Print From Remote Desktop to Local Printer

You can easily print from a remote desktop to a local printer. Many organizations use Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) for remote work, but the default printing capabilities often fall short. Incorporating a cloud printing solution like ezeep solves this by allowing remote workers to print to their local devices without complex setups or driver management.

Our IT consultants often receive questions about printing challenges when using Azure Virtual Desktop in a home office. For instance, a service provider in Ireland struggled to enable their remote workers to print from a virtual desktop to a local printer.

The recent increase in remote work has made reliable cloud services critical. Microsoft, for example, reported a huge increase in users across its cloud-based services, with Azure Virtual Desktop usage tripling. Organizations are actively seeking ways to adapt and support their remote teams effectively.

Is AVD set up now an option for remote work?

While deploying Azure Virtual Desktop requires planning and consideration, it is certainly possible to implement it effectively. Companies with an existing Microsoft Entra ID are in a strong position to react swiftly to the demands for remote work capabilities.

Although AVD deployment needs careful thought, especially concerning permissions handled by Microsoft Entra ID, organizations can still adopt it to provide reliable remote desktop environments.

Why is printing a challenge with remote desktops?

Many companies that have already implemented remote desktop environments like AVD encounter problems with printing. The core issue is that every user's local printer effectively becomes a remote printer in this setup, complicating traditional printing methods.

AVD's default printing support is often insufficient for both organizations (from a management perspective) and users (from a performance point of view). Integrating ezeep with existing Azure Virtual Desktop environments can significantly improve printing support.

In an interview with Scott Seddon, Senior Technical Consultant at ezeep and ThinPrint, detailed insights into Azure Virtual Desktop printing were shared. ezeep can be remotely deployed with ease via the ezeep connector or ezeep print app.

The ezeep connector on a user's laptop automatically discovers local printers and makes them securely addressable from the cloud. This simple process allows users to print from a remote desktop to a local printer with ezeep, provided the AVD prerequisites are in place.

How does ezeep make printing from a remote desktop easy?

For organizations needing reliable printing, AVD's default option often isn't enough. Add ezeep to your AVD environment to make printing easy and secure for everyone.

After integrating the ezeep Print App on Azure Virtual Desktop and configuring the ezeep Connector App, users can print whether accessing via a browser or the Remote Desktop App. Customized rules enable users to see relevant printers in their Azure Virtual Desktop session. Print jobs are automatically compressed in the ezeep cloud and transferred encrypted to the connector. ezeep connects cloud print jobs to physical print infrastructure, making it possible to print anywhere on any printer. Built on ThinPrint technology, trusted by Fortune 500 organizations, ezeep handles millions of pages daily.

ezeep offers security features like multi-factor authentication and zero-trust printing. Zero-trust printing uses the ezeep Hub, allowing users to print even in highly segmented networks.

The cloud printing service also combines with a pull-printing feature. This means printing only occurs after the user authenticates locally, for example, by scanning a QR code. This method ensures documents are picked up only by an authenticated person, enhancing security for the output. All these features position ezeep as a top choice for secure printing.

Thanks to the Printer Profiles feature, ezeep offers default printer settings in the virtual desktop session for users. This provides access to a wide range of printer settings, unlike Microsoft's default printer redirection. Additionally, monitoring and reporting features are helpful for admins. A host of third-party integrations, such as Zapier and Make, ensure ezeep is suitable for virtually any use case.