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How to print a PDF on a thermal printer from your phone

By RollanSoft · Updated

4 steps, about 3 minutes · Tested with a PT-210 over Bluetooth and an Epson TM-T20IV over USB

Quick answer

  1. Android’s Print menu can’t see most thermal printers: it is made for office printers. Instead of printing, share the PDF with a thermal printer app, such as Easy Thermal Print (free on Google Play).
  2. On WhatsApp: press and hold the PDF in the chat, tap Share and pick the app.
  3. Before printing, crop the white margins and use a black-and-white style: a Letter or A4 PDF comes out about four times smaller on 58 mm paper.

Something not right? Find what you see.

We make Easy Thermal Print, the free app we recommend and use in steps 3 and 4. Sharing the PDF and the sizing tips work with any thermal printer app.

What you need: A 58 or 80 mm thermal printer, with paper and charged · The Android phone with the PDF · A thermal printer app that opens PDFs

  1. Get the printer ready

    Turn the printer on, check it has paper and connect it once in the app. From then on the app remembers it: for each PDF you just share it and print.

    Not connected yet? Follow the Bluetooth guide or the USB guide.

  2. Share the PDF with the app

    WhatsApp: press and hold the message with the PDF and tap Share (on some phones it is in the ⋮ menu). If you already opened it in a PDF viewer, tap ⋮ and then Share.

    Files or Downloads: press and hold the PDF and tap Share.

    Google Drive: tap ⋮ next to the file and choose Send a copy. Share in Drive sends a link, not the file, and a printing app can’t open a link.

    Email: download the attachment and share it from Files.

    With Easy Thermal Print

    In the list of apps, pick Easy Thermal Print (it may show as Print with Easy Thermal Print). You can also open the app and tap PDF / File to find the PDF on your phone.

  3. Adjust the size and style

    A 58 mm printer prints about 48 mm wide, and an 80 mm printer about 72 mm. A Letter page is 216 mm wide (A4 is 210 mm), so shrinking it makes the text tiny. Cropping the white margins uses the full paper width and makes it much easier to read.

    For invoices and documents use a pure black-and-white style: the text comes out sharp instead of gray. And pick only the pages you need, because every Letter-size page uses several centimeters of roll.

    With Easy Thermal Print

    Crop white margins is already on and Style starts on Text, the right one for documents. Under Pages, tap a number to leave that page out. Photo is for PDFs with photos.

  4. Check the preview and print

    The preview shows the PDF at your paper’s real width. If it reads well there, it will on paper too.

    With Easy Thermal Print

    Look at the Preview below the settings and tap Print. What you print stays in Recent, ready to print again with one tap.

    Get it on Google Play

Find what you see

Can’t find the printer or the app

I tap Print on the PDF and my printer isn’t listed

That is normal: Android’s print menu works with office printers and almost never sees a receipt printer. Share the PDF with a thermal printer app, as in step 2.

The printing app isn’t in the share list

Scroll the list of apps or tap More. If the app you share from sends a link instead of the file (Drive, some email apps), download the PDF and share it from Files.

It says “Couldn’t open this PDF”

The PDF has a password or is damaged. Ask whoever sent it for a copy without a password, or try opening it in another viewer.

Prints badly

The text is tiny

The PDF is Letter or A4 size. Crop the white margins (step 3). If it still can’t be read, print it on an 80 mm printer or ask for the PDF in receipt format: many invoicing and point-of-sale systems make one for 58 or 80 mm rolls.

The text comes out gray or dotted

You are using a style meant for photos. Switch to pure black and white (Text in Easy Thermal Print).

The print is too light

It may be the battery, the paper or the print head. See the guide to a printer that won’t print right.

It stops halfway

A long PDF sends a lot of data. Over Bluetooth, charge the printer and move closer. If it keeps happening, print the test page from the guide to a printer that won’t print right and tap Stops halfway.

Frequently asked questions

Can I print a Letter or A4 invoice on a 58 mm printer?

Yes, but the text ends up about four times smaller. Cropping the white margins helps a lot. To read it comfortably, use an 80 mm printer or ask for the invoice in receipt format.

Why doesn’t my thermal printer show up when I tap Print?

Because Android’s Print menu is for office printers. Receipt printers need an app that speaks ESC/POS, their language. Share the PDF with that app instead of tapping Print.

Can I print a photo or a screenshot?

Yes. Share it with the app just like a PDF. In Easy Thermal Print, the Photo style is for photos and Logo for screenshots and logos.

Do I need internet to print a PDF?

Not over Bluetooth or USB. You only need the PDF saved on your phone.

Is printing PDFs free in Easy Thermal Print?

Yes. Printing PDFs, photos and screenshots is free, with no ads and no watermark.

Got the PDF handy?

Easy Thermal Print is free on Google Play: it prints PDFs, photos, receipts, kitchen orders and QR codes on 58 and 80 mm printers, with no watermark.

Get it on Google Play