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Other ways to print
Posted in: Printers, blog by CW on 18 August 2010
Most of the time when we discuss “printing” we are talking about a traditional computer-printer setup; the printer connected to the computer with a parallel or USB cable and print jobs sent from a word processor or image application to the printer.
But did you know there are other ways to print?
Many modern printers are being sold with wireless capabilities. Used to be if you wanted to connect your printer to your wireless network you had to buy and configure a print server, one of the most frustrating and problematic pieces of technology released to the public. When I worked on the help desk of a major networking hardware manufacturer we used to hate receiving calls about print servers. Not very many home users saw the need for print servers, most were sold to businesses. The difficulty with configuring them and getting them to stay connected to the network made them unpopular.
This was before the wireless device revolution we’re now experiencing. Now your cell phone can connect to your wireless network, you can connect external storage devices, MP3 players, cameras, iPads and the list goes on and increases almost daily. Eventually all of our electronic devices will be able to network together and send data from one device to another.
A printer that’s a part of a wireless network can receive print jobs from any other device on the network. My camera can send an image to be printed. I can print out the webpage I’m reading on my wireless laptop. You no longer have to be sitting in front of your computer at a desk in order to print.
There are even wireless printers that, by means of a modified browser, allow you to surf and print directly from the internet, no computer required.
Another technology that has become nearly ubiquitous in cell phones and other personal electronic devices is Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless technology with a shorter range than the 802.11 b/g/n routers most of us have, generally 30 feet as opposed to the average 300 feet of 802.11 wireless devices. Bluetooth is ideal for sending data to another device quickly and securely. Bluetooth in a printer is less beneficial than is wireless since the distance is more limited by Bluetooth. In some homes and offices you could easily be too far from the printer for it to connect.
There’s also been an increase in the number of ethernet-networked printers. These printers are connected to your network’s router with a standard ethernet cable like the one connected to your computer. Connecting to the printer by ethernet cable instead of making a wireless connection requires more cables running everywhere.
Finally, did you know you can “print” without even owning a printer?
Most word processing applications offer a means to “print to file” instead of sending a print job to a printer. This option is a bit different than simply saving a document. By printing to file you are saving a copy of your document as it would appear if printed out. Some applications also allow you to “print” your document to a file in PDF format.
Some people believe they need to print out every interesting thing they get in email or see on the web. You could save paper and ink by printing instead to a folder on your computer or external storage device.
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