If you thought the humble printer and copier were only good for office work and sundry tasks, you were wrong. Here’s what the new age versions can really do:
QR codes
They were first used in the automotive industry in Japan, but are now cropping up in newspaper ads, posters and on social media sites as discount coupons. Quick Response (QR) codes, which look like a random mash-up of square dots and white spaces, are actually a great way to encode and distribute information. It could be anything from website links to phone numbers, passwords, event invites and even short messages.
Generate these codes using free online resources such as Qrstuff.com, print them out, make copies, or stick them around the house as handy notes, reminders, and even shopping lists. You can even encode links to cool gifts and pass them on to your friends, along with that birthday party invite. Another innovative use is to have them printed on your business cards, pointing back to your LinkedIn profile. To decode them, simply fire up one of the many free scanning apps available on your smartphone or tablets.
Google Cloud Print
Since everything is moving to the cloud, why leave the printer behind? Google Cloud Print puts your printer online, making it accessible to you and your friends from anywhere in the world. Cloud Print works best with newer printers that have inbuilt support thus eliminating the need for a set-up via a PC. But if your printer is not compatible, you can still run the Cloud Print software on a PC, which then connects to the printer.
Wireless printing
Given the popularity of tablets and smartphones, it was just a matter of time before printing from your portable device became the need of the hour. Most modern Wi-Fi-enabled printers come with an app you can download to your device, which allows you to print directly.
Interestingly, while they may be rivals in the printer and copier space, Samsung and HP have teamed up to make wireless printing painless. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 and a couple of other phones will have support for wireless printing in more than 200 HP models, baked right into the firmware. This eliminates the need to download a separate app or drivers.
Apple fans with iPads and iPhones can buy printers with AirPrint compatibility. Or, for an older printer, install an app on a PC that acts as a bridge.
Big is beautiful
Did you know you are not restricted by the size of the paper your printer can handle? Using desktop apps or online tools such as Block Posters, Kodak’s Big App or Posteriza, you can blow up images to massive sizes — even 20x20 metres. These tools automatically split the image into smaller blocks, which you can then send to the printer. Stick them up carefully, and your friends won’t even notice the seams in your giant floor-to-ceiling posters.
Games people print
Sites such as Disney.com and DreamWorks.ae offer lots of fun stuff for the young ones that can be printed, copied and used imaginatively. From stickers to masks, cartoon characters, board games and colouring pages, your kids will love bringing their printouts to life.
T-shirts and tattoos
Got a message you want to emblazon for the world to see? Well, with special heat transfer papers, it is as easy as taking a printout of the message, warming up the iron, and pressing your declarations on to a blank T-shirt. The special chemicals in the ink should last for more than a few washes.
If you have a nice work of art you want to stick on your body as a tattoo, you get special tattoo papers that use skin-friendly inks. Print out your decals or tattoos and simply stick them on.
Box it up
Why buy great-looking boxes and bags for gifting when you can make them right at home? Head over to a site such as Packagetech.com, and choose a design you like. Copy and print using thick paper and then follow the instructions for cutting and folding it up. You could even use cardboard or canvas paper, if your printer supports it.
Once you get the hang of it, you could design your own boxes with custom designs, messages and images.
Fringe benefits
Printing stationery, business cards and greeting cards is standard stuff. But you can go esoteric by printing things such as intricate paper craft models, camera lens hoods and Wi-Fi antennae. Instead of buying an expensive plastic hood that shades the camera lens, you could go to Lenshoods.co.uk, select your camera model and print a free paper alternative for it. Similarly, you can pump up your Wi-Fi signal for free by using a parabolic reflector. Go to Freeantennas.com, print out the template, stick some aluminium foil on it, and you’ve got your own signal booster.
