How to Print from Your Android Tablet or Smartphone

Smartphones and tablets are very handy but what if you want to print something? Maybe you’ve got a document or a picture that you want a copy of. What to do then? Printing from a mobile device is not as straightforward as from a standard PC but here is one method for Android platforms.
It uses a free service from Google called “Cloud Print”. You’ll need a Google account and a separate PC with a Chrome browser and an attached printer. You’ll also need a free app for your Android device.




First, configure the PC that has a printer attached.

1. Open the Chrome browser.
2. If not already signed in, sign in to your Google account by clicking the menu button in the far-right upper corner and then select “Sign in with Google.”
3. After signing in, return to the Chrome menu page and click “Settings”.
4. At the bottom of the Settings page, click “Show advanced settings”.
5. Scroll down to the section “Google Cloud Print” and click the button “Add printers”.
6. A confirmation page will open. Click “Add printer(s)”. Internet-enabled printers will not need this step.
7. A Cloud Print web page will open where you can make further configurations of your printers, if desired.
8. The Google Cloud Print section of the Chrome Advanced Settings page will now have two buttons, “Disconnect printers” and “Manage printers”. 

Next, set up the Android device that you want to print from.

1. Download and install one of the free Cloud Print apps. I tried the newly released Google Cloud Print app. 
2. Open the Cloud Print app and it should show the printer(s) that you set up on your PC.

You should now be able to print from any apps that allow sharing. The PC and/or the printer do not have to be on when you want to send a print command. The print job will be queued at Google Cloud Print until you turn the PC and printer on. You can check what print jobs are waiting by clicking the Chrome “Manage printers” button mentioned above in step 8. If you do not want your printer to always be connected to the Internet, simply click the "Disconnect printers" button imentioned in step 8 above.
How to Print from Your Android Tablet or Smartphone