We could define AirPrint as Apple’s wireless printing service . Thanks to it, it is possible to send what we want to print completely and completely wirelessly from an iPhone or iPad, easily to any compatible printer that is connected to our Wi-Fi network.
Therefore, it is a service that is integrated in a basic way in the main applications developed by Apple, such as Mail, Photos, iBooks and Safari, as well as other applications such as Numbers, Pages or Keynotes, to name just a few simple examples.
Of course, as we will see, in order to use this service it is essential that our printer is compatible with AirPrint, something that is already quite common in most printers that we can find today in stores, and that are ultimately updated and recent versions.
What exactly is AirPrint?
If you have a device developed by Apple, it is very likely that at some point or other you have come across a function called AirPrint . The truth is that it becomes an ideal tool for those who need to print documents on a daily basis, but require greater simplicity and ease when doing so.
It is a technology provided by Apple that users can use to print any document or photo without downloading or installing drivers .
In this way, it offers the possibility of printing wirelessly from a Mac, iPad or iPhone and any other Apple device compatible with AirPrint , and that are connected to the same network. Of course, for it to work, it is essential to have a compatible printer ; In most cases, it is sufficient that the printer can connect to the network via Wi-Fi connection.
This is because compatible printers such as Apple devices use what is known as Bonjour technology , which can find and work with each other without the need to carry out any configuration.
In fact, the only requirement to be able to use this function without problems is to have an iOS or macOS device, a wireless printer compatible with AirPrint and a Wi-Fi network.
How does AirPrint work?
AirPrint can be used in different scenarios with different requirements. From the outset, we must bear in mind that both the device and the printer use a similar network to communicate through this technology, thus being able to print whatever the user wants.
Here are the steps you should follow to print any file using this tool:
- First, we must open the document or web page that we want to print. To do this, we open it from our Apple device (remember that it can be an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac or any other compatible device).
- Click on the Share button, and choose the Print option.
- Now we are looking for the AirPrint compatible printer . Of course, do not forget that the printer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple device. To do this, click on Select.
- If the printer meets the requirements (is connected and supported), it will appear in the following window.
- Finally, we just have to click on it and a dialog box will appear where we can choose how many copies to print and if we want it to be printed in black and white.
- Once these parameters have been selected, click on the Print button, and the document will begin to print easily.
Although this time we have chosen an iPhone device as an example, with the iPad the process is similar, as in Mac. In the latter case, we simply have to click on Print and wait for the system to detect the compatible printer.
