One of the reasons I love Google Chrome is because the program syncs across all of my devices, from desktop to tablet. I also love the multitude of extensions available in the Google Chrome Web Store.
Well, one of the other reasons I love Chrome is because I can easily print from any device to any associated printer using Google Cloud Print.
Yes, that means exactly what it sounds like: associate a printer to your Google Cloud printing account (the same as your Google Account), and you’ll be able to send print jobs to the printer when needed. You can check out this page for information on setting up your printers.
Populating the associated printers will take a minute, so be patient, they’ll arrive. Then, it’s just a matter of printing to the device. One caution though: remember which Google Account has the associated printers. I registered different printers with my different Google Accounts and I freaked out when I didn’t see the right printer. Don’t worry, just sign into the other Google Account to access them, or better yet, add some more printers.
Once you have cloud printers, that means mobile device printing.
There are several cloud printer apps in Google Play. Some of them are proprietary in nature (HP, Kodak, etc.), while another majority hare generic in nature. My two favorites are Cloud Print (free) and PrinterShare (free). Both apps are free, with limited features, and cost $2.60 and $12.95, respectively, to enable the full versions.
Cloud Print
Most attorneys will prefer Cloud Print to PrinterShare because of its cost to unlock the premium features. You can set up the app quickly using the easy-to-follow menu. The most difficult part of using both apps is setting up the Google Cloud Print server.
You’ll probably want to pay the upgrade fee, since the paid app removes ads and adds Dropbox integration.
One nice feature is the ability to easily select a printer . . .
And the ability to modify other printing settings:
Of course, like desktop printing, the available printer settings are contingent on the printer.
PrinterShare
PrinterShare has many of the same features as Cloud Print, at a more significant price ($12.95) to unlock some of premium features. Lawyers will probably love the fact that PrinterShare does give you Dropbox integration in the free app, and features, in my opinion, a cleaner user interface.
I prefer PrinterShare over Cloud Print because of its out-of-the-box usability.
The upgrade to premium adds direct nearby WiFi, USB and Bluetooth printing and “Unlimited Remote printing” which means “the receiving end (Windows or Mac) would not have to buy pages or subscribe” (whatever that is). I haven’t needed this.
Cloud Print and PrinterShare are 4 of 5 star apps, and you’re really not going to care which app you choose when you have the ability to print from your Android device.
