How to Rename a Printer in Windows 10

You've got two printers sitting on the same desk — one for everyday documents and one dedicated to your sublimation projects. Every time you open the print dialog, Windows shows you a cryptic model number like "EPSON_ET_2760" instead of something that actually tells you which machine to choose. Learning how to rename a printer in Windows 10 takes less than two minutes and clears up that confusion permanently. For more printer setup help, browse the printer guides section.

Windows 10 doesn't put the renaming option in an obvious place. It's tucked inside either the Settings app or the classic Control Panel — not sitting right on the printer list where you'd expect to find it. Once you know the path, though, it's a handful of clicks and you're done.

This guide walks you through both renaming methods, shows you real naming examples that hold up over time, and explains how to keep your printer list from turning into a tangled mess. Whether you manage one printer at home or a lineup of devices in a craft studio, these steps apply directly to you.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you rename anything, take thirty seconds to confirm you have the right access and that your printer is visible to Windows. Skipping this check is how you end up staring at a grayed-out button wondering what went wrong.

Settings App vs. Control Panel

Windows 10 gives you two routes to rename a printer. Both work. Here's how they differ:

• Settings app — The modern interface. Cleaner layout, works on all updated versions of Windows 10.
• Control Panel — The classic interface. Useful if your Settings app is restricted by an IT policy, or if you just prefer the old-school approach.

Full step-by-step instructions for both methods are in the next section. Pick whichever feels more comfortable.

Admin Rights and Permissions

You need administrator access on the computer to rename a printer. Standard user accounts don't have this permission by default.

• On a personal home computer, your account is almost certainly already an administrator account.
• On a workplace computer managed by IT, you may need to request help from your system admin.
• To check: go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and look for the word "Administrator" below your name.

Also confirm your printer is installed and showing up in your device list. If you're not sure the printer is set up correctly, start with the basics — loading paper in your printer and verifying it powers on and connects before you try to rename anything.

How to Rename a Printer in Windows 10: Two Easy Methods

Here are both methods laid out step by step. You only need to use one. Both get you to the same Printer properties dialog where the name lives.

Method 1 — Using Windows Settings

This is the recommended method for most home users. It's clean, straightforward, and works on any fully updated Windows 10 machine.

1. Click the Start button — the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
2. Click the gear icon to open Settings, or press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
3. Click Devices.
4. In the left sidebar, click Printers & scanners.
5. Click the printer you want to rename from the list.
6. Click the Manage button that appears below the printer name.
7. On the printer management page, click Printer properties.
8. In the General tab, you'll see an editable text field at the top of the window — that's the printer name.
9. Clear the current name and type your new name.
10. Click Apply, then click OK.

Your new name appears immediately in the printer list. No restart required.

Method 2 — Using Control Panel

If your Settings app has limited options or you're on an older version of Windows 10, this method gives you direct access to the same dialog.

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type control printers and press Enter. This jumps you straight to the Devices and Printers window.
3. Find your printer in the list. Right-click it.
4. Select Printer properties from the context menu. Important: "Printer properties" and "Properties" are two different options in this menu — click "Printer properties."
5. In the General tab, clear the name in the text box at the top and type your new name.
6. Click Apply, then OK.

According to Wikipedia's article on computer printers, the print spooler service in Windows manages all printer metadata — including device names — which is why your change takes effect immediately without a reboot.

If you're working with a Brother printer and the name change doesn't seem to stick, or you run into driver-related errors during this process, resetting your Brother printer can clear underlying driver glitches before you try again.

Printer Names That Actually Work

Renaming your printer is only useful if the new name is actually better than the old one. A well-chosen name speeds up your daily workflow. A poorly chosen one creates different confusion.

Naming by Function

Name your printer by what it does. This works best when each device in your setup has a distinct role.

• Sublimation Printer — for your dedicated sublimation machine
• Document Printer — for everyday text and PDF printing
• Photo Printer — for high-resolution photo output
• Label Printer — for shipping labels, address labels, and tags
• Heat Press Printer — for transfer sheet printing tied to a heat press workflow

Function-based names are clean and self-explanatory. They're the right choice when you're the only person using the devices.

Naming by Location

For shared setups or multi-room arrangements, location-based names make navigation faster for everyone on the network.

• Studio-Main
• Office-HP
• Garage-Epson
• Upstairs-Brother

The most effective approach combines both: Studio-Sublimation or Office-Documents gives you location and function in one glance. Here's a comparison of naming styles to help you pick the right one for your setup:

Pro Tips to Avoid Common Naming Mistakes

Most naming mistakes are small, but they create friction every time you interact with your printer list. These tips keep you clear of the common traps.

Characters, Spaces, and Length

Windows 10 is fairly flexible with printer names, but a few rules apply:

• Spaces are allowed and work fine in the Settings app and most print dialogs.
• Avoid special characters: / \ : * ? " < > | — these can cause errors in certain print dialogs and scripting environments.
• Keep names under 32 characters. Longer names get cut off in dropdown menus.
• Skip all-caps names unless you're using abbreviations. Mixed case reads faster: "Studio-Sublimation" is easier to scan than "STUDIOSUBLIMATION."

If your printer handles specialty media — like heavy cardstock or thick vinyl — consider baking that into the name so you always know which driver settings are already dialed in. If you regularly print on heavier stock, our guide on how to print on thick paper covers the settings adjustments that go along with it.

Shared and Network Printers

Renaming a shared or network printer has one critical rule you need to understand before you start:

• The rename only changes the display name on the computer where you make the change. Other computers on the same network still see the original name unless you rename it on each machine separately.
• The printer's share name — the identifier other machines use to connect to it — is a separate field. Renaming the display name doesn't change the share name.
• For network printers used by multiple people, coordinate with your team and apply the same naming convention on every machine at once.

If you're working with an HP printer on your network, getting duplex printing set up correctly is another quick win for your workflow — see our guide on printing on both sides of paper with an HP printer once your naming is sorted.

Keeping Your Printer List Clean After Changes

Renaming is one part of a clean printer setup. Over time, old entries and ghost devices accumulate — and a cluttered list undoes all the clarity you just created.

Removing Ghost Printers

Ghost printers (also called phantom printers or stale entries) show up in your list even though the device is no longer connected. Here's how to remove them:

1. Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Click the ghost printer entry in the list.
3. Click Remove device.
4. Confirm the removal when prompted.

If the Remove device button is grayed out, try this fix:

• Press Windows key + R, type printmanagement.msc, and press Enter.
• In the Print Management console, expand the Printers node, right-click the stuck entry, and choose Delete.

Removing ghost printers before you rename your active devices gives you a clean starting list so you're not accidentally renaming the wrong entry.

After Driver Updates or Resets

Driver updates sometimes push printers back to their factory default names. If your custom name disappears after a Windows update:

• Re-apply the name through either method above — it takes less than a minute once you know the path.
• Keep a simple record of your printer names — a note on your phone or a sticky note on the monitor works fine — so you can restore them quickly after any update.
• If you use a Brother printer and run into repeated driver conflicts after updates, check our guide on how to reset a Brother printer drum, as drum resets and driver reinstalls sometimes interact in unexpected ways.

Treat printer renaming as a quick line item on your regular maintenance checklist, not a one-time setup task.

Building a Long-Term Printer Naming System

If you only have one printer, rename it once and you're done. But if you're running a home craft setup or a small studio with multiple devices, a consistent naming convention pays dividends over time — especially when you're training new team members or adding equipment.

Home Craft Setups

A typical home craft setup might include two or three printers:

• An inkjet for general documents and photos
• A sublimation printer for mugs, shirts, and tumblers
• A vinyl cutter or Cricut that registers as a print device

Function-based names work best here. Short, clear, and descriptive. Once you set them, you rarely need to touch them again. If your sublimation printer pulls double duty — handling both fabric transfers and hard substrate prints — name it for its primary job: Sublimation-Main is cleaner than trying to describe every role it fills.

Small Studio or Office Setups

A small print studio or craft business typically has more printers, more users, and more potential for naming chaos. A structured format prevents mix-ups across the team.

A solid naming format for studios: [Location]-[Function]-[Brand Initial]

• Front-Sublimation-E (Epson sublimation printer at the front station)
• Back-Documents-B (Brother document printer in the back room)
• Studio-HeatPress-H (HP printer connected to the heat press station)

Write your convention down and share it with everyone who touches the machines. Whatever format you choose, consistency across all devices and all computers matters more than the specific format itself. Once the naming is locked in, your whole printing workflow becomes something you maintain rather than something you constantly troubleshoot.

Frequently Asked Questions

A printer with a name you chose is a printer you control — two minutes of setup pays off every single time you sit down to print.

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