For as long as there have been Google Chromebooks, there have been issues connecting Chromebooks with printers, leaving an inexhaustible line of people, exasperated by their PC. Many had to resort to bringing in a second, none-Chromebook computer to act as an intermediary, effectively rendering the whole point of having a Chromebook null and void. After all, for those of us who, for work or for pleasure, need to print documents regularly, what use is a Chromebook without a printer?
Now, The Google Cloud Print service so many Chromebook users relied upon to print has been discontinued. Whilst this has left a lot of Chromebook users worried as to their computer’s printing capabilities, thankfully adding a printer on a Google Chromebook has actually never been easier.
Simply follow the instructions below:
How to Add a (Wi-Fi) Printer on a Google Chromebook
Chromebooks should now work with almost any wi-fi compatible printer (HPs arguably working the best). For non-wi-fi compatible printing from your Chromebook, scroll-down to the next tutorial.
- Turn on your printer, and connect it to your wi-fi (must be the same wi-fi to which your Google Chromebook is attached)
- On your Google Chromebook, click the time icon in the bottom-right of the screen.
- From the pop-up menu, select the Settings icon (cog-shaped)
- In Settings, from the left-hand sidebar, select ‘Advanced’
- Below ‘Advanced’, select ‘Printing’
- From the ‘Printing’ menu, select ‘Printers’
- Below ‘Add printer’ you should now see a list of the printers connected to the wi-fi network which your Chromebook is also connected to. Find the appropriate printer in the list, and click ‘Save’. Alternatively, click the blue ‘Add printer’ icon, and find your wi-fi compatible printer that way, adding it to your Chromebook’s list of default printers.
- You have now successfully added a printer to your Google Chromebook. When you go to print a document, from the pop-up ‘Print’ menu, select the ‘Destination’ drop-down menu, and select your printer. If your printer is not there, select ‘See more’, and if your printer does not show on the next screen, select ‘Manage’, and locate your printer from there. This will send your document, via wi-fi, to your newly added printer.
How to print from a Google Chromebook via USB
If it is the case that your printer is not wi-fi compatible, fear not. You can still print from your Google Chromebook, provided you can make a USB connection from your printer to your PC.
- Connect the printer to your Chromebook via USB
- Open the document you wish to print and press CTRL + ‘P’
- From the pop-up ‘Print’ menu, select the ‘Destination’ drop-down menu
- Select your USB-connected printer. If your printer is not there, select ‘See more’, and if your printer does not show on the next screen, select ‘Manage’, and locate your printer from there.
- Now click ‘Print’, and your document should print via your printer-Chromebook USB connection
And there you have it! Whilst once adding a printer to your Google Chromebook might have caused headaches, now it really could not be any more simple. Just by following the few steps illustrated above, you can add almost any wi-fi compatible printer in just a few minutes, and rest assured that your printing problem days are over.
