Hands on: FingerPrint enables AirPrint for many non-compliant OS X printers
FingerPrint is a new Mac OS X application from Collobos Software that enables AirPrint printing for many OS X printers. AirPrint is Apple's new wireless printing technology for iOS devices. It works over Bonjour, Apple's version of zero configuration networking, allowing devices and services to communicate with each other on local area networks.
As originally planned, AirPrint was supposed to provide printing to shared OS X printers and to a small group of HP printers that support HP's ePrint mobile printing service. However, this feature was disabled in the final Mac OS X 10.6.5 release, and AirPrint now only supports the HP printers. FingerPrint brings the capability back to shared printers without having to resort to Terminal commands.
The $7.99 application works by browsing for Bonjour printer services. When it finds them, it re-advertises the printers adding a special field to the Bonjour data that indicates AirPrint compliance. By projecting that compliance information, your iOS devices are able to detect and then write to those printers using standard OS X protocols.
Update: See our exclusive first look at Ecamm's competitive offering, Printopia for Mac
FingerPrint worked for my old and not-especially-fully-featured Brother HL-5040 laser printer. It also worked for printers owned by several other TUAW staffers. We used beta versions of iOS 4.2 to test. Just select the Print option from any compliant application (we tested using Mobile Safari's Action menu) and choose your printer.
There's a free trial you can use to test out the software to ensure that it works with your hardware before forking over your hard-earned money. Once you've determined that the application works for you, you can purchase your license directly from the application via eSellerate. As I had some problems placing an order, Scott, the FingerPrint developer is already looking into the issue with eSellerate support.
Scott, who took time to chat with me on the phone today, explained. "[What FingerPrint does] is advertise in such a way that iOS 4.2 can see the printer. This means that most do but not all printers work with it. That's why I give the 7 day trial." He emphasizes the simplicity of the application. "Mom and Dad can use it; it will AirPrint enable many printers that wouldn't ordinarily work."
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Source: http://www.collobos.com/
FingerPrint is a new Mac OS X application from Collobos Software that enables AirPrint printing for many OS X printers. AirPrint is...
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I have been racking my brain trying to get my wife's old PowerBook to work with AirPrint. I can't get it to broadcast the urf field for the printer. This app works well as it seems to just capture the Bonjour broadcast information for the printer and rebroadcast it with a different name and the additional urf field. This app is great for machines stuck with 10.5!
November 18 2010 at 12:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt's really silly that they're charging $8 for this. Any developer who has ever worked with Bonjour could write this app in a day.
November 17 2010 at 9:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI tried the terminal approach and the automatic Hacktivator. Neither has worked reliably. FingerPrint worked flawlessly running 10.6.5 and 4.2b with HP printers. Yes, it costs, but it also works. However, a lot of apps are not AirPrint ready, not even the built-in Notes app from what I can see.
On the other hand, I have tried both PrintBureau and WePrint and both work pretty well without AirPrint in a wider range of apps. It seems to me that the main advantage for AirPrint is that it is more convenient... if it is operational.
Okay, so (by using the free Hacktivator app) I finally got AirPrint with iOS 4.2 working -- only to realize that Pages for the iPad doesn't have a Print option…!? WTF, Apple…?!
And btw, neither does the Notes app or the Calendar or Contacts or…well, most other Apple apps…!? I guess people only print e-mails and websites nowadays, if anything…?!
iWork apps are being updated today.
November 22 2010 at 11:25 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe thing is that all "Airprint" is is a simple bonjour/zeroconf advertisement that points to your (already existing) CUPS queue (if you have shared a printer on your mac anyway). The only difference to any existing advertisement that CUPS already does is the subtype must be _universal._sub._ipp._tcp instead of just _sub._ipp._tcp and there must be a URF record (even though the pdl doesn't have to indicate support for image/urf)
It doesn't seem anything on iOS uses URF (yet) so it doesn't seem to be a big deal if CUPS doesnt have a filter for it. Either way, It took me about 5 minutes to set up an advertisement from avahi on a linux box to "airprint enable" every printer on the network where I work, and yeah, they all work great.
Can you tell us how to do this in 10.5 then!? It'd be much appreciated.
November 22 2010 at 11:24 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow is this any different from this FREE application?
http://lifehacker.com/5690077/airprint-hacktivator-automates-the-enabling-of-ios-air-printing
Erica, AirPrint wasn't disabled in the iOS 4.2 GM. It was removed from the final Mac OS X 10.6.5.
Please correct your story.
I'd also suggest people wait AT LEAST until 4.2 is released to everyone. For all we know, the same day Apple releases a patch to Mac OS X or to iTunes or something that re-enables printer sharing for iOS.
November 17 2010 at 5:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyExcellent post, Erica.
FingerPrint worked perfectly with our iPad and iPhone 4 devices running the current GM. We printed two-sided pages to our Dell 3130cn laser and HP Photosmart Premium C309a printers.
FYI, AirprintHacktivator requires that you delete the printers you have working on your network and re-add them to get it to work. Seemed like a hassle so we didn't test it on our network. Still, it's free, which is very nice.
Seems a bit odd that Apple is having such trouble with this. Kudos to both the FingerPrint and AirprintHacktivator developers!
Rip off,
go to: and do it for free:
http://netputing.com/2010/11/13/airprinthacktivator-v1-1-now-available/
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