How to access third-party ink jet printer utilities (Mac OS X)

Ink jet printers typically come with utilities for cleaning jet nozzles, aligning print heads, and printing test pages. Learn how to use them in Mac OS X.

Printer utilities for many models of ink jet printers by Canon, Epson, and Hewlett Packard are included with Mac OS X as well as Lexmark (and others with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger). If you have a printer made by another manufacturer or a printer that does not work with one of these utilities, check the manufacturer's website for more information.

There are two ways to open a printer utility application.

Open from Print Center or Printer Setup utility

The printer utility can be opened if the print driver is compatible with the Configure Printer option. Follow these steps:

1. Open Print Center or Printer Setup Utility (/Applications/Utilities/).
2. Select the printer you want, or add your printer if necessary.
3. Choose Configure Printer from the Printers menu. This automatically opens the printer utility, which then appears in the Dock.

Do this any time you want to use the Printer Utility.

Open the utility in the Finder

If the print driver does not work with the Configure Printer option, then Configure Printer is dimmed in the Printers menu. You can locate the utility in the Finder and open it there. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock to get a new Finder window.
2. Choose Computer from the Go menu.
3. Open the Mac OS X disk.
4. Open the Library folder.
5. Open the Printers folder. Within the Printers folder there are folders by manufacturer name. These folders contain printer utilities and other items.
6. Locate the printer utility you need and open it.

Do not move the printer utility from its original location. Instead, you may select it then choose Add to Favorites from the File menu. This will add an alias to your Favorites folder, which you may leave there or place elsewhere. Or, just drag it to the Dock.

Related documents

25588: "Mac OS X 10.3: Raster (ink jet) printer drivers included"
107001: "Mac OS X 10.2: Included Ink Jet Printer Drivers"
106490: "Mac OS X 10.1: Many Third-Party Ink Jet Printer Drivers Are Included"