Epson has expanded its photo-printing app for iOS devices, making it possible to publish documents and web pages directly from your iPhone or iPad to the company's line of printers.
Epson iPrint 2.0 debuted Tuesday in the App Store. The upgraded app can wirelessly print Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF documents that come embedded in email, or directly from online file services like Box.net, Dropbox, and Evernote. Web pages can be printed directly from Epson iPrint's in-app browser, though you won't want to use it as your main browser--only 10 bookmarks are possible.
Documents scanned using Epson's All-in-One series of printers can be saved to your iOS device. But the app allows you to perform other print-related tasks such as wirelessly checking a printer's status and ink level and buying supplies when ink and other items run low. And Epson iPrint continues to offer a variety of photo-printing options, letting you choose between color and monochrome prints, image resolution, and border types.
The debut of an expanded printing app might seem mildly surprising, given that Apple's AirPrint feature was supposed to enable easy printing from iOS devices when iOS 4.2 debuted last year. But AirPrint's limitations--it only prints to select HP printers--have forced companies like Epson to develop with their own solutions.
Epson iPrint is free, and compatible with any device running iOS 4.1 or later. The app works only with Epson-brand printers.
