How can I print from my laptop without having to connect it to the printer?

The last two answers are pretty good, but there are caveats to be aware of. The desktop computer needs to either be connected to a wireless router or have a wireless card itself that runs the same WiFi protocol as the laptop in order to do printer sharing wirelessly. You also have to install the correct printer driver software on the laptop in order to print to the printer directly or through printer sharing wirelessly. Outside of that, you'd have to connect it directly to the computer or get a wireless router and setup a network. As another option, you can get a PDF printer setup on your laptop (i.e. cutepdf) and print to the PDF printer & then send the PDF to your desktop computer and print out the PDF from there.

You have to connect the computer the printer, there's a option that allows you to connect wireless-ly. So then once you go through that process you should be able to print with out it being connected.

This is a question that I asked a long time ago but I have an answer. On your Desktop-PC you need it to be connected to WiFi weather that's with a cord or wirelessly. (That's probably not a word!) Anyway, after you have your Desktop-PC setup with WiFi then go to your laptop and connect it to the same WiFi network as your Desktop-PC. Then, Go on your Desktop and go to control panel>user accounts>(select your user)create a password(if there isn't one already). If there is a password already then your good so go back to your laptop and go to control panel>network and sharing center(if win. 7 or vista otherwise it's network connections on XP) and if you see your desktops name double click on it. Enter your credentials and then navigate to the folders there.There should be several items there. One is the printer name and the other is a folder called users(I don't know what other stuff you have). Click on the printer and right click on it and click connect. then double click the printer name and it will open a window where it will say printer, document, and view at the top. click printer and make sure that "set as default printer" is checked. then go and print something. it may take a few seconds depending on your WiFi speed. You have to make sure that your DESKTOP stays on during this process which means no sleep or standby or hibernate. Hope this helps and sorry this is written in such a big cluster of words but it should work!

you need a wireless usb print server and a wireless router. for a wireless router, there are 2 that have rock-solid firmware: - netgear wgr-614 - linksys E4200

This is what i do in this situation. Email the document you would like to print to yourself. Then go to your PC linked to the printer. Now just print as normal. There is no other way. Thanks Nick

Colinc has it right. "Share" the printer through Windows on the desktop. As long as the desktop computer is on, you'll be able to print to the printer from the laptop.