Sharing a printer

[NW]

We have three computers at home. The desktop is linked by cable to the
router. The two laptops access the internet via wifi from the router.

There is one printer connected to the desktop by cable. It occurs to me
that there should be a way for the laptops to access the printer via the
network.

I have been looking around via google, and getting more and more
confused. It can't be too difficult surely. Can anyone start me off
please? I know that there are such things as a wifi enabled printer and
a printer server etc. Am I asking to much to expect to have the laptops
send a print command to the desktop computer which would act as a
printer server I suppose.

More info: desktop Kubuntu Hardy. One laptop Mint 7 Xfce. The other
laptop Windows XP.

Thanks,

Neil