About this plugin
AC Print + Email adds a simple Print link and a lightweight Email dropdown to posts, pages, and archive views.
It is designed for sites that value clarity, accessibility, and user trust over analytics-heavy sharing widgets and third-party services.
The plugin uses:
* The browser’s native print dialog
* The visitor’s own email provider or mail client
* A copy-link fallback for universal compatibility
No emails are sent from your server.
No tracking pixels are injected.
No external APIs are required.
Philosophy: Human-first sharing
Most sharing plugins today are built around tracking, engagement metrics, and external networks.
AC Print + Email is built around people.
This plugin follows a few simple principles:
-
Use tools users already trust
Printing uses the browser’s native print dialog. Email opens in the user’s own mail provider or mail app.
-
Avoid third-party services
No URL shorteners, redirect chains, or external dashboards.
-
Respect privacy by default
No analytics, no tracking pixels, no background requests.
-
Separate user intent
Printing and emailing are distinct actions with different expectations and behaviors.
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Stay out of the way
The toolbar is minimal, theme-agnostic, and designed to blend into content.
This approach mirrors how the early web worked: direct, understandable, and user-controlled.
Features
- Print using the browser’s native print dialog
- Clean print stylesheet (removes navigation, widgets, and UI chrome)
- Email options:
- Gmail
- Yahoo Mail
- Outlook / Hotmail
- AOL Mail
- Default mail client (mailto)
- Copy link fallback
- Fully accessible:
- Keyboard navigation
- ARIA roles and states
- Screen-reader friendly feedback
- Display modes:
- Icons + labels
- Icons only
- Labels only
- Per-content controls:
- Enable on posts
- Enable on pages
- Enable on category archives
- Enable on tag archives
- Placement control:
- Automatic injection
- Shortcode-only mode for manual placement [ac_print_email]
- Live admin preview panel
- No dependencies
- No tracking
- No advertisements
Placement & Theme Compatibility
By default, the toolbar is automatically injected into supported content.
For older or heavily customized themes, you may prefer Shortcode only placement, which gives you full control over where the toolbar appears.
Use the shortcode: [ac_print_email]
This mode avoids layout conflicts and is recommended for legacy or custom templates.
Why this plugin does NOT send email from your server
Sending email from a WordPress server introduces complexity, privacy concerns, and deliverability issues.
AC Print + Email intentionally avoids server-side email so that:
* Emails are sent by the user, not your site
* SPF and DKIM issues are avoided
* User expectations are respected
* Privacy is preserved
If you need server-side email campaigns, this plugin is not designed to replace that functionality.
Accessibility
Accessibility is treated as a first-class feature.
The toolbar supports:
* Full keyboard navigation
* Proper focus management
* ARIA-expanded and ARIA-live announcements
* Screen-reader friendly labels and feedback
Usage
The toolbar can be automatically injected into content, or placed manually using a shortcode: [ac_print_email]
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.