How does mobile printing work?
Have you ever been away from the office and needed to have something printed up? Well it’s easy to do if you have a smartphone and a mobile printing application.
Imagine a scenario when you’re out and about, but need to print something urgently. Mobile printing makes this easy to do from any smartphone or laptop with an internet connection. You just need to download an app to start.
Which app you choose may depend on what your workplace uses or the type of printer you have in the office. It can work in two ways. The app may connect directly to the printer or you can access a computer connected to the printer.
Converting a printer into a Wi-Fi connected printer
Newer printers have wireless print servers built-in, whereas older models may not. If the printer is still in good condition, you can buy a wireless print server and convert it into a Wi-Fi enabled printer. If the office printer is old and unreliable, consider upgrading it to a model with a wireless print server.
The next step is to configure your computer’s operating system to work with the print server. This may involve using a Bluetooth device or working on a cloud platform.
To find out how to set up your system, look for online tutorials that explain how to convert a printer into a Wi-Fi connected printer. Many sites will have directions for both Windows and Mac. Most brand name printers also have directions online for setting up a Wi-Fi connection. Google’s Cloud Print service is another reliable way to connect a printer to Wi-Fi.
Make any location a workstation
When you’re set up for wireless printing, you can print from any location that has a Wi-Fi connection. Next, you need access to your documents. One way to do this is to have your smartphone connect to your computer workstation. From there you can access documents and even edit them. Another way to access documents is to have a cloud system such as Dropbox or Google Drive installed on your smartphone.
Ultimately, mobile printing requires these three things:
- A Wi-Fi enabled printer
- The right printing app
- Access to documents
Once you have these three things, you can print documents from anywhere that has a Wi-Fi connection, whether it’s your home or halfway around the world.
It’s easy to make any location a workstation. Your smartphone, laptop or home computer can be attached to the office printer, enabling you to print any document at work quickly and easily.
Is your printer fleet ready to go mobile?
