Smartphones are part of our life. Both in the personal and professional fields, these devices center many of the functions that we carry out on a day-to-day basis. Thanks to the wireless technologies of HP printers, we can print our documents and images from the mobile, without having to go through the computer. From anywhere with an Internet connection or on the wireless network in the office or home , these technologies will save us a lot of time and boost our productivity. We bring you a guide to use the main mobile printing technologies that HP printers incorporate .
HP ePrint . It is the technology on which the wireless printing offers of the American company revolve, and a very useful tool to be able to print a document or an image from any device with a network connection, such as a smartphone. The only requirement is that the mobile incorporates the ability to send emails with attached documents. The concept behind ePrint is to associate its own email account with each printer. Once we send the document or image through the mail, the print job will be done automatically.
To start using this tool, we must first activate the HP Web Services within the printer itself (they require that we be connected to the network). The team prints a sample page with instructions that we must follow. Then you just have to access the HP ePrint Center page and register as users within this portal. Then we go to the "Devices" tab , "Add a device" and enter the printer code that was written on the printed paper. By default, the electronic address of the printer will be the one that forms the code entered plus "@ hpeprint.com". But this address can be customized by clicking on “Change Address”.
The documents that can be printed include Word documents , Excel pages , PDF files and TXT texts , PowerPoint presentations, and HTML web pages . We also have the ability to print BMP, GIF, JPEG, TIFF and PNG images. There is a maximum size of sent mail of 10 MB. Also, only ten different files can be sent at one time. On the other hand, it must be taken into account that documents with a digital signature, encrypted or that are protected by a password will not be printed. Another feature that is lacking in this technology is the ability toprinting on both sides, a deficiency that HP will surely correct in the future.
The job is done automatically when we send the mail, although it may take a while for this job to start depending on the network speed (the attachment must go through the HP ePrint print server ). In the event that the printer is turned off at the time we send the document or outside the network, it will be saved up to 24 hours on the server until we turn on the printing equipment again and the job is done. Without a doubt, it is a very useful tool for mobile professionals and SMEs since it does not need any type of application and we can send the document through any computer without having to configure it.
HP ePrint App and HP ePrint Services. If you want to more specifically control the print job through an Android mobile , you can also choose to download the dedicated application of the American company. HP ePrint allows you to print documents on a printer that is connected to the same WiFi network as the mobile phone, or take advantage of the public printing service that HP has deployed and that will allow us to carry out the work on an enabled printer that is close to us. It is a service that works as an added value for the business or hotel that participates in this initiative.
Returning to the basic functionality, simple interface of this application will allow us to print a photograph a web page or document you have stored on your mobile. Within the photos option, we can crop the image and adjust the quality of the printing before we carry out the printing. In the case of the web, you can also configure printing between a certain range of pages that cover the website and with different qualities and sizes. Finally, the option to print a document directly accesses the phone memory and divides the files between different types. The only but that we find in this app is that it is somewhat slow in loading the files stored on the phone. For the rest, it is a very simple way of being able to print via mobile in the office or at home.
This application is free and is available for both Android, Windows 8 or BlackBerry mobiles and tablets .
Apple AirPrint . For users who have an iPhone or Apple iPad tablet with operating system version iOS 4.2 or higher , they will be able to use the applications that integrate AirPrint to print wirelessly on compatible HP printers (the complete list can be reviewed on the Apple website ). As in the previous case, the printing equipment must be connected to the same WiFi network as the smartphone.
In any case, in case of doubt, it is best to visit the website www.hp.es/impresion-mobile where you can download the application corresponding to each mobile or tablet.
Wireless Direct Printing. Another technology that HP has introduced in several of its most recent models is the ability to perform wireless printing from the mobile without the need to connect to the local network. In this case, the compatible devices create their own WiFi network (this function must be activated within the printer itself). Users only have to connect to this network via mobile (it will always be the network that begins with HP ) and then use an application such as HP ePrint or AirPrint.It is a useful option for mobile workers who want to avoid the intermediate step of having to connect to the Wi-Fi network of the place or for employees who have limited access. More advanced models also offer the option of setting a security password so that not all users access the printer.
Finally, the company is also beginning to roll out the NFC function in its latest printing equipment and through accessories such as the HP 1200w . This connection allows you to use a smartphone with this technology to print a document or image by bringing the mobile closer to the printing equipment (it is a technology that works less than 30 centimeters away).