Wireless printing is a convenient and increasingly popular way to send documents to a printer without connecting the printer directly to your computer or other device using cables. It’s possible to set up wireless printing on a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets, so that you can print documents without needing to physically connect them through cords or power outlets. Wireless printing is particularly useful when multiple people need to use a single printer, as it allows users to share the printer without having to connect it to a wired network.
Setting up wireless printing requires an understanding of how your specific printer model and device work together, but the steps below should provide a good guide for most applications.
Before You Begin
Before you start setting up wireless printing, it’s important to make sure you have the right equipment. In addition to your printer, you’ll need:
• A wireless router – This is the device that will allow you to connect your printer to the internet and share it with others.
• Computer or mobile device – This is the device you’ll be using to send documents over the wireless network to your printer.
• Printer driver – Make sure you have the most up-to-date version of the printer driver installed on your computer or mobile device.
Step One: Connect Your Printer to the Wireless Network
Before you can begin printing from your computer or mobile device, you’ll need to connect your printer to the wireless network. First, ensure your printer and router are both powered on. Now, refer to the setup instructions provided with your printer to connect the device to your wireless network. This process varies depending on the brand and model of your printer, but typically involves entering the SSID and security key for your router into the printer’s settings via its control panel.
Once your printer has been connected to the network, it’s a good idea to check that the connection is working correctly by printing out a test page.
Step Two: Install the Printer Driver
Now that your printer is connected to the network, it’s time to install the printer driver on the device you’ll be using to send documents to the printer. On a computer, the printer driver is usually found on the manufacturer’s website or on the CD or DVD that came with the printer. For mobile devices, you’ll need to download the driver from your device’s app store.
Once you’ve located the driver, install it by following the onscreen instructions. The installation process should take just a few minutes and once it’s finished, your printer should be ready to use.
Step Three: Add the Printer to Your Device
Before you can use your printer, you need to add it to your device. On a PC, click the “Start” button and type “printers” in the search bar. Select “Printers and Faxes” from the list of results, then click “Add a printer.” From here, you’ll be able to follow the onscreen instructions to add the printer to your computer.
On a Mac, click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.” Click “Print & Fax”, then select “Add Printer or Scanner.” Again, you’ll be able to follow the onscreen instructions to add the printer to your computer.
For mobile devices, open the app used to manage your printers, such as HP ePrint or AirPrint. From here, you should be able to detect the printer and add it to the list of available printers.
Step Four: Print Documents Wirelessly
Now that your printer is connected to the network and installed on your computer or mobile device, you’re ready to start printing documents wirelessly. Depending on the type of document you’d like to print, there are several different options available.
For example, if you’d like to print a document stored on your computer, you can simply open the document and choose the “Print” command from the File menu. This will open the Print window, where you can select the desired printer, choose the number of copies you’d like to print, and configure any other settings.
If you’d like to print a web page or an email message, you can use the “Print” command from the browser’s menu bar or from the email program’s toolbar.
Finally, for mobile devices, you can print documents directly from the device’s built-in apps, such as the Notes app for iPhone or the Google Drive app for Android.
Conclusion
With the right equipment and a few simple steps, you can easily set up wireless printing on your printer, computer, or mobile device. Once you’ve finished setting up your printer and installed the driver, you’ll be able to print documents without the need for cables or power outlets.