Printing to file

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax (More info?)

When using Print To File it prompts for a name. Enter a
path as well as the name and you will have your file.
Example: "c:\print.prn".
Once you have the file you can use the following command
to print it:
copy c:\print.prn lpt1
assuming you put the file in the c drive and named it
print.prn and you have a printer on lpt1 (your parallel
port).
The util is meant to work with PCL and PS printer drivers
and does not work with all printer models.
If you don't have a parallel printer you can get utils to
help with this or map an lpt port to use. I'm not
including all of the steps to that as there are setup and
security issues that need further discussion.

>-----Original Message-----
>In Windows XP and others, I have tried "Print to file"
from the printer dialogue. In XP for example it prompts
for a file name which gets created and then inconveninetly
gets buried somewhere in the folder tree structure without
prompting for a path. How do I then print the file, e.g.
an Access report in this case. I'm using Access 2000 SR-1?
If I try to oprn the file in Word, Notepad, Wordpad etc. I
don't get a printable looking file.
>
>I am sure the solution must be simple!?
>
>Any help appreciated.
>.
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax (More info?)

"Print to file" produces a file on disk which is the output of the printer
driver exactly as it would be sent to the printer. Thus, It is
printer-driver dependant, so the file, if imported into a text editor or
word processing program looks strange indeed since, at the least, it
contains printer control codes interspersed among text. If destined for a
PCL or PostScript printer it will look stranger still.

To produce a print-out, the file is "copied" to the printer, i.e. sent as a
binary data-stream through the appropriate printer port. Hopefully the
target printer is connected to a parallel port.

Open a DOS window and type

copy <filename> lptn /b

where <filename> is the fully qualified DOS path for the file and lptn is
the port to which to printer is connected.
e.g.
copy c:\ptinterfiles\Letter.prn lpt1

For a way of making the process easier (once you set it up), see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;158081

It was written for Win9x versions but also works with NT, Win 2000 and XP.

Tom
MSMVP-DTS

"AlanBeaumont" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:23DF63B0-1DD0-4797-8FC8-78F704CD140C@microsoft.com...
> In Windows XP and others, I have tried "Print to file" from the printer
> dialogue. In XP for example it prompts for a file name which gets created
> and then inconveninetly gets buried somewhere in the folder tree structure
> without prompting for a path. How do I then print the file, e.g. an Access
> report in this case. I'm using Access 2000 SR-1? If I try to oprn the file
> in Word, Notepad, Wordpad etc. I don't get a printable looking file.
>
> I am sure the solution must be simple!?
>
> Any help appreciated.