---
title: "CUPS"
category: "Desktop and system"
tagline: "The printing system for Linux, turned on, with a PDF printer included."
source: "pacman"
package: "cups"
website: "https://openprinting.github.io/cups/"
code: "https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups"
links:
  - name: "CUPS on the Arch wiki"
    url: "https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS"
---

## What it is

CUPS is the printing service on Linux and most Unix systems. Apps send it documents, and it queues them and talks to your printers, over USB or the network. Most current network printers work with it without a driver, using the IPP Everywhere standard.

## Why it's here

- **Printing works.** Add a printer and print from any app.
- **Driverless for most printers.** Modern network printers are found and set up automatically.
- **Print to PDF.** cups-pdf adds a virtual printer that saves to a file.

## On CoreDesktop

CoreDesktop installs CUPS from pacman with cups-pdf and gtk3-print-backends, which lets GTK apps see your printers, and turns `cups.service` on. Add printers in **Settings › Printers**. Only this computer can reach the printing service: [audit](/utilities/#audit) lists it on port 631. As the [System page](/system/) notes, printing to other CoreDesktop machines may need more work. `update` keeps CUPS current.