Virtual assistants can make life easier than ever before. You walk into your home office and say, "Alexa, office light on," to turn on your lamp. You can even use your printer without touching it.
Printing with your voice is super helpful when your hands are full. You can cross a vital task off your list with a few well-placed words. Of course, this only works if you have a high-tech printer that connects to the internet, like our sponsor, Epson's EcoTank.
Many modern printers have this capability, so you may have had this option for a long time without even knowing about it. You can say, "Alexa, print my to-do list," and it will print your latest to-do list in the Alexa app. Want something else? Just say, "print ruled paper" or "music paper."
First, you need to connect your speaker to your printer. Do this by opening your smart assistant's app. (So, if you use Google Home, you'll open the Google Assistant app on your smartphone.)
Whether you're using Alexa, Google, Siri or another smart home app, look through your settings to find the list of connected devices. Find the Add device option, choose Printer and select the smart printer. Just like that, your printer should now settle into its place in your smart home.
Need more specific directions? We've got you covered. Here's a step-by-step guide to connecting your printer with your smart home system. We'll use the Epson EcoTank as an example.
Of course, both gadgets must be connected to the internet before you get started. You'll also have to ensure your printer is linked to your Epson Connect account. Here's how to set up Epson Connect through your printer's control panel.
Once that is done, follow these steps:
Are you using a computer instead of a smartphone? Just open your web browser and go to Amazon's website. Head to Alexa skills to find the Epson Printer skill and follow the above instructions.
Once all this is done, sign in to your Epson Connect account to start printing through your Amazon Echo.
Want some more guidance before you start printing? Just say, "Alexa, ask Epson printer to print a help page." It will spit out a helpful guide that tells you all you need to know.
As with Alexa, make sure you have a good internet connection first. You also need to connect your printer with your Epson Connect account. Here's how to connect your printer to Google Assistant through a web browser.
Next, follow these steps:
Next, log into your Epson Connect account and select Try It to ensure they're connected.
Before you start, make sure both products are connected to the internet. Then:
You can also select Re-Record Phrase to say your phrase again.
You can make life easier by printing through voice commands in just a few easy steps. Just make sure you're speaking clearly since voice assistants are famously bad at understanding people. Tap or click here to teach Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant to understand you better.
Almost everything is easier with Epson's famous EcoTank. This high-tech gadget is a game-changer for anyone with a home office.
Having a personal printer is so convenient. You can print coupons, the kids' homework and important documents for work, all from the comfort of your home.
The downside? Expensive ink cartridges - unless you purchase an Epson EcoTank printer. They come with a ridiculous amount of ink right in the box - enough to print a whopping 6,000 color pages.
Check out Epson EcoTank printers at a Best Buy, OfficeMax or Office Depot near you, or shop online at Epson.com/EcoTankKim.