HP Expands its Wireless Printing Features

HP was one of the first companies to offer remote printing for home and small-office printers, with its ePrint technology. Now, the company continues this trend with an Android app, a new wireless direct feature, and the HP Printables feature for scheduling your favorite photos, articles, and more to print automatically. New models in the ENVY line combine this connectivity with excellent output quality as an easy web-connected solution for home users.

Android image source: Image: Wikimedia.org

HP’s ePrint service was one of the first to offer iOS users a way to send documents wirelessly to the printer, and expanded into remote printing from almost anywhere. Now Android users have their own ePrint app, available on the Play store. The features and functions are similar to those of the iOS app, with the ability to print from or scan to the app over Wi-Fi, or even send print jobs remotely and have them ready when you get home. It even offers basic photo editing features so you can crop or enhance images for better results.

Wireless Direct

One of the newer connection options for HP inkjet models is Wireless Direct, included as part of the ePrint service. The printer supplies a Wi-Fi connection that a computer or mobile device can connect to directly, avoiding the need for lengthy setup routines. The Wireless Direct feature even works while a printer is shared via network cable or USB cable. It is a nice “quick fix” solution for users who want to print a few images or documents without a lot of setup time.

HP Printables

Users who find they are constantly printing similar content will like the HP Printables feature. With specialized apps that run right from the touchscreen display, users can choose to have photos, articles, daily puzzles, and templates print automatically, on a regular schedule. Want to print the 5 most recent photos posted to your Facebook account, or print the top 5 news stories from the day? It’s easy with the HP Printables feature, and it’s a great way to save time.

New HP ENVY Models

The company also updated its ENVY series of inkjet photo printers, combining print, scan, and copy functions with a sleek, slim design. While the cost of HP ink cartridges remains a concern, reviews for the new models are quite positive.

The HP ENVY 4500 e-All-in-One printer is the runt of the litter, but it still offers the full compliment of ePrint and Wireless Direct features mentioned above, and can reach speeds of up to 21 pages per minute. It also supports duplexing and borderless photos.

The HP ENVY 5530 is the middle child of the group, with a larger touchscreen display (2.65 inches) to help navigate the ePrint features a bit more easily.

With the largest touchscreen display of the bunch (4.33 inches), the HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One printer is the better choice for buyers who plan to use the ePrint interface and features like HP Printables to their fullest. It’s also a bit faster, at a maximum of 28 pages per minute.

As one of the early innovators in wireless printing and sharing, HP continues that tradition today. Features like HP Printables help to bridge the gap between online and paper communication, and Wireless Direct printing removes some of the hassle from the process of printing a quick document or image. As HP’s robust ePrint platform expands, we are likely to see even more exciting features in the months and years ahead.