iPad Printing on HP Printer

[Taylor263621]

I want to print items from my iPad 1st gen. To my HP wireless laptop possible? Is there such way or app ???


Thanks

 

[Demandarin]

Apple only wants u to use AirPrint enabled printers BUT you in luck. Get the app from app store called Print n Share. Allows wireless printin over air print enabled printers and wifi printers. Print n Share is probaly the most recommended for wifi printers.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I want to print items from my iPad 1st gen. To my HP wireless laptop possible? Is there such way or app ???


Thanks

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

 

[Demandarin]

Good info, Tim. I found out some things I never knew about print n share through your post ;-)

 

[Lusid]

Or you can install Airprint on your laptop....

 

[Libbylee]

Can't print with AirPrint and HP Photosmart Plus

I specifically bought the above printer in order to print from my iPad. It was on Apple's Airprint page! And it will not print. My ipad recognzes the printer.....says it's contacting the printer...but nothing ever happens. The printer works with my computer well...but not the ipad. I called Apple...they said call HP. After an hour with HP, they said it was the internet. My internet provider says everything is fine. #@$**(&&****!!!

I could really use some help, please!
Thanks in advance.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I specifically bought the above printer in order to print from my iPad. It was on Apple's Airprint page! And it will not print. My ipad recognzes the printer.....says it's contacting the printer...but nothing ever happens. The printer works with my computer well...but not the ipad. I called Apple...they said call HP. After an hour with HP, they said it was the internet. My internet provider says everything is fine. #@$**(&&****!!!

I could really use some help, please!
Thanks in advance.

Which exact model of this printer do you have? On the box they'll be some other letters and numbers after the model name - something like 'D11a' or 'B210a'. Some are AirPrint capable 'out of the box', while others require a 'firmware upgrade'. Let us know and we'll see what we can do to help.

Tim
Scotland

 

[Libbylee]

Photosmart Plus B210a

I purchased it from the List on Apple's AirPrint page of enabled printers. I really appreciate your help!

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I purchased it from the List on Apple's AirPrint page of enabled printers. I really appreciate your help!

OK - then you must have the B210a model, which is the AirPrint enabled version. It’s just that there are other versions of this exact same printer - they look identical - but are not AirPrint enabled. Would still be worth a check.

But let’s assume it’s the right printer. Before getting all technical let’s try one simple thing first. Let’s switch the iPad off and on. It fixes a lot of ‘issues’ believe me and it’s a simple procedure that Apple recommend you do once a week anyway.


The easiest first way to try to solve ‘unexplained’ or ‘unusual’ problems with the iPad is switch it off and then on.


The easiest first way to try to solve ‘unexplained’ or ‘unusual’ problems with the iPad are:-

Restart the iPad. Press *and hold* the Power button. After a couple of seconds a slider control will appear asking you to confirm that you really want to switch the iPad off (this is all you’ll be doing). Slide the control to accept. A rotating white ‘bezel’ will appear in the iPad screen as the iPad powers down (it takes a few seconds, just like it would if you were shutting down your PC). When the screen of the iPad has gone completely blank, press *and hold* the Power button for a couple of seconds until the white Apple logo appears and the iPad starts to power up. This takes several seconds, so be patient. During the power up the automatic screen orientation function is disabled, so don’t panic. A few seconds before the power up is complete, the iPad plays a little ‘jingle’ and then you’re back to the Home screen. Restart the iPad’s app and see if the problem persists. Apple (and Forum members) recommend that you power down your iPad at least once a week, just as you might regularly completely switch off your PC. The normal procedure of just briefly pressing the Power button of the iPad merely puts it to ‘sleep’. Most Forum members have found that one of the two methods I’ve mentioned here cure a whole bunch of unexplained problems and are an easy first step to resolving most anything that happens on the iPad.

If this doesn’t work, get back to me and we’ll try the next possibility.

Tim
Scotland

 

[smithvillemike]

thanks for the info Tim. I went ahead and got the app. Hopefully all will go smothly.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Get back to us if you have any problems at all.

Tim
Scotland

 

[Macitech]

I specifically bought the above printer in order to print from my iPad. It was on Apple's Airprint page! And it will not print. My ipad recognzes the printer.....says it's contacting the printer...but nothing ever happens. The printer works with my computer well...but not the ipad. I called Apple...they said call HP. After an hour with HP, they said it was the internet. My internet provider says everything is fine. #@$**(&&****!!!

I could really use some help, please!
Thanks in advance.

Hi,
Reset your modem and wireless router. Unplug the power to the modem first and then the wireless router.
Restart your computer and try again. Good Luck

 

[smithvillemike]

I just wanted to say thanks for the advice Tim. I downloaded the print n share app and was able to print to my printers and the two at the office with no problem. It was so easy it was scary.

Thanks for the help you give not only to me but to so many on this board

Mike

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Libbylee]

Still can't print!

I've powered my iPad off and on, and still my B210a HP Photosmart Plus Printer won't print. It has found my printer, but hangs on '"contacting printer". This is very frustrating...neither Apple nor HP will take responsibility.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I'm sorry to hear that you're continuing to have problems. You say that you can print from your PC to this printer without any difficulty. So we know the printer is working OK!! I'm assuming your printing from your PC using WiFi and not via a cable connection, because some printers have both USB and WiFi. If your computer is connected to the printer via USB then this could cause problems trying to print via WiFi - most printers can only be connected by one method at once.

Let's assume that you are connected by only WiFi. In that case can you go to the Control Panel on your PC, find 'Printers', select the HP printer and have a look at the properties and other tabs. Could you copy and paste them here, so that we can see how the PC thinks the printer is configured. Please be sure to edit out any passwords or other personal details, though, before posting this information. It should help us understand how the printer is set-up and why the iPad can't contact it.

Tim
Scotland