To your Mac laptop, a wireless Bluetooth printer is just another Bluetooth connection — but to you, it’s the very definition of convenience, especially if desk space is limited next to your Mac. Just set that paper-producing puppy up anywhere in the 30 40 foot range, plug it in, set up the printer in Snow Leopard, and let ‘er rip.
Not all printer manufacturers produce Bluetooth models that communicate properly with your MacBook. Make sure that the Bluetooth printer you buy supports HCRP. (Another jawbreaker acronym. This time it stands for Hardcopy Cable Replacement Protocol.)
You have two options when installing a Bluetooth printer:
♦ Whenever possible, use the printer manufacturer’s software. A printer might require a driver that a typical Bluetooth device doesn’t need.
♦ You can usually successfully set up a printer via the Bluetooth Setup Assistant, which you can run from the Bluetooth pane of System Preferences (as I discuss earlier in the topic):
a. Make sure your printer is set as discoverable.
Check your printer manual to determine how to switch your printer to discoverable mode. This mode allows other Bluetooth devices within range (including your laptop) to recognize and make a connection to your printer.
b. Click the Set Up New Device button.
c. Choose to install a printer.
d. Follow the onscreen instructions.
Luckily, after you successfully set up a Bluetooth printer, you can just press 96+P to open the Print dialog box and choose that printer from the Printer pop-up menu. No big whoop . . . and that’s the way it should be.
