Jeff Mark
Level 1 (5 points)

Q: recommendations re printing app elicited

Hi there,

 

Looking for an app to use to allow me to print from my iPad to my shared, USB-connected printer. It looks like I can't get around installing something on my iMac (hosting the printer). The apps that look most promising are Print from Eurosmartz and Printer Pro from Readdle. Reviews of either are few.

 

Anyone have any experience/opinion on either of these, or another app that will do the same?

 

Or I might just get a new printer.

 

thanx,

 

Jeff

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), late 2013 27", 3.5GHz, 24GB

Posted on Apr 17, 2014 9:03 PM

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Jeff Mark

Q: recommendations re printing app elicited

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  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Apr 17, 2014 9:22 PM in response to Jeff Mark
    Level 8 (41,114 points)
    Apr 17, 2014 9:22 PM in response to Jeff Mark

    The popular, well supported way to print from an iPad is AirPrint, which is described here:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4356

     

    The article not only describes the concept, but also lists the printers supported.

     

    Using AirPrint requires a wireless printer connected on a WiFi network used by your iPad.

  • by Jeff Mark,

    Jeff Mark Jeff Mark Apr 17, 2014 11:39 PM in response to Jeff Mark
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 17, 2014 11:39 PM in response to Jeff Mark

    I'm sorry, I thought it would be readily apparent from my "shared, USB-connected" description, my comment about a new printer, and my need for a utility in the first place. This is not an AirPrint-capable printer.

     

    I know about AirPrint.

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Apr 18, 2014 12:01 AM in response to Jeff Mark
    Level 8 (41,114 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 12:01 AM in response to Jeff Mark

    It was your comment stating you might consider a new printer that caused me to mention AirPrint.

  • by Jeff Mark,

    Jeff Mark Jeff Mark Apr 18, 2014 12:08 AM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 12:08 AM in response to sberman

    Sorry if I sounded accusatory or overly sarcastic, your link to the KB article was useful. If I got a new printer, it would be AirPrint-capable. I may do that. The current version of my existing printer is just over $100 and half its weight.

     

    I'm hoping to find someone who had experience with my situation who might be able to, e.g., reassure me about these daemons that Print or Printer Pro require me to install.

  • by robdrage,Helpful

    robdrage robdrage Apr 18, 2014 5:58 AM in response to Jeff Mark
    Level 4 (2,772 points)
    Apr 18, 2014 5:58 AM in response to Jeff Mark

    I use print n share, and it works well, it has a companion app that runs on my mac and bridges my ios devices to my printers. It is available in the app store.

  • by Jeff Mark,

    Jeff Mark Jeff Mark Apr 27, 2014 5:46 PM in response to Jeff Mark
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 27, 2014 5:46 PM in response to Jeff Mark

    Just to close this thread off, in case someone else has a similar question...

     

    I went with Print (Print to all printers) by EuroSmartz, as the less expensive alternative. It's server, "MyPrint", installed on my iMac to which my printer is connected via USB, seems innocuous enough. It works as desrcribed, however...

     

    I really didn't know anything about these apps (which is why I asked this question) and I was under the impression that these apps worked by adding something to the "Open In..." menu, or somehow hooking into AirPrint, but unfortunately, since I didn't know what I didn't know, I didn't ask the question clearly enough to allow anyone to disabuse me of that notion. Apparently AirPrint is fairly locked down.

     

    What all these apps do (including HP's ePrint) is substitute that app for whatever iOS app you might otherwise use, in varying configurations depending on product, whether it's the lower-capability version like Print, or more comprehensive — and more expensive — variations like EuroSmartz' Print n Share, or Printer Pro, etc. So you open (say) Print, and then enter a URL, or select a contact, or whatever other type of data that the app supports — which, like I said, varies, and has to be specifically supported by the app. There are shortcuts, e.g., adding a "z" to a Safari URL to open the page in Print, but it generally feels like a clumsy process. The "Print by G3" feature, which I haven't yet tried, looked attractive.

     

    But it does seem to work well, within its limitations, and so would seem appropriate for many situations with older printers. To get full, intergrated printing, however, it seems you do need an officially-AirPrint-capable printer.