Support and Documentation

Guidance for Google Cloud Print users

Google Cloud Print (GCP) was turned off on 2020-12-31. Printer-Setup has functionality that covers some (but not all!) of GCP's use cases. If you are looking for an alternative to GCP, please use this guide to understand more about Printer-Setup and determine if it is right for you!

1
Does Printer-Setup do what I need?

Printer-Setup can help you if:

  • You have a web application or other similar system, and you need automated printing functionality. This is the most common Printer-Setup use case, see here for an example showing how to send a print using an HTTP request to our system.
  • You require automated printing functionality from WooCommerce, Shopify, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central etc. The next step is to identify and install a suitable third-party plug in for your platform. There exist many third-party integrations with Printer-Setup.
  • You have end users and you want automated printing functionality to be part of your offering to them. Have a look at our Account Management functionality that comes with an Integrator Account plan here and our custom-branded Client offering here.

Printer-Setup is probably not a good fit if:

  • You want to print to a printer that's not connected to a computer. To use Printer-Setup, you need to run our client software (the Printer-Setup Client) on a computer that has your printer installed.
  • The only device connected to your printer is running iOS or Android. The Printer-Setup Client currently works on Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems. See here for details.
  • You want to print through Ctrl+P or Command+P and the Print Dialog. Printer-Setup doesn't provide a virtual printer. You can only print through our web app, our online API or a third-party integration.
  • You want to print documents other than PDF or RAW files (i.e. files natively understood by your printer, like ZPL for Zebra). Printer-Setup only supports PDF documents and RAW files.
  • You are seeking a free of charge service. Printer-Setup has a free tier but its functionality is limited and may not be suitable for long-term commercial usage. You can find pricing details here.
2
Key differences between Printer-Setup and GCP

Main differences are:

  • Printer-Setup is an API-powered service – you (or your system) need to communicate with our API by sending HTTP requests to it. Please see here for details on how to communicate with our API.
  • To use Printer-Setup you need to run our Client software (the Printer-Setup Client), on the computers connected to your printers. You can download the Printer-Setup Client for your operating system here.
  • Printer-Setup doesn't provide a virtual printer.
3
How do I get started?

You can start printing in three simple steps:

  • Create an account using our web app. Your first month is free of charge.
  • Download, install and run the Printer-Setup Client on a computer connected to your printer.
  • Send a test print using the "Print Something" page of our web app or the API. See here for details on how to send a print through our API and an example curl request.