I just bought my ipad and really have not yet turned it on. I want to be able to print from it. The people at the apple store sold me a printer. I really do not need more printers! Is there an app or some way to print from the ipad to my network printer without going through another computer on the network. There are usually no computers on and I would hate to turn one on just to print. Kind of defeats the purpose of the ipad. I looked at printcentral but I think it needs a computer. Fax print and share pro looks like it may work.

Has anyone done this? What are you using for it.

Thanks,

Get printcentral app if you have wifi.

Will it print directly to a network printer or does it have to go through another computer? Thanks

I can print directly to my wifi printer and no computer is on, it also depends on you wifi router if it let's it go through and belkin is not a good one. This is the one have now, since I just replaced my belkin.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Cisco+Li...3000&cp=1&lp=1

re: Printcentral, does it print from any app like the AirPrint option or do you have to open file/website/email directly from the print central app?

Emails you open from app but everything else from file or website.

the lastest ipad update incorporates printing... you have to get Bonjour working on your network...

I use this app to print from my iPad to an ancient (but reliable) HP Laserjet 6MP that I have connected to my LAN using an external printserver. The printserver device essentially turns the HPLJ6 into a standalone networked printer.

The trick was finding an iOS printing app that spoke the same protocol as the printserver device, in my case, Unix-style LPR/LPD printing.

[Since I can't post URLs yet, you'll just have to search the AppStore for 'ePrint' if interested in this app]

I recall there was another app (I think it was Print Magic) that also offered the ability to talk directly to a network printer w/o requiring a separate Mac/PC. At the time, I couldn't quite get it working properly with my setup. However, I believe there is a free version of the Print Magic that gives you a chance to test your printer/printserver compatibility before buying the full app.

Reminder: Most, if not all 3rd party printing apps WON'T work directly with the default 'Print' button found in most apps that support printing (e.g. Pages and Numbers) -- these expect to use the AirPrint service. Instead, you'll have to open/export the document you want to print into the 3rd party app and print from there. Of course, if you're reading this thread, you're probably well aware of this fact.

Originally Posted by Lagranger

I use this app to print from my iPad to an ancient (but reliable) HP Laserjet 6MP that I have connected to my LAN using an external printserver. The printserver device essentially turns the HPLJ6 into a standalone networked printer.

The trick was finding an iOS printing app that spoke the same protocol as the printserver device, in my case, Unix-style LPR/LPD printing.

[Since I can't post URLs yet, you'll just have to search the AppStore for 'ePrint' if interested in this app]

I recall there was another app (I think it was Print Magic) that also offered the ability to talk directly to a network printer w/o requiring a separate Mac/PC. At the time, I couldn't quite get it working properly with my setup. However, I believe there is a free version of the Print Magic that gives you a chance to test your printer/printserver compatibility before buying the full app.

Reminder: Most, if not all 3rd party printing apps WON'T work directly with the default 'Print' button found in most apps that support printing (e.g. Pages and Numbers) -- these expect to use the AirPrint service. Instead, you'll have to open/export the document you want to print into the 3rd party app and print from there. Of course, if you're reading this thread, you're probably well aware of this fact.

I think that this is the first solution I've seen with regards to "network connected printing" on an iPad.

I don't have an iPad yet, because this printing issue has been making me think twice on getting one.

As the previous poster suggested, Apple have their own proprietary printing protocol called 'AirPrint'. Only a few printers support it at present - HP is one of those that do and you can see if your model is on the list at the Apple web site

Apple - iPad - Print right from your iPad with AirPrint.

If it is there, then you can print directly under iOS 4.2 and 4.3 from apps that support in-app printing, such as Apple's iPad iWorks suite ('Pages', 'Numbers' and 'Keynote'). Not all apps support in-app printing, so you need to check out whether the app you're interested in does. For example, Apple's native iPad 'Calendar' app does not support in-app printing.

If your printer is not on the list then there are third-party apps that can help. Some printer manufacturers have released apps for PCs with their printers connected (i.e. Lexmark). On these models, an app on your PC or Mac 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer and the app translates the AirPrint printing protocol into a form that the printer understands.

However, there are standalone apps for the iPad and 'Print N Share' is one of the best known. It can print directly from the iPad to a WiFi printer without any PC being involved. It does this by cleverly inserting itself into the printing menu of apps that support in-app printing and 'pretends' to be an AirPrint printer. It then, similar to the previous case, translates the AirPrint printing protocol to a form that your printer understands.

Most all WiFi equipped printers are supported by 'Print N Share' but even those few that are not are able to print via a PC using, again, a small (free) app that's available from the developers of 'Print N Share'. Once again, this app sits on your PC or Mac and links your iPad to the printer via your PC - meaning, too, that the printer can be WiFi, USB or even Bluetooth. The downside is that the PC has to be switched on.

One 'issue' that sometimes confounds users of 'Print N Share' is that this only works under iOS 4.2 or 4.3 - the iPad's 'multi-tasking' operating system (OS). 'Print N Share' needs to be loaded and running before you can print!! So, if you're going to be doing some printing, you need to first of all fire up 'Print N Share' and leave it running in the background. You can check whether it is running by double tapping the iPad's 'Home' button, to see the tasks that are 'loaded' in the 'Multi-task' menu bar. For various reasons, it's helpful if 'Print N Share' was loaded quite recently. If you haven't printed for a while, use the multi-task bar to 're-activate' it.

Hope this helps, but don't hesitate to post any more detailed questions that you might have.

Tim
Scotland