Lost printer options

QSince I updated my iPad to iPadOS 14.1, it hasn’t been able to print properly. For example, there’s no option now to print documents in black and white instead of colour. Is there a workaround?

Neither iOS nor iPadOS provide much control over printing. Provided that your printer supports AirPrint, all you should need to do is come within Wi-Fi range of it, tap on the Share tool, select Print there, select the printer and the options available will be determined for you by the printer and iOS/iPadOS. There’s nothing else you can configure on your iPad.

Some AirPrint printers have their own options which could affect what they offer to your iPad, and it’s worth checking your

Aprinter’s documentation as well as ensuring that its firmware is up to date. Ensure that your iPad is also running the latest version of iPadOS, as that might have fixed some of the previous problems.

The App Store offers its usual multitude of apps which aim to extend printing features. HP Smart is a free app (unsurprisingly from HP) which can offer more and better controls over its own models. Other vendors don’t offer anything equivalent, but an app like Readdle’s free Printer Pro Lite could prove useful, and can at least generate PDFs which you could then transfer by AirDrop to your Mac for printing from there.

Apple’s full list of printers which support AirPrint is at bit.ly/mac362airprint. If your printer is listed there but you feel that it has missing options, contact the vendor’s support in the first instance, or Apple Support.