[email protected]
iPF Noob
I have a wireless printer and my i pad does not find it? Can anyone help?
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Wireless printer
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twerppoet
iPad Fan
Print n Share is the most popular solution. It recently replaced PrintCentral. Go to the App Store and read the description, check out their website (link in App Store), and use the Search feature here for details.
In brief; it directly supports most wireless printers, can support almost all others with a computer client program, will work with any app that supports AirPrint, must be running in the background on the iPad to work.
In brief; it directly supports most wireless printers, can support almost all others with a computer client program, will work with any app that supports AirPrint, must be running in the background on the iPad to work.
Tim SPRACKLEN
iPF Noob
As the previous poster suggested, Apple have their own proprietary printing protocol called 'AirPrint'. Only a few printers support it at present - you can see if your model is on the list at the Apple web site
Apple - iPad - Print right from your iPad with AirPrint.
If it is there, then you can print directly under iOS 4.2 and 4.3 from apps that support in-app printing, such as Apple's iPad iWorks suite ('Pages', 'Numbers' and 'Keynote'). Not all apps support in-app printing, so you need to check out whether the app you're interested in does. For example, Apple's native iPad 'Calendar' app does not support in-app printing.
If your printer is not on the list then there are third-party apps that can help. Some printer manufacturers have released apps for PCs with their printers connected (i.e. Lexmark). On these models, an app on your PC or Mac 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer and the app translates the AirPrint printing protocol into a form that the printer understands.
However, there are standalone apps for the iPad and 'Print N Share' is one of the best known. It can print directly from the iPad to a WiFi printer without any PC being involved. It does this by cleverly inserting itself into the printing menu of apps that support in-app printing and 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer. It then, similar to the previous case, translates the AirPrint printing protocol to a form that your printer understands.
Most all WiFi equipped printers are supported by 'Print N Share' but even those few that are not are able to print via a PC using, again, a small (free) app that's available from the developers of 'Print N Share'. Once again, this app sits on your PC or Mac and links your iPad to the printer via your PC - meaning, too, that the printer can be WiFi, USB or even Bluetooth. The downside is that the PC has to be switched on.
One 'issue' that sometimes confounds users of 'Print N Share' is that this only works under iOS 4.2 or 4.3 - the iPad's 'multi-tasking' operating system (OS). 'Print N Share' needs to be loaded and running before you can print!! So, if you're going to be doing some printing, you need to first of all fire up 'Print N Share' and leave it running in the background. You can check whether it is running by double tapping the iPad's 'Home' button, to see the tasks that are 'loaded' in the 'Multi-task' menu bar. For various reasons, it's helpful if 'Print N Share' was loaded quite recently. If you haven't printed for a while, use the multi-task bar to 're-activate' it.
Hope this helps, but don't hesitate to post any more detailed questions that you might have.
Tim
Scotland
Apple - iPad - Print right from your iPad with AirPrint.
If it is there, then you can print directly under iOS 4.2 and 4.3 from apps that support in-app printing, such as Apple's iPad iWorks suite ('Pages', 'Numbers' and 'Keynote'). Not all apps support in-app printing, so you need to check out whether the app you're interested in does. For example, Apple's native iPad 'Calendar' app does not support in-app printing.
If your printer is not on the list then there are third-party apps that can help. Some printer manufacturers have released apps for PCs with their printers connected (i.e. Lexmark). On these models, an app on your PC or Mac 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer and the app translates the AirPrint printing protocol into a form that the printer understands.
However, there are standalone apps for the iPad and 'Print N Share' is one of the best known. It can print directly from the iPad to a WiFi printer without any PC being involved. It does this by cleverly inserting itself into the printing menu of apps that support in-app printing and 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer. It then, similar to the previous case, translates the AirPrint printing protocol to a form that your printer understands.
Most all WiFi equipped printers are supported by 'Print N Share' but even those few that are not are able to print via a PC using, again, a small (free) app that's available from the developers of 'Print N Share'. Once again, this app sits on your PC or Mac and links your iPad to the printer via your PC - meaning, too, that the printer can be WiFi, USB or even Bluetooth. The downside is that the PC has to be switched on.
One 'issue' that sometimes confounds users of 'Print N Share' is that this only works under iOS 4.2 or 4.3 - the iPad's 'multi-tasking' operating system (OS). 'Print N Share' needs to be loaded and running before you can print!! So, if you're going to be doing some printing, you need to first of all fire up 'Print N Share' and leave it running in the background. You can check whether it is running by double tapping the iPad's 'Home' button, to see the tasks that are 'loaded' in the 'Multi-task' menu bar. For various reasons, it's helpful if 'Print N Share' was loaded quite recently. If you haven't printed for a while, use the multi-task bar to 're-activate' it.
Hope this helps, but don't hesitate to post any more detailed questions that you might have.
Tim
Scotland
WholeApple
iPF Noob
jpp said:Hi Tim,
Thanks for this useful post.
I just received my new shiny iPad 2 a few hours ago, but....
I have tried without success to find more info on this, but couldn't find any.
Here's my problem. I can see all my PC connected USB printers on my iPad2, but sending a print job to any of them results in a time out message.
I have opened up my Airport Express utility on the PC, but can't see any other printing options in it. I'm a bit puzzled as to why it correctly shows up all my printers, but doesn't want to communicate with them.
Does Print n Share fix this, or does it only work with wireless printers. Happy to have my PC on 24/7 as it's always on that way anyhow.
Setup:
Standard 2.4GHz ADSL router. Airport Express connected to Ethernet network from router. Airport Express set to 5GHz and iPad set to receive this second Wi-Fi signal. All working well wrt Internet connection on either the 2.4 or 5 GHz signals.
Both A/E and iPad set up on Static IP addresses - didn't have much joy with DHCP as my router is set up for static.
I don't think any of this is the issue, but mention it in case it maybe or that it could lead to other problems down the line (which I have yet to discover).
Btw, wireless iTune syncing not possible? Do we have an App for that too?
Many thanks for taking the time to read this.
Phil.
Edit.
Mmm , I think I've found the answer - it does.
Try installing WePrint on your PC and PrintNshare on your iPad. Not all wireless printers will work with AirPrint, as Tim has pointed out.
Using these two apps ( WePrint is free) I have managed to get even old USB kit to print. Does mean you have to have your PC on though. Hope you have better luck with it now
Sent from my iPad using iPF
jpp
iPF Noob
Thanks Jeff. Was a bit quick on the draw and found the answers, which is why I deleted the postTry installing WePrint on your PC and PrintNshare on your iPad. Not all wireless printers will work with AirPrint, as Tim has pointed out.
Using these two apps ( WePrint is free) I have managed to get even old USB kit to print. Does mean you have to have your PC on though. Hope you have better luck with it now
Sent from my iPad using iPF
. All working well now. Thanks again for your reply though - confirmed that I was/had been doing the right thing.Now to set up all the other things like email...etc etc....
Phil.
