In a busy office environment, equipping every single desk with an individual printer is expensive, inefficient, and creates unnecessary clutter. By sharing a single, high-quality printer across your local network, you allow multiple team members to send print jobs from their own computers simultaneously.

Setting up a shared printer optimizes your office resources, reduces hardware costs, and streamlines your workspace. Here is how to configure it properly.

Step 1: Enable Network Discovery and File/Printer Sharing

Before you can share the printer, you must configure the primary computer (the PC physically connected to the printer via USB) to allow other devices on the network to see it.

1. Press Win + I to open Windows Settings and navigate to Network & internet.
2. Click on Advanced network settings, then select Advanced sharing settings.
3. Under your current network profile (usually set to Private), locate Network discovery and toggle it to On.
4. Right below it, locate File and printer sharing and toggle it to On.

Step 2: Configure the Printer for Sharing

Once your network permissions are active, you need to explicitly tell Windows to share the specific printer.

1. Navigate back to the main Settings menu and go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Click on the printer you wish to share and select Printer properties (not regular properties).
3. In the pop-up window, click on the Sharing
4. Check the box that says Share this printer.
5. Give the printer a clear, recognizable share name (e.g., Office_Epson_Laser) so your team can easily identify it. Click Apply and OK.

Step 3: Connect to the Shared Printer from Other Systems

Now that the printer is broadcasting its availability, other computers in the office can connect to it.

For other Windows PCs:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners on the employee’s computer.
2. Click Add device.
3. If the system doesn’t immediately find it, click The printer that I want isn’t listed
4. Choose Select a shared printer by name and type in the primary computer’s network path (e.g., \\PrimaryPCName\Office_Epson_Laser) or browse the local network folders to select it.

For Mac Systems:

1. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners and click the Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax…
2. Click the Windows icon or look under the Network tab to locate the shared printer group, select the machine, and click Add.

Conclusion

Setting up a shared network printer is a foundational step in building an efficient office infrastructure. By enabling sharing permissions on your host PC and mapping the device to the rest of your workplace systems, you eliminate the hassle of swapping cables and running back and forth with flash drives. It is a quick configuration that drastically improves daily office productivity.