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Wireless printing app.

BadBoi2011

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Is there a wireless printing app. That I can get that works with Canon Pixma MG8120B printer?

Thanks for any help!

Such a NOOB!
 

Tim SPRACKLEN

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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 'pretending' 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.

If you're happy to leave your PC switched on then another - and probably better - way forward is to use a PC program called FingerPrint. This is a program that runs on your PC and makes it 'look' like an AirPrint printer. It's as close as you'll get to plug-and-play printing for non-AirPrint printers. You simply download the program (there's a free 7-day version available so you can try it at no risk), install it, start the program (it automatically inserts itself into the PC's startup menu) choose the printers you want to offer to the iPad - it shows you the usual list that you get from a regular Windows print dialog box - and that's it. When you want to print on your iPad (there's no separate app for the iPad) you simply choose the print menu in apps that support in-app printing and FingerPrint makes your PC look like an AirPrint printer. You'll be offered, in the iPad, the choice of printers that you selected on the PC and off you go. FingerPrint receives the printing data from the iPad over WiFi and translates it into a form that your printer understands. I have it on my PC and it works just great.

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

Tim
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Fred17rhodes

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You could try the free app
canon easy-photo print
it will print photos only. not emails or web.
hope this helps.
 

giradman

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Well, I'll support Tim's recommendation of FingerPrint - free trial available & $10 only to register.

I have a Canon Pixma hooked to my desktop PC (which I leave on) - so far has worked like a charm; BTW - the 'small' program is installed on your computer and leaves an icon in the 'system tray', so ready to go at any time.

Good luck in your choice(s) - :)
 

KATZ49

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Well I've downloaded it to my PC,(Fingerprint) but nothing happens, then tried to download it to my iPad, said Safari couldn't download it.

There doesn't seem to be any way to activate it,(set for my printer)
 
OP
BadBoi2011

BadBoi2011

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Thank you all for your help! Guess I'll try print and share since my laptop is down!

Thanks again!
 

giradman

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Well I've downloaded it to my PC,(Fingerprint) but nothing happens, then tried to download it to my iPad, said Safari couldn't download it.

There doesn't seem to be any way to activate it,(set for my printer)


Surprised and don't understand - FingerPrint should be downloaded to your regular computer (not the iPad), then can be installed from the saved file - will take you through the same menus that other PC installations do; places an icon in your 'system tray' in the right lower corner. A number of printers are chosen (these may be fax & options other than physical printers - I simply chose my Canon Pixma). Worked like a charm w/ my iPad.

Did you install the program properly on your PC? Just wondering - :)
 

Fred17rhodes

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No email printing

Just downloaded free ver of Fingerprint

Can only print photos, will not print emails or web from my iPad.

All printers are shown ?
------------------

Works Now on both printers.
Emails, web, photos - great little prog.
 
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Tim SPRACKLEN

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Just downloaded free ver of Fingerprint

Can only print photos, will not print emails or web from my iPad.

All printers are shown ?

Any ideas.

I can't understand why that should be the case. You're saying that, when you try to print from, say, emails the print command appears to work, you are given the choice of printers but nothing actually comes out of the printer?

If so, try a power-off, power-on reset of the iPad (i.e. not just putting it to sleep)

Tim
 

KATZ49

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FPRINT.JPG

As you can see its installed OK.
 

KATZ49

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There is an icon on the task bar, but when I select Open Fingerprint, all it shows is the 3 printers as on my previous post.

Do I have to select just one.?
 
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Tim SPRACKLEN

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No - you can select as many as you want. They'll be offered to you when you try to print from the iPad.

Tim
PS I'm thinking.....:D
 

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