Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t print from your iPhone or iPad. If you have a printer with Wi-Fi it is likely to be a cinch to print off photos, emails, documents or Safari pages form your iPhone or iPad.
A cinch, that is, if your printer supports AirPrint, which is Apple’s printing standard. But don’t worry if you don’t , as there are further options for printing from iPhone or iPad.
- Thinking of buying a new printer? Check out the best deals right now .
How to print from iPad or iPhone using AirPrint
To use AirPrint, you’ll need either an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. You’ll also need an AirPrint-enabled printer, a list of which can be found here . All of the major printer makers have AirPrint printers, and if you have a recent wireless printer it is likely to be AirPrint enabled.
Printing from your iPhone or iPad is very simple. Just make sure your printer is on and connected to Wi-Fi.
Now choose whatever you want to print in Mail, Safari, Notes, Photos or any of the other apps that have the sharing icon. This can be a square with an arrow pointing out of it, or just a curved arrow. Sometimes you have to tap three dots to see extra options which include the sharing icon.
When you see the sharing screen, Print should be in the bottom row (which is scrollable).
Tap Print and you’ll now see Printer Options along with a preview of what will be printed. The first time you print you’ll need to hit select printer. Your iPhone or iPad will then scan for a local AirPrint printer.
Select the one you want to use (likely to be the only printer shown in the list, but do watch out for your neighbours’ printers if they’re close by!), choose the number of copies and hit Print. It’s that simple.
How to print from iPad or iPhone if you don’t have an AirPrint printer
There are some third-party apps that’ll help you if you don’t have an AirPrint printer. PrintCentral is one that comes recommended.
They all work in a similar way. There’ll be a browser that allows you to see the files on your iPhone or iPad. You install some client software on your PC in order to physically connect up the printer to the iPhone/iPad so that they can see each other, and from there you can press print. It’s not idea, but it’s a solution nonetheless.
Finally, a simpler way of connecting printer to iPhone or iPad is offered via dedicated apps from printer makers such as HP ePrint, Xerox Print Portal, and Epson iPrint. These work much more like AirPrint, the app talks to the printer and off you go. So have a look in your app store to see if your printer manufacturer has an app that works with your printer.
Author: Matt Egan, Global Content Director, Foundry
Matt Egan is Global Content Director of Foundry, publisher of Tech Advisor, and a passionate technology fan who writes on subjects as diverse as smartphones, internet security, social media and Windows.
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Home printers are working overtime for many people, with more of us than ever working from home. That means stock is hard to find along with decent deals but we’ve searched high and low for the best discounts nevertheless.
If your printer can’t cope or you’re sick of high ink costs, buying a new printer can solve the problem. We’ve rounded up the biggest bargains, and we also explain what to look for when buying a new printer.
With more demand than usual, printer deals are hard to find but here are the best ones in the US and UK.
What to look for in printer deals
It’s important to keep in mind that the price of the printer is just the beginning. You’ll also need to consider ink costs. Often what looks like a great value printer can turn out to be expensive in the long run because of expensive ink. Some manufacturers, including HP, now offer ink subscriptions which give you a fixed price for a certain number of prints per month, which makes it easy to know how much you’ll be spending.
Most modern printers are multifunction all-in-one devices that can scan and copy documents in addition to your standard printing capabilities. Some include a fax machine, too.
You can find printer reviews by category – choose from budget, laser, laser colour, inkjet and all-in-one models
Look out for Wi-Fi-enabled printers, as these are incredibly useful for when you need to print from your phone or a laptop. Also, consider whether they have USB ports or memory card slots for easier photo printing.
There are lots of different types of printers available, which can make it really tricky to decide which is right for you. It’s worth first noting that the printer market moves very slowly, so don’t be afraid of buying last year’s model.
Inkjet vs Laser
These are the two main printing technologies. An inkjet printer sprays tiny dots of ink onto paper and are generally cheaper than laser printers (though you may pay more in cartridges in the long run).
Laser printers, on the other hand, use a powdered ink called toner. The paper gets electronically charged to attract the ink into position. It’s then fused with heat onto the page. Laser printers work best for text and generally for printing quickly at high volume.
In terms of colour printing, inkjet printers can produce high-quality images but are usually slower. Colour laser printers, while faster than inkjets are more expensive to buy.
Ink cartridges might look cheaper than toner cartridges, but consider the cost per page: toner can often print 1000 pages or more, but ink might last only 100-200 pages. You can also use third-party toner which is much cheaper than genuine toner from Xerox, Samsung and others. Just make sure using it doesn’t void your warranty.
For more advice on which printer to buy, visit our best printer round-up .
Where to find printer deals
We’re bringing you our carefully curated list of the best printer deals right here, but here are a few retailers you can check out for yourself for printer deals:
US
- Amazon
- BestBuy
- Walmart
- Target
- Newegg
UK
- Amazon
- Argos
- Cartridge People
- Ebuyer
- HP Store
- John Lewis
- Ryman
- Currys
- AO
- Best Buy
- Box
- Scan
- Littlewoods
Where to find ink cartridge deals
Groupon often has discounts popular brands such as HP, Canon and Epson. See Groupon cartridge deals .
eBay is another place to check, though ensure you buy from an authorised reseller or a trustworthy source with a strong track record of positive reviews and ratings. See cartridge deals on eBay .
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
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