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Print Help For Ipad

G

georgee2face

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 10, 2010
94
0
I must admit to being slightly disappointed and confused by my Ipad purchase, and the fault is my inability to check in advance to see what i really needed.

I carry lots of documents with me on the IPad wherever I go .I need to be able to access several wireless networks ( which I can) and actually print a document on thier printers. Unlike my MPB, this is not readily available, as I can see, on the IPAD. Is there not a simple APP that will print a document on my IPAD to a network printer that I have rights to, without EMAILING the darn thing.

Thanks for some help
Mike
 
I couldn't agree more. Printing is something the iPad really should offer but does not. However, this is definitely a feature that could come from a software update.
 
georgee2face said:
I must admit to being slightly disappointed and confused by my Ipad purchase, and the fault is my inability to check in advance to see what i really needed.

I carry lots of documents with me on the IPad wherever I go .I need to be able to access several wireless networks ( which I can) and actually print a document on thier printers. Unlike my MPB, this is not readily available, as I can see, on the IPAD. Is there not a simple APP that will print a document on my IPAD to a network printer that I have rights to, without EMAILING the darn thing.

Thanks for some help
Mike
Click to expand...

Yes there definitely is!!! Try this one or this ;)
 
The limitation is imposed by Apple. Third party apps can't access other apps directly--and in most cases can't access the Apple apps at all. Consequently EVERY print app has the same limitations.

Whether or not you need to go through email depends largely on where your document is created/stored on your iPad. I went with EuroSmartz Print n Share program because it allows me to print a wide range of file types directly from a number of sources via the "Open in..." function or its built in browser/mail capabilities. I can import a doc through one of several methods into GoodReader, for example, and then print that doc through Print n Share. But apps such as Safari, Mail, and Pages have no setup for directly interfacing with a print app. (Funny, since I can print an email attachment in Mail...just not the email itself.) To print an email, I have to either take a screen shot of it and get the resulting jpeg via PnS, or I have to use the PnS mail or browser setup to navigate back to that email through my account's web access portal. To print from Pages, I have to email the doc to myself, since there's no other way to access it.

Any system like this is kludgy, there's no doubt. Why Apple has done this, I have no idea. But at any rate, Print n Share has been a decent solution for the price so far.
 
IrishVixen said:
The limitation is imposed by Apple. Third party apps can't access other apps directly--and in most cases can't access the Apple apps at all. Consequently EVERY print app has the same limitations.

Whether or not you need to go through email depends largely on where your document is created/stored on your iPad. I went with EuroSmartz Print n Share program because it allows me to print a wide range of file types directly from a number of sources via the "Open in..." function or its built in browser/mail capabilities. I can import a doc through one of several methods into GoodReader, for example, and then print that doc through Print n Share. But apps such as Safari, Mail, and Pages have no setup for directly interfacing with a print app. (Funny, since I can print an email attachment in Mail...just not the email itself.) To print an email, I have to either take a screen shot of it and get the resulting jpeg via PnS, or I have to use the PnS mail or browser setup to navigate back to that email through my account's web access portal. To print from Pages, I have to email the doc to myself, since there's no other way to access it.

Any system like this is kludgy, there's no doubt. Why Apple has done this, I have no idea. But at any rate, Print n Share has been a decent solution for the price so far.
Click to expand...

Just an FYI - you have to have an app capable of dealing with the file on the host computer.

I didn't have iWork installed on my mini apparently, and while my MBP was in the shop set up a printer off of it.... and every time i tried to print a numbers sheet, it launched a Bento Trial.

I wasn't happy to hear this - they don't state this in their description at all (this was a couple of months ago).

What it meant was that i'd NEVER be able to print a number spreadsheet because everyone i know that I could host the printer on (by putting it on a flash drive and carrying it with me), uses Window's boxes.

So outside of my home, the product had very limited use for my needs. Which is a bummer....
 
TraceyS/FL said:
Just an FYI - you have to have an app capable of dealing with the file on the host computer.

I didn't have iWork installed on my mini apparently, and while my MBP was in the shop set up a printer off of it.... and every time i tried to print a numbers sheet, it launched a Bento Trial.

I wasn't happy to hear this - they don't state this in their description at all (this was a couple of months ago).

What it meant was that i'd NEVER be able to print a number spreadsheet because everyone i know that I could host the printer on (by putting it on a flash drive and carrying it with me), uses Window's boxes.

So outside of my home, the product had very limited use for my needs. Which is a bummer....
Click to expand...

Weird...I haven't hit on that yet, and I don't have iWork on my MBP at all (which is the pc plugged into the USB printer I'm using). I'll try some experimenting later.

That also seems like it would be a non issue with a wireless printer (as opposed to USB), as those aren't using a host computer to access the network. Or am I missing something?
 
I use 'print n share' and have used 'print magic'. I've printed .PDF, .doc, and spread sheets this way.


In both you need to export the document to the print app. Most apps got (iDisk, air sharing, good reader, pages etc all have a function that let's you do this.) It just closes the program your using and opens the printing one.
 
IrishVixen said:
Weird...I haven't hit on that yet, and I don't have iWork on my MBP at all (which is the pc plugged into the USB printer I'm using). I'll try some experimenting later.

That also seems like it would be a non issue with a wireless printer (as opposed to USB), as those aren't using a host computer to access the network. Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

This is the message i got from their support - i was working with Alfons with Notebooks on it because i was trying to print the Numbers 09 spreadsheet from within it and I figured he'd have more pull on getting an answer. I didn't upgrade from my original Print n Share for the iPhone/Touch either.

(From email on June 4th, Martin S)
you will need some application that understands the document you are printing on your Mac. It could be iWork or TextEdit which also handles some of these file types. Many types are handled by WePrint itself, but some external Apps are needed too.

Do you have iWork?
Click to expand...

I use a networked printer off my TimeCapsule, not a direct connected USB either. I still need to have a WePrint server attached to it for the "good" printing. I wasn't impressed by their unhosted results at all. Magic Print did wayyyy better with all the screen shots i had to do at the time.

They never answered anything further on what types need what.....

I got irked totally and decided to just end up waiting it out for Apple until this fall. It wasn't obviously going to work for what i needed at that time (my printing needs vary based on the day of the week! LOL!!), and i decided that rather than printing i'd rather have my daughter email her papers to grade anyway.

So there could be an update that handles it better - i haven't checked it again. I think i have an update or 2 to WePrint to install (ironically, it was just jumping at me to update! :D)
 
I use print 'n share as well but to be clear it requires that you install software on a computer at each site you go to print to one of those computers. I don't know if that's an option for you or not.

I don't necessarily no if Apple dropped the ball on the lack of printing functionality on the iPad. I don't think that was a consideration at all. I think it was expected to be merely a consumption device but it's clear that the market is demanding more from the device than Apple expected. That is a good thing. In the meantime, those of us that have to print from the thing have to jump through a few hoops to get it to work somewhat efficiently.
 
Interesting...no, there doesn't appear to be an update that corrects this; just sent a file as .pages (rather than PDF, which I had been converting to) and sure enough, it refuses to go through. Which is just as well, because the formatting is all messed up in PnS.

I wonder if Apple plans to address this at all? For now, I'm stuck with Print n Share as it was the only option available at the moment that allows for USB printing--all the others required a wireless printer, and our HP not only doesn't have that feature, but doesn't want to cooperate with the Airport Express/Extreme network when plugged directly into one of those...never mind that both Apple and HP say it's compatible. And I'm not about to drop another couple hundred on a different printer at this point! (Edit: just used Print Magic's printer test app, and I can actually print to my printer with that as well. Do I really want to buy another app though? Sigh.)

One thing to note on Apple's attitude towards this being a consumption versus production device--no one made them create and release Pages, Numbers, or Keynote for the iPad. They set the expectation that these devices could (and perhaps should) be used for more than just viewing. My personal opinion remains that they went about it in a half assed way though, as evidenced by the lack of compatibility between those apps and virtually anything else, including Apple's own iDisk.
 
IrishVixen said:
Interesting...no, there doesn't appear to be an update that corrects this; just sent a file as .pages (rather than PDF, which I had been converting to) and sure enough, it refuses to go through. Which is just as well, because the formatting is all messed up in PnS.
Click to expand...
PDF is an option, but not for what I was hoping to accomplish at the time you know? At least you saved me trying again!

I wonder if Apple plans to address this at all? For now, I'm stuck with Print n Share as it was the only option available at the moment that allows for USB printing--all the others required a wireless printer, and our HP not only doesn't have that feature, but doesn't want to cooperate with the Airport Express/Extreme network when plugged directly into one of those...never mind that both Apple and HP say it's compatible. And I'm not about to drop another couple hundred on a different printer at this point! (Edit: just used Print Magic's printer test app, and I can actually print to my printer with that as well. Do I really want to buy another app though? Sigh.)
Click to expand...
Ther isn't any reason to buy if what you are doing is working. Trust me on this... I was looking for a no host option for a printer connected to a spare airport i have. I couldn't get that working at the time and dont need it currently.

Apple has said printing is "coming". Or rather Steve Jobs did in one of his emails.... I just hope for non-hosted bonjour support!

One thing to note on Apple's attitude towards this being a consumption versus production device--no one made them create and release Pages, Numbers, or Keynote for the iPad. They set the expectation that these devices could (and perhaps should) be used for more than just viewing. My personal opinion remains that they went about it in a half assed way though, as evidenced by the lack of compatibility between those apps and virtually anything else, including Apple's own iDisk.
Click to expand...
I agree, they didn't think all this thru... Halfeded assed is an apt description!
 
I like the print function in air sharing. It's a nice file-system/browser too (though not as powerful as goodreader in that regard...)
 
Thanks everyone. This was a great discussion, And I think I understand the limitations of printing with this device. It won't cost too much to try them all out and then see which works best.

Basically most are legal documents in .pdf form, and the computers are basically in the same places except for the occasional Hotel

This device is just so portable, and with drop box my files are always sync'd, and waiting. Printing on the road seemed too difficult. It may still be, but i'll give it a whirl.
Thanks again
mike
 
If you're using Dropbox, PnS is compatible...once you add a .99 in app purchase to unlock that function. :rolleyes:

The more I use it though, and the more I read the reviews of other apps, the more I think I'll stick with it. I finally coaxed it into fully downloading my gmail, so I can now see the folders I have set up in there--so I was just able to print a flight reservation directly from within their email app. And I just used GoodReader's "Open in..." feature to open and print a PDF manual that I had previously downloaded from the web. So it seems that **most** of what I need to do, I can do with this app, at least here at home. The test will likely be on the road, where I can't install something like WePrint on everyone else's computers!
 
Is there an easier/more flexible solution for those of us who are jail broken?
 
sooms to me it is better to wait and see what iOS4 for iPad brings. I don't need to print right now so I'm not going to buy print apps and create a conmplicated set up.

And yes, apple completely dropped the ball on that. They should allow sharing files between apps in a file browser that allows a file structure that is accessible to all apps. This is the only reasonable way to solve this. In addition they need to have a systemwide print funtion to print directly from the apps themselves.

Everything else is just a crutch.

If I have to mail the file to myself first and then need access to the computer connected to the printer then I might just mail the file to myself and print it from that computer through the web mail.
 
I thought Print n Share said on thier description that it could print DIRECTLY to a wifi printer?
 
Is anyone using Print Central?

Hi, I just wanted to know if anyone is using Print Central on the iPad.
According to what I have read, it seems better than the other applications, but I still would like to hear from people currently using it.
Thanks!
 
I am interested too. This app also claims it can primate DIRECTLY to a wifi printer, presumably without an intermediary Mac or PC. True?
 
leons said:
I am interested too. This app also claims it can primate DIRECTLY to a wifi printer, presumably without an intermediary Mac or PC. True?
Click to expand...

Very limited in what it can print directly i believe (or, last time i tried).

Same for Magic Print, to print "text" on it, you copy and paste the data into the window it opens. Which means, Numbers stuff don't look so hot. I was happier with the results of my screen shots i had to print (probably close to 100) with Magic Print instead of Print n share.

I'm trying to think of what kind of screen shots would be helpful to share.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Hi, I just wanted to know if anyone is using Print Central on the iPad.
According to what I have read, it seems better than the other applications, but I still would like to hear from people currently using it.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Print Central is by the same dev as Print n Share, just with an added feature or two. The fundamental issues will be the same--no built in support in Mail, Pages, etc., probably works best with WePrint installed on a computer on the network for it to route through. While both apps claim to print directly to wireless, we've heard the quality isn't the same, and I know review I read a few days ago indicated that as well. Unfortunately, I don't have a wireless printer, so I can't personally test the differences with direct printing vs. using their WePrint server app.
 
I'm on the wrong computer, so this is as good as it will get right now.

I printed the screen shot on both Print Magic HD and Print n Share, using the "same" PDL driver. I'm going to sync after i post this and show you a screen shot of what PnS says about this level of printing - "basic".

I scanned them in the document feeder and then did a screen shot from edge to edge on the paper. The PnS is a lot smaller and not as great to read.
 

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