Apple iPad is the ultimate gadget of our times not only because of the versatile modes of unlimited entertainment it can provide but also due to its extensive contribution towards productivity. While iPad handles the paper work quite eloquently with its suave portability and battery back-up , there are moments when one is bound to print a hard copy of documents, images and other essential office paper work.
There are many ways you can resort to for printing from iPad and all of these methods will be listed in the rest part of this post.
Print from iPad via Airprint
AirPrint is Apple’s unique technology that allows you to print documents from your iPad via a wireless networks, from the compatible printers. Provided your apps can take advantage of this AirPrint feature, you can easily directly connect to the Air printer and therefrom, with a couple of taps you can print whatever you like. Unfortunately, there is a short list of printers that Apple officially supports for air print but nevertheless for the rest of their loyal customers “There is an app for that”.
How to Activate AirPrint
You can download Collobos Software’s FingerPrint ($8) or Ecamm Network’s Printopia ($10) and install them on your Mac. When you are finished installing, you can easily choose which printers you want iOS to use and then using Airprint on your iPad, you can navigate to the printer which will be recognized as Airprint compatible printers.
Printing from iPad using AirPrint
If you have a ePrint-compatible printer or an AirPrint enabler set up described above in this post, you are ready to prind from your iPad. First, look for the Print command. Assuming an app has been updated for AirPrint support, this command is in there somewhere, although the location varies—sometimes it appears when you tap a button with the word Print or a printer icon on it, other times it may be in a popover that appears when you tap a Tools, Send, or Action icon. You can check your App’s help if you’re in doubt.
Next, you need to select a printer by its name which will automatically saved as default printer, which means you won’t have to repeat this step again the next time. After this, you will be presented with two customizable options; a option that say: Number of copies which can be adjusted by tapping on + or – sign. The other option will be ‘Range’ which will let you select the start and end of a document you want to print. Now, all you have to do is tap on ‘Print’ and your document will start printing, meanwhile you can double-tap the Home button and then tap the Print Center icon to view and manage your print jobs.
Printing from iPad without Airprint
Airprint is easy but is constrained by its limited printer support and bland customization options. This is where printing from iPad without Airprint comes into play. There are many apps that allow you to print through a shared printer via local network. Some of these apps are:
Avatron Software’s Air Sharing HD
This app gives you access to all the printing options you get on a standard desktop computer and prints documents to any shared printer on your local network, with or without AirPrint.
Price: $10 | Avatron Software’s Air Sharing HD
Microtech’s ePrint
This relatively cheap printing app access local printers on your network and besides printing usual stuff, it also enables your iPad to print documents transferred from other iOS apps, Web pages, data from the Calendar and Contacts apps, and the contents of the Clipboard.
Price: $3 | Microtech’s ePrint