Printing documents from an iPhone or iPad is a convenient feature, whether your are a private user that would like to keep hard copy of an important file, or a business user looking to print out an important document at work. In this article, we will show you how to connect a iPhone or iPad to a printer and how to print documents from an iPhone.
How Do I Connect an iPhone to a Printer?
If you want to connect an iPhone or iPad to a printer in order to print documents, there are several methods:
- AirPrint: This is a built-in feature of Apple’s iOS operating system that allows you to add a wireless printer to an iPhone and print wirelessly over a Wi-Fi network. If a printer has AirPrint support, the iPhone simply needs to be in the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone or iPad.
- Cloud-Based Printing Service: If you want to print to any printer, anywhere, or you want other people to be able to do so, you can use a free cloud-based printing service like ezeep Blue. All you need to print over ezeep is the ezeep app and an account.
- Bluetooth: Some printers have built-in Bluetooth support, which allows you to connect to them wirelessly with your iPhone or iPad. To use Bluetooth printing, you will need to turn on both your printer and your iPhone or iPad’s Bluetooth settings, then pair the two devices. While this may suitable for private use cases, it is usually recommended to deactivate Bluetooth on MFDs that are being used by a business or an organization.
- Wi-Fi Direct: Some newer printers have a feature called Wi-Fi direct, which allows you to add printers to iPhone or iPad over a Wi-Fi network without the need for a separate router. To use Wi-Fi direct, you will need to be able to turn on this feature on the printer and connect your iPhone or iPad to the printer’s Wi-Fi network.
- NFC: Near Field Communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that allows you to connect an iPhone or iPad to a printer by tapping the two devices together. To use NFC printing, your printer must have an NFC tag and your iPhone or iPad must be equipped with an NFC reader.
- USB Cable: If a printer does not have AirPrint support, you may still be able to connect it to an iPhone or iPad via a USB cable. However, if you want to connect an iPhone or iPad to a printer using a USB cable, you will need to install a third-party app that supports printing over a USB connection. Often, you will need a connector from Lightning or USB-C to your printer’s interface too. As a result, it is easier to connect USB printers to a cloud-based solution like ezeep Blue and then print to it over the cloud in most cases.
How Do You Print Documents From an iPhone? (Only AirPrint Printers)
To print from your iPhone or iPad using AirPrint, follow these steps:
- Make sure that the printer is turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone or iPad.
- On the iPhone or iPad, open the document or image that needs to be printed.
- Tap the share icon (The square with an arrow pointing out of it).
- Tap “Print.”
- Select the printer from the list of available printers.
- Adjust the number of copies and any other print settings, then tap “Print.”
How To Print from Your iPhone or iPad to Any Printer
If you manage printers in your organization and want to enable mobile printing for other users, or if you frequently need to print documents from your iPhone or iPad yourself, there is an easier and more secure way to do so: With ezeep Blue. ezeep Blue is a cloud-based printing service that allows users to print from an iPhone or iPad to any printer, anywhere, even if the printer does not support Apple’s AirPrint technology or if it only has the capability to connect via USB.
To connect a printer with ezeep Blue and print documents from an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Install the ezeep app on your iPhone or iPad and sign up or in. You will need to create an ezeep Organization if doing this for the first time. This will also allow you to connect multiple printers to the ezeep account and assigned them to other people if required.
- Tap the “Print” button in bottom right corner of the app.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to select your printer from All, My Printers or Wi-Fi. When using a printer for the first time over Wi-Fi, you will need to select the printer model. If the printer is not there, try selecting a similar model, as often they will still work. Specific printer models can also be requested manually in the app.
To connect a USB printer with ezeep Blue, or to enable printing to printers from any location (I.e. when your device is not in the same network as the printer) and print documents from your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:
- Install the ezeep Connector, which is available for download after signing up to ezeep Blue on the ezeep.com website, on a Windows PC or Windows Server (a connector for printers which are only installed on macOS laptops is coming soon). Make sure you have already installed your USB printer on the Windows PC/Server where you want to install the ezeep Connector.
- Activate the printer for yourself by assigning the printer to you in My Printers. You can also share printers with friends, family or employees – if you are planning to use ezeep Blue in your company. Just go to Users & Groups and click on Add User at the top to share printers with others.
- Install the iOS App, sign in and print. Once your printer is added to your ezeep account, you can print to it from anywhere, as long as it is turned on and connected to the internet.
To print a directly from an iOS application from your iPhone or iPad with the ezeep Blue app you need to follow these steps:
- Open the desired document that you wish to print from your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on the small arrow in the bottom right corner of your screen.
- Scroll down the menu and tap Print.
- Zoom in on the print preview with two fingers and tap the share icon in the upper right corner.
- Select the ezeep app and follow the workflow.
- Check the preview and tap Print. Your document will now print from your iPhone or iPad.
That’s it! With ezeep Blue, you can easily print documents from your iPhone or iPad to any printer, anywhere. The solution is so user-friendly and scalable that it is suitable for private users as well as companies looking for an enterprise-grade print solution.
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