Print on iMac

Question

iMac printer is on network

print pdf from windows11

print queue says error

Answer 1

Hi Wm B,

I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when the printer is visible on the network, but jobs stay in an Error state. Since the Q&A Assist already covered the basic troubleshooting, I'd like to add a few thoughts on this situation that you can consider:

1 - Switch the printer driver to a generic PostScript driver

• Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
• Select the iMac‑shared printer > Printer properties
• Open the Advanced tab > New Driver
• Choose Generic > MS Publisher Color Printer or Generic PS Class Driver
• Apply and test printing the PDF again

2 - Disable “Render print jobs on client computers”

• In Printer properties, open the Sharing tab
• Uncheck Render print jobs on client computers

3 - Print via IP instead of the macOS share

• On Windows, select Add a printer > Add manually
• Choose Add a printer using a TCP/IP address
• Use the printer’s IP address (not the iMac name)

4 - Checks to do on the iMac

• Ensure System Settings > General > Sharing > Printer Sharing is enabled
• Confirm the shared printer:
  • Allows Everyone or has a user/password Windows can authenticate against
  • Avoid AirPrint‑only sharing if the printer supports full drivers

It'd also be helpful if you can try to print using Microsoft Print to PDF first, then print that newly created PDF to the network printer. If the local printers print fine then Windows is working correctly, at that point, it depends on your iMac to provide a Windows‑compatible driver, Microsoft Support cannot override that limitation. One thing to note is that sometimes Windows 11 and newer macOS versions can be incompatible since they're two different environments.

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Answer 2

Use these steps on the Windows 11 PC that is trying to print to the iMac‑shared printer:

1. Clear the print queue
   1. Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
   2. Select the network printer (the one shared from the iMac), then select Open print queue.
   3. Right‑click each job that shows Error and select Cancel until the list is empty.
2. Restart the Print Spooler service
   1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
   2. Scroll down and find Print Spooler.
   3. Right‑click Print Spooler and select Restart.
3. Try printing the PDF again
   1. Open the PDF on Windows 11.
   2. Choose Print, select the iMac network printer, and send a small test print.
4. If errors continue, remove and re‑add the printer on Windows 11
   1. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
   2. Select the iMac printer and choose Remove device, then confirm.
   3. Select Add a printer or scanner and follow the prompts to add the network printer again (ensure the iMac and printer are on and shared on the network).

If the queue still shows errors after these steps, check the printer drivers on Windows 11 (install the latest driver for that printer model from the manufacturer) and repeat clearing the queue and restarting the spooler.

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References:

• Fix print job stuck in queue errors in Windows
• Fix print spooler service not running errors in Windows
• Fix printer not found and printer not recognized errors in Windows
• Troubleshooting offline printer problems in Windows