An ever-popular mobile tablet is the iPad. The iPad is used by millions of people worldwide for a variety of purposes, from communication and entertainment to general productivity. The latter portion of the workforce that utilises iPads for work praises them for their multitasking capabilities and user-friendly innovations like QuickNote. You undoubtedly have a few documents floating around on your iPad if you belong to the generation that uses it for business. However, we typically use our PCs to print them when the time comes. What happens though if you try to print files from your iPad? Fortunately, there are several ways to accomplish this. This post will teach you how to print from an iPad.
How to Print from Your iPad: A Detailed Guide (2022)
In this article, we’ll cover more techniques in addition to Apple AirPrint, which is the simpler way to print from an iPad. To navigate to a specific section, use the table below.
What is Apple AirPrint on iPad and iPhone?
Apple AirPrint is still the simplest way to print files and other media from an iPad. Users may print anything wirelessly with AirPrint without installing any additional drivers or going through numerous setup steps. Numerous Apple native applications, including Mail, Safari, Notes, Maps, and even Adobe Acrobat, support AirPrint.
The most crucial need for using AirPrint, though, is that you must have a compatible printer. Only a few HP printers were compatible when AirPrint first debuted. But as time went on, lots of producers adapted their goods to work with AirPrint. Visit this list of Apple AirPrint supported devices and look up your printer model to see whether it is compatible. Additionally, check your printer for the Works with AirPrint sticker.
How to Print from iPad with AirPrint
You may use AirPrint to print from your iPad by following the instructions below. Make sure your iPad is linked to the same Wi-Fi network as an AirPrint-compatible printer before continuing, though. By doing this, the iPad will recognise your compatible printer automatically. After that, carry out the subsequent actions:
1. Start by opening the file you wish to print. In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to print a PDF file using Adobe Acrobat (free).
2. Tap the ellipsis icon (three dots) in the top right corner of the file when it has been opened.
3. Locate and hit the Print button from the drop-down menu.
A print menu with several options will now appear. My iPad has already recognised and automatically selected my AirPrint-compatible printer, as you can see in the screenshot below. To choose a different printer, hit the Printer button and select the desired printer. You can also alter other things like the quantity of copies, the available colours, and more.
4. After you’ve selected your preferences, click the blue Print icon in the top right corner.
That’s all, then! The printing of your selected document will now start, and you can retrieve it from your printer. Feel free to print any and all forms of material from your iPad because, as was already said, this works for the majority of native apps, including Photos and Safari.
How to Print from Your iPad Without Airprint
Method 1: Use Your Printer s Official App
You can still print documents and photographs from your iPad even if your printer doesn’t support Apple AirPrint, but it will take a little more effort. Most significant printer manufacturers, including HP and Canon, have iPadOS apps. They enable document printing on their products even though AirPrint is not supported. Therefore, download these apps and utilise them on your iPad if you find out that your printer does not support AirPrint.
We won’t list every possible app in this article due to the length of the list. Check the App Store or your printer’s manual to see whether there is an official app for your printer. We will, however, go through one of the apps for HP users. The HP Smart(Free) app lets users print documents using supported printers without using AirPrint.
How to Set up HP Smart App to Print from iPad
If you want to print a file or a picture from your iPad without using AirPrint, download and instal the app first. Then, just follow the steps below.
1. Start your iPad’s HP Smartapp.
2. Press the blue button.
Configure a new printer button.
4. On the following page, select OK to grant the app permission to connect to your Bluetooth and local network.
5. The name of your printer will then appear in the right sidebar. To set up the printer, simply tap this button once.
Print from iPad with the HP Smart App
Now that it has been configured, your HP printer is ready for use. To find out how to print documents directly from the app, continue reading.
The app will prompt you to sign in or register the first time you click any option. To continue, you you either log in or create an account. Once you have logged in, proceed as follows:
1. Launch the HP Smart application on your iPad, then select the View & Printtab from the bottom navigation bar.
2. Select either All Files to access your iPad’s documents or My Photos to access images, depending on the type of file you wish to print. You can even link your othercloud storage accounts, like Google Drive, Box, and others, to access your documents stored online.
3. For this tutorial, we’ll choose the All Files option. Once the file manager opens up, use the sidebar to navigate to the file you want to print.
4. After you’ve located the file, tap it to launch it.
5. You will now see a preview of your document, along with Print, Share, and other options. Tap thePrintbutton at the bottom.
6. The next page will present you with a list of options you can adjust to your liking. It includes the paper size, color option, print quality, and more options. Once happy with your decisions, tap the bluePrintbutton.
Alternate Method: Print from Within Apps Using HP Smart on iPad
And voila! Your documents/ images will begin to print from your iPad without having to use the AirPrint technology.
However, if you don t want to go through all this hassle, leave the HP Smart app open in the background. Then, go to an app like Safari or Notes and choose thePrint with HP Smartoption after clicking the ellipsis icon (three dots) at the top. It will direct you to the same page you see in Step 6 above.
Method 2: Use a Third-Party App to Print from iPad
While these steps are a bit tedious, they are necessary if you want to print something without AirPrint on your iPad. However, we have an additional method if you find your printer does not have an official app.
If your printer does not support AirPrint and doesn t have an official app, you will need to use third-party software to print documents from your iPad. This software willuse your computer and iPad to create a bridge between your printer. It will receive the print commands from your iPad on PC and relay them to your printer.
1. Printer Pro by Readdle
To use this software, your iPad, computer, and printer all will need to be connected to thesame Wi-Fi networkto share a connection. Once that s done, you need to purchase one of the software below and get to work. Like we stated above, most of them are paid, so be ready to shell out some money.
Available natively on the iPad, Printer Pro allows printing documents wirelessly from your iPad and iPhone with ease. You can print documents, emails, webpages, and even items from your clipboard. The appfirst installs a lite versionto see if your printer will work with it or not.
2. handyPrint
Download Printer Pro by Readdle (Paid,$6.99)
This software allows printers without the AirPrint protocol to print from iPads, iPhones, and even iPods. And, it uses a Mac as a mediator for the printing process. The software is free to download, but you can support the developer with donations if you wish.
3. Printopia
Download handyPrint for Mac (Free)
This paid software is a tad expensive at$19.99, but offers a seamless way for Mac users to print their favorite documents on non-AirPrint printers. Printopa gives you full control over your printer and advanced settings you can tinker around with. Check out the 7-day trial and see if it works for you.
How to Print from Your iPad Using a USB Cable
Download Printopia for Mac (7-day Free Trial, then$19.99)
This method is heavily reliant on whether your printer will support a direct connection to the iPad. You will also need a USB to lightning cable (or a USB-C cable for new iPad Pro and Air models) to connect your iPad to the printer. To find out if your printer supports a USB connection like that, refer to its instruction manual.
Alternate Method: Transfer Documents to Your PC
Once a connection has been made, you should be able to print any documents or images by using the iPad s share button. Just choose the Print option from the list, and you will see your printer exactly like the steps above.
If all else fails or if the above methods are too complicated, perhaps you are better off going about printing documents the classic way. We recommend choosing the stack of files you want to print and transferring them to your computer. You can either do this by mailing the files, uploading them to acloud service like Google Drive, or physically connecting your iPad to the PC.
Print from Your iPad in a Few Easy Steps
However, the way we recommend is much easier and way faster. We suggest you use a website calledSnapdrop, using which you can transfer files across all your devices be it Windows or Mac. It s a web-based app, completely free to use, and lightweight. Learnhow to transfer files across devices using Snapdrophere.