Chromebooks are designed to make extensive use of Google cloud services and almost every app that works on a Chromebook does so, using an Internet connection. Printing functions work in the same manner, utilizing an app called, Google cloud print. While this can be an entirely new concept for users who have migrated from Windows, printing on a Chromebook is a pretty straightforward procedure.
How do I connect a printer to my Chromebook?
To begin printing, you first need to setup your cloud ready printer on the same network your Chromebook is connected to. Begin by logging into Chrome with your account credentials. Once you are in, you simply need to click on the menu icon (indicated by the three horizontal stacks), head to settings and enter advanced settings, where you will be able to add your Google cloud print ready printer, to your Chromebook.
This is a mandatory step to set up the pathway for your printer. Once completed you are now ready to use your printer. Simply click on the menu icon, click on print and select the name of your printer to begin printing. This how straight forward printing is using a Chromebook, without the need for driver installation and updates.
To make printing using Chromebooks as easy as this, there are some basic requirements in a printer. First of all, a good printer for the Chromebook is setup to work flawlessly with the Chromebooks ‘on the cloud’ philosophy. What this means is that your printer should be Google cloud print ready or should have dedicated Chrome Apps from the manufacturer. This is critical to getting your printer to work easily. In case you don’t have a Google cloud print compatible printer, you would have to connect your printer to a computer that is connected to the Google cloud print app, through it.
Today we are going to take a look at six best printers for using with the Chromebook. This list contains the best of laser and inkjet printers.
Inkjet printers are generally faster than laser printers, but inkjet is better when it comes to printing photos. If you are looking for clarity in printing or are an aspiring photographer who wants hands-on experience with printing photos, you need to go for the inkjet. For volume-based print work, lasers printers are what you need.
Table of contents
INKJET Printers For Chromebook
Canon TS9020 Wireless Chromebook
Pro: Google Cloud print ready, Spectacular photo print quality, Compact, built in SD card reader, prints photos of sizes up to 8*10 inches
Con: The Canon is loaded with features and there is a learning curve involved if you are looking to come to terms with all the functionalities of this printer
The TS 9020’s ability to print stunning high-quality photos while allowing for mobile and wireless Chromebook printing makes it a great choice for using with your Chromebook, especially because it is Google cloud print ready. With enhanced features like onboard SD card support, you can conveniently print your photos directly by plugging in the memory card from your camera, without the need for a computer. The Canon TS 9020 also comes with Canon cloud-based print options giving you plenty of options to print on it, using many other devices other than just your Chromebook or computer. The Canon TS 9020 is a high-performance match for your Chromebook designed to work flawlessly with it.
Epson XP-830
Pro: Great quality photo prints, fast (12 Pages per minute, which is impressive for a compact printer like this)
Con: Ink management on this printer needs a lot of improvement if you use it more often you are going to find yourself replacing the cartridges a lot, no Google Cloud print support
The Epson XP-830 is small in size, good at printing great quality photos and offers fantastic connectivity along with an onboard USB port. The Epson has all the makings of a good all in one printer. It can even print on optical discs fast and accurate. This printer has duplex print capabilities and can save you a lot of costs, in terms of paper usage. The Epson XP-830 has onboard Ethernet ports as well, so you can continue to use it in case your WiFi is facing temporary difficulties.
Canon MG7720
Pro: Perfect for home projects, especially for photographers using a Chromebook
Con: No built-in fax
If you are looking for a compact wireless Chromebook printer that can put out phenomenal photos and are on a budget, then the Canon MG 7720 is your answer. If you are used to the convenience of your Chromebook, then you are going to absolutely enjoy how well the Canon works with it. Loaded with NFC, AirPrint, and Google cloud print, You can use this printer from literally anywhere in the world and it is great for personal projects. Canon have truly managed to live up to their reputation, with this world class product.
LASER Printers For Chromebook
Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer
Pro: Small office grade equipment, superb value for money, energy efficient, fast and resourceful, Google cloud print ready
Con: It may not be as good as an inkjet printer for photo printing purposes
If you own a small business setup and use your Chromebook a lot, then this is the ideal laser printer for you. A superb package at a great price, the brother HL laser printer is compact and fast at the same time. One of the fastest printers in our list today, this printer can match a groundbreaking 27 pages per minute. This is a well round hi speed machine that is meant for some professional work. It scans well, prints well and is designed to work relentlessly with ample support for your tab, smartphones, and computers along with your Chromebook. It uses a higher yield toner cartridge and is guaranteed to be cost effective for many years down the line. With features like duplex printing and adjustable paper tray, it is designed to meet the needs of a professional environment really well.
Samsung SL-M2020W/XAA Wireless Monochrome Printer
Pro: The perfect match for your Chromebook and mobile devices, the ultimate home solution, surprisingly powerful for its size
Con: The quality of photo prints is not as impressive as the Canon inkjet printers
Loaded with features, the Samsung SL is just what you need as the perfect companion for your Chromebook. This is an excellent intuitive design with a surprisingly fast print speed, given its size. On the connectivity front, this printer is the hottest and the most versatile device on our list for today, featuring NFC, Google cloud print, Samsung mobile print and more. You can connect to it using a wide variety of devices and it is guaranteed to work flawlessly with your Chromebook, with absolutely no hassles whatsoever. Equipped to put out a whole flurry of documents ranging from word docs, PDF, powerpoints and Excel to print images, it is unbelievable how this Samsung is so reasonably priced.
Brother MFC9330CDW Wireless All-In-One Color Printer
Pro: Superb office grade equipment with everything you could possibly want in a printer, Google Cloud Print ready, fast prints and excellent high-quality scan ability, energy efficient
Con: It may not be ideal for home use since it is big and expensive compared to its home grade counterparts
The Brother MFC9330CDW is an all in one wireless Chromebook-compatible printer, which means that it is fast, putting out an impressive speed of 23 pages per minute and has excellent scan resolutions and built in fax. It can print both sides of a sheet automatically and holds up to 250 sheets before needing a refill, which makes it a good office grade printer. This is one of the most energy efficient printers in our list today and it has features like deep sleep to save energy when not in use. What we liked the most about this Brother, in particular, is the fact that it is Google Cloud ready. You can connect a whole slew of Chromebooks to it with ease. It also has WiFi direct and AirPrint, letting you connect a variety of other computers and mobile devices to it, without any hassles. A true well-connected workhorse indeed.
Final Thoughts
Judging by the features that come with the TS9020 and MG7720 printers, Canon really has hardcore Chromebook users in mind. Both of these are compatible with Google Cloud Print technology out of the box, so if you plan on printing tons of photos or document from your cloud account these are probably the best options to consider. Photographers and artists who demand the highest-quality hard copies of their work will probably like the TS a little better as far as output is concerned. They’ll also like the builtin SD card reader. Budget-minded users will probably prefer the MG because of its lower risk of sticker shock combined with the fact that it doesn’t demand much in the way of consumables. MG7720 printers come with NFC and AirPrint modules, so you’ll have your coworkers covered as well regardless of what kind of device they’re printing from.
Best of all, both of these printers are relatively speedy even when putting out full-color documents. That makes them the perfect companion for a fast lightweight Chromebook with dozens of photos stored on it.
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