Enter Google and Cloud Print. Using Cloud Print you can have a reliable print server that you can access from anywhere. There are limitations vs. a native print server but for providing print services to students using GAFE (Google Apps for Education) it is a viable solution.
Setup:
Using a Windows 7 system (virtual or real):
- Install Google Cloud Print Service.
- Setup Cloud Printer User: setup a user in your GAFE to handle the sharing. You can use something like cloudprint@yourdomain.com. Login to this user on this Windows system.
- Setup printers as you would normally setup for a Windows computer (Start > Devices and Printers > Add a printer. The printers can be legacy printers. Any printers installed on the system will automatically be published as Cloud Print printers.
- Use Post Script Drivers: If setting these printers up for use with Macintosh computers make sure you use the postscript drivers (and not the PCL print drivers). Macs like postscript and not PCL.
- Naming the Printers: when naming the printers I put "cp" as the first 2 characters for "Cloud Print." So, cp_2nd_Floor_HP4100 for example. It doesn't matter what you name it, but the more descriptive the better because that is what the end user will see when selecting the printers.
- Sharing the Printers: make your cloudprint@yourdomain.com user a member of all the groups for which you want to share printers. So, add the user to the class of 2016 group (2016@yourdomain.com). To share login with your cloudprint@yourdomain.com and go to www.google.com/cloudprint and click on printer you want to share and click the green share button. Add the groups and users you wish to share the printer with and you are done.
Limitations:
- You may not be able to take advantage of advanced printing features such as duplexing and multiple copies or collation.
- Printing from Chrome and Google Drive is simple and direct (even from iOS) but printing from other apps such Microsoft Word or Keynote or any non-Chrome or Google Drive app is tougher but not impossible. End users go to https://www.google.com/cloudprint in their Google account and click the red "Print Button" and choose "Upload file." You can then navigate to your Word or Keynote file and upload it and direct it to a Cloud Printer.
Other:
- Papercut print system does support Cloud Print now. See: http://www.papercut.com/products/ng/manual/ch-google-cloud-print.html
