Hey Folks! Welcome to this brand new AndroMaze IN’s edition. Ever wished you could take a print out out of your documents On-the-Go from your Android mobile or tablet? Are you still used to sending your PDFs by email to a print server to take a print out? Then this edition is meant especially for you! Printing is one of the most essential Office tasks. Sometimes it is a statutory requirement. Else, to keep a hard-copy is handy when you don’t want to completely trust binary digits.
Here’s all you need to get started: 1. An Android phone or tablet( Android Version 2.3+) 2. Printing App from Google’s Play Store:
Here I am going to illustrate how PrinterShare™ app works. You can try other apps as well. We found this one very user-friendly.
Now, there are many ways in which you cant print a document on Android phone/tablet to your printer.
A. WiFi Printer and Android phone
B. Regular Printer attached to Printer Server h/w device and Android phone.
C. Regular Printer attached to Computer further attached to WiFi hotspot/router.
D. Regular Printer directly attached to USB OTG port of Android device.
A. WiFi (or Bluetooth) Printer and Android phone In case you have a WiFi printer and an Android phone which contains a document to print, simply switch on WiFi of your mobile phone. And make sure you are wirelessly connected to the same WLAN.
Now open PrinterShare™ app, then select options button and tap “Select Printer”. You can select among Nearby-WiFi, Nearby-Bluetooth, Nearby-USB, Google Cloud Printer, Remote Printer.
Select “Nearby-WiFi” or “Nearby-Bluetooth” whichever is applicable. After selecting this option, your WiFi printer or Bluetooth printer will appear on the menu. Tap the appropriate printer.
Then a host of options will appear. Select the document or JPEG you want to print and click on “Print button”. And there comes your print out!
B. Regular Printer attached to Printer Server h/w device and Android phone. To begin with, let me explain to you what a print server is and what it does. A print server is an intermediate device which converts Ethernet signals into USB +5V and GND signals by a complicated procedure. Effectively, it gives the connectivity of a router and a USB printer (or a USB HDD). This is to say that you can bypass a computer host by simply connecting a printer server as an intermediate between an Android device and a Printer. Make sure that your Android phone and your printer server on the same WiFi network. Now open PrinterShare™ app, then select options button and tap “Select Printer”. You can select among Nearby-WiFi, Nearby-Bluetooth, Nearby-USB, Google Cloud Printer, Remote Printer. Select “Nearby-WiFi” or “Nearby-Bluetooth” whichever is applicable.
After selecting this option, your WiFi printer or Bluetooth printer will appear on the menu. Tap the appropriate printer. Then a host of options will appear. Select the document or JPEG you want to print and click on “Print button”. And there comes your print out!
C. Regular Printer attached to Computer further attached to WiFi hotspot/router. This method is perhaps the most indirect way as it requires an intermediary Computer host. This Computer host connects on one end wirelessly to a WiFi hotspot. The other end USB port is connected to the USB Printer.
Now open PrinterShare™ app, then select options button and tap “Select Printer”. You can select among Nearby-WiFi, Nearby-Bluetooth, Nearby-USB, Google Cloud Printer, Remote Printer. Select “Nearby-WiFi” or “Nearby-Bluetooth” whichever is applicable.
After selecting this option, “WorkGroup” will appear. Tap it to explore your host which is connected to the printer. You will find ultimately find your printer.
Make sure that your Printer is shared on the network to use this method. Also make sure that Computer host and Android device is on the same WLAN. After selecting this option, your WiFi printer or Bluetooth printer will appear on the menu. Tap the appropriate printer. Then a host of options will appear. Select the document or JPEG you want to print and click on “Print button”. And there comes your print out!
D. Regular Printer directly attached to USB OTG port of Android device.
Some Android devices feature the USB OTG (On-the-Go) port which is responsible for making your Android device USB host. Some Android devices require that you “ROOT” it so as to enable complete control as a USB Host, while others work without Rooting. Connect the USB cable of the printer directly to the the USB OTG port of the Android device.
Now open PrinterShare™ app, then select options button and tap “Select Printer”.
Now select “Nearby-Printer”.
Your printer will appear on the menu. Select it. Then a host of options will appear. Select the document or JPEG you want to print and click on “Print button”. And there comes your print out!