Printing over SMB: changing printer-settings

[Michael Nastvogel]

Trying to print PDF-files out of a Java-client to a printer (installed on
Windows XP Professional) using the SMB-protocol. Works fine as long as the
printer is capable of reading PDF and as long as I use the default paper-tray.

Now my questions are: can SMB influence printer-settings (like the paper
tray)? Or is it just possible to transfer a file A to a printer-share B?
Might I need to access the drivers in order to achieve these settings, so
that I can send over SMB in a printer-specific format rather than in pure
PDF?

Thanks,
Michael Nastvogel

[Alan Morris [MSFT]]

If you just copying the data to the PDF capable device then you will not
need a print driver since the device reads PDF as a PDL (printer description
language).

If you use the print driver to print the PDF and change settings, the PDL
will change to the one which the driver is using (typically Postscript or
PCL).

SMB is just a transport layer on top of the base network layer, it does not
have the ability to change printer settings.
--
Alan Morris
Windows Printing Team
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base here:
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Post by Michael Nastvogel
Trying to print PDF-files out of a Java-client to a printer (installed on
Windows XP Professional) using the SMB-protocol. Works fine as long as the
printer is capable of reading PDF and as long as I use the default paper-tray.
Now my questions are: can SMB influence printer-settings (like the paper
tray)? Or is it just possible to transfer a file A to a printer-share B?
Might I need to access the drivers in order to achieve these settings, so
that I can send over SMB in a printer-specific format rather than in pure
PDF?
Thanks,
Michael Nastvogel