Printing from your Chromebook can seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. While Google Cloud Print does offer a way to print from your Chromebook, there are many reasons why this may not be the best choice for you. Luckily, there are several other apps that let you print from your Chromebook with ease! Take a look at this guide to learn how to print from your Chromebook without using Google Cloud Print and find out what apps will make printing easy and convenient! How to print from a Chromebook without using Google Cloud Print
Find your printer’s IP address
Each printer connected to your network will have its own unique IP address. To find it, head into your printer settings and select Network Settings. You should see something similar to IP: 192.168.1.68 listed under IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway or Wireless Network Connection (it varies by printer). Write down or jot down these details for later in case you need them for troubleshooting purposes. Add your printer’s IP address to Chrome: On your Chromebook, open up Chrome and type chrome://settings/search#devices into the omnibox at the top of your browser window. From there, click Add Printers & Scanners on the left side of that page. A new tab should open with all of your available printers—if yours isn’t already listed there, click Add Printer or Scanner at the bottom of that page. On that new page, click Add Device next to Ethernet Printer #1 (or whatever name is given). If you’re prompted to enter an IP address manually rather than scanning a QR code on your printer itself, enter in those values as well—click Next when finished.
Connect your Chromebook to the network
Connecting your device to your work network ensures that you can access and print files while not at home. You can do so by clicking on Settings in your menu bar, then clicking on Wi-Fi, and finally selecting one of available Wi-Fi networks. Once selected, click on Connect, then select OK when prompted. The network should now be connected and available for use by all users of your system. Save any unsaved work, close open applications and click Log out to finish disconnecting from your current wireless network.
Add the printer to your Chromebook
This process varies depending on your operating system and printer manufacturer, but basically involves turning on your printer, navigating to its menu of options, and choosing a print option. You’ll probably see something like Add Device, Connect to Printer, or something similar. On some printers, you may need an SD card or installation CD; check your instruction manual for more information. Once you’ve made it through all of these steps (it’s okay if they aren’t in order—I was just trying to make things sound more organized than they actually are), it’s time to move on! Turn off that Chromebook and then turn it back on again.
Set up the permissions
To set up your printer for printing, you’ll need to install and turn on Google Cloud Print. Start by navigating to chrome://settings/installed and turning on Google Cloud Print. Be sure to confirm your device. You will also want to turn on Manage Your Printers in Chrome Device Management settings under Manage devices in Chrome Settings at chrome://settings/chrome_devices . Make sure that you are logged into Chrome with your school account, otherwise, you won’t be able to do these steps.
Test that it works!
Once you’ve configured your printer, test that it works by printing off something small, like an address label. This will help you verify that everything is working properly before trying to do any more substantial printing tasks. If there are problems with your printer configuration (or even if everything looks good), you can always hit CTRL+ALT+T and open a new terminal window. From here, type sudo service gcp-chrome-print restart and then hit Enter. The sudo command temporarily gives you superuser permissions; these permissions will be needed to re-launch GCP after making changes in CUPS.
Can I print directly from my Chromebook?
Yes, but you’ll need to use an app. Most major office suites have apps available for download in Chrome Web Store. Here are links to some of our favorites: Microsoft Office for Chromebook, QuickOffice Pro for Google Drive and OpenOffice for Chrome. If your favorite word processor doesn’t have a native app yet, check back frequently – many developers are working on apps at any given time. In most cases, you can use these third-party tools right within your browser tab. All of them are compatible with most printing services that support cloud printing.
How can I print from my Chromebook to my printer?
If you are running Windows 10 on your Chromebook and would like to use it for printing, you will need install an additional application on your computer. With that application installed, you can then use it as a virtual printer that allows printing from other applications, such as Microsoft Word or Chrome. In order to get started, first make sure that your Windows 10 computer and your printer are connected to the same network.
How do I print from my Chromebook to my HP printer?
If you use an HP printer, your Chromebook can wirelessly connect directly to it. If you don’t have access to wireless printing, you can connect your computer and printer with an Ethernet cable. You’ll need to open up your settings on your HP printer in order for it communicate with your computer via USB or Ethernet. To do so, follow these steps
Why wont my Chromebook find my printer?
If you have multiple printers, check and see if your Chromebook has picked up both of them. Some printers feature special mode switches that cause them to show up in different spots on your network (for example, my older Brother laser printer lists as Brother HL-2170W when in wireless mode but shows up as Brother HL-2170w when plugged directly into my PC’s USB port). If you’re sure that multiple machines are working properly but none are showing up on your device list, try restarting your wireless router and changing channels. You can also visit support for routers from manufacturers like Cisco, D-Link and Netgear. For help with specific devices, sites like pcsupport or brother should help if you’re having trouble printing from Chrome OS.
