Print Wirelessly With Your Pi
Raspberry Pi|Issue 46

Breathe new life into an old printer by using your Raspberry Pi as a wireless print server

Print Wirelessly With Your Pi

Wireless printing has made it possible to print to devices stored in cupboards, sheds and remote rooms. You don’t have to own a shiny new printer for this to work; old printers without native wireless support don’t have to end up in the bin, thanks to the Raspberry Pi.

The setup is simple. With your Pi set up with a wireless USB dongle, you connect your printer to a spare USB port on the computer. With Samba and CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) installed on the Raspberry Pi, all that is left to do is connect to the wireless printer from your desktop computer, install the appropriate driver and start printing.

CUPS gives the Raspberry Pi a browser-based admin screen that can be viewed from any device on your network, enabling complete control over your wireless network printer.

01 Check your printer works

Before starting, check that the printer you’re planning to use for the project still works and has enough ink. The easiest way to do this is to check the documentation (online if you can’t find the manual) and run a test print.

02 Detect your printer

This story is from the Issue 46 edition of Raspberry Pi.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 46 edition of Raspberry Pi.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM RASPBERRY PIView All
Access A Raspberry Pi Zero Using A Laptop
Raspberry Pi

Access A Raspberry Pi Zero Using A Laptop

Configure OS settings and use the USB port to access both the command line and GUI from anothe computer

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 47
Draw Circuits With Paint
Raspberry Pi

Draw Circuits With Paint

Assembling circuits has never been so easy with the joys of conductive paint, enabling you to bring together art and electronics in a whole new way.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 48
Picture Perfect Pi
Raspberry Pi

Picture Perfect Pi

Using a Pi to infuse AI into a camera and shock users into taking beautiful photographs

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 46
Add A Battery Pack To Your Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi

Add A Battery Pack To Your Raspberry Pi

Don’t leave your Raspberry Pi behind – incorporate it into mobile projects by powering it up using humble AA batteries

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 46
Print Wirelessly With Your Pi
Raspberry Pi

Print Wirelessly With Your Pi

Breathe new life into an old printer by using your Raspberry Pi as a wireless print server

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 46
Open Source Smart Home Touchscreen
Raspberry Pi

Open Source Smart Home Touchscreen

A stylish smart home project in San Francisco demonstrates an elegant interface for home automation without proprietary parts.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 45
Kodak Pi Notification Lamp
Raspberry Pi

Kodak Pi Notification Lamp

Another mashup of retro and modern tech, this voice-activated Kodak lamp uses a Pi Zero W and Unicorn HAT.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 48
Xbox Zero Arcade Pt 1
Raspberry Pi

Xbox Zero Arcade Pt 1

Let’s make a self-contained arcade machine out of old bits of kit, a spare Xbox pad and a Pi Zero!

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 46
Boot Your Pi 3 B+ From USB
Raspberry Pi

Boot Your Pi 3 B+ From USB

Configure and boot up your Raspberry Pi3B+ using a USB flash or hard drive

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 47
Create A Raspberry Pi Network With Piserver Tool
Raspberry Pi

Create A Raspberry Pi Network With Piserver Tool

Use PiServer to easily set up a network of Pis connected to a central server, which you control.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 45