Microsoft Office for iPad finally adds printer support

Microsoft has released an update for Office for iPad that adds the ability to print Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using any AirPrint printer.

Millions of people downloaded the apps, and thousands sent in feature requests, Microsoft wrote in a blog post.

Apparently printing was the top-requested addition, and now it's arrived.

An Office 365 subscription nets users important features - including the ability to actually create and edit documents - but the free versions of the apps can still use the new printing feature.

SmartGuides and Autofit

Word users can print a document with or without markup, and Excel users can print a specific range, selected worksheets or whole spreadsheets.

Meanwhile the update also adds SmartGuides for PowerPoint and AutoFit for Excel.

SmartGuides act something like Photoshop's "snap to" feature, helping users align the elements of a slide for neater-looking presentations.

And Excel's Autofit feature lets you adjust the height and width or multiple rows or columns simultaneously.

Too little, too late?

Microsoft is very late in releasing its official Office apps for iPad, and with basic features like printer support missing, these apps may seem like something of an afterthought.

But the company's Office Team wrote that it's "committed to keep improving the apps" and invites users to continue submitting feedback.

The app updates, available now, also include bug fixes and stability improvements.

• Microsoft Office on iPad: too little, too late?