Why doesn't my MacBook Air see a connected printer on the wireless network?

Question

For some reason my MacBook has come up with a case of the stupids.  I have been able to print out to my Canon printer before, but now it doesn't see it.  The printer is on our wireless network and can be seen by our iPad, and iMacs but doesn't appear on the MBAir.  I have reinstalled the drivers, rebooted the system and when I go to the Preferences to look at the Printers/Scanners there is nothing there.  Pressing the + button comes up with a screen with nothing in the default area.  The Air is connected to the wireless network and operates fine with the internet and other operations.
What can I do to fix this?

Answer 1

Hello gregfrommi,
After reviewing your post, I have located an article that can help with printing in Yosemite. It contains a number of troubleshooting steps and helpful advice for the issue you are experiencing:
OS X Yosemite: Printing troubleshooting
Check the network
Open Network Diagnostics, then follow the instructions to make sure you’re connected to the network.
If you’re using a Wi-Fi network and there are multiple Wi-Fi networks available, your Mac and the printer might be on different networks. Open the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar, then try choosing a different network. 
To see if the printer you want to use is on the same network as your Mac, open Printers & Scanners preferences (choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners), then click Add . If the printer doesn’t appear in the list of available printers, your Mac might be on a different network. 
If you know the printer’s IP address (for example, 192.168.1.100), you can try adding it as an IP printer. For more information, see Add or remove a printer. 
If your printer is connected to a Time Capsule or AirPort base station, disconnect your printer from the Time Capsule or base station, then reconnect it. 
Make sure you have the latest software
Make sure you have the correct version of your printer’s software (also called its printer driver).
If you’re using a printer that another user is sharing, make sure you’re both using the same version of the printer software. To find out which version you’re using, open Printers & Scanners preferences (choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners). Select the printer in Printers & Scanners preferences, click Options & Supplies, then click General. Note the driver version. 
If you’re using a network printer or a printer attached to your Mac, make sure you have the latest version of the software for the printer. If you still have problems, try different printer software for your printer. 
If you’re using an AirPrint-enabled printer, you can check with the manufacturer to see if there’s a firmware update for your printer model. 
Replace a corrupted printer queue window
If none of the previous solutions work, the printer’s queue may be corrupted. Open Printers & Scanners preferences (choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Printer & Scanner preferences), then delete and set up your printer again. 
If you still can’t print, reset the printing system. 
Print documents
Reset the printing system
Add or remove a printer
Thank you for contributing to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
BobbyD