Programs for printing from android to the printer. How to connect a printer to Android - we send mobile photos and documents for printing directly from a smartphone

Mobile devices with Android OS, despite their huge popularity, are becoming more widespread among users due to their functionality. Today, from a smartphone, you can not only access the Internet or watch YouTube videos, play games, but also print documents, pictures, etc. Therefore, we will talk about how to connect a printer to Android.

There are several ways to print a web page, documents, SMS, photos, etc., which we will now discuss.

Through Google Cloud Print

To print something on a printer from an Android tablet / smartphone in this way, we need:

• Installing Google Cloud Print.
• Application for Android "Virtual Printer".
• Home printer connected to a computer/laptop.
• Google account.

We will install Google Cloud Print as follows. Right, on top panel browser, press the button Setup and management Google Chrome » (three parallel bars). In the menu that opens, select " Settings«:

Scroll to the end of the list, and at the very bottom, click " Show advanced settings«:

Find the section Google Cloud Print", press the button" Tune" (if you wish, you can read background information in the menu item " More«):

On the opened page Devices» choose « Add Printers«:

In the window that appears, we will see the printers connected to our computer, tick the one from which we will start printing, then click the "Add Printer" button:

A few seconds of waiting, and a message will appear about the completion of the registration procedure, after which we activate the tab " Printer Management«:

Control buttons will appear on the top panel, and we, in this case, select " Add regular printer«:

And I have nothing more to add on this topic. Good luck!

At the moment, mobile devices are quite capable of performing the basic tasks that the user needs, thereby almost completely replacing a stationary PC and saving us from the need to be "attached" to the desktop. In addition to entertainment, on such devices you can fully work with documents and even print. How to implement this and how expedient it is - later in the article.

Perhaps it's worth starting with the fact that mobile devices with Android 4.4 and higher already have a pre-installed cloud printing service with the ability to print in some Google applications directly from the menu. An earlier version of Android does not have built-in printing, so to use this functionality, you need to install third party application. The choice of printing method largely depends on the printer itself.

Print via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB

This is the fastest and easiest way to connect a printer to an Android device, as long as both devices support these technologies. The advantage of this printing method is that it does not require the Internet and an "intermediary" in the form of a PC or laptop. As for USB, the situation is somewhat more complicated here, since a smartphone or tablet must support USB Host (Android 4.0+), which allows you to connect peripheral devices.

cloud printing

Regular development of services cloud storage led to the emergence of cloud printing. Almost all well-known printer manufacturers declare support for such functionality, putting the Cloud Print Ready stamp on their new models. Such printers can print without the participation of a PC - all that is required is an Internet connection and registration on one of the cloud printing services. Such, for example, is Google Cloud Print (Google Cloud Print), which, by analogy with network printer v local network, allows you to access it from any device and anywhere where there is an Internet connection. However, the absence of the Cloud Print Ready logo on the printer does not mean that you will not be able to use cloud printing. Owners of regular models can also add them to Google Cloud Print. True, in this case, one cannot do without the help of a computer as a link.

This procedure may seem somewhat strange, but, nevertheless, simple. For this you need to have account Google and installed on PC Chrome browser. Adding a printer occurs in advanced settings browser. After that, you can proceed to configure the printer itself, view jobs sent for printing, or share it with other users. As Google assures us, the files are sent to print using a secure protocol and are deleted from the server when it is completed. All the main work is carried out directly on the mobile device using third-party applications.

Virtual Printer

This application is the official Google client for cloud printing service. The program allows you to send files for printing, as well as view the status of the printer and manage jobs. To use the application, you need to log into your Google account with a pre-connected peripheral device. The utility has support for multiple accounts, each of which can be assigned to a specific printer.

There are two ways to print a document:
- click on the printer icon and through other applications, for example, file manager, gallery or browser to select the file to be printed;
- from any application through the "Send" function, select "Virtual Printer".

Depending on the printer and the driver installed on it, certain print settings are available to the user: page orientation, paper size, duplex printing, and printing in color. Others, no less important parameters, such as preview, specific page selection, number of copies, and print quality are not available in the application. And if with documents this is more or less acceptable, then with printing photographs it is no good. Users of Android 4.4 devices already have Google Cloud Print pre-installed as a plug-in, so they encountered a problem with the Cloud Print program's performance. For owners of devices with an earlier version of Android, cloud printing is seamless.

CloudPrint

The first cloud printing app to support Google Cloud Print and recommended by Google. The principle of operation of the program does not differ from the "Virtual Printer". Here you also need to connect an account Google entry, select the printer type and, if there is more than one, specify the default one.

Unlike the official client, there are many more sources for printing in Cloud Print. So, for example, you can print not only local files on the device, but also SMS, contacts, scanned documents, web pages, events in google calendar, photos from Facebook, and files from Google cloud storage, Dropbox, and OneDrive. In addition, it is possible to create a note or drawing and print it immediately. Cloud Print is integrated into the "Send" menu of the system, this allows you to launch documents for printing from other applications. Despite the more advanced functionality, the program does not have the necessary print settings (at least, it was not possible to call them due to a service error). Besides, in free version there is a limitation on some features related to Facebook and Dropbox.

PrinterShare

Most popular app v Google Play with serious functionality. In addition to cloud printing via Google Cloud Print, PrinterShare supports direct printing to a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB printer without a PC, as well as an Internet printer connected to its own server. The program allows you to print almost all data locally on your mobile device: documents, images, SMS, contacts, calls, calendar events, as well as Gmail, web pages and files from Google Drive.

PrinterShare has its own updated driver database. Even if your printer could not be found, you can specify universal driver manually. As a result, it is quite possible to achieve printing even on an outdated printer model. A distinctive feature of the application is the ability to print via an Internet printer. To do this, you need to download the PC utility on printershare.com, register, add the printer installed on the desktop and give it access.

The program provides the ability to customize printing and has a preview, which is undoubtedly an advantage. It was not without its shortcomings. The most annoying thing is that sometimes formatting can go astray, and there's nothing you can do about it. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the preparation of the document for printing and its rendering takes place on a mobile device. In addition, the output quality wants to leave the best. Apparently, during rendering, the document is converted to a low-resolution image. This situation is observed in all types of printing. In addition, the program has problems with Cyrillic in TXT files and correctly accepts only UTF-8 encoding.

It is worth noting that the PrinterShare application, although free, has a number of serious limitations. This concerns the inability to print anything other than a test page directly to the printer, and only 20 pages can be printed via a remote printer. Only cloud printing via Google Cloud Print is fully available to the user. The premium version will cost $12.95.

printhand

Like PrinterShare, this program is a print manager for remote and local printers. In terms of functionality, these two applications are almost completely identical, but PrintHand has a nice, thoughtful and friendly interface. The program can print all the same documents, photos, web pages, contacts, SMS, and more. To do this, it has a built-in file manager, browser and image viewer. Besides Gmail, you can print emails and attachments from other mail accounts. There is support for additional cloud services- OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, as well as Facebook, Evernote and SugarSync. A distinctive feature of PrintHand is the presence of a printer installation assistant, thanks to which it is easy to deal with various types printers and their connection types.

The process of sending files to print is exactly the same as in PrinterShare. Unfortunately, all the problems with formatting and Cyrillic support in TXT files, which are typical for PrinterShare, are also present here. True, in PrintHand, the output print quality is slightly better. Also, things are a little better with printing photos, thanks to advanced settings. The application has a 5-day trial period. Overall, PrintHand looks tidier than its predecessor, without ads, and costs a little less.

In addition to these programs, there are official clients and modules for printing from Canon, HP, Samsung, Epson and other manufacturers on Google Play, which are easy to find. For the most part, they have basic functionality, but they are limited to supporting only their own printer models.

Results

Returning to the issue of the advisability of printing from an Android device and taking into account all the nuances, advantages and disadvantages, we can say that a full-fledged printing of more complex documents or photos with all necessary settings still cannot be achieved. However, it is possible, sometimes even necessary, to use a smartphone or tablet for these purposes. All the considered applications were able to successfully print documents and images of the most common formats: DOC, DOCX, XLS, XSLX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, TXT, JPG. In one way or another, each program has its drawbacks. The highest quality printing with original formatting and correct support for all major formats is offered by Google's cloud printing service. In this case, you can opt for Cloud Print. If you need maximum functionality and other ways to print remotely and directly to a printer, then using the PrintHand application is the best option.

This article was written Gerashchenko Evgeny.

Surely many of us have asked ourselves the question: “Is the tablet capable of Android based replace desktop? Perhaps in the future with the growth of computing power and the development of technology, but now it is too early to talk about the complete replacement of the desktop / laptop with mobile solutions in the face of smartphones, tablets and other Android-based devices.

But still, there are such tasks, the implementation of which will be enough to have your favorite at hand. Android device. This article will focus on printing documents and photos using the Nexus 10 tablet and HP LaserJet P1102w printer as an example.

Printing: One of the easiest printing methods is wired.

To do this, you need an OTG cable and PrinterShare™ Mobile Print software.

When installing this program will add a printing tool called PrinterShare to the settings menu. It must be enabled by going to Settings - Printing - PrinterShare.

We connect the printer via OTG cable to the tablet. Open the PrinterShare program, in the upper right corner of the screen, click the menu - Select a printer - USB printer - Find a printer. If necessary, the program will automatically download and install the printer driver.

We open the document to be printed, for example, I use the OfficeSuite PRO program to create, edit and read documents. Click on the print icon and select our printer, click "Print" and you're done.

Among the disadvantages of this method, I note that not all printers are supported by the program, for less popular models printers, there may be a problem with the drivers, and of course your Android device must support OTG.

This is the ability to print from your smartphone or tablet to Android platform. We support most ways to connect a printer to your device. So Print Hammermill allows you to print directly to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth printers without connecting to a computer. You can also print on printers connected to computers under Windows control or Mac OS, as well as using the services of Active Directory, Google Cloud, or connected to your smartphone via USB (requires Android 4.0+). We offer the ability to print documents, photos, web pages, mail, contact lists, sms/mms and more. Print Hammermill is a clone of the PrintHand Mobile Print program, but only free and with a few marketing additions from the company.
Peculiarities:

Description of print modes:
With the exception of Google Cloud printing, all information you print from mobile device, does not leave your local network. We do all the necessary processes on your device and do not send your files or photos anywhere.

Printing via Wi-Fi
Printing via Wi-Fi is the easiest, fastest and most widely used printing method. The idea is simple: your printer supports wireless communication via Wi-Fi protocol, your Android device supports the same. Let's connect them.
Usually, wireless wifi The network is provided by a Wi-Fi hub or router. Connecting the printer to this network may require a network password. You may also need to temporarily connect the printer to your computer via USB. Please refer to your printer's User Manual for these operations. You also need to make sure that the mobile device is linked to the same wireless network. This will provide a direct connection between the device and the printer.
At startup, the PrintHand application will automatically search for available wifi printers and prompt if they are found. You can resume searching for printers at any time. We store information about all used printers, and will try to connect to the last previously used printer if it is available.
To print to a Wi-Fi printer, you need to have the driver installed. We have an extensive collection of drivers for most available on the market. modern models printers. A list of supported printers is available here. But even if your printer is not listed, you will most likely be able to print on it. The best way check - install our free app for Android and print a test page. If the print was successful - good luck!
If your printer does not support Wi-Fi on its own, it may be connected to a print server, a small network device, usually with USB input ami on one side and network connectors on the other. Connecting a non-Wi-Fi printer to a print server is an efficient way to print over Wi-Fi.
Warning: There is some possibility that your particular printer is not compatible with the current version of PrintHand. It may happen that the application cannot detect your printer via Wi-Fi, or cannot find a driver, or the result of the test print did not satisfy you, or the print is black and white instead of color, etc.
If Wi-Fi printing does not work, please use the alternative ways connecting to your printer (you will need to connect the printer to your computer)

Printing via Bluetooth
If your printer supports Bluetooth, then this good way connect your mobile device to the printer. This can be especially useful when other connection methods are not available, such as for mobile printers. The printer and device must be physically close to each other (3 meters is close enough), Bluetooth on both devices must be turned on.
After launching the PrintHand application, you need to discover nearby Bluetooth printers. We recommend using the Printer Setup Assistant - a step-by-step guide to establishing a connection between an Android device and a printer. Make sure you select Bluetooth printing in the first step. Unlike Wi-Fi printers, Bluetooth printers are not automatically detected by the application the first time the program is launched. However, once the printer is found, the application will try to connect to it whenever the printer is available.
To print to a Bluetooth printer, you need to install a driver for it. We have an extensive collection of drivers for most modern printer models available on the market. A list of supported printers is available here. But even if your printer is not listed, you will most likely be able to print on it. The best way to test is to install our free android app and print a test page. If the print was successful - good luck!
Bluetooth printing is very similar to Wi-Fi printing, but if you have both options available, we recommend using Wi-Fi printing. It goes faster and is more stable.
Warning: There is some possibility that your particular printer is not compatible with the current version of PrintHand. It may happen that the application cannot detect your printer via Bluetooth, or cannot find a driver, or the result of the test print did not satisfy you, or the print is black and white instead of color, etc.
If Bluetooth printing does not work, please use alternative methods to connect to your printer (you will need to connect the printer to a computer)

Printing via Windows
Windows printing is convenient when your printer is connected to a PC running Microsoft Windows and "shared" in Windows Workgroup, or added to your network's Active Directory (if you don't know what that is, that's OK too). Your mobile device must be connected to the same network as your computer, usually via Wi-Fi.
First, make sure the printer is connected to the PC so that you can print to it. The printer connection to a Windows computer can be anything from USB cable(standard connection), before connecting via Wi-Fi or other methods. On the Windows computer open Control Panel, select Printers & Faxes and find your printer. Right click mouse click on the printer properties and select the Sharing tab. Check Shared and click OK. Your printer has become available on your network.
All of these steps may already have been done before. system administrator and the printer may already be available for connection. In principle, this is a common situation for the office. You may be asked to enter a network password to access computers and printers connected to them.
Launch the PrintHand app on your mobile device and start Windows search printers. The easiest way to find printers is to launch the Add Printer Wizard, select the menu item indicating that your printer is connected to the computer, then select the computer type as Windows. You should see a list of printers "shared" in your Windows networks. There can be more than one printer, as many as are connected to the computer. In addition, keep in mind that your printer may be detected automatically when the application starts, if it was already "shared" and available before the application started.
Warning: There is some possibility that your particular printer is not compatible with the current version of PrintHand. It may happen that the application cannot detect your printer, or cannot find a driver, or the result of the test print did not satisfy you, or the print is black and white instead of color, etc.
If printing via Windows does not work, please use alternative ways to connect to your printer (requires printer to be connected to a computer)

Shared printing
Printing by "sharing" a printer on a computer using our client (Shared Printing for short) can be useful when you cannot connect the printer directly to your phone via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB cable, or the print quality of such connections does not suit you. This method printing requires our PrintHand client application to be installed on your Windows or Mac computer. Setting the client is simple and does not require special knowledge. Once launched on the computer, the application automatically "shares" all printers connected to the computer, including those via the local network.
You can always turn "sharing" on and off for any printer using the client settings. By default, the client application runs in background and starts at the same time as operating system, which frees you from excessive communication with him. All other print modes use the printer driver installed on the Android mobile device. An important advantage of Shared Printing is that printing uses the driver installed on the computer. As a result, there are no compatibility and print quality issues associated with the mobile device, print content, or printer. In practice, this guarantees correct printing as long as the printer operates correctly on its own.
We recommend using Shared Printing in cases where nothing else works, but you can also choose this mode initially. This mode printing requires the installation of the free PrintHand client, which must be running on the computer at the time of printing. But if these conditions do not bother you, then you may find that Shared Printing is the most convenient and easiest way to print. You just need to remember that in this mode, "shared" printers will be automatically searched for as Wi-Fi printers.
To download and install the free PrintHand client, select the type of operating system installed on your computer - Windows or Mac.

Printing via USB
Today, many mobile Android devices support functionality called USB Host. This means that not only can mobile devices be connected to the computer for file transfer, but other third-party USB devices can be connected to them. In a sense, they play the role of a computer, a "host" that provides a connection to other devices. One of these devices may be your printer, because. most printers have a USB input.
USB Host functionality is available on devices starting with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). However, some devices with more early versions Android may also support this feature. If you are unsure if your device supports USB Host functionality, just take a couple of minutes and check if the USB printer connection will work.
Connecting your mobile device, phone or tablet, with a USB cable to a printer can be an extra adventure. Some devices have a full USB connector, like on a computer, where the cable from the printer is just right. In this case, it will do without adventures, by the way, a large USB input on the printer can signal support for the USB Host function (well, otherwise, why make it so healthy)
But if there is no large USB socket on the device, then do not despair, everything will also most likely work. The only thing you need is to buy an appropriate adapter or cable to connect the printer to the micro or mini USB port on your mobile device.

Printing via Google Cloud
If your printer is located remotely, no matter how far away, we recommend using Google Cloud Cloud Printing, which is supported by PrintHand. Cloud printing has its own characteristics. In most cases, you should have a printer connected to your computer, which in turn should have latest version Google browser Chrome. Also you must have Google account to be able to work with printers in the cloud.
To start printing, you need to "share" your printer. There are several steps you need to go through, they are described on the Google site. Although it is possible to print directly to the cloud, very few printers support direct work with Google cloud. If your printer is located near you, it is much easier to connect to the printer directly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB cable, or via a computer by "sharing" the printer standard means or with our client for Mac or Windows.

Shared printing features:
If you use the search for printers, it finds only those shared by the server, for some it is suggested to use the built-in driver. But you can use the same print drivers from which printers print on the BB. To do this, use the PrintHand Client for Windows from the PrintHand website (available in the distribution). In this case, the search for "Printers connected to the Print Server or hub" also searches for other printers (even those not shared by the server over the network) on Windows computers that are turned on. Printing uses their own installed drivers on BB.
If you have previously used the PrintHand Mobile Print program on the device, then it should be deleted, since the Print Hammermill will not get up.

Download software for printing from a smartphone or tablet - Print Hammermill for Android you can follow the link below.

Developer: Aftograf LLC
Platform: Android 2.1 and above
Interface language: Russian (RUS)
Condition: Free (Free)
Root: Not needed