How to Uninstall a Printer on a Mac

Eric DawsonByEric Dawson Computers & Software

If you’re asking “how do I uninstall a printer on Mac,” open the Apple menu, choose System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click “Remove.” On Macs using the older interface, open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, then use the minus (“-“) control.

Removing the printer deletes its queue from your Mac’s printer list. It does not necessarily remove separate manufacturer software or driver files. If the printer you removed was your default, check the remaining printers and select the replacement, then choose “Set as default” if needed.

How Do I Uninstall Printer on Mac

Use the standard steps to remove the selected printer entry from the available list.

Remove a Printer in System Settings

First, check the printer name and model in the list so you do not remove the wrong device. Apple notes that the labels and screens for adding and managing printers can vary slightly by macOS version, so the removal control may use different wording on different Macs.

  1. Open System Settings.
  2. Choose Printers & Scanners.
  3. Select the old or unwanted printer from the printer list.
  4. Click “Remove” and confirm the removal if your Mac asks.

On macOS 13 and later, the path is generally Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners, where the button may appear as “Remove Printer…” or “Remove Printer.” Older Macs can use Apple menu > System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, followed by the minus (“-“) or Remove control and a “Delete Printer” confirmation.

Before deleting an entry, select it and use “Options & Supplies” if you need to review management options for that particular printer. A connected USB printer and a printer available on the same network can both appear in the list, so a duplicate-looking entry may represent a different connection or printer destination.

If your goal is to remove printer driver Mac files rather than simply delete printer queue Mac settings, treat that as a separate task. Removing a printer through Printers & Scanners does not necessarily uninstall manufacturer software, every driver file, or print-related utilities. AirPrint is built into macOS and can add compatible printers without additional drivers, so an AirPrint printer may not have a separate manufacturer driver to remove.

Choose the Right Fix for the Problem

Start by matching the action to the problem: removing a printer deletes its listed queue, while canceling a job keeps the printer available. A broader reset is for persistent printing trouble and requires adding printers again afterward.

An unwanted old device calls for queue removal, especially when it still appears among the printers available to the Mac. By contrast, a document that will not print belongs in the Print Queue window, where Apple says you can pause, resume, reorder, or delete current jobs. Click the “X” beside a job to cancel that document without deleting the printer itself. Canceling a temporary job is usually the narrower choice when you still want to use that printer.

If the removed device was the default, macOS selects another printer as the default. Afterwards, select the preferred remaining printer in Printers & Scanners and use “Set as default” if needed. Rather than removing a working printer, this changes which device is selected by default for future print jobs.

Problem Best Action Result
An old printer is still listed Remove the selected printer queue Deletes that printer entry from Printers & Scanners
One document is stuck Open Print Queue and click “X” beside the job Cancels that job while keeping the printer
A different printer should be used first Select it and choose “Set as default” Changes the default-printer selection
Printing problems continue across the setup Reset the printing system Printers must be added again afterward
A vendor driver needs removal Use the matching manufacturer’s instructions Vendor files and steps vary by printer brand

Driver removal is separate from deleting a printer queue. Likewise, a printer that keeps reappearing may involve network discovery, including Bonjour or IPP connections, rather than the same queue remaining in the list.

Resetting the printing system is the widest option in this group. Because Apple says printers must be added again after a reset, reserve it for a persistent problem rather than a single obsolete device or stuck document. Use System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, then right-click the printer list and choose “Reset printing system.”

Since 2020, my Brother HL-L2350DW mono laser has sat in north Columbus, Ohio, doing the unglamorous work of turning documents into more things to misplace. That makes the smallest-change rule appealing: cancel one bad job or remove one obsolete queue before resetting the printing system, because a reset means adding every printer again. Deleting a working printer to change defaults is administrative self harm.

Delete a Printer Queue or a Stuck Job

Cancel a stuck document in the Print Queue window when the printer itself should remain available.

Apple separates a printer from the jobs waiting for it. Each print job is stored temporarily until it is completed, and the Print Queue window shows the status and progress of current work. Keeping the queue lets you deal with one failed, paused, or unwanted document without removing the device from the printer list.

Cancel One Pending Job

Start by opening the Print Queue window for the printer with the pending document. Locate the job you want to stop, then click the “X” beside it. That action deletes the individual print job rather than the printer queue. Alternatively, use the same window to pause, resume, or change the order of current jobs when cancellation is not what you need.

Check the job name and status before clicking “X,” especially when several documents are waiting. A queue can hold more than one job, so canceling one document does not cancel the others. Afterward, open a document and choose File > Print, or press Command + P, to review the Printer pop-up menu and select the printer for a new job.

Deleting a printer queue has a different result: it removes the printer entry, while canceling a job leaves that entry in place. For a printer that you still use, job management is the narrower action because it targets the pending document. Persistent trouble that involves more than a single job calls for a separate troubleshooting step, rather than treating every printing issue as a reason to delete the queue.

Before sending another file, confirm that the desired printer is selected in the Printer pop-up menu. Selecting a printer controls where the new document goes, while the Print Queue window manages work already submitted. Once the unwanted job is gone, the remaining queue can continue to receive documents and show their progress clearly afterward.

Reset the Printing System on a Mac

Use it when ordinary printer management has not resolved the issue and you are prepared to set up your printers again afterward.

Because a reset affects the Mac’s current printer setup, it is not the same as removing one unwanted printer. That makes this option best suited to a problem affecting printing more generally, rather than a simple cleanup of an old entry.

How to Reset the Printing System

Choose an empty area of the printer list and right-click it. Confirm the reset when prompted. Apple identifies this as a response when a print job becomes stuck, but the result reaches beyond a single document or one printer because the Mac will need its printers added again.

Afterward, return to Printers & Scanners and add back each printer you still use. Check that each printer is powered on and connected to the Mac when adding it again. Depending on the printer, that connection can be through the same network as the Mac or through USB. AirPrint printers can be added without installing additional drivers.

What a Reset Does Not Replace

For printer-specific software problems, resetting the printing system and removing a printer driver on a Mac are separate tasks. A reset requires printers to be added again, while driver removal concerns the files or software associated with a particular manufacturer. Manufacturer instructions can differ, so avoid treating a printing-system reset as a universal driver-uninstall procedure.

A reset also differs from changing the default printer after rebuilding your printer list. Restarting the Mac or printer is another troubleshooting option Apple lists for printing problems, especially when the printer appears not to be connected.

Remove a Printer Driver on a Mac

Removing a printer driver on a Mac requires brand-specific instructions because deleting a printer entry does not necessarily remove vendor driver files. Apple’s printer-list removal guidance covers the selected entry rather than a manufacturer’s separate application or every driver file. Vendor procedures can differ sharply, making the printer maker’s directions the appropriate route for installed software.

Epson Driver Removal

Epson’s Mac procedure removes its driver files as an all-Epson cleanup, not as a one-printer cleanup. First, open Apple menu > System Preferences > Print & Fax, highlight Epson printers, use the remove button to remove them from the Printers list, and click OK. Next, open the Hard Drive, choose Library > Printers, select the folder named “EPSON,” and drag it to the Trash.

Then empty the Trash and restart the Mac. Because the EPSON folder contains all installed Epson printer drivers, reinstall any Epson drivers still needed afterward. To reinstall one, visit the appropriate Epson Support Printer model page, download the required driver, open the downloaded file, and follow the on-screen installation instructions.

Ricoh Driver Removal

Ricoh uses a more targeted PPD-file procedure for its printer driver removal. Open the menu bar, choose Go > Go to Folder, and enter “/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/”. Find the installed PPD file named “XXX.gz,” with “XXX” representing the machine model name, then delete the relevant file.

Authentication with the macOS username and password may be required. Afterward, close all screens and restart the Mac. Ricoh says the printer driver is deleted once the computer restarts.

Neither Epson’s folder removal nor Ricoh’s PPD deletion should be treated as a universal procedure for every printer brand.

Choose the matching manufacturer’s method when removing vendor software, especially if other printers from the same brand remain in use. CUPS can list available driver models with lpinfo -m, but that command lists models rather than providing a driver-uninstall process.

When a Printer Keeps Reappearing

When a printer keeps reappearing on a Mac, separate the printer queue you deleted from a device the Mac can discover again through a network or USB connection.

Network printing can use several connection methods, including Bonjour through DNS-SD, Internet Printing Protocol, AppSocket, and USB. CUPS identifies these methods as backends and shows that a printer may be represented by a device URI rather than only a visible hardware model. An entry can therefore be tied to an address, a Bonjour-style identifier, or a direct USB URI.

Direct connections and network connections are both ways a printer can appear to the Mac during setup. Rather than treating every visible name as a separate physical machine, check the printer name and model shown in the printer list before making changes. CUPS also uses the word “destination” for an individual printer or a class, which is a group of printers. Classes can send jobs to the next available printer, so a class and an individual destination are different items.

Before assuming removal failed, identify what remains visible and where it appears: Printers & Scanners, the print dialog, or a CUPS administration view can present different parts of printing management.

Apple describes the printer list as containing printers connected to the Mac or available on its network, while CUPS documents device connections separately from driver models. Comparing the listed name, model, and connection representation helps keep a queue deletion distinct from device discovery.

If a printer is still needed, verify that you are targeting the unwanted entry instead of the replacement you use. For advanced queue work, use the destination name required by CUPS rather than assuming the device’s marketing name is the queue name. Labels and controls may vary slightly across macOS versions too.

Use CUPS for Advanced Queue Removal

For advanced queue removal, use CUPS’ lpadmin command to delete the named destination: lpadmin -x printername. Unlike a graphical printer-list control, this command targets the CUPS destination name, which may differ from the model name printed on the hardware. Enter the actual queue name after -x; CUPS documents that syntax for deleting an individual printer destination.

Before deleting anything, identify the destination accurately. Run lpinfo -v to list available CUPS backends and printers, then compare the results with the queue you intend to remove. Keep in mind that printer connections can be represented by device URIs, including IPP, Bonjour DNS-SD, AppSocket, and USB forms, rather than by a simple hardware-model label.

Remember that lpinfo -v is the documented command for available devices and backends, not for driver models. Compare URIs closely when names resemble one another, because each URI identifies a connection method or address.

To inspect available driver models, run lpinfo -m. That output serves a different purpose from lpinfo -v: it lists models, while the other command lists connection options and printers. Listing a model does not delete it or provide a remove printer driver Mac procedure.

CUPS describes printer definitions as potentially using driver or filter programs and backend programs, so removing a destination and removing related driver components are separate tasks. Use the model listing for inspection, not as a deletion instruction.

Classes need special care because a class is a group of one or more printers used to distribute work or provide redundancy. Jobs sent to a class go to the next available printer. Delete a class with lpadmin -x classname, not the individual-printer form, when the named destination is a class. Confirm the type before issuing the command, since the same deletion flag handles either named kind.

Administration can also take place in CUPS’ web interface at http://localhost:631, with setup administration available at http://localhost:631/admin/. OpenPrinting identifies Apple CUPS as the version provided with macOS, while OpenPrinting CUPS continues development for operating systems more broadly. Administrative web actions request a password for root or a user in listed administrative groups. Avoid treating CUPS sharing or logging controls as a reset printing system Mac method: cupsctl manages system-wide settings such as debug logging and printer sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Removing a Printer from a Mac Uninstall Its Driver?

No. Removing a printer in Printers & Scanners removes the selected printer entry from the Mac’s printer list. It does not necessarily remove separate manufacturer software or all driver files. AirPrint is built into macOS, so an AirPrint printer may not have a separately installed manufacturer driver.

How Do I Delete a Stuck Print Job Without Removing the Printer?

Open the printer’s Print Queue window, where macOS shows the status and progress of current jobs. Click the “X” next to the specific job you want to cancel. This removes that document from the queue while keeping the printer available for future printing.

What Does Reset Printing System Do on a Mac?

Resetting the printing system is a broader troubleshooting step than removing one printer. Apple says that printers must be added again after the reset. Use it for a persistent printing problem rather than as the normal way to delete an old printer.

Why Does a Printer Keep Reappearing on My Mac?

Printers can be discovered through network and USB connections, including Bonjour, IPP, and direct USB printer connections. A printer may also be represented by a device URI rather than only by its visible hardware model. Removing a queue and preventing later discovery are separate issues.

How Do I Remove an Epson or Ricoh Printer Driver from a Mac?

Use the instructions for your printer’s manufacturer because vendor driver removal is not universal. Epson directs users to remove Epson printers from the printer list, then move the “EPSON” folder from Hard Drive > Library > Printers to the trash, empty the trash, and restart. Ricoh directs users to Go > Go to Folder, open “/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/”, delete the relevant model-named “XXX.gz” PPD file, and restart.

What Is the CUPS Command to Delete a Printer Queue?

Beyond that, use lpadmin -x printername to delete a named CUPS printer destination. Replace printername with the queue’s destination name, which may differ from the marketing name printed on the device. CUPS also uses lpadmin -x classname to delete a printer class, which is a pool of printers rather than an individual queue.

For most Macs, remove an old printer through Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and choose Remove. Check the printer name and model before confirming, especially if several similar queues appear. Cancel a stuck document from Print Queue instead of deleting the printer, and treat driver-file removal or CUPS commands as separate, more specialized tasks.

References

Sources read in September 2026.

Eric Dawson

I'm Eric Dawson, and I write The Money Watch from north Columbus, Ohio. Most of what I cover comes from my own life: renting, a 2014 Honda Fit, parking, computers, food and the bills behind all of it. I spent four years in an apartment-property office and eleven on a distributor's operations desk, reading leases and invoices. Where you need real information, I research the maker's or agency's own page and independent sources and report what they publish. I don't give tax, investment, legal or medical advice.