When we are going to print a file in Windows 10, the operating system asks us to choose the printer to do it. It is a useful function, but if we use the same printer on a regular basis, it doesn't make much sense to have to go through it every time. Therefore, we can have a default printer selected at any time. So we don't have to go through this process every time we want to print a document from the computer.
Thus, we select a printer as default. So when we are preparing to print a document, Windows 10 will detect that the printer is turned on and connects to the computer, without asking if we want to choose it. Which can save us time in this process. Do you want to know how to get it?
This is a must do in case you use only one printer, for example at home or at work. But if you regularly work with other printers, the process does not make as much sense. It's a good option if you have a desktop or laptop that you only use at home. Since on these occasions you only use a specific printer. So it will allow the process to be more comfortable and it will take less time. But for those users who use multiple printers, it is not recommended.
Interested in knowing the steps to follow in this case? We will tell you all below.
Select a printer in Windows 10
The process to achieve this is really simple. We have to enter, as usual in these cases, first in the Windows 10 configuration. Within this configuration we must go to the devices section. When we are inside it, we must look at the column on the left. One of the sections that appear in it is Printers and scanners, which is the option that interests us at that time.
This section shows a complete list with the printers that we have installed on the computer. So that we will be able to choose between these printers the one that we want to use as default in Windows 10. On the screen, we have to look at a section called Allow Windows to manage my default printer. This section interests us, because it allows the operating system to be able to configure one of the printers as the default. So that's what we want to do, especially useful if you only use one printer or use the same one very often.
Next, we have to click on the printer that we want to configure as default in Windows 10. So we go to that list of devices and click on the printer in question. When clicking on it, several options appear, one of which is Open Queue, on which we must click.
Doing this opens the print queue in a new window. There, we have to look at the options that appear at the top of the screen. You are going to see that one of the options is Printer. We click on it and a small contextual menu with various options is then displayed. One of the options in this menu is set printer as default. Therefore, we have to click on this option. So that is the one we have selected for it.
With these steps, the printer to be used by default in Windows 10. So when you go to print a document, if you are near that printer, or it is connected to the computer, it will print it directly from it. So the operating system is no longer going to ask you which printer you want to use in this specific case. Much more comfortable and faster when having to print something.
Control panel
If you want, it is possible to do it from the control panel of Windows 10. In this case, after entering the control panel, follow this path: Hardware and sound> Devices and printers. There you choose the printer in question that you want to use and we select it as the default, right-clicking on it.