How to Fix a Printer That Shows Offline
Bring a printer that reports Offline back on Windows 11 or Mac: confirm the connection, clear Use Printer Offline, restart the hardware, and re-add the printer.
A printer shows Offline when the computer cannot reach it, or when Windows has been told to hold jobs. Work through these steps in order and stop when the status changes to Ready.
Check the printer is on and connected
Look at the printer's screen or wireless light. A blinking light means it lost the network. Print a network configuration page from the printer's network or reports menu and confirm the network name matches the one your computer is using and that an IP address is listed. If the printer dropped off Wi-Fi, run its wireless setup again.
Turn off Use Printer Offline on Windows
Go to Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, click the printer, then click Open print queue. Open the Printer menu and clear the checkmarks next to Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing. If the queue window has no Printer menu, press Windows + R, run shell:PrintersFolder, right-click the printer, choose See what's printing, and use the Printer menu there.
Restart the printer and the router
Turn the printer off, wait ten seconds, and turn it on. If it still shows Offline, restart the router as well and wait for the printer to reconnect before checking again.
Remove and re-add the printer
Routers sometimes hand a printer a new IP address, which breaks a printer that was added by address. On Windows, open Printers & scanners, click the printer, click Remove, then click Add device and add it again. On a Mac, open System Settings, Printers & Scanners, click the printer, click Remove Printer, then click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax and add it again.
Run the Windows printer troubleshooter
Go to Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, then click Run next to Printer. It restarts the print spooler and fixes common driver and port problems on its own.
If the printer keeps going offline every few days. Reserve a fixed IP address for it in the router's DHCP settings so the address never changes. The printer's MAC address is on the network configuration page.
If a Mac still shows the printer as offline after re-adding it. Control-click anywhere in the printer list under Printers & Scanners, choose Reset printing system, confirm, then add the printer again. This clears every printer and queued job and starts fresh.