How to set up Microsoft Universal Print with your office MFP
A practical setup guide for connecting an office MFP to Microsoft Universal Print — the cloud-native print service in Microsoft 365 — covering prerequisites, registration, connector deployment, and the trade-offs to weigh.
What Universal Print is
Microsoft Universal Print is a cloud-based print management service in Microsoft 365 that eliminates the need for on-premises print servers. Workstations submit jobs to Microsoft's cloud, the cloud authenticates and routes them to physical devices, and a connector (running on a server or directly on a Universal Print compatible device) handles the actual print.
Universal Print fits organisations already invested in Microsoft 365 with E3, E5, A3, or A5 licences (or Universal Print standalone licences). The setup removes traditional print server management — no Windows Print Server VM, no driver deployment to workstations, no spooler service to monitor. For organisations not on Microsoft 365 or with significant Mac/Linux populations, on-premises print management remains the simpler answer. For organisations with the licence and on Windows, Universal Print can streamline the print stack significantly.
Prerequisites before starting
Microsoft 365 licensing
Universal Print is included with M365 E3, E5, A3, A5, Business Premium, and certain F-series licences. Without one of these, purchase Universal Print standalone licences (typically priced per user per month).
Azure AD / Entra ID tenant
Universal Print authenticates through Entra ID. The organisation must have an Entra ID tenant configured with the users who will print to Universal Print.
Printer admin role assignment
The user setting up Universal Print needs the Printer Administrator or Global Administrator role in Entra ID.
Compatible MFP or Windows host
Either a Universal Print compatible MFP (most major vendors after 2021 firmware) or a Windows 10/11 PC or Windows Server to run the Universal Print connector.
Two deployment paths
Universal Print supports two paths for connecting MFPs. The first is a "Universal Print Compatible" printer that registers directly to the service over the internet without any on-premises component. The second is a "Universal Print Connector" running on a Windows machine that registers traditional network printers to the service. Most office MFP fleets use a mix — newer devices direct-register, older devices flow through a connector.
Step-by-step: Direct registration (UP-compatible printer)
Verify the MFP supports Universal Print directly
Check the device's firmware release notes and the manufacturer's Universal Print compatibility list. Microsoft maintains a partner page documenting supported devices. Common UP-compatible vendors include HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, Kyocera, and Brother — but the specific model matters.
Update the MFP firmware to the latest release
Universal Print support is typically added in specific firmware versions. Check the current firmware on the device's status page and update to the latest release before continuing.
Sign in to the Universal Print admin centre
Navigate to portal.azure.com, search for "Universal Print", and open the Universal Print blade. Confirm you have the Printer Admin role assigned.
Initiate device registration from the MFP touchscreen
On the MFP, navigate to Settings → Network → Universal Print or the equivalent vendor-specific path. Initiate registration. The device displays a registration code.
Enter the registration code in the Universal Print admin centre
In the admin centre, click "Add printer" → "Register a printer". Enter the code shown on the device. The two endpoints handshake and the printer appears in the Universal Print printer list within 30-60 seconds.
Share the printer with the appropriate users or groups
From the printer's properties in the admin centre, share with specific users, security groups, or distribution lists. Users see the printer in Windows Add Printer → Search at work or school once sharing is configured.
Step-by-step: Connector deployment (for non-compatible MFPs)
Identify a Windows host for the connector
The connector runs on Windows 10/11 (any edition) or Windows Server. Recommended specs: 2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM, persistent network connection. A dedicated VM works well; a workstation that powers off ends print availability.
Install the printer drivers on the connector host
Add each MFP to the connector host as a normal network printer using the vendor driver. The connector inherits these printer queues — the drivers must be installed on the host before the connector can publish the printers.
Download and install the Universal Print Connector
Download from the Microsoft Learn documentation or directly from aka.ms/UPConnector. Run the installer on the host with administrator rights. Authenticate with the Printer Admin account.
Register the connector with the tenant
The connector signs in to Azure AD using the admin credentials and registers itself. The admin centre's "Connectors" list shows the new connector once registration completes (30-60 seconds).
Register each printer through the connector
From the connector's local management UI or the admin centre, register each Windows-installed printer to Universal Print. The connector forwards print jobs from the cloud to the physical device.
Share with users as for direct-registered printers
Once registered, connector-managed printers behave identically to direct-registered printers from the user perspective. Sharing with users and groups follows the same flow.
Client-side experience
Windows 10/11 clients find Universal Print printers through Add Printer → "Search at work or school". The list shows printers shared with the user's account based on Entra ID group membership. Adding a printer is instant — no driver download, no IP configuration, no spooler setup. The printer appears in the Print dialog of every application.
Mac clients can use Universal Print via a third-party application (Apple does not natively support the protocol). Linux clients have limited support. For mixed-platform environments, this is the central trade-off of Universal Print: it works beautifully for Windows but requires workarounds for other platforms.
Compatibility considerations
| Component | Universal Print support |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 | Native, primary client |
| Windows 10 (current) | Native, fully supported |
| Windows Server 2019/2022 | Native (as host for connector) |
| macOS | Via Mosyle, Jamf, or third-party clients |
| iOS / iPadOS | Limited; via specific apps |
| Android | Limited; via specific apps |
| Chromebooks | Limited; CUPS bridge required |
| Linux | Limited; third-party tools |
Trade-offs to weigh
Why offices adopt Universal Print
- No print server infrastructure to maintain
- No driver deployment to workstations
- Print available from anywhere on the internet
- Entra ID-based authentication and group sharing
- Audit logging built in
- Scales with the cloud, no on-prem capacity planning
Why some offices stay on-premises
- Requires Microsoft 365 licensing investment
- Limited support for non-Windows clients
- Internet dependency for all print operations
- Some advanced features (account codes, secure release) need vendor extensions
- Connector still needed for older MFPs
- Per-page job allowances may limit very high volume sites
Universal Print pricing and limits
Universal Print is included with several Microsoft 365 licences with monthly job allowances. M365 E3 includes 5 print jobs per user per month at no additional cost; E5 includes 5 jobs per user per month. Heavier usage requires additional Universal Print licences (typically priced around €2-4 per user per month for unlimited use). Calculate the office's monthly print volume and the per-user allowance before standardising on Universal Print — high-volume offices may find on-premises print servers cheaper at scale.
Migration from traditional print server
Organisations migrating from on-premises print servers to Universal Print typically run both in parallel for 4 to 8 weeks. Set up Universal Print, register printers, share with a pilot group of users, and verify the workflow. Expand to all users while keeping the legacy server queues operational as fallback. Once all users print successfully via Universal Print for 30 days, decommission the legacy server and remove the print queues from workstations via Group Policy.
Common setup issues
Three issues recur during Universal Print setup. The first is connector registration failing due to firewall blocking outbound connectivity to Microsoft endpoints — verify the Windows host can reach *.print.microsoft.com and related Azure endpoints. The second is users not seeing shared printers because Entra ID group membership has not propagated — group changes can take 30-60 minutes to reflect in Universal Print sharing. The third is print jobs stalling because the connector's print queue has accumulated failed jobs — clear the local queue and restart the connector service.