How to Use Remote Printing on Google Chrome
By David Nield
Remote printing, or Cloud Print, is a feature built in to the Chrome browser that enables users to output documents to a printer connected to a different device over the Web. If one desktop machine is connected to a printer, for example, then any other laptop in the office or out of the office would be able to print to it, provided both the desktop PC and printer remain on. The feature must first be activated on the local computer before remote machines are able to connect.
Setting Up Cloud Print
Launch Google Chrome on the computer with the direct established connection to the printer in question. Open the settings page and then click "+ Show advanced settings."
Click the "Add printers" button under the Google Cloud Print heading. If you are not already signed in to a Google Account, you will be prompted for a username and password. Click "Add printer(s)" to make all of the printers connected to the current computer available through the Cloud Print service. The Google Account specified will be the one used to access the printers remotely.
Click "Manage your printers" to see a list of enabled printers and to verify that the correct devices have been added.
Connecting Remotely
Launch Google Chrome on the device you wish to print from and sign in using your Google Account credentials.
Select "Print" from the Chrome menu on the tab you wish to print from. Under Destination, click "Change" and then choose the relevant printer from the list. Click "Print" to confirm your choice and output the document or Web page.
Open the Chrome Settings page and select "Open Google Cloud Print" to see a list of current print jobs and their status and the devices available through the Cloud Print service.
Tips
Any printers that you have set up in Google Cloud Print using a particular Google Account are instantly available as soon as you sign in to Chrome using that account on any other computer connected to the Web.
To share your printers with other users, select "Manage Print Settings..." from the Google Cloud Print section of the Settings page, choose the relevant printer from the list and click "Share" to add additional Google Accounts. To remove a printer, select it from the list and click the "Delete" button.
Warnings
The print job will only be outputted immediately if the destination printer is switched on and you are logged in to Chrome on the attached machine used to set up the printer. Otherwise the print job is buffered on Google's servers and completed as soon as these conditions are met.
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Writer Bio
An information technology journalist since 2002, David Nield writes about the Web, technology, hardware and software. He is an experienced editor, proofreader and copywriter for online publications such as CNET, TechRadar and Gizmodo. Nield holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and lives in Manchester, England.