How to Add a Printer Icon to the Desktop
By Ken Burnside
Adding a printer icon to the desktop makes printing documents as easy as dragging and dropping the files onto the icon. It used to be a common customization trick in the 1980s with Mac OS, in the 1990s with Windows 95 and onwards. It's gotten a little bit trickier to execute since user interfaces and graphical metaphors have changed. However, desktop printer icons are a great way to give printer access to employees with a locked down computer, or a computer that's used by multiple employees for printing out receipts and invoices.
Windows 8 Desktop
Click on the "Search" charm.
Enter "Printers" in the search box. This will pull up a set of search results. Select "Printers and Devices" from the results.
Right-click on the printer you want on your desktop.
Select "Create Shortcut." A shortcut will appear on the desktop.
Check to see that the icon is there by going to the "Start" screen and selecting the "Desktop" tile.
Windows 8 Start Screen
Click on the "Search" charm.
Enter "Printers" in the search box, which will pull up a list of search results. Select "Printers and Devices" from the results.
Right-click the printer you want on the Start Screen.
Select "Pin to Start" to make sure that shortcut remains on the Start Screen.
Windows 7
Click on the "Start" button, and type "Printers" in the search box. "Devices & Printers" will show up. Double-click on the icon for "Devices & Printers."
Right-click the printer you want on your desktop.
Select "Create Shortcut" to create an icon on your desktop.
Mac OS X
Click on the "Apple" menu.
Choose "System Preferences" followed by "Print & Fax." A list of available printers will appear in the left sidebar.
Click and drag the printer you want on your desktop. A shortcut will appear.
References
Writer Bio
Ken Burnside has been writing freelance since 1990, contributing to publications as diverse as "Pyramid" and "Training & Simulations Journal." A Microsoft MVP in Excel, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Alaska. He won the Origins Award for Attack Vector: Tactical, a board game about space combat.