AirPrint – Print to ANY Mac printer from a iOS 4.2 device
As it turned out that iOS 4.2 / Mac OS 10.6.5 only allows printing on some special HP printers via AirPrint it was some kind of surprise for many users.
Discussions before the release showed the ability of iOS devices to print to almost every printer – it was clear that it wouldn’t work for every printer – but for more than only some HP printers.
For me it would have meant to wait for one of the next releases to print on my Canon 865i – which is clearly not an HP printer, and by the way really not a new one…
But I found a solution on the web today – tested it and was happy at all… It.simply.works.
What you will have to do to start printing is really easy – just create a little AppleScript and let it run under Administration permissions, delete the currently assigned printer(s), reboot your Mac and re-install the printer afterwards – don’t forget to share the printer to get it working.
- Step – the AppleScript:
AirPrint - On, The Script
–> download here the complete script: AirPrint On
- Step – Delete your current printer via the Preferences Pane:
Printer Preferences
- open the preferences pane via the ‘Apple / Systempreferences’ menu entry
- select ‘Printer / Fax’ to show the installed printers
- select the printer and click on the ‘-‘ button to delete the printer
- close the preferences and restart your computer
- Step – open again the System Preferences
Share Printer in Network
- click the ‘Printer / Fax’ icon
- click on the ‘+’ button to add the connected printer (connect and switch the printer on!)
- confirm the dialogs showing up (recommended: create new printer queue if asked)
- select the ‘Share this printer on the network’ option and click on the ‘Sharing Preferences’ button
- select ‘Printer Sharing’
From then on you should be able to select the printer via your iDevice as a AirPrint optional printer:
AirPrint Options on the iPad
Have fun!