Printing from a Mac works the same way in every app. One keyboard shortcut opens the Print dialog everywhere — Safari, Word, Excel, Outlook, Preview, and more:
⌘+P
The universal print shortcut — works in every app
Print
Printer:Choose your printer here
Presets:
Copies:Number of copies
Pages:
Print all or a range
Show DetailsReveals all options (paper size, layout, etc.)
Tip: The Print dialog hides most options by default. Click "Show Details" at the bottom to reveal paper size, orientation, scaling, two-sided printing, and more.
Try It Now
Press ⌘+P in any app right now. The Print dialog will appear. Press Cancel or Esc to close it without printing.
Try It Now
In the Print dialog, click "Show Details" at the bottom. You will see all the advanced options: paper size, orientation, layout, and more.
Save as PDF — A Mac Superpower
You can turn anything into a PDF — no extra software needed.
Any document, webpage, or email can be saved as a PDF directly from the Print dialog. This is built into macOS and works in every single app.
⌘P
Step 1
Press ⌘+P to open Print dialog
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PDF
Step 2
Click the "PDF" dropdown (bottom left)
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Step 3
Select "Save as PDF"
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✓
Step 4
Choose location, name it, click Save
Great for: Archiving emails, saving web pages for offline reading, sharing documents with anyone (they do not need the original app), and creating records of online forms or confirmations.
Try It Now
Try the Save as PDF trick: press ⌘+P, click the PDF dropdown at the bottom left, then choose "Save as PDF." Save it to your Desktop to see the result.
Practice Exercises
These quick exercises help you get comfortable with printing on your Mac. Check off each one as you try it.
Try It Now
Open Safari, visit any webpage, then press ⌘+P. Instead of printing, click the PDF dropdown and save the page as a PDF. Open the PDF from Finder to see how it looks.
More Printing Topics
Adding a Printer
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General
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Appearance
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Wi-Fi
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Printers & Scanners
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Sound
Printers & Scanners
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Mercury Office Printer - 3rd Floor
Idle — Ready
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Add a printer...
Click + below
+ Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax...
To add a printer:
Open System Settings (click the Apple menu at top left, then System Settings)
Scroll down in the left sidebar and click Printers & Scanners
Click the "Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax..." button
Your Mac searches the network automatically. Select the printer and click Add
At Mercury: Office printers are typically pre-configured by IT. If yours is missing, make sure you are connected to the Mercury Wi-Fi network. If it still does not appear, contact the IT Service Desk.
Two-Sided (Duplex) Printing
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Two-sided printing saves paper by printing on both sides of each sheet. Here is how to enable it:
Open the Print dialog with ⌘+P
Click "Show Details" at the bottom of the dialog
Look for a "Two-Sided" checkbox (it may appear near the top of the expanded options)
If you do not see it directly, check under the dropdown menu that often says "Layout" — two-sided options may be there
Check the box or select your preferred binding option (Long-Edge for standard documents, Short-Edge for flip-up binding)
Note: Not all printers support duplex printing. If you do not see the option, your printer may lack that capability. Check with IT if you are unsure.
Troubleshooting Common Print Problems
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Printer not showing up in the list?
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Make sure you are connected to the Mercury Wi-Fi network. Then go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners and try adding it again with the "+" button. If the printer still does not appear, restart your Mac and try once more. If it is still missing, contact the IT Service Desk.
Print job stuck or not printing?
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Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click the printer that has the stuck job, then click "Open Print Queue...". In the queue window, select the stuck job and delete it (click the X next to it). You can also click the printer icon that appears in your Dock while a job is active to access the queue.
Printout is the wrong size or looks strange?
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Open the Print dialog (⌘+P), click "Show Details", and check the Paper Size — it should be set to "US Letter" for standard documents. Also check the Scale setting and make sure it is set to 100%. If printing from a web page, some sites may print poorly — try using Save as PDF first, then print the PDF.
Need to cancel a print job quickly?
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When you send a print job, a printer icon appears in the Dock at the bottom of your screen. Click it to open the print queue, then select the job and delete it. If you catch it fast enough (before it reaches the printer), the job will be canceled.