Print from phone

[bigdtrucker]

Any body have a clue which app works the best for printing from phone to printer. And is there a way to print not using a net work, strictly from the phone to the printer. Every app that I've looked at has to hook up to a network. And since i don't have a bluetooth enabled printer that makes it even more difficult. Of course I could put and bluetooth adapter on the printer but what a pain. Just want to be able to see a PDF file on my email and be able to print without hooking up the laptop.....

[dirkbonn]

PrinterShare is the app I use but.... (Like you said) your printer has to have bluetooth capabilities or (and this is what I use) I have my printer connected to a wireless router, and I print through the router.  Of course I must be connected to the router via wifi.  But this allows me to print directly from my phone to my printer.

The other downside is the cost... if I remember it was $9.99.  But you can test it out for free to make sure you will be able to print before you purchase.

Edit: Oh yes you must also have a printer that works with PrinterShare. 

[pool_shark]

I use Google cloud print, and cloud print beta from the market. You setup your wireless printer in Google cloud print and the cloud print app can send your doc to Google and Google sends it to your printer.

[bigdtrucker]

Cost is not really a factor. I do oversize loads and constantly getting permits and other documentation over my phone. And  I need to print it out, so its off to the laptop to download and to print. I've worn out three out of four USB slots on my laptop sliding in the print cable constantly.

So since it would be ridiculous to set up a router in my truck,for one laptop the more logical thing would be the Google cloud print. Does the Google cloud print let you do everything from the phone, and do you have to have a specific printer.

Thanks  Dave Shaw

[pool_shark]

Currently the app only supports SMS, Google docs, files, contacts, and K9 email, but you should be blessed to print most anything if you use google's website.

[pool_shark]

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pool_shark wrote:
Currently the app only supports SMS, Google docs, files, contacts, and K9 email, but you should be blessed to print most anything if you use google's website.

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Wow, word correction, gotta love it. That was "you should be ABLE".

[dirkbonn]

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bigdtrucker wrote:

Cost is not really a factor. I do oversize loads and constantly getting permits and other documentation over my phone. And  I need to print it out, so its off to the laptop to download and to print. I've worn out three out of four USB slots on my laptop sliding in the print cable constantly.

So since it would be ridiculous to set up a router in my truck,for one laptop the more logical thing would be the Google cloud print. Does the Google cloud print let you do everything from the phone, and do you have to have a specific printer.

Thanks  Dave Shaw

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Just curious bigd, but do you want to print while in your truck?  Do you carry a printer with you? I guess I'm asking just what is the procedure you use when you need to print? Do you stop at a truckstop and use your laptop and printer there?

You say cost is not really a factor.  Then buy a printer that has bluetooth connectivity, and then use PrinterShare to print right from your phone to the printer via bluetooth.

Are the trucks you operate using a 12volt system?  Reason I ask in they make converters so you can get 110v in your truck to operate a printer.

Edit; Just to let you know, PrinterShare allows you to print

• Pictures
• Web Pages
• Calendar
• Contacts
• Messages
• Call Log
• Gmail
• Google Docs
• Documents

Keep us informed of what you end up doing....

Thanks,

[big-d]

First of all I have a 1500 watt inverter in the truck which runs everything that I need. 20" flat screen, blueray player, coffee pot microwave. The refrigerator that I have is 12volt. I have all the comforts of home. Since I'm out on the road 4 to 5 weeks at a time I like to have pretty much everything to make it comfortable. Use to be home every weekend, but with economy everyone is sacrificing something. As for as the printer goes that was a real chore, This is the first printer that I've ever bought on size alone. Its a Lexmark Genesis series latest and greatest, had good reviews though, they just came out with it and its the only one that would fit in the only place that would accommodate a printer in the truck. I must of looked at and measure at least 50 printers. Any way its 110volt and looks to be a pretty good printer, haven't used it except for test pages. I just bought a HP pavilion dm4 and I didn't get it with Bluetooth. Seams like a couple of years ago 50% of printers had Bluetooth, and since I bought this Lexmark very few printers have Bluetooth enabled. So I have a laptop with no Bluetooth ( which isn't hard to fix with a USB adapter) but a printer that doesn't have Bluetooth but is wifi equipt.. When I want to print I stop jump on the internet go to email get attachment and than send to printer via cable. What I;d like to do is stop send to printer via phone and save allot of time. Sometimes I don't get internet service, but if I already have downloaded  the attachment onto the phone it would be nice to print it anytime with or without the laptop.  So now you know everything. Its just a pain in the ars to do everything from the laptop and have all the cables. If the Google cloud would work that's the way I'd go. From my understanding once you've initially set up the printer via the PC or laptop to the cloud, you should be able to send the doc. to the cloud and it sends it back via the phone to the printer.....But will it work off the printers wifi....Let me know...Thanks Dave S..   P.S. Went to Print Share site and looked up the Genesis S815 and its not supported yet. Go figure

[Wildman]

If you network the phone and laptop with a router you can print to the printer through the laptop without plugging in at all, just share the printer and then setup up a shared printer connection with laptop so this way as long as printer and laptop is on when you are in range of route when you print the default printer will automatically be the one connected to laptop.

Also try “ePrint” from https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.co.microtech.android.eprint_free&feature=search_result , it reports that it support Lexmark Printers and it is free to test so it is worth a look..

[bigdtrucker]

Looked at all the replies and have been digging into the internet, and basally there's no one app at least so far that will print to the printer directly without having the laptop or PC tied in. That was my whole goal was to eliminate turning on the laptop or having it on all the time.. Hard to believe that the one thing that we all depend on and use daily is the last to get any attention, (the printer) oh well , will keep doing it the way I've done it for years, USB to printer cable They make a app for the iPhone to print directly to most printers without the PC or laptop on......Getting tired of all the Mfg. making all the apps for the iPhone, not sure where there heads are, android will take over in the next couple of years.

[dirkbonn]

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bigdtrucker wrote:

Looked at all the replies and have been digging into the internet, and basally there's no one app at least so far that will print to the printer directly without having the laptop or PC tied in. That was my whole goal was to eliminate turning on the laptop or having it on all the time.. Hard to believe that the one thing that we all depend on and use daily is the last to get any attention, (the printer) oh well , will keep doing it the way I've done it for years, USB to printer cable They make a app for the iPhone to print directly to most printers without the PC or laptop on......Getting tired of all the Mfg. making all the apps for the iPhone, not sure where there heads are, android will take over in the next couple of years.

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You can do what you want just not with the printer you have.  You need a printer that is bluetooth enabled.  You just need to find a different spot in your truck to accommodate the size of the printer you need.  If you set your mind to it, I'm sure you can solve the problem..... Remember, "Necessity is the mother of invention".

Good luck,

[Wildman]

Does not really sound like a app for Android is the issue, it sounds like even with a app the printer has to have a supported method of recieving the data..   If you add a router that support printer access through it you will be able to connect to it with wifi and print that way..

[big-d]

You would have to see what I had to do to find a whole to put the printer in, wasn't easy.... EXTREMELY limited space.. As far as the router goes, might be the way to go, but than again since the phone doesn't have the printer driver installed in it, it would still have to go through the laptop. There's just no way that the phone can drive the printer unless there's A.) a app specifically designed to drive the printer. Or the Print Mfg. Designed the printer to work with either iPhone ( which they do ) or Android which is very limited.....with all that's out there didn't know it was going to be such a pain in the arc to wirelessly on the printer.

[Wildman]

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big-d wrote:

You would have to see what I had to do to find a whole to put the printer in, wasn't easy.... EXTREMELY limited space.. As far as the router goes, might be the way to go, but than again since the phone doesn't have the printer driver installed in it, it would still have to go through the laptop. There's just no way that the phone can drive the printer unless there's A.) a app specifically designed to drive the printer. Or the Print Mfg. Designed the printer to work with either iPhone ( which they do ) or Android which is very limited.....with all that's out there didn't know it was going to be such a pain in the arc to wirelessly on the printer.

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The type of router I am speaking of has the printer support built into it, it allows a mobile device to connect straight to a printer through a network access port, I dont see why this wouldnt work because we have simular setups at my job that allows this...  Of course the system we are using goes through a Cisco network but when the system is down for updates all printer requests are completed throught the access router..

Here is a example of a router that may work for you...  http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=printer+router+wireless&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=12...

[Wildman]

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bigdtrucker wrote:

Cost is not really a factor. I do oversize loads and constantly getting permits and other documentation over my phone. And  I need to print it out, so its off to the laptop to download and to print. I've worn out three out of four USB slots on my laptop sliding in the print cable constantly.

So since it would be ridiculous to set up a router in my truck,for one laptop the more logical thing would be the Google cloud print. Does the Google cloud print let you do everything from the phone, and do you have to have a specific printer.

Thanks  Dave Shaw

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Do you have a bluetooth in your laptop? If you do then you can do like I do and simlpy open file explorer and select multiple files that you want to transfer and transfer them without the cable by bluetooth.

Another option if you dont have a bluetooth is get a usb bluetooth card like I put on my desktop and they work sell for my situation..

[Kooshie]

I use hp print for both photos & pdf docs works great as long as you have wifi.