Setting up Pi Cups to Print and Scan

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Yesterday I decided to play with the Common Unix Printing system (CUPS). I followed [this tutorial](https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-print-server/) and within a reasonable amount of time I had set up a pi 3 to serve as a print server for an old printer. Sometimes you use printers and scanners by plugging them in to the laptop you’re currently using. With modern macs this means finding a USB 2 to USB C connector, moving to the room with the printer or scanner, plugging in, printing or scanning and then moving on.

With CUPS you can setup the PI to be a print server. You navigate to a web page, add the printer that it detects and then you can print or scan documents, without having to move the computer or printer. During my test I connected to the printer, and scanned documents via the document feeder. With little annoyance I achieved my goal and moved on.

Although everything worked in browser as I expected to setup the printer, and then connect with a mac and a windows machine I am not sure whether I was able to print because the wifi was already setup or because CUPS installed the printer/scanner as I had requested. Rationally my experiment was a success but I should duplicate it, to be certain.

With this specific printer my old work flow was that I would get the documents to scan, and a USB key, scan the documents to the key, transfer the documents from the key to a laptop, rename them, and then use them. Now I get the post, scan the documents within five minutes and then the documents are just for archive, in physical form, and accessible in digital form.

## And Finally

Although printing and scanning are a chore, because you need to get the scanner and laptops to recognise each other, if you setup CUPS then they’re ready, within seconds, for you to use, with little effort or thought. It simplifies document scanning and more.

Although setting up a printer with CUPS may appear dull and boring it is very useful.