How to Print from Android phone or tablet

In this tutorial I will give you an instruction about how to print from an Android phone or tablet using Google Cloud Print technology. As we already know, the “Cloud” technology is getting common these days.

Things you need to print from Android wirelessly:

1. An Android phone, tablet or phablet (Phone Tablet such as Galaxy Note) that connected to Internet
2. A Printer that connected to PC or laptop that connected to the internet or you can use “Cloud Ready” Printer (you don’t need PC).
3. If you are not using Cloud Ready Printer, then you need a PC with Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows XP SP 3 (Service Pack 3).

Before we continue, it’s better if you know the advantage and disadvantage of printing from Android via Cloud (Wirelessly).

• Advantage: You can print from anywhere, not limited by time and distance, as long as the PC data connection active and also the printer is standby
• Disadvantage: To print, document, picture or file, You need an active internet connection

Now, here’s how to do it:

Part 1: Preparation on the Computer

1. Install Google Chrome browser on your PC, Laptop (Notebook/Netbook). You can download it here.
2. After installed, login using your Gmail or Google Account. Here’s how:
   1. Open Chrome, Click the wrench icon at the top right of  the browser
   2. Click “Sign in to Chrome”
   3. Enter your username and Password then click “Sign In”. If you don’t have it, click “Create a Google Account”
   4. If your login is successful, you can see your username at the top right of the browser.
   5. Activate “Google Cloud Print Connector”:
      1. Click again the “Wrench icon” at top right
      2. Click Settings > click “Show Advanced Settings”
      3. Find and click “Google Cloud Print” > Click “Add Printers”
      4. Let the Google Chrome Active (Don’t close it)

Part 2: Preparation on the Android devices

1. Install “Cloud Print Beta” App from Google Play (Market)
2. Open the app > Click Next > Choose your Google (Gmail) Account that previously you use to sign in on Chrome on PC.
3. To start print, click “Local” > click “Files” > Find and click the file you want to print from Android > when there’s a pop up notification says “Do you want to print.. (The file name)” > Click Yes > Click “Click here to print” > wait a moment while uploaded to the Cloud (it depends on your data connection speed) > When the file is received on the PC, it will start the print job automatically.

Besides a document files such as Ms. Word, Excel, etc, the Cloud Print Beta application can also print following files:

• Picture
• Drawings: You can draw using this app and then directly print in (but the paint feature is so simple)
• Contacts: you can print contacts that saved on your tablet or Smartphone
• Notepad / Clipboards: You can type or you can copy paste text on this menu then directly print it
• SMS: to Print your text message
• Scan Documents: With this feature, you can take a picture of documents, and then print it.

That’s the tutorial how to print from Android tablet or phone wirelessly using Google Cloud Print. Actually there are some others method to print file on Android, such as you can transfer the file first via Bluetooth, Wifi or data cable to your PC then print it like you use to do, or you can also use PrinterShare application that I will discuss some other time. Regards 🙂