How to print files from Playbook: jpg (photos), doc (from Word2Go), pdf

YOU CAN PRINT E-MAIL, DOCS, PHOTOS, AND PDF FILES FROM YOUR PLAYBOOK
The print file is sent to a printer attached to a PC, for paper print or pdf output, that has Google Chome installed.

To install Google Chome see:
Connect a printer to Google Cloud Print

"Google Cloud Print makes printing more intuitive, accessible and useful, by letting you print to your printers from Google Cloud Print-enabled apps on any computer or smart phone."

Current files to PRINT are E-mail, .jpg (for example, from the camera), .pdf, and .doc (for example, from Word2Go).
Trick: to send a document not already on your Playbook simply use the 'camera' to make a photograph of it (producing a .jpg file)

On the Playbook, presently you can only 'Google Cloud print' from the Google 'GMail' app not the 'Google Docs' (available from the Gmail app list of additional Google products).

Again, 'Cloud printing', as described in the Google link(s) below, allows printing on any network printer that can be accessed from a computer that has Google Chome installed.

At any time you are ready to PRINT, open the PC or device that has Google Chome installed. Open Google Chome.

Getting ready:
1) Open the native 'Bridge Messages' app (or from any other mail program that has ability to attach files; the current 'GMail app' can not do attachments)
2) Attach any of the above file types to the E-Mail. Also, enter a 'message' if necessary.
3) Send the E-mail to your GMail account.
4) Using the 'GMail icon' on the Playbook, open the GMail app.
5) Refresh the screen using the refresh arrow next to 'menu'.
6) Open the E-mail file you just sent from 'Bridge Messages' (this E-mail should arrive immediately; it goes directly to Gmail not through BB mail).

You are ready to PRINT.
1) You can print the 'email only' using the 'PRINT' function
2) You can also print the 'individual file(s)' that you attached.

Where to find the 'PRINT' functions on the 'GMail' app:

Tip: Some mail directories are located on the left 'scroll' bar.

The 'PRINT' function is located by clicking the arrow button on the upper right corner.
Not all screens have this arrow button: some places you can find it in the 'INBOX' and 'ALL MAIL'

'PRINT' is also shown under the downloaded file name.


Now, click and PRINT!
When you click to 'PRINT' you will see all the 'printer' types associated with all the devices that have Google Chome installed:

Make a printer selection from the drop down list:
If available, list select a physical paper printer. The paper print will come out of that printer.
Or, you can also 'PRINT' to a '.PDF PRINTER' if it is installed, then save as required.

About Cloud printing:

For intensive information on Google Cloud printing see:
Google Cloud Print Help

"Activate the Google Cloud Print connector in Google Chrome and your printer will automatically be available to you from Google Cloud Print enabled web and mobile apps."

To setup Google Chrome Cloud printer see:
Connect a printer to Google Cloud Print

To make a gmail.mail account see:
https://mail.google.com/mail/signup

Shouldn't have to go through so much trouble just to print a document. The PlayBook has WiFi and there are plenty stand alone WiFi printers around these days. Printing from your printers on your WiFi networks should also be a standard feature.

Originally Posted by Hush9300

Shouldn't have to go through so much trouble just to print a document. The PlayBook has WiFi and there are plenty stand alone WiFi printers around these days. Printing from your printers on your WiFi networks should also be a standard feature.

Correct, we should not 'have to' but ...
The problem is that the Playbook DOES NOT HAVE ANY of the large collection of print drivers required to make printers work.
"Cloud' printing uses the driver installed on the host computer(s).

The FREE method described uses ready installed printers; no additional purchase of printers is required EVEN IF they could work.

Within the near future, 'cloud' computing (including printing) will greatly expand the versatility of the Playbook and other web enabled devices.

Hopefully, Cortado Workplace will be available for the BlackBerry PlayBook. I use it on my BlackBerry 9700 to print documents to my networked printer which is connected to a wireless router. If I recall Cortado Workplace has both a free and premium version of the application.

I get that but the PlayBook doesn't require drivers when printing to an existing WiFi network with printers already connected to it. I love the PlayBook as it fulfills my requirements st present but I have to say that the only thing bugging me is the lack of printing.

I sent Cortado an email about a month ago asking if they are going to have their software for the PlayBook.

Their response was - "The PlayBook has not been released in our country yet."

My reply was - Why don't you call RIM and ask for one?

What would be nice is if the Playbook could print to a printer that is hooked up to the network that one has. I can wifi file share through my laptop to my Playbook without any problems as it is on the same network. I have a printer that is connected to my router and can print from my laptop anywhere in the house. It would be nice if the Playbook could do that as well. I'm guessing that the problem with printing this way is that the Playbook would need a printer driver installed. And I highly doubt that printer drivers will be coming out anytime soon.

Originally Posted by Darlaten

What would be nice is if the Playbook could print to a printer that is hooked up to the network that one has.

I believe the direction to achieve that goal is cloud computing.
The next step for Google to implement is allowing any file to be dropped into the already operating cloud system.
If not Google then certainly MS, Cisco, Apple and the other big players who already are developing cloud technology

While reading this thread it occurred to me that i can browse to my wireless HP printer via its IP address on my network and could scan pics and docs to jpg and pdf which display in the browser. I tried from the Playbook browser and it worked perfectly. i was able to view the scanned image through the browser and then bring up the context menu and save it or more conveniently take a screenshot. the printer even offers the option to email the scanndd document which lends itself to the cloud based printing workaround at the heart of this thread. now if only it would let me print what ive just scanned or even better browse to a local file and upload it to the printer for printing, my printing issues would be solved. my hp 2500 psc is a relatively older model perhaps some of the newer model wireless/network printers offer this?

I use GhostCommander in combination with DropBox for printing. GhostCommander provides a useful access to DropBox. For the print part see How to Print Files from any Mobile Phone using Dropbox . It allows sending any file on your playbook to your printer.