Printopia For Mac
The ability to print documents from iOS is something that huge numbers of iPhone and iPad owners have been waiting for - it was a feature implemented by Apple when AirPrint was added, but this proved to be less than ideal for many users. Using Printopia for Mac, it is possible to share the printer that you have connected to your Mac so it can be used by your iPad or iPhone. Unlike AirPrint, which has been found to be very fussy about which printers it will work with, can be used with virtually any printer regardless of make or model.
The app installs quickly as a system preferences pane, and the simplicity of the interface may initially lead you to believe that there is not a great deal to look forward to. But appearances can be deceptive, and in a matter of seconds you can start printing all manner of documents from your iOS devices. Whether you are working with a USB printer connected directly to your Mac, or a wireless printer connected to a network, Printopia enables you to share your printer so it can be used by iOS. Select the Print option from an app on your iPhone or iPad and any printers that are connected to your Mac will be automatically detected and displayed.
Printopia Download For Mac
There is no need to configure printer sharing - the app just works. You can opt to customise the size of paper used when printing from iOS, but there is really very little configuration needed. Remember that you need to have your printer connected to a Mac which is both online and accessible to your iOS device - ideal if you have an always-on Mac Mini or an Airport Express network where your printer is connected directly to the Airport Express. Alternatively your printer could be connected to your base station or router. The ability to print files from iOS may well be enough to make Printopia a worthy purchase, but the app also has more to offer. There is also the option of using a virtual printer to transfer documents to your Mac in a couple of screen taps. Select the 'Send to Mac' option and the current document will be transferred to your Mac as either a PDF or JPEG file.
The similar 'Send to Dropbox on Mac' option can be used to transfer files via the online storage web site. This means that when you are away from your computer, perhaps travelling, you can quickly and easily send an important document to a storage space that can be automatically synchronised with your Mac. A seven day demo of the app is available, and the full product costs a mere $9.95. If you have battled with AirPrint or want to print documents from your iPhone or iPad without the need to first transfer them to your Mac, works almost flawlessly. The app is an excellent example of software that has been designed by a team that has recognized a problem and developed a tool to address that precise problem.
The app has been built with one purpose in mind, and it does it amazingly well. Verdict: A well-priced app that makes it simple to print documents from an iOS device with a minimum of fuss. We Like: Ease of configuration, low price, high printer compatibility rate, Dropbox file transfer, virtual printing. We Don't Like: Few options for configuring printouts.
Manufacturer: Ecamm Network, LLC MSRP: $9.95 Platforms: OS X Requirements: iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch running iOS 4.2.
Hmm.I've tried this program, and although all my Windows connected printers show up (the 3 traffic light symbols appear on the iPad and it lists the same printers on the PC), I can't get any of them to print. This issue is really bugging me. I want it simple to use so my wife can just hit the Print Button in any App, like say Safari and just print.
I currently have installed PrintCentral Pro, and although it works fine within it's own App, you have to cut and paste the URL from Safari into its own Web interface. Cutting and pasting I don't really find that easy to do on the iPad, so a simple program and/or App that allows you to print from within any App/program on the iPad to any Windows connected Printer is really a must for me. I think FingerPrint is working correctly through my Firewall as I get to see all the printers on both the iPad and Windows PC.
Am I right in assuming this? Btw, the link to Printopia is broken. I also note that is is only available for the MAC - at least as far as I can determine. After reading the poet's suggestion, I downloaded Fingerprint and installed it on my PC (Vista). I had no problems at all. My Samsung printer is a WiFi model that's not AirPrint compatible. But Fingerprint let me use it straightaway.
Make sure that FingerPrint is running, of course. I found that Vista was picky about letting it run as a Startup item and I had to launch it manually after I'd rebooted my PC. So check it's running in the system tray and then ensure that the printer you want to print to is selected in FingerPrint, by default it allows you to 'print' to every printer that you'd normally see in the Windows Print menu.
Printopia App
Thanks for the feedback Tim. So, just to be sure - you only have FingerPrint loaded on your PC, nothing on the iPad and you see the Printers on the iPad with the 3 traffic lights (which are an additional set of printers when you look at the printer list when say printing from Safari?) and the same list in FingerPrint on your PC? I have done all of the above, stopped the PrintCentral App on the iPad and the WsPrint on the PC and then started FingerPrint manually. I don't have an AirPrint printer, but have about 5 other sprinters ranging rom an old HP LaserJet 1300 to a newish Dell 5110 and Canon MP610.
Yes - OK, I guess the detail is important in cases like this. I read the poet's post and went to the FingerPrint site.
Printopia For Windows 10
I downloaded the demo (7 day) version of the app to my PC - Sony Vaio P running Vista. I installed FingerPrint and, at the end of the installation, selected the 'Lauch FingerPrint' option. I was then presented with a screen on which all my many printers and other printing-type devices were listed. I unchecked them all except my Samsung Laser Printer, which is connected into my home network by WiFi. For good measure I restarted my PC and had a pop-up box appear saying that FingerPrint approval as a startup item was 'pending' (never had that before!). I dismissed that warning and started FingerPrint manually.
I restarted my iPad too. I have nothing installed on my iPad. I then went to Pages, selected a test document and selected Print. As shown on the FingerPrint website, I had my printer listed in the Print menu.
I selected print and the appropriate print options - single sided, 1 copy etc - hit the print button and, a few seconds later, it popped out of my printer. I then went to the iPad's Photos app and tried to print a photo from there (on the basis that it was more complex and therefore a more stringent test) and that worked fine too. One problem that I have on my home network - and it's nothing to do with FingerPrint - is that my PC sometimes loses contact with the printer. It seems as though - because my Vaio is often taken away from home and then returned and I have several other PCs in the house and people are always switching stuff on and off, that the printer gets assigned a different IP address (yes, I know, I should use a static IP address) so I have to manually edit the IP address assigned in the PC's Control Panel to the printer. It seems as though the Vaio always wants to use the same IP address for the printer and never searches for the printer by its (unique) MAC address, so I have to occasionally manually change the IP address to the correct one. But, as I said, that's not a FingerPrint problem - it's a problem I've had with my PC and printer since day one.but I mentioned it simply because I wondered if the problem you were experiencing wasn't FingerPrint related.
Good Luck and get back to me if there are continuing problems. Thanks for the feedback Tim. So, just to be sure - you only have FingerPrint loaded on your PC, nothing on the iPad and you see the Printers on the iPad with the 3 traffic lights (which are an additional set of printers when you look at the printer list when say printing from Safari?) and the same list in FingerPrint on your PC? I have done all of the above, stopped the PrintCentral App on the iPad and the WsPrint on the PC and then started FingerPrint manually.
I don't have an AirPrint printer, but have about 5 other sprinters ranging rom an old HP LaserJet 1300 to a newish Dell 5110 and Canon MP610. Well, we have to stop the print presses. It all seems to work now, even printing duplex on my Dell printer.
No idea why - did not perform a no reboot. Well, most impressed now as you can now have your cake and eat it too.
Printing to any wireless AirPrint compatible printer is still possible as the printer list on the iPad still lists those too. Be aware that the printer list now shows two lists. One which the iPad normally shows which includes your Window PC attached printers (which of course won't work) and below that the same list of printers, but these contain an icon with a set of traffic lights.
It is one of these that you need to select. The info on the FingerPrint website is very limited and doesn't really do justice to what the product can do.
AFAIK, it's the ONLY one that allows printing directly from any App on the iPad, does not require an App to run on the iPad, and will talk to all of my printers connected to my Windows PC. Hmm.I've tried this program, and although all my Windows connected printers show up (the 3 traffic light symbols appear on the iPad and it lists the same printers on the PC), I can't get any of them to print. This issue is really bugging me. I want it simple to use so my wife can just hit the Print Button in any App, like say Safari and just print. I currently have installed PrintCentral Pro, and although it works fine within it's own App, you have to cut and paste the URL from Safari into its own Web interface. Cutting and pasting I don't really find that easy to do on the iPad, so a simple program and/or App that allows you to print from within any App/program on the iPad to any Windows connected Printer is really a must for me. I think FingerPrint is working correctly through my Firewall as I get to see all the printers on both the iPad and Windows PC.
Different modes can be set for how you position your fingers and wrist for typing and using it as a mouse. An internal, rechargeable battery will last for about two hours of continuous typing. The iDapt i4w Qi wireless charging station. A display shows key features such as your battery level, caps lock, volume, sensitivity settings and brightness. The three sensitivity levels are for different light conditions and even for those who have painted fingernails. 
Am I right in assuming this? Btw, the link to Printopia is broken. I also note that is is only available for the MAC - at least as far as I can determine. Click to expand.No. Some printers are directly compatible with AirPrint on the iPad. This includes several HP printers and a smaller selection of Canon and Epson printers.
Be absolutely certain the printer supports AirPrint before buying. Some printers may require a firmware update to work.
These are usually available on the manufacturers site. If you get this kind of printer you can print directly from within apps that support the feature, which is many. Of course some of us already have printers and do not want to buy a new one. There are a couple ways to do this. One is to use a printing app on the iPad. Most (or all) other print apps can only print pictures and/or files that have been copied to that app via Open In or other method. Print n Share used to be able to print from AirPrint enabled apps if it was loaded the background.
It lost this ability with iOS 5. It may still work with iOS 4 if you get it before the app is updated in the App Store. The second method is to load a program on the computer that will emulate an AirPrint compatible printer. Your computer must be on and have the printer available to it.
The cheapest (free) is Airprint Activator. More features can be had with FingerPrint (mac and windows) and Printopia (mac only). There is a third way.
A few printers (mostly HP's again) can be set up with their own email address. PDF attachments can be sent via this address to be printed. The last review I saw (several months ago) said it could be quite slow (big files not recommended), and sometimes the emails got lost and never printed. The advantage was that you could literally send/print from anywhere you have an internet connection.