A study on smartphone printing approaches

Importance of print media in daily life is remarkable. Though the popularity of electronic media has increased considerably, print media still retains relevance in various areas. Mobile devices are nowadays used as common means of consuming electronic media. Recent surveys on mobile application usage patterns reveal that many users utilize mobile phones for reading articles, analyzing reports and browsing internet. With users extensively using mobile phones for consuming media, the demand for printing from mobile has increased considerably. An application vendor has lot of factors to consider while including print functionality in mobile applications. Printing from mobile can be achieved through various approaches, with each having its own advantages and disadvantages. This paper discusses various approaches for printing from mobile and identifies critical factors to consider for mobile printing. It also brings awareness to choose the suitable printing approach depending on the context.