Printing with a Chromebook

Most computers connect to printers using a USB cord or wireless connection. Chromebooks allow you to print as well, but the process is a bit different. Instead of having a direct connection with a printer, Chromebooks use something called Google Cloud Print .

What is Google Cloud Print?

Instead of connecting to one specific computer, Google Cloud Print allows you to print from any device connected to a network, including phones, tablets, computers, and, of course, Chromebooks. This means you can print from anywhere as long as you're connected to the Internet.

When you print a document via Google Cloud Print, it gets sent to a Google server. From there, depending on what type of printer you have, there are two possibilities:

• Cloud-ready printers : If you have a newer printer, it may be a cloud-ready printer . This means it connects directly to the Internet and doesn't require a computer to setup, like most older printers do. Because of this, the print job will be sent directly to your printer from the cloud. To set up your cloud-ready printer, locate your printer from this list and follow the setup guide.
• Traditional printers : If you don't have a cloud-ready printer , your print jobs will first be sent to the computer that's directly connected to your printer before being printed. The setup involved with a traditional printer has a few more steps but isn't too difficult.

To set up a traditional printer for Google Cloud Print:

If you have a traditional printer, you'll need to set up Google Cloud Print on the computer your printer is currently connected to. You will also need to have Google Chrome downloaded, and you must be signed in to Chrome with the Google account you want to use with Google Cloud Print. Review our lesson on signing in to Chrome for help.

1. Turn on your printer.
2. On the computer it's connected to, open Google Chrome .
3. Click the Chrome menu in the top-right corner of the browser, then select Settings .
   
4. Scroll down and select Show advanced settings...
   
5. Locate the section labeled Google Cloud Print and select Manage .
   
6. A Devices page will open. Select Add printers .
   
7. A page with a list of printers connected to your computer will appear. Select the printers you want to add, then click Add printer(s) .
   
8. The printers you selected will now be registered with your Google account and are ready to print your documents.
   

To print using Google Cloud Print:

Once your printer is set up with Google Cloud Print, printing is pretty simple. If your printer is not a cloud-ready printer, the computer it's connected to will need to be on in order for your document to print. If it's off, your document will be added to the print queue and will be printed the next time your computer is turned on.

1. With the page you want to print open, click File , then select Print . You can also can press Ctrl+P .
   
2. In the Google Cloud Print window that appears, click Change...
   
3. A Select a destination dialog box will appear with a list of printers and options. Select the printer you want to print from.
   
4. Select Print .