How to Print From a BlackBerry Smartphone

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BlackBerry platform does not offer a native printing function for the popular line of business-class smartphones, but several third-party vendors offer easy workarounds. The two most popular options that don’t require extra hardware are Cortado Basic Print and BreezyPrint. Cortado works with a Bluetooth printer, while BreezyPrint works with a network printer. The apps aren’t free, but both have a no-cost trial period during which you can evaluate the full versions.

Step by Step

Step 1. Both Cortado and BreezyPrint require a desktop PC with an installed printer attached.

For Bluetooth printing: Confirm that the printer is turned on and that Bluetooth is enabled. If not, scroll through your printer’s on-board settings and find the Bluetooth option, which is often listed under Connections. Then, in Windows on your desktop PC, go to Printers and Devices and click Add a Printer. Select Add a Network, Wireless or Bluetooth printer. Windows will scan for your Bluetooth printer. When it finds the device, select the printer and click Next then Finish.

For network printing: Make sure your printer is physically connected via network cable to your router. Within your printer’s on-board settings, verify that the network connection is TCP/IP; the option is usually under the Network or Connection heading. Then, in Windows on your desktop PC, go to Printers and Devices and click Add a Printer. Choose Add a Network, Wireless or Bluetooth printer. Windows will scan for your printer; when it appears, select it and click Next then Finish.

Step 2. Visit the Website for Cortado Basic Print or BreezyPrint (linked above) from your desktop PC, and download the application installer. Connect your BlackBerry to your PC, and then run the installer. This will install Windows and BlackBerry software, both of which are required to print from your smartphone.

Step 3. Both Cortado and BreezyPrint add a Print button to your BlackBerry’s File menu. Once your chosen application is installed, select an e-mail message, photo, contact, memo, task, calendar entry, or document to print. In this example, we’ll print an e-mail message.

Step 4. Open the message in your BlackBerry e-mail client. Open the options menu and click Print.

In Cortado: Select Direct Printing to bring up a list of nearby Bluetooth printers. Cortado scans for nearby Bluetooth devices, so you don’t have to do any setup aside from what you did in Step 1.

In BreezyPrint: Choose Print and then select an item to print, such as the body of the e-mail or a specific attachment. The app will bring up a list of printers on your network; select the printer to use.