I am interested to develop bluetooth printer app for Android so please guide me how to begin
it?
Is there any free third party library for that ?
Star Micronics has an SDK for Android printing via Bluetooth (as well as ethernet, wifi, and USB). You can download it here: http://www.starmicronics.com/support/SDKDocumentation.aspx.
You can't print natively from Android at this point in time so the alternate solutions are a 3rd party API, finding a 3rd party printing app, or writing your own printer support.
In my experience, it's best to use an API and not an external app. The biggest reason is you get total control over printer behavior. Using an external app is limiting because you can't customize your print outs the way you want to. Writing a printer driver is too hard because you need to intimately know the device for perfect support... the API gives you full control over the device without all the frustration of re-engineering the whole process.
The Star SDK I linked you to has an API and a really nice sample app that lets you test and customized printer functions to see them in action. It's well documented too.
If you choose this way, you can send plain text to the printer along with commands. The API handles converting the data into what the printer can understand.
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Is this possible? I checked out printing to an AirPrint printer from Android, but it was closed for "not being a question" (I don't really know why, it seemed like a legitimate question to me) and the only answer to it totally doesn't answer the question.
What I need is a way to print to a wireless printer on the same network (possibly intranet) via my Android device, using code. If there's no Android official SDK for it, is there a custom library anyone knows of or a possible workaround to it? Possibly using AirPrint; if PrintBot can do it, there's no reason why there shouldn't be a corresponding hack for it.
Yes, it is possible to print to an AirPrint printer from Android.
There are a number of printer apps available that claim to support AirPrint.
As of my experience they don't work very well unfortunately.
In general it's a good idea to use the Android Print API. Job transmission and potential rendering should be done by appropriate printer drivers.
In case of AirPrint the driver could send a PDF straight to the printer. If you don't want to use Androids Printservice you can use my ipp-client.
hi im trying to make a POS app for android using adobe air mobile .
i have an epson thermal printer connected to a Wifi router.
i have learned that printjob won't work with the mobile apps
Please give me some solution for this
I have seen people go about this in three different ways:
Use an API from a printer manufacturer
Use a 3rd party printing app
Write your own driver
From experience, #1 is by far the best option. It's much better to use an API because it allows you full customization over print outs (font, special device commands, etc) and it reduces the amount of time you need to spend researching and coding.
3rd party printing apps are limited in customization. They might be good for a full size office or home printer, but POS printing usually has more specific requirements and often needs a level of customization these apps can't offer. Writing a driver is hard because there are so many things you need to intimately know about the printer: how to establish communication, get status, format the receipt, and more. It's like spending months to reinvent the wheel because a well-constructed API handles all of this for you.
I highly recommend you check out Star printers. They have a great Android SDK with a printing API that's full of samples and it's heavily documented. http://www.starmicronics.com/support/sdkdocumentation.aspx
Does any one provide me some information about how to connect a bluetooth printer from android platform (android tablet).
How do i achieve this?
Are you looking to print to a big desktop printer or a receipt printer?
If you're looking for a receipt printer, Star Micronics has an Android SDK that you can freely download here: http://www.starmicronics.com/support/SDKDocumentation.aspx.
It covers USB, bluetooth, and wifi/ethernet printing.
This SDK has a really nice sample app that lets you test and customize a lot of printer functions to see them in action. Each function is documented in the source code. The commands and their parameters are also available in the app itself as a quick on screen reference which is convenient. On top of all that, it's well documented.
If you use their SDK, you can send plain text to the printer along with commands. The API handles converting the data into what the printer can understand.
i need to find a way to print file/content/.. programmatically from my application to blue-tooth printer (or) printer connected with USB.
Could anybody give me a idea? any reference will be helpful.
is there any open source api available for printing in android?
Are you looking to print to a big desktop printer or a receipt printer?
If you're looking for a receipt printer, Star Micronics has an Android SDK that you can freely download here: http://www.starmicronics.com/support/SDKDocumentation.aspx.
It covers USB, bluetooth, and ethernet printing.
This SDK has a really nice sample app that lets you test and customize a lot of printer functions to see them in action. Each function is documented in the source code. The commands and their parameters are also available in the app itself as a quick on screen reference which is convenient. On top of all that, it's well documented.
If you use their SDK, you can send plain text to the printer along with commands. The API handles converting the data into what the printer can understand.
You need to create Connection between your application & bluetooth printer.
Look at to my answer here.
I am developing an application for Android Tablet,now in my application if i select print option then data should be print in the Bluetooth printer.to achieve this first i want to know how to recognize nearest Bluetooth devices and also how to print data in a Bluetooth printer.
Have you looked at any of the Android Bluetooth Documentation?
Star Micronics has an SDK for Android printing via Bluetooth (as well as ethernet and USB). You can download it here: http://www.starmicronics.com/support/SDKDocumentation.aspx.
At this point in time, the Android OS doesn't support native printing over Bluetooth.
In my experience, it's best to use an API and not an external application. The biggest reason is you get total control over printer behavior. It's easy too if the API is built intelligently. Using an external app is limiting because you can't customize your print outs the way you want to.
The Star SDK I linked you to has a really nice sample app that lets you test and customize a lot of printer functions to see them in action. Each function is documented in the source code. The commands and their parameters are also available in the app itself as a quick on screen reference which is convenient. On top of all that, it's well documented.
If you choose this way, you can send plain text to the printer along with commands. The API handles converting the data into what the printer can understand.