A printer for students in Batumi: print from laptop and phone
On 19 October 2026 I set up a printer for some students in Batumi. Students almost always ask the same things: how to print from a phone, why the printer "cannot see" the laptop, which printer to get for a flat shared by several people and how not to spend half a stipend on ink. Here are the answers in one place.
Which printer a student needs
First decide what you will print most often. Everything else depends on it.
- A black-and-white laser printer — for notes, essays, coursework and handouts. The cheapest cost per page, and the toner does not dry out even if the printer stands idle for a month.
- An inkjet with refillable ink tanks (not small cartridges) — if you need colour: presentations, photos, diagrams. Ink is cheaper, but you need to print at least once a week or the print head dries out.
- A multifunction printer (printer + scanner) — worth paying extra: you will constantly scan documents for university, visas, dorms and work.
- Wi-Fi is a must if several people live in the flat: then everyone prints from laptops and phones, without cables.
Printing from a laptop
The printer and laptop must be on the same Wi-Fi network. The most common reason for "cannot see" is a laptop connected to the router’s guest network or to a neighbour’s Wi-Fi.
Printing from a phone
- iPhone: AirPrint — open the file → Share → Print. The printer must support AirPrint.
- Android: the built-in print service (Mopria) or the printer maker’s app. Turn it on in the printing settings.
- No router — many printers have Wi-Fi Direct: the phone connects to the printer directly, like to a hotspot.
- A PDF from Telegram or WhatsApp — save the file to Files first and print from there: printing straight from a messenger sometimes fails.
A shared printer in a rented flat
If several people share the printer, connect it to the router’s Wi-Fi, not by cable to one person’s laptop. Otherwise printing works only when that laptop is on.
- Reserve a fixed address for the printer in the router settings so it does not "disappear" after a restart.
- Make a shared note: printer model, Wi-Fi network name and where the spare ink or toner is.
- Agree who buys supplies and when — it saves nerves before exams.
Common problems
- "Printer offline" — restart the printer and router and check that the laptop is on the same network.
- Prints blank pages — an inkjet’s nozzles have dried or the ink has run out.
- Paper jam — switch the printer off and pull the sheet in the direction of printing, slowly, with both hands.
- "Driver unavailable" — remove the printer in settings and add it again with the driver from the manufacturer’s website.
- Printing is very slow — switch the quality to Draft for notes.
How to save
- Notes and drafts — in Draft mode and black only.
- Double-sided printing saves half the paper.
- Anything you can submit as a PDF — submit as a PDF.
- Cheap compatible cartridges and ink can be fine, or can ruin the printer. Buy from a trusted seller.
- Print exam materials in advance — the night before an exam is exactly when the printer breaks.
Scanning documents
University, visas, dorms and work constantly need scans. On a multifunction printer, scan straight to PDF. No scanner? A phone will do: on iPhone, Files → Scan Documents; on Android, the scanner in Google Drive. You get a straight PDF instead of a photo at an angle.
When to call a technician
If the printer will not connect to Wi-Fi, the laptops in the flat run different systems (Windows and Mac), all the phones need to print, or you simply have no time to deal with it — I come and in one visit set up the printer for all your laptops and phones and show you how to print and scan. Setup — from 50 ₾; I quote before the visit.