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bSmallPSSD's avatar
bSmallPSSD
Level 1.5: Cupcake
3 months ago

Chromebook Print - Advanced Finishing Options?

Our organization uses PaperCut MF and PaperCut Mobility Print as our Print to MFP solution (with a virtual hold / release queue) for all of our end users.

 

While a small number of Staff still use a Windows PC, a vast majority of Teachers and Students have been migrated over to managed Chromebooks as their daily driver device.

 

While Mobility Print does well to support simple print jobs from a Chromebook, our users are frustrated with their inability to select / adjust more advanced finishing Settings, such as staple and hole punch.

 

As I understand it, the lack of MFP-specific (non-generic) print driver support on Chrome OS compared to Windows or Mac is to blame for the lack of additional print / finishing functionality, and there isn't currently much of anything our organization can do to make the Chromebook print experience better for our users at this time.

 

With that being said, as part of the IT Team for our organization, I wanted to reach out here to Google Support for any recommended workarounds or alternative solutions to this current problem that might allow us to provide our users with these additional finishing options when priting on Chromebooks (via PaperCut Mobility Print).

 

Or, if there's really no fix available at this time, is there any possibilty that Chromebooks / Chrome OS (or maybe Aluminium OS eventually) might work towards being able to support more hardware-specific print drivers in the future?

 

Please advise what our potential potential present-day options are for resolving this matter, if any, and also, please keep the community posted if Chromebooks begin supporting better print drivers in the future.

 

Thank you, and looking forward to any / all feedback!

feedback
printing

1 Reply

  • Lynda's avatar
    Lynda
    Google Community Manager
    3 months ago

    Hi bSmallPSSD​ thanks for the post.

     

    While Chromebooks use a driverless printing standard, you can restore finishing functionality through these methods:

     

    Custom PPDs in Google Admin (The Native Fix)

     

    Google now allows admins to upload manufacturer-specific PPD (PostScript Printer Description) files. This "unlocks" specific hardware toggles in the ChromeOS print dialog.

    • Go to: Devices > Chrome > Printers in your Admin Console.
    • Add Printer: Choose "Add Printer" manually.
    • Setup Method: Select "Custom PPD file" and upload the .ppd file for your MFP model.
    • Documentation: Google Help: Manage local and network printers (See the "Custom PPD file" section under "Add a printer").

    Selection at the MFP Panel

     

    If your MFP supports it, PaperCut MF allows users to modify jobs at the device. Users can tap their badge, select their job, and use the "Change Settings" button on the copier's touchscreen to add a staple or hole punch before releasing the print.

     

    Future Outlook

     

    Google is currently maturing the ChromeOS Printing API, which will allow partners like PaperCut to provide deeper hardware integration. We will update the community as these native finishing controls become more standardized.