Google turns new page for Docs

Google has updated its cloud-based Docs service to include new pagination and printing features.

The update brings pagination — the ability to visually see individual pages in documents on screen — to the browser-based text editor for the first time. The addition allows page headers and footnotes to be displayed at the top and bottom of each page instead of just at the top and bottom of the document, Google said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Docs also includes an option to turn pagination off and use the original 'compact' view instead; accessible via the 'Document View' option in the 'File' menu.

The Google team said that the changes in page layout have resulted in them being able to implement a web standard for native printing, allowing for a much more straight-forward printing process.

"Before, if you wanted to print your document we'd need to first convert it into a PDF, which you would then need to open and print yourself. With native printing, you can print directly from your browser and the printed document will always exactly match what you see on your screen," Luiz Pereira, a software engineer at Google wrote on the blog.

Native printing is currently only available in Google Docs when using the Google Chrome browser.

On Monday, Google announced that it is now possible to print directly from Spreadsheets on a mobile phone to a cloud-connected printer using the Google Cloud Print service.

The feature should work on most phones and tablets that support HTML 5, such as Android 2.1 or newer and iOS 3.0 and up, Google said.