Knowledge Center

Printers

You can set up your Synology NAS to be a print server, allowing client computers or mobile devices to access printers connected to Synology NAS. You can also print remotely using iOS devices via Apple Wireless Printing (AirPrint).

For a list of compatible printers, visit Synology website.

Setting up Printers

To set up a USB printer:

  1. Power on and connect the printer to a USB port on the Synology NAS.
  2. Go to Control Panel > External Devices > Printer.
  3. Select the printer you wish to set up. Please note that Synology NAS cannot recognize printers connected via USB hubs.
  4. Click Printer Manager and select Set Up Printer.
  5. On the dialog box, select one of the following modes:
    • Network MFP: Allows clients within the local network to use print, scan, and fax functions of your multifunction printer. Scanning and fax functions are available for Windows computers only.
    • Network Printer: Choose this mode for printers that only support printing or if you want to allow clients to use the printing function only.
  6. Configure Apple Wireless Printing settings (optional).
  7. Click Save.

Note:

  • A network MFP can only be accessed by one client concurrently.
  • Certain devices released as of 2022 no longer support the network/USB printer function. For details, refer to the technical specifications for External Devices.

To set up a network printer:

  1. Power on and connect the network printer to the same local network as your Synology NAS.
  2. Go to Control Panel > External Devices > Printer.
  3. Click Add Network Printer and follow the instructions of the setup wizard.

Note:

  • Printer Name: This is required during setup and can contain a maximum of 32 characters, including letters, numbers, and underscores.
  • Protocol: In general, HP network printers use Socket; Canon network printers use BJNP; and others mostly use LPR.
  • Queue Name: This is required for LPR and IPP network printers, but is not applicable for Socket or BJNP printers.
  • No Network MFP: Network printers connected to Synology NAS cannot use Network MFP mode at present.
  • No USB Printers: USB printers shared by a Synology product cannot be set as network printers.

To set up a PostScript USB printer using a Mac:

For macOS 10.12.X:

  1. Follow the steps in To set up a USB printer.
  2. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Printer & Scanners, and then click + to add a new printer.
  3. Choose IP as printer type.
    • Enter the printer's host name or IP address.
    • Choose Line Printer Daemon - LPD for Protocol.
    • Enter "usbprinter" in the Queue Field. If you have trouble finding your Queue name, go to Control Panel > External Devices > Printer on your DSM.
  4. Select Generic PostScript Printer for Use.
  5. Click Add to finish.

For macOS 10.6.X:

  1. Follow the steps in To set up a USB printer.
  2. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Printer & Fax, and then click + to add a new printer.
  3. Choose IP.
    • Choose Line Printer Daemon - LPD for Protocol.
    • Enter the printer's IP address.
    • Enter "usbprinter" in the Queue Field.
    • Select Generic PostScript Printer for Print Using.
    • Click Add to finish.

Note:

  • AppleTalk is no longer supported by macOS 10.6.X. If you need to use an AppleTalk printer, read its documentation for a possible way to connect it to your Mac computer or local network. If there is no way to connect the printer, connect it to a Mac computer with macOS 10.5.X or earlier, and set it up to be shared.

For macOS 10.5.X:

  1. Follow the steps in To set up a USB printer.
  2. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Printer & Fax, and then click + to add a new printer.
  3. Choose a method.
    • Method 1: AppleTalk
      • Select Generic PostScript Printer for Print Using.
      • Click Add to finish.
    • Method 2: IP
      • Choose Line Printer Daemon - LPD for Protocol.
      • Enter the printer's IP address.
      • Enter "usbprinter" in the Queue Field.
      • Select Generic PostScript Printer for Print Using.
      • Click Add to finish.

Managing Printers

The printer tab includes the following options to manage USB or network printers connected to the Synology NAS.

  • Get Info: Displays information related to the selected printer, such as device name, manufacturer, status, etc.
  • Remove: Removes and disconnects a printer from the Synology NAS.
  • Printer Manager: Includes the following options:
    • Set up Printer: Edit printer settings. To set up Apple Wireless Printing (AirPrint), see below for instructions.
    • Clean up spool space: Cancels all printing tasks on all printers.
    • Print Test Page: Prints a test page to make sure configurations are correct.
    • Release Printer: Disconnects the printer and client (for Network MFP mode only). When a client connects to a multifunctional printer to receive faxes or to scan files, the task might take some time. If necessary, you can temporarily stop the connection to allow the next client in line to access the printer.

To enable Apple Wireless Printing (AirPrint):

  1. Go to Control Panel > External Devices > Printer.
  2. Select a printer from the device list.
  3. Click Printer Manager > Set Up Printer.
  4. Check the box Enable Apple Wireless Printing.
  5. Select your printer's brand and driver.
  6. Click Save.

After the setup is complete, you can print a test page by clicking Printer Manager > Print Test Page.

Note:

  • Enabling Apple Wireless Printing also enables Bonjour Printer Broadcast for DSM.
  • Apple Wireless Printing is available for iOS 4.2 or later.

Accessing Printers

To access printers using a Windows PC:

The best way to access Synology NAS device's printing service is to set up the connection to the printer with Synology Assistant.

If Synology Assistant is not installed on your computer, see below for other ways of accessing Synology NAS device's printing service.

Type 1. Shared Network Printer

  1. On you PC, open Network in File Explorer and double-click on the Synology NAS.
  2. Double-click on usbprinter or network printer name; the system prompts you to install the correct driver, and then click Yes.
  3. Get the printer driver from the manufacturer. Select the manufacturer and model of the printer, or click Have Disk to select the location of the driver. Then click OK.
  4. The system will start to set up the network printer. After the setup is complete, you may start using the printer.

Type 2. LPR Port (Recommended)

  1. On your PC, click Start and go to Devices and Printers.
  2. Click Add Printer.
  3. Choose Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer.
  4. Choose The printer that I want isn't listed.
  5. Select Add a printer using TCP/IP address or hostname. Click Next.
  6. Choose the Device type to be TCP/IP Port Device.
  7. Enter the IP address of the Synology NAS. Click Next.
  8. Select Device Type: Custom > Settings > …. Click Next.
  9. Select LPR for protocol; Enter usbprinter or network printer name for Queue Name, and check the LPR Byte Counting Enabled checkbox. Click OK.
  10. Get the printer driver from the manufacturer. Select the manufacturer and model of the printer, or click Have Disk to select the location of the driver. Then click OK.
  11. The system will start to set up the network printer. After the setup is complete, you may start using the printer.

To access printers using a Mac:

Mac users can access the Synology NAS device's printing service by enabling DSM's Bonjour printer broadcast and adding the printer in System Preferences.

Please make sure your Synology NAS is using a Postscript printer before proceeding.

Step 1. Enable DSM's Bonjour printer broadcast

  1. Sign in to DSM as admin or a user belonging to the administrators group.
  2. Go to Control Panel > File Services > Advanced.
  3. Tick Enable Bonjour service discovery to locate Synology NAS and Enable Bonjour Printer Broadcast.

Step 2. Access printer using Mac

  1. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Print & Scan, and then click +.
  2. Choose usbprinter[number] or network printer name from the drop-down menu. Your Mac will set up the printer automatically.

Setting up Printers
Managing Printers
Accessing Printers