How To Print From Iphone Without Airprint

Here's how to print from your phone or iPad without upgrading your not-AirPrint printer.

Once in a dingy moon, I have to print a coupon or a letter or something. And when I execute that, I employment the same printer I've been using since 2009: the HP Photosmart C4780 that came for uncommitted with a MacBook leverage. Unfortunately, despite acquiring this printer from the Apple Salt away, it does not support AirPrint—HP didn't start encouraging AirPrint until the HP PhotoSmart 5000 serial (I missed information technology aside this much). However, I'll continue to pay off astronomical sums for ink cartridges; for some reason, I refuse to buy a new printer since this one works perfectly close. Merely being unable to print from my iPhone or iPad—something everyone else has been capable to do since iOS 4.2.1 was released in 2010—makes me feel comparable I'm perplexed in the stone ages.

Sol, I did some research. And it turns out that there a a few slipway to incur my non-AirPrint printer to publish from iOS. Check it out.

Impression from iOS to a Non-AirPrint Printer

The overall concept of impression from a smartphone to a dumb printer is the corresponding for all resolution. AirPrint is a feature that lets you print wirelessly to a printer without worrisome about drivers or anything like that, so long as your pressman supports the protocol. But if AirPrint support isn't inherent to your printer, you need an intermediary to assume the incoming AirPrint request and pass it on to a connected printer. That intermediary can be a Windows, macOS, or Linux computer or software installed on your iOS device.

AirPrint Victimization CUPS

CUPS stands for Common UNIX Printing System, but as many acronyms go, I don't think IT stands for anything anymore. But what you need to know is that CUPS is a printing system that mechanically builds AirPrint compatibility. So to get CUPS working with AirPrint, completely you need is a Linux device that is always on and always connected to the network. E.g., network-connected store (NAS) or a Boo Pi.

With my Synology DiskStation NAS, getting ascending and run with CUPS was super easy. It already had all the printer drivers built-in, so I didn't even need to instal CUPS. I just went to Command Control panel > External Devices > Printers and added my printer. There was a bit box to Enable Apple Wireless Printing, and it works like a dream. There's even an option to Enable Google Cloud Print though I admit I oasis't tried it.

You may have noticed that they didn't have my exact printer driver in the dangle-down list. The H.P. PhotoSmart 7150 driver works fine with my HP PhotoSmart C4780. After applying these settings, I stool at present AirPrint to my printing machine from my phone, so long as my Synology DiskStation is upset on.

I imagine IT would be equally simple on a Raspberry PI or any different Linux computer you have set up. For a Pi spouting Raspbian, follow the instructions for installing CUPS in Debian. If you neediness a elaborate how-to, shoot me an email or will a comment, and I'll put one together.

AirPrint Exploitation a Mac or Windows Microcomputer

If you accept a non-AirPrint printing machine connected to a Mac Beaver State Windows PC, you can use that computer equally an intermediary for processing AirPrint jobs from your iPhone operating theater iPad. The entrance: you'll need some third-party software. Some of these apps are free-ish, and others are paid. They work beautiful much like CUPS, and in fact, some of the Macintosh variants use CUPS.

On a Mac, adjudicate taboo HandyPrint or Printopia.

For Windows, try O'Mark. (Musical note that I have not utilized O'Print before. If you make, delight let me know if you look-alike information technology in the comments.)

AirPrint Using an iOS App

If you don't want to have a computer or a NAS turned on all the time, you can use an iOS app to print like a shot to a non-AirPrint printer.

I got ePrint Free working with my phone and my HP PhotoSmart printer. The free reading is fairly limited in what you can print. But, I successfully written a photo from my camera revolve. So, you could work around the limitations by screenshotting or saving images to your camera roll then impression them from the app.

Other iOS printing apps admit HP Canny, Lexmark Wandering Mark, and Samsung Mobile Print.

Conclusion

AirPrinting from an iPhone or iPad to a non-AirPrint printing machine is possible. The solution may non be elegant Oregon full-featured, but information technology can be finished using software or drivers along a computer, your ring, OR another network-attached device.

Give IT a shot, and let me cognise how it goes. If you're having trouble with your setup, leave me a comment, and we'll see what we can come up with.

Bonus:Hey, if you're printing process something from Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Drive, you can use Google Overcast Print from your iOS browser. Chit out some vintage groovyPost for the tutorial: How to Print from Google Docs Mobile Using your iPhone or Android Phone.