Ovito

Q: Printing via Airprint and Airport Express

I have 2 x printers attached via USB hub to my airport express which is part of my wireless network. When looking for printers using airprint on both my iPad and iPhone, neither can find a printer.
Anyone else having this problem? I was under the impression that airprint should work with printers connected to airport express...

Macbook Pro 15", Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Nov 22, 2010 11:08 AM

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Q: Printing via Airprint and Airport Express

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  • by Commando Jeans,

    Commando Jeans Commando Jeans Jan 17, 2011 7:20 AM in response to Ovito
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 17, 2011 7:20 AM in response to Ovito
    I'm a new iPad user and I've been struggling to learn how to print through airport like my other PCs.

    Looks like the only option is using AirPrint with one of the handful of available printers. But, I really only wanted to print or rather save the file to PDF since this is supposed to be a mobile device. I'm assuming, I could then transfer PDFs to a computer connected to a network printer.

    Does anyone know how to "print" a PDF only...without having a printer selected and/or connected?
  • by Michael Morgan1,

    Michael Morgan1 Michael Morgan1 Jan 18, 2011 4:10 PM in response to Coolmax
    Level 7 (23,830 points)
    Jan 18, 2011 4:10 PM in response to Coolmax
    Coolmax,

    The main problem with your screed is that it's answering questions not asked. No part of your post sheds any light at all on how to set up printing for " ... the rest of us ...". We're already generally capable of getting things going if we're using the small list of supported HP printers.

    As for your continual use of the 3.5" floppy metaphor, perhaps you should think back to what the transition period was actually like for those who had large amounts of data tied up in them. They were not merely a bunch of rigid Luddites railing against the future, but were mostly cranky that they were now being forced to solve yet another problem that the last solution was supposed to be the fix for . . . and dreading the turbulence of making the changeover using any of the myriad of ways of getting it done.

    At the end of the day, and regardless of the sunny future you foresee for it, the introduction of AirPrint solved the printing problems of a very small proportion of the installed base. I'll never use it unless and until it migrates away from the HP brand, but that's an old story 'twixt HP and me.
  • by Tokyo Pressbox,

    Tokyo Pressbox Tokyo Pressbox Jan 28, 2011 2:29 AM in response to Ovito
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2011 2:29 AM in response to Ovito
    Does a printer have to be "AirPrint-enabled" if it as connected to the Apple AirMac Express USB port?
    My iMac recognizes the printer (Pixus type) over the wireless network, but the iPad cannot find a printer.

    The printer drivers and all software is up to date. The Airport Utility tells me all is well. There are no Time Capsule drives attached.

    I'm actually shocked this doesn't all work automatically. I thought my hours-long, fruitless debugging sessions were over when I chucked my Windows machines.

    Since I've already paid an extra $100 for the AirMac Express, suggesting that $10 more will solve my problems rubs the wrong way.
  • by 24Golfer,

    24Golfer 24Golfer Feb 3, 2011 10:13 PM in response to Julian Wright
    Level 1 (39 points)
    iTunes
    Feb 3, 2011 10:13 PM in response to Julian Wright
    So we have to pay $10 to a non-Apple company to use Apple's Airport Express to print via Wi-Fi? Seems kinda silly, I was hoping that I didn't have to pay more or add something else to make what I already have at home work with the iPad, which is an Apple product. But is this really the only way?
  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Feb 4, 2011 12:22 PM in response to 24Golfer
    Level 9 (54,794 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 4, 2011 12:22 PM in response to 24Golfer
    No, it isn't. You can make a 2 line change in your OS on your computer and can print to any printer connected to it (wireless or not) using AirPrint from your iDevice. I use it on my MacPro to print to 3 different printers (Canon, Epson, Samsung), none of which are wireless. But you have to leave your computer on and not let it sleep for this to work all of the time.

    See this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2658720&tstart=30

    Message was edited by: deggie
  • by lynjon1,

    lynjon1 lynjon1 Feb 11, 2011 9:31 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Feb 11, 2011 9:31 AM in response to deggie
    But printing via your Mac is ridiculous. It means you need two computers working - your Mac and your iPad - in order to be able to print. There is a neat little iPad App called Print n Share which allows you to print anything (Mail, Docs, PDFs etc) to ANY wireless printer without going via your Mac. If they can do it, it beats me why Apple can't do the same for Airprint.
  • by Chris CA,

    Chris CA Chris CA Feb 11, 2011 11:37 AM in response to Tokyo Pressbox
    Level 9 (79,660 points)
    iTunes
    Feb 11, 2011 11:37 AM in response to Tokyo Pressbox
    Apple AirMac Express USB port

    Do you mean Apple AirPort Express?
    Does a printer have to be "AirPrint-enabled"

    Yes.
    if it as connected to the Apple AirMac Express USB port?

    Doesn't matter. To use AirPrint as it is now, the printer needs to be AirPrint compatible by the manufacturer since they write the firmware for it.
  • by reading maven,

    reading maven reading maven Feb 11, 2011 3:51 PM in response to Ovito
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2011 3:51 PM in response to Ovito
    Ok, agree the $10.00 is,on principle, an issue, but I was thrilled that printopia. Works like a charm, for those of us not at all geeky. And, by the way, that period above (I don't dare try type it again) is my answer to the **** spell correction, I hate! And no, I didn't have to go thru my airport express to use.
  • by reading maven,

    reading maven reading maven Feb 11, 2011 3:53 PM in response to reading maven
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2011 3:53 PM in response to reading maven
    Am smiling. My bad word d... Got bleeped. My kids will laugh, thinking I said something really bad!
  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Feb 11, 2011 3:56 PM in response to lynjon1
    Level 9 (54,794 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 11, 2011 3:56 PM in response to lynjon1
    It may be ridiculous for you, I don't know you at all. I have a MacPro at home that is a server and is working all the time anyway, and I actually don't have any WiFi printers. I made the change I linked to and I can print from both my iPad and iPhone at any time. Didn't cost me anything.
  • by Fred*M.,

    Fred*M. Fred*M. Feb 11, 2011 5:26 PM in response to Tokyo Pressbox
    Level 4 (2,392 points)
    Feb 11, 2011 5:26 PM in response to Tokyo Pressbox
    Tokyo-

    You asked, "Does a printer have to be "AirPrint-enabled" if it as connected to the Apple AirMac Express USB port?"

    AirPrint does not work over USB. It would work if the printer was connected to a WiFi router via Ethernet. The printer DOES have to be AirPrint capable. If yours is not, then one of the other programs like PrintCentral or FingerPrint is needed to print directly to the printer. Otherwise you need software on your desktop/laptop computer that can share its printer to AirPrint devices.

    Fred
  • by lynjon1,

    lynjon1 lynjon1 Feb 12, 2011 1:48 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Feb 12, 2011 1:48 AM in response to deggie
    Hey Deggie, my apologies if I sounded rude, I didn't mean to be. But a large number of users are perhaps less of a pro user than you, and don't leave their computers on all the time - either because they don't need to or are concerned about their carbon footprint. For those, I think it is just a little bit crazy to have to have two devices running before you can print to a connected printer (whether WiFi or wired). iPad/iPhone app developers have clearly been able to address this issue. I just wonder why Apple hasn't.
  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Feb 12, 2011 5:33 AM in response to lynjon1
    Level 9 (54,794 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 12, 2011 5:33 AM in response to lynjon1
    Because 3rd party developers have already covered the other route, Apple is going a different way with the AirPrint protocol, which places the printer driver so to speak on the printer itself rather than on the computer. If all printer manufacturers adopted the technology in the future then there won't be a need for the 3rd party software.

    But they do get to make some money in the meantime. And Airprint, at least the way I am using it, allows those of us that don't have WiFi printers to print from iOS devices.
  • by rs11gps,

    rs11gps rs11gps Feb 12, 2011 1:38 PM in response to Fred*M.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 12, 2011 1:38 PM in response to Fred*M.
    Fred M. said:
    AirPrint does not work over USB. It would work if the printer was connected >>> to a WiFi router via Ethernet. The printer DOES have to be AirPrint capable. >>> If yours is not, then one of the other programs like PrintCentral or
    FingerPrint is needed to print directly to the printer.


    Not quite accurate. An example: my Non-Airprint HP Officejet 8000 printer, connected to an AirMac (Airport) portable router by USB. The AirMac broadcasts its own network signal, I select that on the iPad network page. THEN I can print to the printer with my iPad.

    It isn't using airprint to directly print over usb, true, but the HP 8000 is certainly not an AirPrint printer, nor is my version wireless. The AirMac is the trick.
  • by Walk,

    Walk Walk Feb 17, 2011 10:41 PM in response to Chris CA
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Music
    Feb 17, 2011 10:41 PM in response to Chris CA
    I hear you and I understand, but as a consumer, all I want to be able to do is print whatever I'm working on. Period. It's, minus the cloud printing concept, almost ludcrist to have an iPad that connects to a wireless network (wi-fi) for the Internet, but can't print to my printers that are connected to the same wireless network. Huh? So, that makes the usage of AirPrint useless for me because I paid a small fortune for my printers and requiring me to get an HP to have the ability to print isnt cost effective or smart.

    To address this issue, I downloaded Print and Share. Dosen't work. I downloaded Printmagic, but having to copy and paste a file just to print forces a loss of formatl, etc. Still didn't work. Now I'm reading printopia is the solution. Geez. How difficult would it have been to just have it print to a wi-fi connected printer?
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