Printing via mobile without internet? Possible? • Non-Gaming • Mobile Phones • Eurogamer.net

Nipz69 11 Oct 2014 11:02:42 85 posts
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Here's one for the EG hive mind to ponder. I have a lad who lives near me who lives in the dark ages. He has no internet, and has his own business as a joiner. He still writes his receipts out by hand, and has no desire to get 'techie'. But, saying that, he has recently bought a Windows phone, and asked me the other day if he could use his phone to print his receipts out. I at first said yes, but after more thought, wondered if it was possible withouth wifi. I can print at home, but my printer is connected to my network, and via the app on my phone, I can print easily. As he isn't on the net, this wouldn't be possible I don't think, or would it? Does it actually use the 'internet' or just the wireless router to route the data? I have a spare wireless router I could let him have, and if this would work he'd be happy. What I don't want to happen is for him to fork out for the printer, and then it not work. I posed the question at PCWorld (yeah...I know) and Staples and they couldn't give me an answer. I was hoping the EG massive could.

speed182 11 Oct 2014 11:04:55 1,060 posts
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It doesn't require an internet connection AFAIK, just to be connected to the same network.

So giving him the router would work.

Nipz69 11 Oct 2014 11:08:07 85 posts
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Brilliant! Thanks all. I'll go and buy him a printer today then!

nickthegun 11 Oct 2014 11:14:40 87,711 posts
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I would get him one that has Bluetooth. It's a bit more robust and reliable than a wifi connection

Nipz69 11 Oct 2014 11:23:00 85 posts
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I was looking at him using the HP mobile app, as the printer I was planning getting him was an HP Envy, and the app doesn't support bluetooth printing, only wireless.

elstoof 11 Oct 2014 11:24:10 28,125 posts
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It's probably just as quick to write them by hand though, what will he gain from slowly typing one letter at a time on a touchscreen before printing an invoice out? Can you get a decent invoice template, set margins and layout for headed paper etc with any windows apps?

I can't imagine you intend to link the invoicing to a customer account database, so I'm struggling to see the point.

Edited by elstoof at 11:29:39 11-10-2014

Nipz69 11 Oct 2014 13:40:23 85 posts
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Yes. He's happy with a simple template and has office on his phone. He'll just fill in the work and the amount and he's away.

mal 11 Oct 2014 13:47:58 29,326 posts
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In the days before wifi, it was certainly possible to print from computers and PDAs to ir-equipped or bluetooth capable printers. I think bluetooth's even got a proper printing profile (ir just translated to a serial connection, so it was a bit belt and braces).

God knows how many printers still support this stuff though, and I doubt it's a big selling point for phones, so I don't know if any of them even do it any more.

If your phone has SD storage, I know printers these days with card slots can print from there (though I dunno what file formats they support outside of JPEGs).

Nipz69 11 Oct 2014 13:51:20 85 posts
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He wants it as simple as possible. I think the idea of him removing his sd card everytime he wants to print something would terrify him. His phone is the only piece of 'tech' he owns. How he lives without even basic Internet or a basic computer is beyond me.

mal 11 Oct 2014 14:39:42 29,326 posts
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I'm not sure which is simpler out of him setting up a router and getting his printer and phone to connect to it, then navigating the menus to print to that network device, versus moving a card, turning the printer on then using the printer interface to choose what to print. Though if you set up the router for him, I guess that would make that way a little easier. I'm not really into arguing this case though, and was really just posting alternatives. It's up to you what you do.

Fake_Blood 11 Oct 2014 14:57:12 11,093 posts
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Google "wifi direct printing".
Might not need a router.