Chromebooks are inexpensive portable laptops that you’ll find everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms. They’re a portable laptop wherever you go, but if you need to print it’s not so easy. Unlike a Mac or PC, you can’t just plug the printer in and let it work. To print, you’ll need to consider several alternatives.
Print actually works on Chromebooks! Stupid’s photo
If you already have a printer for your Mac or PC, you can connect your Google account to it. First, you need to install Chrome on the computer that printed to that printer. Don’t worry, Chrome doesn’t need to be running to share the printer with your Chromebook.
After you install Chrome, sign in to your Google account. Usually it’s just Gmail, but if you have a Google-managed domain, sign in to that email. Once logged in, you will see a button with your name in the upper right corner.
Don’t like the name button? Here are some tips on how to get rid of it.
Just below your name is the hamburger icon for the menu. Click that menu and select Setting. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see Show advanced settings… Select that option.
Scroll down and you will see Google Cloud Print and Manage button below that title. Go ahead and click Manage and then you’ll see any printers connected to Google Print.
If the printer you want to print to from your Chromebook is already listed, you’ve completed the setup process. If not, choose Add a printer. Chrome will list all the printers your Mac or PC prints to and will add them by default. Remove the check marks from the printer you don’t want to connect to your Google Cloud Print.
I recommend adding only printers that you are likely to use from your Chromebook and removing checks from Automatically register new printers I connect to. Too many printers confuse me, so I try to keep the minimum listed.
As the screen says, this is beta and not completely reliable. Sometimes you may have to turn the printer off and on. A few times I had to remove my printer from Google Cloud Print and re-add it.
Extras: After configuring Google Cloud Print, you can print from any device running Chrome. Chrome for both Android and iOS supports Google Cloud Print.
Enable Google Cloud Print on Your Printer (or Buy an Existing One)
Network printers manufactured in the last few years have built-in Cloud Print capabilities. Google has a complete list of Cloud Ready Printers. Each printer setup is different, so follow the links to configure the printer for your Google account. Some printers may need a firmware update to enable Google Cloud Print.
Hp ePrint support: Many HP printers have this feature built-in, so check out our configuration guide.
If your printer doesn’t support Google Cloud Print, it might be time to buy a new one. If you check Google’s listing against retail prices, you’ll see dozens of products for less than $100. Google updates that list regularly, but always check the printer documentation before purchasing just to make sure Google Cloud Print Support is available.
Buy an adapter to convert your printer(s) to Google Cloud Print
If your printer doesn’t support Google Cloud Print, or if you have multiple printers, consider purchasing a Cloud Printer Adapter. I tested xPrintServer Cloud Print Edition ($149.95). xPrintServer automatically adds network-based printers and any printer connected to its USB port. It does not support all printers, so check the compatibility list.
Lantronix also makes xPrintServer Office that adds AirPrint for iOS and Google Cloud Print to your existing printer base. If you’re just hooking up a basic inexpensive inkjet printer, xPrintServer is probably not worth it. These devices are best used in an office environment or where you have multiple high-end printers.
I travel with my xPrintServer because it allows me to print to almost any printer from my Chromebook. That comes in handy if I’m traveling and need to print my boarding pass. If I can connect to the network, I can print to any network printer.
Print documents to PDF
If you don’t pre-configure your printer to print, your Chromebook can always print to a PDF file. Some printers may not support Google Cloud Print, but they may support sending files directly to them via email. If your printer doesn’t have that option, at least you’ll have a document that you can email others to print.
Many stationery stores and copy shops accept pdf files for printing and charge a small fee. If a fax machine is nearby, you can use HelloFax to email a pdf and print it to the fax machine. Fax machines often don’t have the best print quality, but this works out of the box. I did it recently to print a boarding pass from a hotel room.
Although I have not tried this, others have reported success by saving the pdf file to Dropbox and enabling automatic printing from a folder using this method described in Labnol.
Print me up, Scotty!
Just because your Chromebook doesn’t support plugging in a printer doesn’t mean you can’t print from your Chromebook. Ideally, you configure printing first, but even if you don’t have access to install Google Cloud Print, you still have some other options.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
