Apple has managed to create one of the easiest methods of printing from a smartphone by getting many printer manufacturers to adopt the AirPrint wireless printing feature. Apple also has a very easy way to create PDF documents instead of a traditional print copy — if you know how to get there. In this article, we’ll show you both.

It’s important to note that printing via AirPrint may not support all printer features, but you’ll likely have options for: number of copies, range, paper size, orientation, scaling, and other basic features. To get started, you’ll need access to a wireless or networked printer that supports Apple’s AirPrint driverless printing system. If you don’t have a printer yet, here’s how to choose the right one. If you’ve bought a wireless printer in the last five years (or even up to 10 years in HP’s case), chances are it already supports AirPrint. Some printer manufacturers may also include an app that can print files from your device or through their own cloud service, but these aren’t usually as easy or nice to use as AirPrint. Next, make sure your iPhone and printer are connected to the same wireless network. If your printer has an ethernet port, you can alternatively connect it directly to your wireless router with an ethernet cable and still be able to AirPrint from your iPhone. In corporate environments, you may need to ask your IT department to turn on the feature to allow printing from your iPhone. OK — now it’s time to print something:

Open what you want to print: an email or email attachment, a website in Safari, a file in the Files app, a photo, etc. Tap the Share button to open the share sheet, then scroll down and tap the Print button. Some applications may have the Print button elsewhere. For example, to print an email message in the Mail app, you need to tap the Reply button, then find Print at the bottom of the list of reply options. On the Print Options screen that appears, select a printer if there is not already a default selection. Now you can choose the range of pages you want to print, the number of copies, enable duplex printing and various other printing options. Press Print and it’s done!

You can see the print queue / order status by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (iPhone with Face ID or iPad) or by double-clicking the home button (iPhone with Touch ID) to go to the App Switcher. You can also cancel the print here if it hasn’t finished yet. The print queue only appears in the App Switcher when printing is active. Tap for a print summary while the print is still active and you can also cancel it here.

It’s surprising how a useful feature like printing to PDF is treated like an Easter egg on iOS — especially since macOS has had an easy-to-view Save as PDF option for years. There is no button on iOS to print to PDF. Instead, zoom in on the document to get the option, here’s how:

Using the instructions above, go to the Print Options screen for the file or page you want to convert to PDF (see instructions above). Click on the preview of the printable document as if to enlarge it. It will throw you like you are entering a new stage of video games. You now have the document open as a PDF. You can scroll between pages, zoom in and search for text on this screen, all to confirm that the document you want looks right. Tap the Share button at the bottom left. Select Save to Files to specify where you want to save the document, or select another app to send it directly to someone, such as Mail, Messages, or AirDrop.