How do I print from my Chromebook?

In this post we will answer a question that many users ask: how to print from my chromebook. The first thing to keep in mind is that yes, it is possible to print from your chromebook and in a simple way. You can print with most printers that connect to Wi-Fi or a wired network. But it's important to know that Chromebooks generally don't support Bluetooth printing.

We will see that there are various options when it comes to print from a chromebook, either with USB cable or with Wi-Fi. The first step will be to add the printer to the Chromebook and perform the option of set up a printer. 

Before we get into the process of how to print from my chromebook, we must take into account that the system Google Cloud Print (which we will explain later), which was used exclusively to print from any device connected to the cloud, ceased to exist. This has an impact on the fact that some printers do not work on a Chromebook, so it is key to know if your printer is compatible or not with the ChromeOS operating system.

2. How do I add a printer to my Chromebook?

To start printing an element from the chrome book, you must add the printer to the list of available printers on the device. This process can be done through an internet connection. Once this is done, you can now print directly from your Google Chromebook to the printer without having any physical connection.

  Step by Step, how to add a printer to a chromebook 

1. On the main page of the administration console, go to Devices - Chrome Management.
2. click on printers.
3. Select the organizational unit or group to which you want to add the printer.
4. At the bottom right, hover over Add click on Add a printer.
5. Enter the printer data.
6. (Optional) To allow the printer to be set up without a driver, select Use driverless setup.
   It is not necessary to indicate the make or model. The printer provides all the data to the device.
7. click on add printer

An extra aspect to take into account if you want to use any other type of accessories that are compatible with Chromebook, is the badge “Works with Chromebook”. This signal is present in products that have already been tested by Google and found to be compatible with and meet the requirements for Chromebooks. 

3. Set up a printer on your chromebook

The process for print from a chrome book It is different from other types of computers. Although it is simple, there are certain things that you have to take into account, among them the possibility of configure the printer by USB cable or by Wi-Fi connection.

3.1 Set up a printer with a USB cable

This option should only be taken into account if your printer does not support wifi connections, in this case you can try configuring it with a USB Cable. But you have to keep in mind that this method may not work as installing software on a chromebook is not supported in certain cases.

Steps to follow for use the printer with a USB cable:

We connect the cable to the printer and the other end to the Chromebook.

A pop-up window will appear asking us to configure our printer. In the pop-up window, we will have to select "Add Printer" and follow the instructions.

In case it does not appear, we will open the Chromebook settings and write "Print" in the search box.

Among the results we choose “Impression".

To finish, we will click on the printer name and then “Add”.

3.2 Set up a printer with Wi-Fi

The most widely used and easiest option for printing from your Chromebook is over a Wi-Fi connection, whether you connect from your computer or a mobile device. 

Then,How to print from my Chromebook connected to a Wi-Fi network?

Step 1: Connect to the Internet

Important: The printer and Chromebook must be connected to the same network.

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Connect the printer to the network you have available. 
3. If you haven't already, turn on your Chromebook and sign in to your account.
4. Connect the Chromebook to the same network as the printer. 

Step 2: Print a page

1. To print the page, image, or document you're viewing, tap Ctrl + p.
2. Beside "Destination", select the Arrow down.
3. Choose see more…
4. Select the printer. Tip: Some printers will automatically appear on this list. If you don't see your printer listed, you can select “Manage".
5. Choose "Print".

4. How to print using Google Cloud Print?

Update Nov 2022: This service is no longer available

As we have told you at the beginning of this post, the function of Google Cloud Print it's no longer available. It stopped working at the beginning of 2021 and so far there have been no more news about this tool. At this time, the Devices (whatever operating system they use) cannot print with Google Cloud Print. 

This tool allowed you to connect the printer to your Google account from any device with an internet connection and then print automatically, everything from the Google cloud.  

Currently, the recommendation is to opt for other printing alternatives like the one we have seen in this post. 

5. How to print on a Chromebook without Google Cloud Print?

We have already seen that there are several methods that allow you to print documents from your Chromebook. For example, depending on the age of the device or if it has an internet connection, you can choose different possibilities.

Among the most common and easy to implement, you can print through a WiFi connection, adding your printer to a wireless network or through a USB Cable, by connecting the printer to the Chromebook with the USB cable and adding it manually. It is also possible to print using a official app from your printer, which is downloaded from the Google Play Store (as long as your Chromebook has access to the Play Store).