Artwork You Can Print Out and Hang on Your Wall -- M.C. Escher

A print of a classic work of visual art from your HP laser printer is a great way to liven up your surroundings at home or the office. Many large high-resolution reproductions of iconic photographs, paintings, drawings and prints can be found with a quick search on Google Images, and they can be resized to handily print out on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of photo paper or coverstock.  For monochrome prints, you will achieve the best results from a laser printer versus an inkjet printer.  To print color artwork, a photo inkjet printer will produce a better quality piece.

This month, we are going to take a quick look at the work of one of the most gifted and influential artists to come from the Netherlands, M.C. Escher. More...

4 Steps to Getting Projects Done with GTD

It’s one thing to write about how to get things done, but what happens when those things are projects? GTD practitioners often get stuck when it comes to projects simply because projects in and of themselves are not actionable, so when projects get lumped together with next actions, it’s like throwing a wrench in the gears of your productivity. In this post, I’ll explain how to make projects work within your GTD system. More...

HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn: The Best Laser Printer For Its Price

Priced at only $229, the HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn is not only affordable and fast, but its small size lends itself to a convenience rarely seen with printers. Weighing only 15 pounds and measuring 15 inches wide, 9.5 inches tall, and 11 inches deep without including the 5.5-inch paper tray, this monochrome laser printer fits comfortably on any desk alongside a PC and is easy to transport between offices when such a need arises. In addition, it handily connects to a computer with a USB cable. Best of all, the HP P1606dn toner lasts for approximately 2,100 pages and retails for about $28.49 each. If you do the math, the cost of replacing your toner works out to just over a penny a page!  Continue reading for our opinions on why this is an awesome printer... More...

DIY Mother's Day Gift Ideas

With Mother’s Day coming up quickly, it’s time to start thinking about a gift for mom. While every mom might love some diamond earrings, a cruise, or new carpeting for the basement – these options aren’t always economically feasible. With that said, we’re sharing a few favorite gift choices for mom you can easily make on your own and all you’ll need is paper and a printer!

Follow our five gift steps and your mother is sure to see that you put a lot of thought and care into making her day special. Here's a list of 5 creative and thoughtful gift ideas that won't break the bank:

1) TREAT HER TO A 5-STAR ROOM SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Breakfast in bed is always a great kick start to Mother’s Day. It’s simple, quick, and highly appreciated. Since your mother has cooked so many meals for you, it’s a great opportunity to return the favor.

Waking up to the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of a sizzling skillet—lovely! A delicious breakfast served in bed—even better. Knowing she doesn’t have to clean up the kitchen—perfect! You are already off to a great start with mom.

Keep in mind however, that a little planning can go a long way, so treat her to a 5-star room service experience by letting her choose her favorite dish the night before with this cute DIY Door Knob. You can then make sure you have everything at hand in the morning to prepare her breakfast before she even gets out of bed.

2) MAKE HER THE BEST MOM MEDALLION

Because who doesn't want to hear that they're the world's best mom?

It may seem like a cliché, but ask any mom and she will tell you that a gift you make with your own hands means more than anything you can buy at the mall. This colorful medallion will surely brighten her day and give you extra points for the try.

Instructions:

1. First up, cut all the pieces apart using a paper trimmer or scissors (whatever you have).
2. Next you will want to accordion fold the two diagonal striped strips at every 1/2 inch. If you have a ruler, it can help make clean lines to fold on.
3. To make the paper medallion, a hot glue gun will come in handy. Put a big dab of hot glue in the center and hold until dry and set.

3) DON’T FORGET TO PRINT THE CARD

While all moms do love getting gifts, it’s often that the card may be the most meaningful part. This is your chance to show your mom your appreciation for all her hard-work and love. With the internet at your fingertips, you won’t be hard pressed to find

tons of printable Mother’s Day cards. Just make sure your printer is stocked up on colored ink before you print. Browse the many selections and make sure to personalize the card with your own special note.

4) PRINT A COLLAGE WITH HER FAVORITE PHOTOS

Make your mom laugh and reminisce with a unique twist on a photo collage. Come up with a special theme, such as vacations throughout the years. Utilize collage tools such as GetLoupe.com to easily create a special album for your mom in the shape of a heart, butterfly, or whichever shape you’d like!  You’ll get the best results if you have a photo printer, such as HP’s Photosmart. Don’t forget to get HP ink for the printer so you can print your photos with vibrant colors.

5) AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, PRESENT HER WITH FLOWERS

Moms love getting flowers, but sadly they only last a few weeks, if not just days. So this Mother’s Day, make her everlasting flowers yourself. This impressive bouquet only requires a few necessities and will definitely make an impression on your mom. For a full tutorial, visit: www.elli.com

What you will need:

• 24 prints of the paper rose template
• scissors
• a hot glue gun
• florist wire and florist tape
• ribbons
• bow

High-Resolution Printing Without Ink

One of the most dynamic endeavors in the arena of computer technology has been the quest to build a machine that will offer the sharpest rendition of any given image in the highest resolution possible. Through the years, the technology has advanced and there have been numerous innovations for consumer needs, such as three-dimensional printing, which has enabled people to create anything from artificial skulls to Star Wars figures. Unfortunately, despite the innovations in the realm of computer printing, stumbling blocks have come about, which will make the widespread use of this technology possible only many years in the future.

A Pioneering Discovery in Singapore

In August 2012, a team of scientists at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore have struck upon a method of producing high-definition, full color images at 100,000 dots per inch without using any ink. This resolution is ten times that of top-of-the-line printers, which feature the ability to print images at a mere 10,000 dpi.

A Novel Concept Inspired by an Ancient Idea

Taking their inspiration from the concept of stained glass, which was made by mixing tiny metal fragments into glass, the scientists used nanometer-sized metal disks arranged upon a reflective surface. When the disks come into contact with light, small vibrations their electrons occur, resulting in the adding or subtracting of colors from the visible spectrum, depending upon where the disks are placed. Since the disks are so small, they can be clustered very closely together, yielding a particularly sharp image.

As such, this technique allows coloring to be viewed an idea that has more in common with the concept of etching an image into stone, as opposed to an inking matter. Such a concept could very possibly bring radical change to the notion of how images are printed and further developed.

New Possibilities Abound

It may take a good deal of time before this technology is made widely available for everyday use, especially since the process of 100,000-dpi inkless printing takes hours. However, it bodes well that this innovative method will be particularly useful to industries specializing in high-resolution reflective color displays, anti-counterfeiting measures, high-density optical data storage and perhaps one day might enable more detailed three-dimensional printing. In fact, for months, A*STAR's technology transfer arm, Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd, has been shopping this technology around to potential collaborators in the hopes of finding a suitable licensing arrangement.

8 Ways to Capture Information Using Evernote

One of the core concepts of GTD is the process of capturing all the bits of information that flow into your daily life and storing them in a trusted system until you can process them later. What complicates the whole situation of capturing information is that you have to deal with both analog and digital information flying at you from both sides. You get post-it notes pasted to your monitor, you get email receipts, you get paper receipts, you get text messages, etc. The fact that you have a ton of information coming in that are in two incompatible formats means that you potentially have more “collection buckets” than you should which only serves to diminish the effectiveness of the GTD process.

Although some GTD’ers are die-hard fans of either analog capturing or digital capturing, my philosophy is to find a system where you can live with both - because let’s face it, paper isn’t going away anytime soon. That capturing system for me is Evernote and in this blog post, I’ll describe some applications on how it can be used in a dual analog/digital environment to collect and manage all the stuff that flows into your life.

1. Capturing Typewritten Notes

This is probably the most simplistic approach to capturing information using Evernote, but it’s still worth mentioning here. Saving a typewritten note in Evernote is as simple as clicking on the “new note” button and typing away. Evernote automatically saves as you go, so there’s no need to worry about having to save your note before you exit. This application is great for when you’re working away at your computer and some random task or thought pops into your mind. You simply create a new note in Evernote and then keep working away. You’re also able to do the same thing on the go with the Evernote smartphone app.

2. Capturing Your Emails

Email capturing is probably the single best Evernote hack that you can set up because it enables you to clean out your inbox, knowing that all your emails are sitting safely in your Evernote software. You can either send emails to your Evernote account manually, or have your email system automatically forward a copy of all incoming emails over to your Evernote account.

One of the prime benefits of storing your emails in Evernote is that you’ll then be able to leverage Evernote’s powerful search features to find what you need. All it really takes is a few choice key words to bring up the email and any other relevant information that you want. Evernote will even save the attachments that come with your emails, so you'll have access to all your documents as well.

3. Capturing Multi-Media Into Evernote

You’re not limited to inputting text by any means in Evernote. The software allows you to capture audio recordings, video from your webcam and digital ink from a stylus. I can’t say that I use these options too much myself, but if you’re more inclined to take notes this way, it’s available for you.

4. Capturing Your Website Clippings

See something on a website that you want to capture? It's pretty easy to do with Evernote's web-clipper plugin. Just install the plug-in and it allows you to clip parts or the entire webpage with a click of your mouse. This is a great option if you're doing research or you're a writer collecting reference material. A somewhat hidden feature that many people aren’t aware of is the fact that Evernote will also allow you to clip images and screenshots which can be useful for people like web designers.

5. Capturing Paper by Scanning it

Getting around paper is virtually impossible these days. You’ll always have receipts and documents that get sent to you in paper format. Generally, you’ll need a high level of resolution with important documents for them to be accepted by organizations like the IRS, so in these cases, the camera on your smartphone won’t suffice. However, migrating your paper documents into Evernote is simple if you have a scanner handy. Most inexpensive multi-function printers these days have a built-in flatbed scanner that is plenty powerful enough to digitize your paper documents. If you’re more of the road warrior type, then a company called Doxie manufactures a cordless scanner that integrates perfectly with Evernote, making document scanning portable and simple.

6. Capturing Paper With Shoeboxed.com

One of the drawbacks about digitizing your own documents is that it can take a tremendous amount of time using standard office equipment if you have a lot of documents to digitize. Let’s face it, productivity isn’t exactly increased if you’re sitting in front of the office scanner all day long. But never fear because there's a great service out there called Shoeboxed that will digitize all your documents for you. Shoeboxed works similar to Netflix. For a monthly fee, they send you pre-paid envelopes to your location. You fill the envelopes with all the documents that you want digitized and send it back to their secure processing facility in North Carolina. They then digitize all your documents with IRS-grade resolution and make those images available to you on their SSL-encrypted website. The nice thing about Shoeboxed is that they integrate directly with Evernote, so as soon as they digitize your documents, they are sent directly to your Evernote account. This is a great time saver if you have a lot of receipts and documents that you need scanned every month. I highly recommend it.

7. Capturing With a Smartphone Camera

Evernote pushes the envelope of what you can do with the 1.0 digital snapshot. Sure, you can take snapshots of friends, family and locations and send it to Evernote, but to limit yourself to just that application would be a mediocre use of a smartphone camera and Evernote.

The game-changer here lies within Evernote’s OCR technology that allows it to read text within digital snapshots. Why is that important? Well, if your images contain text, then that means that they are now searchable just like any text document you have in Evernote without any added tags or notes attached to that photo.

So let's say that you were passing by a restaurant and you wanted to capture their menu for later. Well, so long as the name of the restaurant is legible in the photo, Evernote should be able to read it and you can do a search for that restaurant later on. Or let’s say that you’re taking off in an airplane and have to shut off all your electronic devices, but just at that moment, you get the idea of the century. You write it down on a cocktail napkin to get it out of your head and when you’re allowed to, you snap a photo of that napkin with your Evernote app and not only is it saved, but OCR is also applied to it making your text searchable (granted that you have neat handwriting).

If document quality isn't too much of a concern, then your camera makes for a pretty nifty portable scanner that you have with you wherever you go. This generally works best on smaller documents like notes, journal entries and receipts. There are apps available for your smartphone that will enhance the image of the document by automatically adjusting the contrast so that the text pops out more, but I’ve found that the Evernote widget apps work just fine. This application works great for meetings and conferences where there is group collaboration on a master document or a whiteboard. You can document those collaborative notes with your smart phone and send it to Evernote.

If you need your handwritten notes transcribed into text, then a great service that will do that for you is idictate.com. You simply upload your handwritten document image to their website and a human transcriptionist will transcribe your handwritten notes into text.

8. Capturing Audio on the Go

The Evernote smartphone app gives you two great ways to capture audio. You can either capture straight audio, or you can use the native voice-to-text software on your phone to have your note mechanically transcribed as well. This is great when you don’t have a free hand to type or you want to capture something quickly while you’re on the go.

A pretty neat service called Quicktate integrates directly with Evernote and leverages the accuracy and power of real live transcriptionists to automatically convert your audio files into written text for you. This is a great service if you prefer accurate transcriptions of your words, or if you do quite a bit of dictation. The service is inexpensive and much more accurate than the software on your smartphone can ever be. Quicktate will automatically transcribe any voice audio file uploaded to your Evernote, so it’s also a great option if you do interviews or want to transcribe your recorded meetings.

All-New Photo-Sharing App Takes A Roadtrip

Divvy, a dynamic photo-sharing application available for Mac OS and Microsoft Windows that takes its name from the abbreviated form of the verb divide, is ready to hit the road.

Reaching out to new users across the nation

Jeremy Greenfield and Keyvon Olomi, who founded Divvy, have set out on a cross-country road trip to promote and market the app, which enables users to view and save photos from all of their favorite social media outlets, like Facebook and Instagram, and also to share the images with individuals, groups, people nearby, and their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.

After leaving Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 1, the two, as of this writing, are touring the Northeast with plans to visit colleges in the greater Boston metropolitan area before heading to Denver in the next three weeks.

A new and easier way to share photos via social media

Olomi, who founded AppTank in late 2010, devised Divvy to alleviate the tedious hassle of moving between Facebook and Instagram to share photos with friends, as well as the inconvenience of Instagram's lack of zoom and save features. In addition, he designed Divvy so that its users could share photos more privately than on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Even better, a user can snap a picture and use the “Around Me” feature to instantly share the image with whomever he or she wants!

Yet another neat thing about Divvy is that a user can take a printout from any printer, be it a conventional inkjet or laser model or the Little Printer, the Circle Printer, and the PocketJet printer, snap a photo with Divvy and share it with all of his or her friends, family and followers.

However, the feature that Greenfield and Olomi are touting as Divvy's main selling point is its photo aggregation capabilities, which entails linking with users' Facebook and Instagram accounts, displaying images from the respective feeds and enabling Divvy users to share photos with nearby Divvy users, individuals, groups and all their followers. 

Although at this time, Facebook and Instagram are the only two social media platforms that link with Divvy, there are immediate plans to support the capability to link with users' Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, and Dropbox accounts. Nonetheless, the reviews on Divvy's page on iTunes' App Store website are indeed glowing.

How to Stay Organized With a Tickler File

During your quest to become a master of Inbox Zero, you’ll inevitably come across stuff in your inbox that doesn’t seem to have a home of its own. As we already know from experience, any stuff that doesn’t have a home, by default, makes its home right there in your inbox, along with all the other homeless stuff that gets piled up on top of it. 

Usually homeless stuff comes in the form of reminders. Reminders become the vagrants of your inbox simply because there’s unfinished business associated with it that prevents you from filing it away. So how do you deal with reminders?

What if I told you that there actually is a home for all those vagrant reminders? That home is a tickler file! And in this blog post, I’ll describe how this useful tool will ensure that no reminder is ever left forgotten or left sitting there in your inbox.  If I didn’t have this system, I don’t know how I would have grown remembered all the things to do for my toner cartridge business.

What is a Tickler File?

A tickler file is a reminder system that works in conjunction with your calendar and allows you to essentially “mail” physical items, such as bills, notes and paperwork, to yourself on specific future dates. It consists of a physical filing system of 43 folders - 12 folders for each month of the year and 31 folders for each day of the month. 

Let’s say that you get a bill in the mail that you want to handle three weeks from now. Most people would probably leave that bill in their inbox until the time came to handle it. With a tickler file at the ready, you simply drop that bill into the appropriate folder dated three weeks from now and presto!...That bill is now gone from your inbox and into a trusted system that won’t let you down.

And that’s the real beauty of a tickler file system. It’s a great solution for getting things out of your face that you don’t need to spend your precious attention on right now, yet it makes those items “magically” reappear when it’s time to deal with them.

Some Potential Uses of a Tickler File

What are some common applications of a tickler file? Here are a few common uses:

1. Mailing yourself reports and support materials needed for a future meeting.
2. Reminding yourself of bills that need to be paid before a certain date. This is great for avoiding late penalties and for maximizing your cash flow situation. 
3. Revisiting purchases that you were considering on getting. You can either use your tickler file to give yourself a “cooling off” period before you make a large ticket purchase, or you can postpone a purchase and revisit it later when the budget is there to actually buy it.
4. Keeping event tickets safe until the day you need them.
5. Reminding yourself about upcoming events. Contemplating going to a conference, seminar or event, but haven’t made up your mind yet? Just throw the event brochure into your tickler file and revisit it later.
6. Keeping travel information & documents safe. Put your passport, maps and other pertinent travel information in your tickler file for safe-keeping until the day you need it.
7. Storing your hotel reservations and information.
8. Mailing yourself coupons that should be used before the expiration date passes.
9. Storing pre-written birthday cards to be sent on specific dates. This is great if you have a bunch of birthdays spread out across the month. You can batch them all together, get them all done and put each one in the appropriate folder to be mailed out on that particular day so they arrive just in time.
10. Reminding yourself of items to be mailed off on a specific date. 
11. Reminding yourself of subscription expirations & renewals.
12. Reminding yourself about car and house maintenance jobs. 
13. Giving yourself random moral-boosters. Everyone needs a little dose of positivity every now and then. Take something meaningful like an inspirational quote, a picture of a loved one(s) or even a letter addressed to your future self and “mail” it to yourself with your tickler file. It’ll bring a smile to your face when you receive it.

So Why Not Use a Calendar as a Reminder System?

If you’re a GTD purist, then you probably know that the space on your calendar is sacred and it should only be used for hard commitments and reminders, such as appointments, birthdays and deadlines. Your tasks and loose reminders should remain distinctly separate from your calendar items so that you can glance at your calendar during your daily review and immediately know what your time commitments are for that particular day. 

A tickler file compliments your calendar. It serves to house those items that you’d like to remind yourself of in the future as well as a container to house physical support documents that are necessary for that particular day, such as a spare key, a report or event tickets. Ultimately, your tickler file serves the purpose of de-cluttering your calendar so that it remains an effective time management tool for you.

Setting Up Your Tickler File

Setting up your tickler file is both simple and inexpensive. You’ll need the following materials:

• A narrow file box. Make sure it’s big enough to hold 43 manila folders and avoid getting a large file box because your folders won’t stay upright. You can find a narrow file box at any office supply store. Optionally, you can use the file drawer of your desk if you have one.
• 12 colored manila folders. These will be used as your monthly folders. Colors are optional, but they do make identification a lot easier. If you’re going to be using your desk filing cabinet as your tickler file, then these should be hanging file folders instead of manila ones.
• 31 plain manila folders. Make sure you get the manila folders with the tabs all in one spot for easier review. The manila folder packs with the assorted tab placements make a mess of your tickler file system.

Start by labeling each month of the year onto the 12 colored file folders. Then get the 31 day folders and label each one numerically from 1 to 31. Get your file box and place the monthly folders in the box with January facing you and December at the back of the box. Send those monthly folders that have already passed to the back of the file box. The current month should be the closest one to you. Insert the 31 day folders in the current month’s folder. Remove the days that have already passed and send them to the next month's folder. For example, if today is January 10th, then I'd remove day folders 1-9 from the January folder and send them to the February folder. Congratulations, your tickler system is now ready to use!

At the beginning of each day, take the current day's folder out of the tickler file and dump the contents into your inbox for processing. That empty folder then gets inserted at the back of the next month's folder. All the items in that folder then get processed according to standard GTD methodology. At the end of the month, the expired month’s folder gets put at the very back of the tickler file.

If you have an item that needs to be tickled beyond the 31 days, simply place it in the appropriate month’s folder and when you reach that month, empty out the contents for processing and re-assignment to one of the 31 day folders if necessary. The beauty of this system is that you’ve created a perpetual reminder system that never expires.

Analog Versus Digital Tickling

On one corner, there’s the GTD purists who stay true to the analog version of the tickler file system originally described by David Allen. On the other corner, are the techies who love to take the philosophy of the tickler system and hack it with the latest technology. Which one is better?

Well, who says that you can’t use both analog and digital tickling systems integrated together? Then you have the best of both worlds. Digital tickling makes it simple to send reminders, notes and emails to yourself. Analog tickling really helps for handling stuff that’s not digital, like files, reports, tickets and small items. I say use whatever you’re most comfortable with, but I’m a digital person that utilizes Evernote with GTD.

One idea for trying out digital tickling without downloading any new software is simply to use your existing email system. Most email systems nowadays allow you to send delayed emails. This is a wonderful feature because it allows you to write emails that can be sent later on to people and it allows you to send messages and forward emails to yourself on specific dates as well. Those emails that seem to linger in your inbox can now get forwarded to yourself on a specific date, allowing you to clear your inbox of those pesky lingering emails.

Getting Into the Habit

While the tickler file is a fantastic and versatile reminder system, it’s main crutch is that you actually have to develop the habit of using it every day otherwise it won’t work as a trusted reminder system. Most people who claim that tickler files don't work simply never got into the habit of regularly using them in the first place and without systematically checking your tickler file daily, the system breaks down. Experts generally agree that it takes about 21 days of unbroken practice to develop a habit, so start today and make tickling a regular productivity practice.

Sunshine and Smartphones Meet: Essential Warm Weather Apps

Temperatures are finally rising, at least in most places across the United States, which means you're probably beginning to plan your favorite outdoor activities for the first time in months. Whether hiking, beach volleyball, summer concerts, or sunbathing are your preferred hobbies, there are specific apps you can use to help improve your outdoor experience. From video apps to GPS location devices to plant encyclopedias, there are limitless possibilities to stay connected, even when you're basking in the sunshine.

Share life's precious moments with Vine.

Vine, created by social media website Twitter, allows you to take 6 second video clips with audio. Available only for iPhone or iPad, the app allows for video content to be shared more easily over the internet. How many times have you taken video only to realize it's too long to send through email or attach on a social media website? Vine takes the hassle out of this. Whether you're looking to capture a candid family moment or some incredible vista during a hike, there are limitless options available.

Landscaper's Companion for that green thumb.

If you've got a garden, plan on starting one, or love to identify plants on hikes, Landscaper's Companion is the perfect app for you. Rather than carrying that bulky encyclopedia with you, you can carry a fully searchable database of over 26,000 plants and 21,000 images. Not only can you access data online but you can also make notes on specific plants. Have you noticed they only like a certain amount of sunshine or water? It takes the hassle out of trying to remember little details that are generally easy to forget or confuse. Better yet: it's available on both iOS and Android devices.

Never get meeting points confused again with zLocation.

Have you ever gone on a hike with multiple people or tried to find your friends at a specific point on a beach that goes on for miles without avail? zLocation takes the hassle out of planning meeting points. You can create a meeting location point using GPS, provide a name and add specific location details if you're doing something like planning a beach volleyball excursion. Even if your friends don't have the app or an iOS, they'll be able to access the specific event through a mobile optimized browser.

These are just 3 suggestions to help make those outdoor plans easier. When it comes to enjoying the great outdoors, you don't want to be too connected to your phone, but you also want to be able to plan the activities you love wihout having to worry about all of the small details. Feel free to share some other outdoor or spring/summer related app below. Otherwise enjoy the sunshine!

Guide to Wireless Printing from Your Computer and Mobile Phone

While printing dates back to the mid-15th century, wireless printing has only become commonly used in the last two decades. Wireless printing is, as the name clearly states, the ability to use a printer without a wire or a cord connecting the printer and computer. This will allow you to print from any computer within appropriate range of the printer, which will most likely be anywhere within your home. The average distance for wireless printing is approximately 100 feet, but this can vary based on the manufacturer. This wireless technology allows multiple family members to print from their personal computers to the same household printer.

3 Ways to Set Up Wireless Printing

1. USB Cable: Many wireless printers will come with installation software and a USB cable. If you connect the printer and computer using the USB, you will be prompted to follow the installation guide setup steps. Once completed, you will be able to remove the USB and print wirelessly.

   

2. Wireless Setup Wizard: Using this method, you can setup wireless printing directly from the printer itself using either its control panel or touchscreen. You’ll need to follow a few quick steps and enter answers for questions such as the name of your wireless network and password.
3. Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Similarly to the wireless setup wizard, you can also use this method using the printers control panel or touchscreen. If your home already has a WPS router with a push-button, after following a few printer setup steps, you will be able to push the button to activate the printer wirelessly with your computer.

Printing from personal computers is the most common form of printing and has been around almost as long as the computer itself. This form is used in offices and homes worldwide and while the printing technology has remained mostly the same, printers themselves have gotten more advanced.

The printer supply industry generates over $100 billion dollars a year. This includes not just printers, but also the ink cartridges or toner cartridges supplies. However, since smartphones and tablets hit the marketplace, the need to print from all technological forms grew as well. Since this need was growing, different mobile applications created by each leading manufacturer such as HP and Epson began emerging for both tablet and smart phone use.

What are my Options for Wireless Mobile Printing?

Regardless of the tablet or smartphone you have, there is a surplus of mobile printing apps to choose from. A few of the options you may use include Bluetooth printing, Apple AirPrint, or manufacturer applications. Allow us to highlight a few of the options:

1. Bluetooth printing: Perhaps a more outdated technology, Bluetooth printing is primarily used with mobile phones, yet unlike Wi-Fi, your phone must be used within a few meters of the printer. This is best for phones without a Wi-Fi connection that are enabled for Bluetooth printing.
2. Apple AirPrint: This is a great option for anyone who uses an Apple device whether an iPad or an iPhone. However AirPrint only applies to software versions 4.2 or later. There are several printers that are compatible with AirPrint including many Epson and HP models. Just locate what you would like to print on your phone, locate the print button (no application download needed), and your phones software will find all AirPrint printers in range you can print from.

3. HP ePrint: This application can be downloaded directly from your mobile phone. The app is not only compatible with most HP printers, but is also compatible with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, web pages, and more. The easy to use interface makes it simple to print documents, images, or web pages. If you have the appropriate printer and the application downloaded, make sure your printer is stocked with HP ink cartridges.
   
4. Brother iPrint&Scan: This app can also be downloaded directly from your mobile phone and is compatible with most Brother printers. In addition to an easy-to-use interface, the Brother app also allows you to set up scans from your smartphone and send results wirelessly to your printer. Don’t forget to fill your office or home printer with Epson ink cartridges before sending documents to print.

Printer applications have now become mainstream for most large manufacturers and have become expected by consumers. In the future, we can expect that most new smartphones will come with already enabled printing features, making the setup and installation process easier and easier.