PC Doctor October 23, 2015

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Dear PC Doctor:

I have an iPad.  It doesn’t have a USB port for a flash drive.  How can I print from it?  I would like to print some photos that were e-mailed to me.  I would prefer not to print over a wireless network.  Can I plug the iPad directly into a printer?

Thanks,

        Joseph

 

Dear Joseph:

If you have a computer, you can plug your iPad into the computer to both view your photos and print them.  When you connect your iPad to the computer, you'll get a new dialog box.  Choose “Open device to view files.”  You'll see your iPad's internal storage.  Double click to open it.  Inside will be a folder called “DCIM.”  Everything in that folder is a photo.  You will be able to choose any or all of the photos to print on whichever printer is attached or wirelessly connected to your computer.

However, you asked about printing directly from the iPad to a printer, without a computer in between.  If your printer has a USB port, you would think that you could plug the iPad directly into that printer and print your photos from there.  Unfortunately, according to apple.com, this function does not exist for the iPad.  Wireless printing to a wireless-enabled printer is supported, though you mentioned that you would prefer not to send your photos to a printer wirelessly.

If the problem is that you do not have a computer, you are welcome to come to the Athol Library and use a computer there.  You will be able to plug your iPad into the library's computer and print anything from the iPad in black and white on our public printer for 5 cents each page.  Should you prefer color prints, you can transfer your documents or photos to a flash drive via the library computer and then plug that flash drive into the library's color photocopier.  Color prints on the photocopier will be 10 cents per page.  (I did try plugging an iPad into the copier just to see if that would work, even though Apple says it cannot be done.  Alas, it does not.)

A lot of steps and not exactly what you were hoping for but, in the end, you can print from your iPad!

Until next time,

Happy Computing.

          PC Doctor