Change the Default Paper Type in Windows and macOS

Why the default paper type matters

The printer driver holds two separate media settings: the paper size and the paper type. The type describes the material in the tray, such as plain paper, recycled paper, envelopes, labels, card stock, or glossy photo paper. When the default type is Plain but the tray holds photo paper, the printer applies the wrong temperature, pressure, or ink settings for the job, and the output can be washed out, smeared, or jam inside the machine.

A mismatched default also makes the printer pull media from the wrong tray. If your printer has several trays and each holds a different type, the driver prompts you to confirm the media at the start of every job. Setting the default removes that prompt and keeps the device moving from one document to the next. For a deeper look at what the media setting controls, see our guide to printer media types.

• Plain and recycled paper for everyday documents.
• Labels, card stock and envelopes for mailing work.
• Glossy, matte and semi-gloss media for photos.

Where the default lives

In Windows, the default paper type is stored in the driver's Printing Preferences for each printer. When the printer is shared, the administrator sets a server default that applies to everyone on the queue, and each user can still override it from their own computer for a single job.

In macOS, the default media is a property of the print queue under Printers and Scanners. Some drivers also expose a paper type pop-up next to the paper size at the bottom of every print dialog, and that choice persists for the current app until you change it. If your printer holds several trays, check the paper tray capacity guide before you assign a type to each tray.

Change the default in Windows

The exact labels vary by driver, but the flow is the same across Windows 10 and Windows 11. These steps change the driver default that all apps inherit, which is different from the per-job setting in an app's dialog. For context on how defaults and app settings interact, read our default print settings guide.

• Open Devices and Printers from the Start menu, or Printers and Scanners in Settings.
• Right-click your printer and choose Printing Preferences.
• Open the Media, Paper or Quality tab, depending on the driver, and select the paper type from the list.
• Press Apply and then OK. The new default applies to future jobs.

Change the default in macOS

macOS is one of the clients listed in the Printer Working Group's IPP Everywhere standard, so most current printers connect through a driverless queue that reads the media list directly from the device. The default media setting still exists, but it lives in the print queue rather than in a separate driver file. Apply the steps below from an admin account.

• Open System Settings and go to Printers and Scanners.
• Select the printer and open Options and Supplies.
• Look for a Media or Paper Type setting in the driver options, choose the default, and save.
• In many drivers you can also set the paper type at the bottom of a print dialog, then select Save as Default from the preset menu.

What changes with a driverless printer

Newer printers support IPP Everywhere, a PWG standard that lets personal computers and mobile devices find and print to networked and USB printers without vendor-specific software. The standard covers the full range of print media, two-sided printing, and photo printing. With that kind of connection, the default paper type is usually set on the printer's own control panel or web interface, not in the operating system.

The Printer Working Group reports that 98 percent of printers sold today support IPP 2.0 and DNS-SD. When your printer is on an IPP Everywhere queue, changing the default media on the device is the fastest path, and the macOS or Windows dialog simply reflects what the printer advertises. Mobile printing works the same way through Mopria certified apps on Android and Chromebook devices. If you print from phones often, see the AirPrint and Mopria guide before you adjust anything.

Separate paper size from paper type

The paper size is the sheet dimension, such as Letter, A4, A5 or legal. The paper type is the material. Both are needed because one tray can hold A4 envelopes and another can hold Letter plain paper. If the driver defaults every tray to Letter plain, your A4 envelopes are never selected even when the envelope tray is full.

When you change the default type, also confirm the default size in the same dialog. For uncommon sheets, the driver may ask for a custom dimension first. Our guide to custom paper sizes covers how to add those definitions, and the paper size support guide explains which sizes the printer can physically handle.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Will changing the default override my app settings?

No. Many apps put their own paper selection in the print dialog, and that choice wins for the current job. The driver default only applies when an app does not specify a type.

Do I need to touch every application?

No. The default lives in the driver, so once it is set, apps that use the system print dialog inherit it. Only apps that hard-code their own media selection need a manual change per document.

What if my printer does not list the paper type I want?

Look for a custom media setting in the driver, or configure the tray from the printer's control panel. You may also need to create a custom paper size and assign it to the tray before the type becomes available.

Can I change the default on a shared office printer?

A shared queue has a server default set by an administrator. Users can override it per job, but the server default wins unless the user changes it in Printing Preferences or the queue settings.

How do I know which default to choose?

Check the paper loaded in the tray you use most and set the driver to the same type. If your workflow mixes media, keep Plain as the global default and pick the specific type per job only when needed.