Print from an iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device

Questions

  • How do I print from my Bowdoin iPad to a campus printer?
  • How do I set up printing on my iPad or iPhone?
  • How do I install the Mobile Print printer on my iOS device?
  • Can I print from my personal iPhone or iPad to a Bowdoin printer?
  • How do I use AirPrint to print to a PaperCut printer?
  • What is the Mobile-Print printer and how do I use it?
  • I tapped Print on my iPad but no printers appear — what do I do?
  • How do I release a print job sent from my iPad?
  • Does printing from my iPad work off campus or on cellular data?
  • Why is PaperCut asking for my Bowdoin username and password when I print from my iPad?

Environment

This article covers printing to a campus PaperCut printer from an Apple mobile device.

  • Who: All Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff
  • Primary device: Bowdoin-issued iPad mini (iPadOS, current version). Personal iPhones and iPads are also supported as best-effort.
  • Method: AirPrint to the Mobile-Print PaperCut queue
  • Network requirement: Your device must be connected to the BOWDOIN or eduroam wireless network. Off-campus, cellular, and guest wireless connections do not support mobile printing.
Note: Bowdoin-issued iPad minis already have Mobile Print installed during device setup. If your iPad is printing fine, you can skip Step 1 and go straight to Step 2.
Note: Android printing is not covered in this article — AirPrint is an Apple technology. For Android printing options, contact the Service Desk.

Resolution

Tap a section below to jump directly to it:

Step 1 — Install Mobile Print on your device Step 2 — Send a print job Step 3 — Release your job at the printer

Step 1 — Install Mobile Print on your device

You need to install a configuration profile that adds the Mobile-Print printer to your device. You only need to do this once. Use Safari — other browsers will not download the profile correctly.

Important: Your device must be connected to the BOWDOIN or eduroam wireless network before starting. The setup page is not accessible from off-campus, cellular, or guest networks.
  1. Open Safari and go to https://p-papercut-a.bowdoin.edu:9164/setup.
  2. iPhone or iPad (non-Bowdoin-issued): Tap Download on the page.
    Bowdoin-issued iPad: Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap the Apple logo, then follow the on-screen instructions. In some cases Safari may show the wrong version of the page — tapping the Apple logo ensures you get the correct profile.
  3. When Safari prompts "This website is trying to download a configuration profile", tap Allow.
  4. On the Profile Downloaded pane, tap Close.
  5. Open the Settings app.
  6. iOS/iPadOS 18 or newer: Tap Profile Downloaded near the top of Settings.
    Older iOS/iPadOS: Go to General > VPN & Device Management.
  7. Tap PaperCut Mobility Print for iOS.
  8. On the Install Profile screen, tap Install in the upper-right corner.
  9. Enter your device passcode when prompted.
  10. Tap Install again to confirm.
  11. On the Profile Installed screen, tap Done. Your Bowdoin Mobile-Print printer is now installed.
Page not loading? If the setup page does not load, disable iCloud Private Relay in your device's iCloud settings and try again. Private Relay blocks access to this page and will prevent printing.

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Step 2 — Send a print job

Once Mobile Print is installed, you print using AirPrint from within any app. The steps below use Microsoft Word as an example — most apps follow the same pattern.

  1. Open the document you want to print. Tap the ellipsis (…) button in the top-right toolbar.

    Microsoft Word on iPad showing the ellipsis (…) button highlighted in the top toolbar.
  2. In the menu that appears, scroll down in the Document pane and tap Print.

    Word document menu with the Print option highlighted.
  3. On the Print pane, tap AirPrint.

    Print pane showing AirPrint highlighted as the selected print method.
  4. Tap the Printer field and select Mobile-Print from the list.

    Printer selection pane showing the Mobile-Print printer highlighted.
    Mobile-Print not appearing? Your device must be connected to the Bowdoin wireless network. Check your Wi-Fi connection and try again. If it still does not appear, Mobile Print may not be installed — return to Step 1.
  5. Set any print options you need — number of copies, page range, duplex (two-sided) printing — then tap Print.

    Print options pane showing duplex and page range settings, with the Print button highlighted.
  6. First-time sign-in: The first time you print to Mobile-Print, you will be prompted for your Bowdoin username (the part of your email before @bowdoin.edu) and password. Enter your credentials and tap Continue. You will not need to re-enter them on subsequent prints from the same device.
Note: PaperCut holds print jobs for up to 48 hours. If you do not release a job within that window, it is automatically deleted from the queue.

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Step 3 — Release your job at the printer

Print jobs are held in PaperCut until you release them — they are not printed automatically.

  • At the printer: Tap the screen, sign in with your Bowdoin credentials or tap your OneCard, and select the job to print.
  • Via the web portal: Go to papercut.bowdoin.edu, sign in, and release your job from there.

For full step-by-step instructions on both methods, see Releasing a held document in the Related Articles section.

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Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

Print Article

Related Articles (6)

PaperCut Print Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting the PaperCut print workflow on a Bowdoin-issued Mac, iPad, or Windows 11 computer. Covers jobs that won't print, jobs stuck in the queue, releasing from the web portal, balance or quota errors, blank pages, and unresponsive release stations. For PaperCut Client software problems, see PaperCut Client Troubleshooting.
Print from a personal (non-Bowdoin) Device
How to set up and use PaperCut to print to Bowdoin campus printers from a personally owned Mac or Windows 11 computer. Covers installing the Mobility Print software, sending a print job, and releasing it at the printer. Requires a Bowdoin account and connection to the Bowdoin network or VPN.
Printers available for student printing
Reference list of printers available to Bowdoin students on campus, including building locations, PaperCut printer names, and printer types (black and white, color, or multi-function). Explains the difference between Find-Me-Print and individual printer queues, and notes which printers support scanning and copying.
Printing from an Android device
Options for printing to Bowdoin campus printers from an Android phone or tablet. AirPrint is not available on Android, but printing is possible through the PaperCut Mobility Print setup page or by emailing documents to a computer and printing from there. Requires a connection to the Bowdoin wireless network and a Bowdoin account.
Releasing a held document printed to a PaperCut printer
Step-by-step instructions for releasing a held print job to a campus printer. Covers three methods: releasing at the printer using your OneCard or Bowdoin ID, releasing through the PaperCut web portal, and releasing from a mobile device. Applies to all Bowdoin students, faculty, and staff
Releasing a print job from the PaperCut portal
How to release a held print job using the PaperCut web portal at papercut.bowdoin.edu. Covers signing in, viewing queued jobs, selecting a physical printer, and using the mobile release site on a phone or tablet. Useful when releasing at the printer is not possible or when you want to choose which printer your job prints to. Requires a Bowdoin account and connection to the Bowdoin network or VPN.