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Printing .PRN files

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9 replies

by betreed

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Microsoft Office applications under File Print always allow a checkbox to "Print to file"
I cannot find anything that will then print the resulting .PRN file. Someone said to just drag it to a printer icon but that just asked me to assign software for .PRN files.
My immediate need was to be able to print the Handouts" from Power Point to a file so I can email the file to future attendees who may or may not have power point. However, the .PRN issue has come up many times. Thanks for any help.

PS: Acrobat can do that but so few people have Acrobat

9 replies

by elnur2305

I haven't tested this way, but seem it will work

go to ms-dos promt mode
(in start menu select run and type command)

then type this command:
copy prn

for example
copy c:\job.prn prn

Good luck

by betreed

Thank you for replying. All the printers are networked on our LAN. None of us has a local printer to use for the destination. The copy made a file but I couldn't use that either.

by maelgwyn

I disagree - everyone had Acrobat reader!

Anywho, that is off the topic: PRN files are PostScript files that are made by the program. I am not definatly sure that they can be directly sent to the printer; but to be sure try the other suggestion,but I doubt it will work. What you will need to do is to reformat the document and send it thataway.

A solution to the Power Point crisis: why dont you distribute the Reader application on a burnt disc? (accessable through the Microsoft site) THat would save the hassle and you could then bundle a set of key programs (and notes) on them.

Just an idea...

Maelgwyn

by dklippert

Why not send your handouts to Word?
Go to File>Send To and choose Microsoft Word.
You'll have much more control over the output.

PRN files are printed by coping to LPT1

by bigduck

When you execute a Print to file option, the program simply writes the data that would normally be sent to the printer to a file. This is most usful if you want to print your document ot a printer that you do not have connected to your machine but can get access to. You just put th efile on a floppy or someother transport anc copy the file to the machine with the printer on it and then from a SOS prompt you type
copy filename > printer port --as shown in the example above--
where printer port is the port that the printer is attached to. Typically this is LPT1 for a parallel printer but if you are using a USB connection it will have a different name. You need to open the printer properties and find what the port name is that the printer is attached to.
Be warned though that this file will only print on the identical printer to which you orignally specified to have it print to. Meanig that if your printer was set up as an HP deskjet when you created the .prn file then you can only print this to an SP deskjet. Printing it to a laser jet will result in a lot of garbaged output. The one exeption to this is if you are printing to a postscript printer. Then the .prn file will contain postscript output and will print to any postscript capable printer.
I have to agree, though, with the first comment. Almost everyone has access to adobe. or if not is is very, very simple to obtain.

by betreed

Thank you for your reply. You certainly shed a lot of light on what a .PRN file really is. I was still unable to print tho, because all our printers are networked and I couldn't find a way to name the printer. Using the 10.40..... got mea file but then I couldn't print from that either.

by betreed

Please let me explain my comment about Acrobat. I am the only licensed user of FULL Acrobat here. "I" can use Acrobat Distiller to convert a .PRN file to a .PDF file which, yes, everyone can read. My goal in requesting help with this question was to be able to tell all our Power Point presenters how to create an email-able set of Power Point "handouts" to send to a remote audience which participates via teleconference.

The Power Point solution came from DKilppert who introduced me to File > Send to > Ms Word. Many thanks for that special situation.

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