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HP ePrint

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article HP ePrint, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025
HP ePrint
Company typeTrademark / Technology suite
IndustryPrinting technology, Mobile printing
ProductsMobile and cloud printing technologies, including HP ePrint via Email, HP ePrint Public Print Locations, HP ePrint Enterprise, HP ePrint Wireless Direct Printing, HP ePrint Mobile apps, HP ePrint Software
OwnerHewlett-Packard

HP ePrint was Hewlett-Packard’s trademark for a range of printing technologies tailored to mobile gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

Support for HP ePrint ceased on devices launched after autumn 2020.

Numerous HP ePrint offerings utilize cloud infrastructure to facilitate mobile printing on HP ePrint-compatible printers and multifunction printers (MFPs), along with other printers through networked applications. The HP ePrint suite encompasses the following:

HP ePrint via Email

HP ePrint via Email represents a fundamental capability available on the majority of HP printers and MFPs, enabling users to print documents by emailing attachments directly to a dedicated printer email address. Each printer or MFP must be enrolled with the HP ePrint Center, which provides this secure and customizable email identifier.

This feature eliminates the need for installing print drivers on client devices. The HP ePrint cloud service converts attachments into suitable print data formats (such as PCL3, PCL 5, or PostScript) before transmitting them to the printer. Supported attachment types include:

  • Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook files
  • Google Docs, Slides, and Gmail content
  • Image formats (JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF)
  • PDF documents
  • Plain text and Rich Text Format (RTF)
  • HTML files

Any device capable of sending emails—be it a smartphone, tablet, or laptop—can submit print requests through the HP ePrint email system. Registered users manage print tasks and preferences via the HP ePrint Center, including configuring user permissions and spam filters to block unauthorized prints. Additionally, the printer’s email address can be updated upon request to ensure security and uniqueness.

Figure 1 depicts the process flow from email client submission through the HP ePrint cloud rendering service to final delivery at the printer or MFP.

HP ePrint Public Print Locations

HP ePrint Public Print Locations is a cloud-based mobile printing service aimed at travelers who require printing access while away from their usual workspace. It allows organizations or public venues to generate revenue by charging users—for example, business travelers printing materials or boarding passes at hotels.

The complimentary HP ePrint applications are accessible on Apple iPhones, Android smartphones and tablets, as well as BlackBerry devices through their respective app stores. The app displays a directory of registered public HP printers situated in venues such as hotels, airports, and copy shops.

After submitting a print job, users receive an authorization code via email that must be entered at the printer to release their documents. This mechanism helps prevent unauthorized printing and supports payment processing.

Leveraging GPS functionality, the app identifies nearby HP public printers and offers directions to their locations.

Accepted file types include:

The service maintains a registry of public print providers who convert submitted files into PCL or PostScript print streams that are forwarded to designated queues. Users retrieve their printouts at kiosks using their authorization codes.

HP ePrint Enterprise

HP ePrint Enterprise is designed to support extensive networks, including small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, and educational organizations. It provides IT-managed private cloud printing solutions tailored for mobile employees who require printing capabilities remotely. This system accommodates direct email-to-print functionality for both HP and non-HP printers and multifunction devices.

Employees registered on the organization’s HP ePrint Enterprise server can dispatch print requests to either private or publicly accessible printers through the dedicated service application.

The platform operates as an ASP.NET application hosted on Windows Server 2003 or 2008, compatible with printers using PS, PCL5, or PC3-GUI printer languages. The necessary system components include:

Data communication methods depend on the device type: Android and iOS devices connect directly to the server, whereas BlackBerry devices route communications through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES).

HP ePrint Enterprise features a scalable master/slave server architecture where slave servers manage print job processing while the master server oversees job dispatching and backup functions. This design supports extensive distributed enterprises by providing a dependable cloud-based printing infrastructure.

The service supports multiple file formats, including:

  • MS Word documents (2007 format)
  • MS PowerPoint presentations
  • MS Outlook files
  • Image formats such as JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and TIFF
  • PDF files
  • Plain text and RTF documents
  • HTML files

Print jobs are accepted via http/https protocols and SMTP, then internally converted into PCL or PostScript formats before being transmitted to printers over TCP port 9100. The system handles multiple simultaneous print requests by leveraging message queuing with comprehensive job tracking capabilities.

Administrators manage the system through a web-based console that facilitates user and device administration, configuration adjustments, diagnostic checks, and event monitoring.

Guest printing access can be enabled for external users with configurable time restrictions and revocation settings. Printing permissions can be selectively limited based on user categories as required by administrators.

HP ePrint Wireless Direct Printing

HP ePrint Wireless Direct Printing allows certain HP printers and multifunction devices to establish direct wireless connections with mobile devices for printing purposes using compatible applications such as:

  • Apple AirPrint (requires iOS version 4.2 or later)
  • HP ePrint app
  • Other apps capable of submitting print jobs

Devices equipped with this capability function as wireless access points, enabling mobile devices to connect directly and print from any application that supports printing options. While iOS devices utilize Apple AirPrint over this connection, Android and other platforms depend on applications like HP ePrint for printing.

Apple AirPrint

Apple AirPrint is an integrated mobile printing framework introduced with iOS 4.2 and later versions that automatically discovers network printers and facilitates print job submission. Developed jointly by Apple and HP, it allows iOS users to print on a wide range of HP printers, with additional manufacturers also supporting the protocol.

AirPrint internally converts documents into PDF format; subsequently, an HP filter processes this PDF into PCL commands suitable for printing. Users initiate printing by selecting the Print option within their apps, while AirPrint locates compatible printers on the local network using multicast DNS (mDNS).

HP ePrint Mobile apps

HP provides a variety of mobile printing applications:

  • HP Smart (iOS)
  • ePrint Smart HPrinter Service (Android)
  • HP ePrint (Android, iOS, BlackBerry)
  • HP ePrint Enterprise (Android, iOS, BlackBerry)
  • HP Designjet ePrint and Share

HP ePrint Software

Previously known as Mobile Print Driver, HP ePrint Software enables printing via cloud services, Wireless Direct, and LAN from Windows or Mac programs to any HP printer or designated Public Printing Locations. Its capabilities include automatic printer detection, duplex printing, printing multiple pages on a single sheet, and direct output to networked HP PostScript printers.

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