Apple AirPrint At Work

If you’re one of Apple’s 1.4 billion active users, chances are you have run into the dilemma of what to do when you want to print something from your Apple, or iOS, device at your home, or even more challenging, at your office.

While you’ve likely considered your many options—take a screen shot, save it to a Cloud, email it to your work account, email it to your personal account, or even text it somewhere that it can be printed—all of these methods are time consuming workarounds for what can be a fairly simple, one step process with Apple AirPrint.

Apple AirPrint is a technology that has been about for almost a decade now and gives Apple users the speed and convenience of printing right from their mobile devices without having to install any additional software.

In its simplest explanation, when you want to print something, your device (already equipped with AirPrint) will go out and search for AirPrint enabled printers on your network to receive your print job.

At home, assuming your mobile device and printer are on a basic WiFi network, AirPrint pretty much “just works” with very little configuration. In larger, enterprise office environments however, configuration may involve a little more preparation as the technology has to navigate multiple smaller networks, or subnets, across a company’s network infrastructure.

The good news is, if you’re a Xerox user, the technology may already exist in the multifunctional printer (MFP) you have sitting in your office right now and we’ve put together a high-level overview on how to get started with one of its most popular MFP series, AltaLink.

Setting up Apple AirPrint on an AltaLink MFP

In order for AirPrint® to work, the iOS device must first be able to find the AirPrint-capable printer on your network. For your printer to be found, the AirPrint feature must be installed and enabled in the Mobile Workflow setting of your MFP.

Keep in mind that some AltaLink printers were AirPrint certified by Apple after they were launched and sold and the feature may first require both a software update and Feature Installation Key (FIK). This includes MFPs running the following software versions:

• Xerox® AltaLink B8000 Series: 100.xxx.037.03831
• Xerox® AltaLink C8000 Series: 100.xxx.037.03830

If you are running those versions, the first step is to upgrade your device software to the following releases:

• Xerox® AltaLink B8000 Series: 100.xxx.057.09602
• Xerox® AltaLink C8000 Series: 100.xxx.057.09600

Once you’ve confirmed that your software is up to date, the FIK can be installed from the local control panel or from the Embedded Web Server.

From the local control panel:

1. Touch Device > Tools
2. Touch Device Settings > General > Feature Installation
3. Touch Enter Feature Installation Key, then type the the key: 201600871880

From the embedded Web Server:

1. Click Properties > General Setup
2. Click Feature Installation > Enter Installation Key: 201600871880
3. Click Apply

Finally the last step is to enable AirPrint on your AltaLink MFP:

1. Open the Xerox® device's Web interface by entering the IP address of the Xerox® device into a Web browser's address box (http://<IP>). (Note: You can find the IP address at the device user interface screen.
2. Click on the Properties tab (enter credentials if prompted)
3. Select Connectivity > Setup. (This will bring up the Connectivity page in the right frame.)
4. Under Mobile Workflows, look for AirPrint and modify the configuration settings.

Like any new technology feature you may be considering, it’s always a good idea to consult with your trusted IT provider to determine which settings best fit the unique needs of your organization. For a complete list of AirPrint-capable devices, click here.

Or, if all of this makes your (or your IT department’s) head spin, have no fear, CDS has you covered. Our team of technical hardware and IT support professionals can get you on your way to mobile printing with ease. Give us a call.

To read more about AirPrint setup for larger organizations, check out this Xerox® AltaLink® Devices Deliver Apple® AirPrint®  to the Enterprise whitepaper.