Create a test printer and set it to be the default printer for Windows

Summary

Instructions provided describe how to create a high-resolution test printer, and set it as the default.

This procedure is used to test various output problems encountered with ArcGIS Desktop applications. For more information about the interaction of the default printer with ArcMap's export, see the link in the Related Information section.

Note:
ArcMap is in Mature support and will be retired March 1, 2026. There are no plans for future releases of ArcMap, and it is recommended that you migrate to ArcGIS Pro. See Migrate from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro for more information.

Note:
It is highly recommended to use ArcGIS Pro for printing and exporting, especially when experiencing issues caused by the limitations of the ArcMap display engine. More specifically, ArcGIS Pro is not restricted by the graphical device interface (GDI) limitations that some users experience in ArcMap. For example, transparency is natively supported in ArcGIS Pro, preventing the rasterization of layers. Additionally, ArcGIS Pro supports transparency in layout elements.

Procedure

Windows 10

1. Right-click the Windows (Start) icon, and click Settings.
2. In the Windows Settings dialog, click Devices.
3. In the Bluetooth & other devices dialog, click Printers & scanners.
4. In the Printers & scanners dialog, uncheck the Let Windows manage my default printer box, then click Add a printer or scanner.
5. Scroll down the list of printers, and click The printer that I want isn't listed.
6. In the Add Printer dialog, select Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, and click Next.
7. Under Choose a printer port, select Use an existing port: LPT1 (Printer Port), and click Next.
8. Under Install the printer driver, select a large-format, high-resolution printer. Click Next.
9. Under Which version of the driver do you want to use?, choose Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended), and click Next.
10. Type a name for the printer and click Next.
11. Under Printer Sharing, select Do not share this printer, and click Next.
12. Select Set as default printer, and click Finish.