(v13) GDI printer support (Windows only)

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin Core but not Harlequin MultiRIP

The WINPRINT output device allows page rasters to be sent to a GDI-based printer, in much the same way that page rasters are printed to TIFF files. Because this workflow requires GDI functionality it is only available on the PC.

Please note that only RGB-based raster formats are supported, so an RGB-configuration must be used (for example, RGBComposite300dpi ).

To specify WINPRINT output you must use the -o WINPRINT specifier.

To specify the name of the printer you wish to output to, use the -u switch (including quotation marks if the printer name contains spaces). If this switch is omitted, the default Windows printer will be used.

For example:

To output the file testone.pdf to the default printer use:

clrip.exe -c RGBComposite300dpi -o WINPRINT testone.pdf

To output the file testone.pdf to a specific printer:

                      clrip.exe -c RGBComposite300dpi -o WINPRINT -u MyPrinter testone.pdf
                      clrip.exe -c RGBComposite300dpi -o WINPRINT -u "Office Printer" testone.pdf
                      clrip.exe -c RGBComposite300dpi -o WINPRINT -u \\Server1\colorNT testone.pdf

The -s FILE option does not generate output as a local file.

The options -s PRINTER , -s SOCKET and -s STREAM won't work unless you specify o WINPRINT before the command. For example:

-o WINPRINT -s PRINTER

NOTE:   The “None” “FILE SOCKET” and “STREAM” options cannot be used.

The printer should be local to the host machine. The code is simplistic, and the printer name and driver name must fit in 32-bytes, including the terminating NULL byte.

It can be a shared printer, if it publishes a TCP/IP address which the RIP's host machine can use as the port for the printer driver.

GDI limits the image dimensions to 1 meter, but other than that, any printer/printer driver which consumes raster data can be used.

WinPrint Output

When the WINPRINT option is used the monitor output is in the form:

                      Initial memory: 2364 kB used, 1572864 kB reserved
                      **** PostScript asserts enabled **** Printer resolution: 600 x 600 dpi Printer page margin: 0 x 0 pixels
                      Printable area: 4958 x 7017 pixels (8.26 x 11.70 inches)
                      Job dimensions: 2550 x 3300 pixels
                      Warning: Printer resolution does not match page resolution (600 x 600 vs 300 x 300).
                      Scaling raster to compensate.

This example message contains a warning that the resolution of the raster and printer are different. When this happens WINPRINT will automatically adjust by scaling the raster accordingly. If this did not happen the raster created at 300dpi printed on a 600dpi printer would be scaled at 50% when printed on the page.

If you specify a printer which does not exist, a message of the form is displayed:

Error 1801 : Unable to open the Windows printer

NOTE:   In the current implementation if the raster is larger than the size of the media in the printer, the output is truncated.

See (v13) GDI printer support (Windows only) for more information.