With iOS 4.2+ you can print from your mobile device to a printer on your local network by way of AirPrint. Although some new, wireless printers are immediately accessible by AirPrint, you can also activate older printers that are plugged into your computer, whether you have a Windows machine or one running OS X. After making the printer available for sharing and installing some freely available software, you will be able to take advantage of AirPrint whatever printer you have.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Windows

  1. 1
    Share a printer connected to your PC.
  2. 2
    Install iTunes 10.1+.[2]
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Open a command prompt and enter a specific command, which depends on the location of your file.
  4. 4
    Enter the following command is in the command prompt: sc.exe start AirPrint.
  5. 5
    Select "Allow Access" in the window that pops up and now you can print a file from your iOS device.[4]
  6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

OS X

  1. 1
    Connect your printer to your computer.
  2. 2
    Open "System Preferences."[5]
  3. 3
    Select "Print and Fax" from the "Hardware" section.
  4. 4
    Select the desired printer, and check the "Share this printer" box.[6]
  5. 5
    Download and install AirPrint Activator (Compatible with OS X 10.5+)or Handy print for Newer Versions.
  6. 6
    Run AirPrint Activator or Handy print for Latest versions.
  7. 7
    Turn on AirPrint option.
  8. 8
    Print a file from your iOS device.
  9. Advertisement

Things You'll Need

  • Printer connected to your computer or the local network
  • Device with iOS 4.2+ installed

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 167,511 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 10
Updated: April 30, 2022
Views: 167,511
Categories: Printers
Advertisement