How to Set Up and Use CU Print on a Mac

Student instructions on Installing the CU Print software on your Mac, then print and release your job by swiping your Student ID at a campus printer.

Before you begin

• You are using a Mac. The steps for a Windows computer are different.
• Your computer is connected to the eduroam or RedRover wireless network. You need one of these networks both to install the software and to print.
• You have your Cornell email address, your NetID, and your NetID password. You use your email address to sign in to CU Print and your NetID to authenticate at the printer.
• You can restart your Mac. The installation is not complete until you restart, so save your work and close your apps first.
• You have your Student ID card with you. You swipe it at the printer to release your print job.

Steps

Install the CU Print software

1. Download the CU Print installer for Mac.
2. Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to finish the installation.
3. Restart your Mac.
4. Sign back in to your Mac. A CU Print sign-in window appears. It can take a few moments.
5. Sign in with your Cornell email address and your NetID password.
6. Wait while CU Print-BW and CU Print-Color install. The installation is complete when both show as Installed.
    

Print a document

1. Print from your document as you normally would, and select CU Print-BW for black and white or CU Print-Color for color.
2. The first time you print, a Hold for Authentication message is likely to appear.
3. If it appears, click the retry icon (the circular arrow) in that window.
4. In the Name field, enter your NetID. In the Password field, enter your NetID password.
5. Select Remember this password in my keychain, then click OK. Saving it to your keychain means you are not asked again on this Mac.
6. Go to a printer that matches your choice: a black and white printer for CU Print-BW, or a color printer for CU Print-Color.
7. Swipe your Student ID at the swipe reader built into the printer to release your job.
   

You have 2 hours to swipe your Student ID after you send a print job. After 2 hours the job is cancelled and you are not charged for it.

For current printing rates and how billing works, see CU Print fees and billing.

Expected result

CU Print-BW and CU Print-Color both appear in your list of printers, and your document prints at the printer a few moments after you swipe your Student ID.

Troubleshooting

Before you report a problem, try these quick checks:

• Check your wireless network: confirm you are connected to eduroam or RedRover. CU Print does not work on other networks.
• The sign-in window never appears: give it a few moments after you sign back in. If you have not restarted your Mac since installing, restart it now.
• Your job stays on Hold for Authentication: click the retry icon and enter your NetID rather than your email address in the Name field.
• You are asked for your password every time you print: when the sign-in window appears, select Remember this password in my keychain before you click OK.
• Nothing prints after you swipe: check that you are at a printer that matches your job. A job sent to CU Print-Color does not release at a black and white printer.
• Your job is no longer listed at the printer: if more than 2 hours have passed, the job was cancelled. Send it again from your computer.

Related articles

• How to Set Up and Use CU Print on a Windows Computer

Still need help? The Cornell IT Service Desk supports these printers. Their normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time. You can open a support ticket at any time, 24 hours a day.