Getting started - Adding an account
Local vs Edge Print Auto Selection
What permissions are required to use Edge Print?
Terms used
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Edge Accounts - A Google Workspace account set up to specifically handle Edge Printing capabilities.
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Edge Nodes - An always-on, always-connected device that can run the directprint.io app. This can be a Windows Server, Windows 10, macOS, or ChromeOS device.
Getting started - Adding an account
- To configure Edge Print navigate to the 'Edge Print' dashboard. You will be presented with the Edge Print configuration screen.
- To add your first Edge Print account click the 'Get started' button.
- The Edge Print account must be a dedicated Google Workspace user account on your domain. It does not need special privileges. For example; cloudprint@youmebee.com
For security reasons, we recommend that the account is only used for Edge Print receiving not for any other purpose.
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Multiple Accounts - You can configure Edge Print with multiple receiver accounts. This provides separated job routing, over and above nodes.
This is an advanced use case and we recommend that you configure and test the system with one Edge Account in the first instance.
Assigning printers
- Once you have successfully added the Edge Print account, the system will automatically create a default Edge Node in the system map.
- Printers that are attached to an Edge Node will become Edge Print enabled - meaning users can send print jobs when off-network.
- If you are transforming allocated printers to be Edge Print enabled, we recommend you perform this setup out-of-hours or when print activity is low.
You will need to ensure your Edge Node is configured before full end-to-end remote printing will work.
- Alternatively, you can duplicate printers in your system to have a local version and an Edge Print version, which can then be allocated to users as required.
Configuring your Edge Node
- Printers are allocated to Edge Nodes. Edge Nodes must have direct IP connectivity to the printers that it has been assigned.
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If you wish to avoid one point of failure for Edge Print then we recommend that you use two or more Edge Nodes.
An Edge Node can be logged into using the same Edge Account to provide redundancy. The Edge Nodes must have network connectivity to their assigned printers.
- You must sign in to an Edge Node with the parent account i.e. cloudprint@youmebee.com. You will be prompted to give Google Drive access. See the access level requirements we require here.
Local vs Edge Print Auto Selection
You can select two modes of operation for Edge Printing;
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Always route jobs via Edge Print (default) - This mode will send all print jobs for Edge-enabled printers via the cloud regardless of whether the user has direct IP connectivity to the printer.
- Attempt local printing first, fall back to Edge Print - This mode will attempt to send all print jobs for Edge-enabled printers directly, if local/direct printing fails, then the print job will be sent via the cloud.
To change this setting, click the cog icon next to the 'Add account' button. This will present a modal window allowing you to make your selection. Your choice will autosave when you close the modal.
What permissions are required to use Edge Print?
Introduction
- Edge Print integrates directly with Google Drive to enable remote / off-network printing.
Summary of required permissions:
| Authorization Scopes | Explanation | |
| End-user |
"View and manage Google Drive files or folders that you have opened or created with this app"
https:/ |
|
| Edge Print Receiver |
"See, edit, create, and delete all of your Google Drive files".
https:/ |
Required to:
Limited to the scope of the Edge Print Receiver user only. |
End-User Permissions
- When a user attempts to print remotely for the first time, the directprint.io app will ask the user to allow Google Drive permissions as shown in the image below.
- For an end-user directprint.io requires permission only to view and manage folders or files that have been opened or created with the directprint.io app. By giving this permission it allows directprint.io to upload a print job to the user's Google Drive folder.
Edge Receiver Permissions
- To retrieve the print job from the user's Google Drive directory, an Edge Print Receiver must be setup.
- An Edge Print Receiver is a device running Chrome OS, macOS, or Windows 10 which has the standard directprint.io app installed.
- An Edge Print Receiver must always be on and always connected and it must sit on the same network as the printer that you would like to enable for remote printing.
- An Edge Print Receiver must have a G Suite user associated with it. The associated user must be created exclusively for acting as a print receiver.
- When an end-user submits a print job, the print job is uploaded to their Google Drive directory but then immediately transferred to the Edge Print Receiver user.
- For an Edge Print Receiver, directprint.io requires permission to 'See, edit, create and delete all your Google Drive files. By giving this permission it allows directprint.io to retrieve transferred print jobs and delete print jobs from the Drive directory once the job has been sent to the printer.
Edge Print FAQ
Q1. Can you use Edge Print with QuickCode allocated printers?
A1. We currently do not support Edge Print with QuickCodes.
Q2. Do we need to use Google Drive with Edge Print?
A2. Yes, currently we rely on Google Drive to pass print jobs over the internet. We will look to extend this in the future to use other cloud solutions.
Q3. Can I have one printer that is both direct IP printing and remote enabled?
A3. Yes.
For example, if I have a printer named 'Admin Office Printer' I may wish to keep this with direct IP printing capabilities but also enable it to have remote printing capabilities. To do this:
1. Duplicate 'Admin Office Printer'.
2. Rename it to 'Admin Office Printer Remote'.
3. Allocate the newly duplicated printer to the users you wish to have remote printing capabilities.
Q4. Do you have failover redundancy in case my Edge Print Receiver fails?
A4. Yes, you can have multiple nodes logged in with the same user account. This will provide failover redundancy.
Q5. I want to enable all printers to have remote printing capabilities but only want users to print remotely when off-network, is this possible?
A5. Not currently, however, we are working on this for our next release. In the meantime, we recommend that you duplicate any printers you wish to have direct IP & remote printing capabilities. See Q3 for instructions.
Q6. Can you use directprint.io accounting codes when using Edge Print?
A6. Accounting codes can be selected, however, they are not yet reported. We will be updating this functionality soon.
Q7. What operating system will an Edge Print print job be logged as, the sender or the receiver operating system?
A7. The operating system logged will be the operating system that the Edge Print Receiver is running on and not the sender's operating system.
Q8. My Edge Print Receiver keeps being logged out and Edge Printing stops working. Is there a way to prevent this?
A8. You may need to change your default session length for Google Services. It defaults to 14 days but can be changed on a user-by-user basis. We recommended setting your Edge Print Receiver user to never expire.