s display.
- For Wi‑Fi: join the printer to the same local network used by the Ubuntu computer. A guest network or client-isolation setting can prevent discovery even when both devices appear to have internet access.
- For any connection: know the printer’s exact model. That information is essential if Ubuntu asks for a manufacturer driver or if you need the printer’s documented IPP address.
Ubuntu’s desktop guidance covers USB, wired-network, and wireless-network printers and notes that a driver can be required when a device does not appear. See Ubuntu Desktop Help: Set up a local printer for release-specific screenshots and labels.
Choose the connection that fits your setup
No connection type is universally more reliable. The practical differences are whether the printer is shared by several devices, how it is discovered, and whether the printer’s advanced features need a vendor package.
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| Connection | Best fit | Discovery and visibility | Driverless possibility | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB | A single computer close to the printer | Usually appears after the cable is connected and the printer is powered on | Possible for supported IPP-over-USB devices | The printer is physically tied to that computer unless you configure sharing separately |
| Ethernet | A fixed printer near a router or switch | Available to computers on the same local network when discovery traffic is allowed | Often available when the printer advertises compatible IPP | Requires network configuration at the printer and a working LAN connection |
| Wi‑Fi | A printer that must be placed away from the computer | Visible to devices on the same Wi‑Fi/LAN, subject to router isolation and discovery settings | Often available for printers supporting AirPrint, Mopria, or IPP Everywhere | Different SSIDs, guest networks, or weak wireless connectivity can stop discovery |
Use USB when the printer is for one nearby workstation. Use Ethernet or Wi‑Fi when several computers, phones, or tablets need to print. If you require features such as a model-specific finishing option, check whether the printer exposes those options through its IPP queue; otherwise the manufacturer’s Ubuntu driver may be necessary.
How Ubuntu’s printing system works
Ubuntu uses the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) to create printer queues, accept jobs, and send those jobs to local or network devices. CUPS also supports Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), the communication method used by many modern network printers. Ubuntu Server documentation describes CUPS as the most widely used way to manage printing and print services in Ubuntu; that page was updated June 26, 2026 and focuses on server configuration rather than a requirement for ordinary desktop users. Read Ubuntu’s CUPS print-server documentation for the architecture and administrative controls.
When you add a printer in the desktop settings, Ubuntu creates a queue with a name, connection, and set of capabilities. Applications send documents to that queue; CUPS handles spooling and passes the job to the printer. A queue can therefore exist even when the physical printer is temporarily offline, in which case jobs remain pending until communication is restored.
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Step-by-step: add a USB, Ethernet, or Wi‑Fi printer
1. Prepare the physical or network connection
- Turn on the printer and wait until it finishes its startup cycle.
- For USB, connect the cable directly to the Ubuntu computer. Avoid an unpowered hub while troubleshooting, because it adds another possible point of failure.
- For Ethernet, connect the printer to the local router or switch and confirm that its network indicator or status screen shows a connection.
- For Wi‑Fi, use the printer’s own setup controls to join the same home or office network as Ubuntu. Record the printer’s displayed network address if the device shows one; it can help with later diagnostics.
Do not begin by installing a random driver package. Let Ubuntu identify the device first; an incorrect package can create a queue that looks configured but cannot communicate with the printer.
2. Open Ubuntu’s printer settings
- Open the desktop Settings application.
- Select Printers. On some releases this is under a hardware-related category, and the label can vary.
- Choose Add Printer (or the equivalent plus button).
The add dialog searches the connections available to the computer. A USB printer generally appears only after it is powered and cabled. A network printer appears when discovery traffic can pass between the computer and printer.
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3. Select the discovered device
Choose the entry whose model and connection match the printer you prepared. If Ubuntu presents a recommended driver or a driverless option, accept the recommendation when it matches the exact model and connection. Driverless does not mean “works with every printer”; it means the printer publishes enough standard IPP information for Ubuntu to build a queue without a proprietary package.
If several entries appear, compare the connection details. A network queue and a USB queue for the same physical printer are separate configurations. Pick the one you intend to use, rather than adding duplicates that can make application print dialogs confusing.
4. Finish the queue configuration
Confirm the printer name and any default options offered by the dialog. Keep the name descriptive if more than one printer is used, such as a room or department name. If the dialog asks for a driver choice, prefer a driverless IPP entry for a printer that explicitly supports it; otherwise use the exact model-specific driver supplied by the printer maker.
Do not substitute a similar model simply because its name looks close. Similar devices can use different paper trays, duplex units, ink systems, or command languages. If the exact model is unavailable, pause and consult the maker’s Ubuntu/Linux support instructions rather than guessing.
5. Print a test page
- With the new queue selected, choose Print Test Page (the wording can vary slightly).
- Check that the printer feeds paper and that text or graphics are placed correctly.
- If the page prints, open a normal application and confirm the queue appears in its print dialog.
A successful test page verifies the basic path from the Ubuntu queue to the printer. It does not prove that every optional feature is available, so test duplexing, color, additional trays, or finishing options separately when those functions matter.
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6. Set job-specific options only when needed
Paper size, orientation, color mode, duplex printing, and tray selection are usually controlled in the application’s print dialog. Set a queue-wide default only when most jobs use the same values. A mismatch between the document’s paper size and the loaded paper can cause scaling or an immediate hold, even though the printer itself is correctly installed.
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Driverless printing: what it supports and where it stops
Ubuntu’s driverless utility is designed to discover printers that expose standard IPP interfaces and to integrate those queues with CUPS setup tools. The documented families include IPP Everywhere, AirPrint, Mopria, Wi‑Fi Direct, network IPP, and supported IPP-over-USB devices. The current Ubuntu manpage is for the 26.10 development (“stonking”) release and lists package version 2.0.1-0ubuntu5, so verify command behavior and desktop integration on your installed Ubuntu release. The protocol and device details are documented at Ubuntu’s driverless manpage.
- IPP Everywhere: a standard IPP profile intended to let clients print without a proprietary model driver.
- AirPrint and Mopria: ecosystems commonly advertised by network printers and multifunction devices; their presence is a useful indication that an IPP queue may be available on Ubuntu.
- Wi‑Fi Direct: a direct wireless connection supported by some devices. It is separate from joining the normal household Wi‑Fi and may require enabling a mode on the printer.
- IPP-over-USB: a printer can expose an IPP endpoint through its USB connection, but only if the device and Ubuntu’s USB-IPP support are compatible.
Driverless setup still depends on an actual IPP conversation. A printer can have a marketing label that mentions mobile printing yet fail to expose the needed service on your connection, firmware, or network. When the driverless option is absent, treat that as a compatibility signal: check the printer’s supported protocols and follow its model-specific Linux instructions.
If Ubuntu does not list the printer
Check the simplest causes first
- Confirm the printer is powered on and not displaying a paper, cover, or ink/toner fault.
- For USB, reseat both ends of the cable and try another port. If possible, test the cable with another known-working device; a cable is not guaranteed to be included or to use the connector you expect.
- For Ethernet or Wi‑Fi, verify that the printer and Ubuntu computer are on the same local network, not merely connected to the internet.
- Refresh the Add Printer dialog after correcting the connection. Some devices take a short time to announce themselves after booting or joining Wi‑Fi.
Ubuntu’s desktop help specifically notes that a missing printer may need a driver. If the device remains absent after the physical and network checks, identify the exact model and consult the manufacturer’s Ubuntu/Linux support page for its driver and connection instructions. Do not invent an IPP address or select a driver for a different model.
When network discovery fails but the printer is online
Discovery uses local-network protocols that can be blocked by guest-network isolation, a segmented VLAN, or a firewall. First move both devices to the same ordinary LAN and temporarily remove network segmentation as a test, following your organization’s security policy. If the printer’s control panel or status report provides an IPP address or URI, the Add Printer workflow may allow a manual network entry. Use the exact address documented by the printer; the correct path and transport differ by model.
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A manually added queue can print even when automatic discovery is blocked, but it will not repair a broken network route. If the printer’s address changes frequently, reserve an address in the router or configure the printer’s own network settings according to its documentation.
When a driverless entry is missing
Confirm that the printer advertises IPP Everywhere, AirPrint, Mopria, or another mode listed by the driverless documentation, and that the relevant interface is enabled. A device that supports only a proprietary protocol needs its model-specific Linux driver. Firmware can also affect which services are announced, so check the maker’s release notes if a previously working printer stopped advertising IPP.
USB multifunction printers and ipp-usb
Some USB-only printers and multifunction printers expose an AirPrint-compatible IPP service over USB rather than using a traditional vendor backend. Ubuntu’s ipp-usb package can provide that bridge for compatible devices and supports driverless printing and scanning. The Noble (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS) manpage documents package version 0.9.24-0ubuntu3.3; consult the Ubuntu 24.04 ipp-usb manpage for the supported behavior.
This is not a universal fix for every USB printer. It applies to devices that actually implement the relevant AirPrint/IPP-over-USB service. If the printer is not compatible, installing the package will not turn a proprietary USB protocol into IPP; use the exact Linux driver supplied for that model instead.
When the printer is listed but a job will not print
Read the queue state
Return to Settings → Printers and inspect the queue. A paused queue, an offline status, or a job that remains pending points to a different problem than a printer that never appeared. Resume the queue only after checking why it was paused; repeatedly resubmitting the same document can create duplicates when the device eventually recovers.
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Separate connection failures from document settings
Try the Ubuntu test page first. If the test page also fails, concentrate on the queue, backend, cable, or network path. If the test page succeeds but one application fails, check that application’s selected printer, paper size, and color/duplex settings. A successful test page means the basic configured path works; it does not guarantee that an application is using the same queue or options.
Use CUPS diagnostics when the desktop view is not enough
Ubuntu documents the CUPS administration interface at http://localhost:631/admin and the main error log at /var/log/cups/error_log. The interface can reveal queue state and backend errors that are not obvious in the desktop panel. Administrative authentication may be required, and managing another computer has additional access controls.
Look for messages that identify a failed backend, an unreachable network address, a rejected job, or a missing filter/driver. Record the model, connection type, queue name, and the time of the failure before changing settings; those details make model-specific support more effective.
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Adding a network printer to one Ubuntu desktop is not the same as turning that computer into a print server. Ubuntu’s CUPS server documentation says CUPS listens on loopback by default. Allowing other computers to use queues requires explicit listener and access-control configuration, normally on a trusted LAN and using port 631. Follow the CUPS print-server guide for that server task.
Do not expose the CUPS administration interface to a public network. Remote access should be limited to the networks and users that genuinely need it, with firewall and authentication rules appropriate to the environment. For an ordinary one-computer setup, you generally do not need to install or reconfigure a CUPS server package; the desktop printing components are normally already present.
When to install a manufacturer driver
Use a model-specific Ubuntu driver when:
- the printer is not discovered after power, cable, and network checks;
- the printer does not advertise a compatible IPP mode;
- the queue prints basic pages but lacks required hardware features; or
- the manufacturer documents a proprietary protocol or a required package for Linux.
Download drivers only from the printer maker’s support site or the Ubuntu package sources recommended in that documentation. Match the package to your Ubuntu release and CPU architecture, and remove or disable an experimental queue only after recording its settings. A vendor driver can expose extra trays or finishing controls, but it also introduces another software component to maintain when Ubuntu or the printer firmware changes.
A practical decision path
- Single nearby computer: start with USB, then use the desktop Add Printer dialog and print a test page.
- Several devices need access: connect the printer to Ethernet or Wi‑Fi and keep all clients on the same trusted LAN.
- The printer advertises IPP Everywhere, AirPrint, or Mopria: select the driverless queue when Ubuntu offers it.
- The printer is absent: verify power, cable, network membership, and discovery; then check the exact model’s Linux support.
- The queue exists but jobs fail: test the queue, inspect its status, and use the CUPS interface and error log for backend details.
- You need other computers to print through Ubuntu: treat CUPS sharing as a server configuration, with deliberate listener and access-control settings.
Version and compatibility notes
Ubuntu’s settings labels and discovery behavior can change between releases. The desktop help page is the stable procedural reference for the local setup flow, while the driverless page cited above describes a 26.10 development release. The ipp-usb reference is for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble). If a menu, package name, or option differs on your installation, use the documentation for that release and the printer’s exact model rather than assuming that a development-manpage example applies unchanged.
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