This guide will show you how to make a shortcut to a printer on a PC running Windows 11 or Windows 10. In older versions of Windows OS, the system tray on the taskbar shows a printer icon for the print queue. But with modern printing methods, you might not be able to have such an icon (such as cloud printing or Wi-Fi printing). So, making a printer shortcut is a good idea if you use a printer often and want to get to it quickly from the desktop or taskbar of your Windows 11 computer.
How can I create a desktop printer shortcut?
It is easy to put a printer shortcut on the desktop in Windows 11. You only need to know the name of the printer and where the Shortcut wizard is. The Windows 11 Settings app is where you can find the printer’s name. To create the printer shortcut, you must enter the required string and the printer’s name into the shortcut wizard. Check out this page for step-by-step instructions on how to make a printer shortcut on a Windows 11 computer.
Easy Steps to Create a Printer Shortcut in Windows 11/10
Before making a shortcut, ensure your printer is installed and connected to your computer. If not, you must install or add a local printer, connect a wireless printer, or connect another printer to your Windows 11 computer before you can create a shortcut to it and use it.
How do you create a Printer shortcut in Windows 11/10?
Follow these steps to make a shortcut to your printer on your Windows 11/10 PC:
1. Open the Windows 11/10 Settings app by pressing the Win+I shortcut key.
Go to the Bluetooth & devices section in Windows 11.
Go to the Devices section in Windows 10.
2. Go to the page or category for Printers and Scanners.
3. On that page, you’ll see a list of all the printers you have installed and their names. Remember or write down the name of the printer because you need to use the actual name of the printer for which you want to create a shortcut.
4. Go to the desktop of your Windows computer and right-click on a blank space.
5. Go to the menu called “New.”
6. Pick the option that says “Shortcut.” It will open the window for making a shortcut. In the “Type the location of the item” section of that window, there will be a text box.
In the text field, type the following:
rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /o /n “PrinterName”
7. Change the name PrinterName in that string to the real name of the printer. After that, click the Next button.
8. Give your printer a name (it can be anything) and click Finish. You can also link the printer to the taskbar to make it easier to use that printer.
- Right-click on the printer shortcut in Windows 10 and choose “Pin to taskbar” from the menu.
- Right-click on the printer shortcut in Windows 11 and choose “Show more options.” It will bring up the usual context menu, where you can choose “Pin to taskbar.”
Create a Custom icon for the Printer shortcut
Every desktop shortcut, even the one for the printer, is given a default icon. It may not be to your liking. You can change the icon for the Shortcut to the printer if you want to. There is a way to change file and folder icons in Windows 11. (including desktop shortcuts). Here’s how to give your printer shortcut a custom icon:
1. Right-click on the Shortcut to the printer and select Properties.
2. Go to the properties box and click on the Shortcut tab.
3. Choose the option to Change Icon. It will open a small box called “Change Icon.”
4. You’ll see icons for your printer shortcut already in that box. Click the Browse button if you want to choose your icon.
6. A box called “Change Icon” will show up. Go to the folder where the icon file you want to use for your printer shortcut is located using this window. Then, choose the icon file and press the Open button. You’ll go back to the box where you can change the icon.
7. Press OK to go back to the Properties box.
8. Click OK a second time to close the Properties window.
All done! The printer shortcut has been created successfully and will now show the icon you asked for.
How do I create a Devices and Printers shortcut in Windows 10?
Here are the ways to make a shortcut to Devices and Printers on your desktop in Windows 10. The Windows 11 operating system can also be used with these steps. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Click right on the desktop
2. Choose “New” from the menu
3. Go to the New menu and choose Shortcut to start the Shortcut Wizard.
4. Copy and paste the text below into the empty text field:
explorer.exe shell:::{A8A91A66-3A7D-4424-8D24-04E180695C7A}
5. Call your Shortcut something.
6. Give the Shortcut a name, like Devices and Printers or something else.
You should now see the Shortcut for Devices and Printers on your desktop.
All about making a Printer Shortcut in Windows 11/10. In plain English, Click “Start,” then “Control Panel,” then “Hardware and Sound,” then “Devices and Printers,” then “Printers,” and then right-click and choose “Create Shortcut.” You can also read an article about how to fix Windows Printer Error 0x0000011b.
