Print wirelessly from any iDevice, with any printer

By Sharon Profis,

Some say that printers are soon to be extinct. Others rant about their hate for the dead-tree format.

But if you're a student, a work-at-homer, or you just appreciate hard copies, the printer still holds a very important place in your home or office.

Thing is, you might not necessarily be at your desktop computer when you realize the need to print something. If more of your time is spent on your iOS device, like an iPhone or iPad, there's good news: you can print wirelessly from your device to your printer with a native feature called AirPrint.

Set up your printer

Is your printer AirPrint-compatible?
Either way, you'll be able to use AirPrint, but if your printer is AirPrint-compatible, the setup will be easier. Go to this Apple support page and see if your printer is listed as one of the compatible devices.

If 'Yes', then:
Well, aren't you lucky? Your AirPrint setup is very simple. Connect your iOS device and printer to the same Wi-Fi network. As far as the setup goes, you're done.

To test the connection, open up a note in the native Notes app. Hit the action button (the square with the arrow) and select "Print." Your printer should appear as the selected device. If not, tap the Printer field, allow your device to scan, and tap the printer name when it appears.

Hit Print, and your note should be sent to the printer almost immediately. The transfer speed will vary depending on your Wi-Fi network, but you'll likely find that it's surprisingly fast.

If 'No', then:
If your printer is not AirPrint-compatible, don't fret. There are downloadable programs that trick your iOS device into thinking that any printer connected to your desktop is AirPrint-compatible. So, instead of the iDevice communicating directly with the printer, it goes through the computer first.

O'Print is compatible with Windows, while HandyPrint is available for Mac users.

Once installed, the program will display a list of printers installed on your computer. Enable the ones you want to print to from your iDevice. For most users, that's just one printer, but if you have multiple printers in the house, you can enable them all.

To test the connection, open up a note in the native Notes app. Hit the action button (the square with the arrow) and select "Print." Your printer should appear as the selected device. If not, tap the Printer field, allow your device to scan, and tap the printer name when it appears.

Hit Print, and your note should be sent to the printer almost immediately. The transfer speed will vary depending on your Wi-Fi network, but you'll likely find that it's surprisingly fast.

Just remember: For this setup to work, your computer must stay powered on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your iOS device(s).