Applications and Printers
Spring Lake Park Schools Technology Services provides a variety of applications to install on your Mac from our Self Service app and Apple's Mac App Store. Read below for information on installing apps, printers and more.
If you need assistance, contact Technology Services by creating a Panther Help Desk ticket.
Applications on your Mac
- How to install apps on your Mac
- How to use Self Service for your Mac (Video)
- Request an app
- Default district apps
- Enabling Camera, Microphone, and Screen Recording for Apps
How to install apps on your Mac
There are two ways to install apps on your Mac: the Self Service app and the Mac App Store.
Installing Apps from Self Service
Self Service is a "one-stop shop" for district apps, printers, web links and computer quick fixes built by Technology Services.
- Go to Self Service from Finder>Applications>Self Service or from the Self Service icon in your Dock. You can also be directed to Self Service on your Mac here.
- Enter your network username and password to log in.
- Search for your app or printer by using the categories on the left-hand side bar, or by searching in the search box on the top-left corner of the app.
- To install an app or printer, find your desired app and click "Install." You will see the progress of the app install under the History tab. Depending on the app, apps can take less than a minute, or up to ten minutes, to install. Printers typically takes 30-60 seconds to install.
- NOTE: Quitting Self Service before installing an app can cause the installation to fail.
Installing apps from the Mac App Store
You can also install apps from Apple's Mac App Store. Note that apps installed from the Mac App Store require a personally-owned Apple ID; your school Managed Apple ID will not work to install apps from the Mac App Store.
- Go to the Mac App Store from Finder>Applications>App Store.
- When installing an app, you'll be prompted for your Apple ID. After entering your Apple ID and password, your Apple ID will be saved.
- To update apps installed from the Mac App Store, you can click on the Updates tab in the App Store. It's recommended that you update your apps when they are available.
- NOTE: Tech is unable to reset Apple ID passwords, as they are controlled by Apple. To reset your personal Apple ID password, visit Apple's iForgot Password Reset page.
How to use Self Service for your Mac (Video)
Request an app
If you do not find an app you need for your Mac in Self Service or the Mac App Store, you can request it through our Free App Request Form. Log into the form using your MyPanthers email and password, and you'll be able to request an app. Technology Services will process the request and email you once the app is in Self Service. Your app will be processed in a timely manner. Depending on the complexity of the app and any necessary testing, some apps may take longer than others.
If you are requesting a paid app, you will need to complete a Paid App Request.
Default district apps
- Default apps installed on our Macs includes:
- Self Service: Used to install district apps, printers, and run quick fixes from Tech.
- Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive
- PaperCut: Printing software
- NoMAD: Password sync utility
- HP and Xerox Print Drivers
- Google Drive File Stream: Data sync and backup for Google Drive and MyPanthers
- Additional security and malware protection
Enabling Camera, Microphone, and Screen Recording for Apps
By default, Macs require apps to request permission to use your camera, microphone, and to record or share your screen. Follow the instructions below to turn on your camera, microphone, and Screen Recording/Sharing for apps.
Camera and Microphone
- When an app asks for camera or microphone permission, you can click OK. Frequent apps that request camera and app permission includes Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, and video apps like iMovie.
- If you decline permission by accident or need to pull permission from an app:
- Go to System Preferences>Security & Privacy>Privacy.
- Scroll down the list on the left side and click on "Camera" or "Microphone"
- From here, you can scroll through the list of apps and either check to box to Enable, or uncheck a box to disable your camera and microphone for individual apps.
Screen Recording
Follow the steps below to enable Screen Recording for apps. We will use Webex as an example.
- When you attempt to share your screen, you'll be asked to enable Screen Recording. Webex will send you to System Preferences.
- NOTE: Apps that require the Screen Recording permission to share your screen require quitting and restarting the app.
- In System Preferences, go to Security & Privacy>Privacy>Screen Recording. Click on the app you want to enable Screen Recording, or uncheck the app to disable Screen Recording.
- If the app is currently open, you'll be asked to quit the app and go back. Once you quit the app and re-open it, you will be able to share your screen.
Printing from your Mac
Installing district printers
To install a district printer on your Mac, go to the Self Service icon or be directed to Self Service here and either go to the Printers category or use the top-left search bar to search for your desired printer.
Printing from your Mac
- When you go to File>Print to print a document on your Mac, you will see a popup from our PaperCut print client. Ensure that your desired budget is selected under Charge to shared account, then click Print.
- If the PaperCut box doesn't appear, the PaperCut Client may not be running. You can see if PaperCut is running if you see the icon on your taskbar. If PaperCut is not running, go to Finder>Applications and click on PCClient, or restart your computer.
Installing printers at home
Staff have the ability to install a home printer on their district Mac. Follow the instructions below from Apple's support page on installing printers for your Mac:
In most cases, when you add a printer, macOS uses AirPrint to connect to the printer or automatically downloads the printer’s software (also called a printer driver). Don’t install the software that came with the printer or from the manufacturer’s website; follow the instructions in one of the tasks below, and macOS will prompt you to download the latest software if it’s needed.
Add a USB printer
For most USB printers, all you have to do is update your software and then connect the printer to your Mac. macOS automatically detects the printer and downloads any necessary software. For other printers, you may have to complete a few steps to add the printer.
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On your Mac, update your software: Choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, click Software Update, then install any software updates listed. Even if no updates appear, this ensures that macOS has the latest information about printer software it can download from Apple. If you don’t do this, you may see a message that software isn’t available when you connect your printer.
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Prepare your printer: Use the instructions that came with your printer to unpack the printer, install ink or toner, and add paper. Turn on the printer and make sure it’s not displaying any errors.
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Connect your printer: Connect the USB cable to your Mac. If you see a message prompting you to download new software, make sure to download and install it.
Add a Wi-Fi or network printer
If your Mac and printer are already connected to the same Wi-Fi network, the printer might be available to you without any setup. To check, choose File > Print, click the Printer pop-up menu, choose Nearby Printers or Printers & Scanners preferences, then choose your printer. If your printer isn’t available, you can add it.
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On your Mac, update your software (if you don’t have an AirPrint printer): Choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, click Software Update, then install any software updates listed. Even if no updates appear, this ensures that macOS has the latest information about printer software it can download from Apple. If you don’t do this, you may see a message that software isn’t available when you connect your printer.
If you have an AirPrint printer, you don’t need to check for software updates.
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Prepare your printer: Use the instructions that came with your printer to unpack the printer, install ink or toner, and add paper. Turn on the printer and make sure it’s not displaying any errors.
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Connect your printer: Follow the instructions that came with the printer to connect it to the network.
If you have a Wi-Fi printer, you might need to connect the printer to your Mac with a USB cable to set up Wi-Fi printing. After connecting the printer to your Mac, install the Mac software that came with the printer and use the printer’s setup assistant to connect the printer to your Wi-Fi network. After setting up, you can disconnect the cable from your printer and Mac and the printer should remain connected to the Wi-Fi network. See the Apple Support article Connect an AirPrint printer to a Wi-Fi network.
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Add the printer to your list of available printers: Choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners. If you don’t see your printer listed on the left, click the Add button
at the bottom of the list. A dialog appears listing printers on your local network. It may take a minute or two for your printer to appear. Select your printer when it appears in the list, then click Add. If you see a message prompting you to download new software, make sure to download and install it.
If your printer still doesn’t appear in the list, try adding the printer by its IP address (see below).
When you add a printer, macOS can usually detect whether the printer has special accessories installed, such as additional paper trays, extra memory, or a duplex unit. If it can’t, a dialog appears that lets you specify them. Make sure the settings in that dialog accurately reflect your printer’s installed accessories so you can take full advantage of them.