Introduction: Enable Raspberry Pi to Print to Networked Printers and Print Servers

About: Systems Administrator and Software Programmer.

Introduction

Ever since my desktop PC went kaput. I have been using Raspberry Pi as my desktop PC replacement. Why?, you ask. Because I'm poor and can't afford a proper desktop computer. Anyway I got the idea for this instructable when I tried to print from a Raspberry Pi. After I finished typing a note using leafpad word editor, when I clicked print menu, my networked printers were not showing in the printer dialog box as shown in the screenshot. Therefore, I couldn't print. In this instructable, I will share the steps to solve this problem.

Scope

This instructable will show how to install and configure the necessary software to enable Raspberry Pi to print using a remote printer connected to a remote computer or networked printer.

This instructable will NOT show how to install and configure a Raspberry Pi to be a print server.

Audience

Anyone with the following conditions fulflled:

The Raspberry Pi is running on Raspbian OS

The Raspberry Pi is connected to the Local Area Network (LAN)

There is a networked printer or a networked computer that shares its printer in the (LAN)

Step 1: Get the IP Address of the Remote Printer

The networked computer with the printer can either be a Windows or Linux machine. Each have a different method to find its IP address. Google to find ways to get the IP address.

Step 2: Install the Necessary Software on Raspberry Pi to Enable Printing

On Raspberry Pi, open a terminal emulator.

$sudo apt-get update

Install cups client Do NOT install cups-server.

$sudo apt-get install cups-client

Edit the cups-client configuration

sudo vi /etc/cups/client.conf

Add:

ServerName XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX  ## XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX is your networked printer's IP sddress

Refer to the screenshot for comparison.

Save the file

Step 3: Print

On the leafpad word editor, when I click print menu, now I can see my networked printers. Refer to screenshot.