AirPrint for USB Printers
Add AirPrint to the printer you already own. One command on your Windows PC makes it appear in the print dialog of iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, with no app or driver on the devices.
The short answer
AirPrint is not something you install on a printer. It is a set of open standards: the printer runs an IPP Everywhere server and announces it on the network with mDNS (Bonjour). Every modern phone and computer already speaks those standards.
A USB printer does none of that, which is why it never appears in the AirPrint list. Printmancloses the gap by running that IPP and mDNS server on the Windows PC that already has the correct printer driver. The printer starts showing up as a normal network printer, and the devices need nothing installed.
The same standard is called Mopria on Android, so a single shared printer works across iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS.
How it works
Share on Windows
Run printman.exe share on the PC that owns the USB printer. Approve the one-time firewall prompt on a Private network.
It appears on the network
Printman announces the printer over Bonjour as Printman, and devices on the same Wi-Fi discover it automatically.
Print from any device
Use the normal print dialog in any app. No app, driver, cloud account or subscription is needed on the phone, tablet or laptop.
Prefer the browser? Add the web UI withprintman.exe share --web.
Prints from every device you already own
Why you do not need an AirPrint adapter
- ✓No extra hardware. Use the Windows PC that already has the printer driver instead of buying a Raspberry Pi or a dongle.
- ✓No cloud account. Jobs stay on your local network and are never uploaded anywhere.
- ✓No drivers on the clients. The Windows driver does the work, so any device can print.
- ✓Keeps working printers out of landfill. A 12-year-old laser can still be useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a USB printer use AirPrint?
Not on its own. AirPrint requires the printer to run an IPP server and advertise it over Bonjour. A USB printer does neither. Printman runs that server on your Windows PC and announces the printer, so iPhones, iPads and Macs can print to it as if it were a Wi-Fi printer.
Do I need a special AirPrint adapter or a Raspberry Pi?
No. Printman runs on the Windows PC that already has the printer driver installed. That replaces the need for an AirPrint adapter, a Raspberry Pi, or a paid third-party app.
Is AirPrint the same as Mopria?
They are two brand names for the same idea. Both use IPP Everywhere for the job and mDNS for discovery. Apple calls it AirPrint, Android and Mopria use the same standards, so one shared printer works with both.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. Everything runs on your local network. There is no cloud account and no internet dependency, so printing still works if your internet goes down.
Add AirPrint to your printer in one command
Free, open source and about 60 MB. No .NET installation required.