Print Return Boarding Card

Enough that the time frame for printing the return part of the boarding card was bound by the 14 day rule. ie you could only print the return card if the journey was less than 14 days away.
Now I find it reduced to 7 days and the insufferable Ryanair will probably lose 2 good customers in 2015  

Hotels now offer cheap printing.. cheaper than purchasing a seat(£5 oneway) so you can check-in for your return earlier... Although if you pay for a seat for your return it also means you have an allocated seat booked something more people want these days.

Thank you. Booking specific seats is one way and I would normally do that if the journey was of a longer duration. Less than 2 hours to Manchester, however, I choose to save the expense

You have another option. Install the Ryanair app on your smartphone/tablet and download your boarding pass when checking-in.

Can you have a mobile boarding pass with FR?
Check in with it?

From ryanair website, about online check in:

'Or, wait and get a free allocated seat
To get a free allocated seat you must check-in online between 7 days up to 2 hours before each flight
You can check-in online via our website or mobile app
Your seat will be allocated free of charge and the details printed on your paper or mobile boarding pass
If your return flight departs in more than 7 days time you will need to check-in for each flight separately'

And yes it works, I've done it myself.

Good.

Just to muddy the waters a little more:

Due to fly back from Manchester 29th December I get an email dated 27th reminding me that one or more passengers have not yet booked in for the return journey.
Fair enough. That's all taken care off but further down the same email it states :
"Innsjekking på nett er åpen fra 30 dager til 2 timer før hver flyvning"
which means:
"Checking in via the net is open from 30 days to 2 hours before every flight."

I can print the return trip up to 30 days before, right?

There are two different rules regarding online check in, it all depends on if you have reserved seats or not.

For passengers with reserved seat: 30 days - 2 hours prior flight
For passengers with NO reserved seat: 7 days - 2 hours prior flight

They have reduced the days for return boarding card to 7 days because "other" passengers that do not buy reserved seats should not claim their free allocated seats before late buyers that might want to buy reserved seat. I mean, up to 7 days before flight, a late passenger should have most possible seats to choose from before "other" can claim their free seats. It's a business in this. (tldr; if you didn't reserved seats, you get the seats that is left = you have to check in as the last one = after 7 days prior flight)

If all passengers that has not bought their seats start to claim their seats 14 days before the flight, late passengers will not have the same possibility to choose their preferred favorite seat, and Ryanair will not get any reserved seats because of this.

If you don't have a printer at the location, why not download a mobile boarding card in their app? You can even use it in Passbook on iPhone. It's great, no more printing A4-pages.

Thank you, sebbivism, I think that clears it up