The iPad remains a popular mobile tablet of all time. Millions of users worldwide use iPad for everything from entertainment and communication to general productivity. The latter part of the workforce that uses the iPad professionally praises it for its multitasking features and intuitive additions like QuickNote. If you’re part of the generation that does business on the iPad, you probably have a few documents on it. But when it’s time to print them, we usually turn to our computers. But what if you want to print documents from your iPad? Fortunately, there is more than one way to do this. Learn how to print from your iPad in this article.
How to Print From Your iPad: A Detailed Guide (2022)
While the easier way to print from an iPad is with Apple AirPrint, we’ll also detail additional methods in this tutorial. Use the table below to jump to a relevant section.
What is Apple AirPrint on iPad and iPhone?
It remains the easiest way to print files and media from iPad Apple AirPrint. AirPrint is a technology that allows users to print anything wirelessly without having to install any additional drivers or go through multiple setup screens. AirPrint works with many native Apple apps such as Mail, Safari, Notes, Maps, and even Adobe Acrobat, among others.
However, AirPrint has its own requirements and the most important is that you have a supported printer. When AirPrint was first launched, only selected HP printers were compatible. But as time went on, many manufacturers made their products AirPrint-friendly. To find out if your printer supports Apple AirPrint, visit here. AirPrint Supported Devices list and search for your model. You can also look for the “Works with AirPrint” label on your printer.
How to Print from iPad with AirPrint
The following steps will show you how to AirPrint from your iPad. But before you start, make sure your iPad and AirPrint supported printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This way, iPad will automatically detect your compatible printer. Once that’s out of the way, follow these steps:
1. Open the file you want to print. we will use Adobe Acrobat (free) to print a PDF file in this tutorial.
2. After opening the file ellipsis icon (three dots) in the upper right corner.
3. From the drop-down menu, find and tap . “Print” button.
Now you will see one print menu various options are available. As you can see below, my AirPrint compatible printer has already been detected and selected automatically on my iPad. To select another printer, Printer Press the button and choose the one you want to use. You can also make other changes such as the number of copies, color options, and more.
4. When you are satisfied with your settings, click the blue “PrintPress the ” button in the upper right corner.
And that’s it! The document you selected will now start printing and you can get the same from your printer. As mentioned above, this works for most native apps including Safari and Photos, so feel free to print any kind of media from your iPad.
How to Print From Your iPad Without Airprint
Method 1: Use Your Printer’s Official App
If your printer doesn’t support Apple AirPrint, you can print your documents and photos from your iPad, but this will take some more work. Most major printer manufacturers like HP and Canon have iPadOS apps. They allow their products to print documents without AirPrint support. So, if you find out that your printer came without AirPrint, download these apps and use them on your iPad.
Since the list of potential applications is so extensive, we will not list them all in this article. Search the App Store or read your printer’s user guide to find out if there is an official app for your printer. However, we will detail one of the applications for HP owners. in your name HP Smart (free), the app allows supported printers to print documents without AirPrint.
Setting Up the HP Smart App to Print from iPad
Download and install the app, and then follow the steps below to print a document or photo from your iPad without AirPrint.
one. HP Smart application on your iPad.
2. Blue colored “Install A New Printer” button.
4. Tap on the next screen. OK Set to allow the app to access your Bluetooth and LAN.
5. You will then see your printer name in the right sidebar. Here, tap once to set up the printerand you are all set!
Your HP printer is now set up and ready to use. Read on to learn how to print documents from the app itself.
Print from iPad with the HP Smart App
The first time you click on any option, the app will ask you to sign in or sign up. You must log in or create an account to continue. After logging in, follow the steps below:
1. Open the HP Smart app on your iPad and click “View and Print” tab from the bottom navigation bar.
2. Depending on what kind of file you want to print, “All files” To access your iPad’s documentation or “My photos“for images. You can even link your other cloud storage accounts like Google Drive, Box and others to access your documents stored online.
3. For this tutorial we will select the “All Files” option. Once the file manager opens, use the sidebar to navigate to the file you want to print.
4. Once found, tap the file and open it.
5. You will now see a preview of your document with Print, Share and other options. “PrintPress the ” button.
6. The next page will present a list of options that you can adjust to your liking. It includes paper size, color choice, print quality, and other options. Blue when you’re happy with your resolutions”Print” button.
And voila! Your documents/images will start printing from your iPad without the need to use AirPrint technology.
Alternative Method: Printing from within Apps Using HP Smart on iPad
However, if you don’t want to deal with all these hassles, leave the HP Smart app open in the background. Then go to an app like Safari or Notes and click “Print with HP Smart” option after clicking the ellipsis icon (three dots) at the top. It will take you to the page you saw in Step 6 above.
While these steps are a bit tedious, they are necessary if you want to print something on your iPad without AirPrint. However, if you find that your printer does not have an official application, we have an additional method.
Method 2: Use a Third-Party App to Print from iPad
If your printer doesn’t support AirPrint and doesn’t have an official app, you’ll need to use third-party software to print documents from your iPad. This software use your computer and iPad to create a bridge between your printer. It will take print commands from your iPad on your PC and forward them to your printer.
To use this software, your iPad, computer, and printer must all be connected to the computer. same Wi-Fi network to share a link. Once this is done, you need to purchase one of the software below and start working. As we mentioned above, most are paid, so be prepared to spend some money.
1. Printer Pro by Readdle
Natively on iPad, Printer Pro lets you easily print documents wirelessly from your iPad and iPhone. You can print documents, emails, web pages and even items on your clipboard. Application installs a lite version first To see if your printer will work with it.
Download Printer Pro with Readdle (Paid, $6.99)
2. UsefulPrint
This software enables printers without AirPrint protocol to print from iPads, iPhones and even iPods. And it uses a Mac as the middleman for the printing process. The software is free to download, but you can support the developer with donations if you wish.
Download handyPrint for Mac (free)
3. Seeing the print
This paid software is a bit expensive right now $19.99, but it offers a hassle-free way for Mac users to print their favorite documents on non-AirPrint printers. Printopa gives you full control over your printer and advanced settings you can tweak. Check out the 7-day trial and see if it works for you.
Download Printopia for Mac (7-Day Free Trial, then $19.99)
How to Print From Your iPad Using a USB Cable
This method largely depends on whether your printer supports a direct connection to the iPad. You will also need a USB to lightning cable (or a USB-C cable for the new iPad Pro and Air models) to connect your iPad to the printer. To find out if your printer supports such a USB connection, refer to the user manual.
Once connected, you should be able to print any document or image using the iPad’s share button. Simply select the “Print” option from the list; you will see your printer exactly like the steps above.
Alternative Method: Transfer Documents to Your Computer
If all else fails or the above methods are too complicated, maybe you’d better print the documents the classic way. We recommend that you select the batch of files you want to print and transfer them to your computer. You can do this by mailing files, uploading them to a cloud service like Google Drive, or physically connecting your iPad to the PC.
However, the way we propose is much easier and much faster. We recommend using a website called SnapdropUsing that you can transfer files across all your devices, whether Windows or Mac. It is a web-based application, completely free to use and lightweight. Learn how to transfer files between devices using Snapdrop here.
Print from Your iPad in a Few Easy Steps
We hope the above methods will help you to print any documents on your iPad with ease. Be sure to check out all the methods to see which one works best for your workflow. Check out these best iPad games to entertain yourself when you take a break from your productive workday. Or if you’re more of a movie person, learn how to watch movies on Facetime with your friends via the linked article. Suggestions for more ways we can add to print from iPad? Let us know in the comments section below!