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Printing text files/Generic Text driver

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18 replies

by andrewknapp

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We have a problem printing text files through windows. We are using the Generic Text print driver as we are printing mainly to dot matrix printers. Other print drivers we have found will print in graphical mode which is too slow. Our application formats the files with the necessary paging/line feeds which are stored into text files. We just want to send the file to the printer without windows trying to format the file itself. The Generic text print driver keeps changing the file, which is a problem when trying to fit to printed stationery. We don't want to use DOS as we want the user to use the print dialog to state which printer to send the print to and we also want to print to laser/inkjet printers which will require Windows to format the file.

Any suggestions on other drivers other than Generic Text. Will the solution also work on NT?

18 replies

by overclocker

Laser and Inkjet printers have an option under printer properties to turn off graphics support. I would download the latest drivers for your printers and try those. My experience with generic drivers is that they offer minimal functionality. Also, you could contact the printer manufacturer - They should know.

by andrewknapp

I don't have a problem with laser or inkjet printers. We require windows to format using printer settings for fonts and landscape. These are normal report printers. The problem is only on dot matrix printers where we want to print text only usually onto pre-printed stationery or fan-fold labels.

by mpdcsup

Print drivers do not change files. And, they only modify the output stream when instructed to do so. What *application* are you using to print these text files? Have you tried Notepad? If so, what results are you getting that you are displeased with?

Why can't you use DOS and find another way for the user to specify the printer destination? Windows doesn't require any special or device-dependent drivers to send plain-text to a printer -- you neither have (nor want) use of any of the special functions or formatting supplied by the printer.

by andrewknapp

I know the driver doesn't change the output file. The problem with the Generic Text print driver, is it occasionally doesn't output lines feeds which are in the text file even though the paper has been set to the correct size on the driver and it isset to continuous with no page breaks.

The problem with using DOS to send files to the printer is we want most prints to go through windows to laser and inkjet printers which will require windows to format the font size and to change to landscape. Some large reports and prints onto pre-printed stationery do not require windows formatting as these are on dot matrix printers.

To have two different methods of sending prints to printers will be hard to manage from our application and from the users point of view.

by hicksdustin

Have you tried setting up separate printers?
i.e. one printer is the dot matrix with its driver, another is the inkjet with its driver, and the third is the laser with its driver. to print select File>print. when the print dialog box opens, use the printer dropdown box to select the printer the user wants. This should work both for Win9x and NT.

Good luck,
Dusty

by andrewknapp

The problem isn't that we cannot select different printer drivers for different types of printers, we do. The problem is with the Generic text print driver with dot matrix printers where we want to print in character mode. It doesn't behave itself(See first message) and we cannot see any other driver which prints in character mode or a way to print through windows without windows changing the output.

by estebandelatorre

Some times the generic driver touch the file because of paper mismaching sizes.
Try to define a paper sixe that matches the ouput size file, or use the ?ption "Print to file"
Also If you choose one of the oldest drives available, such as Epson FX-86, you can set it to character mode inhstead of graphics mode. It also Works under NT.

by tjc

It is exactly that reason my company had to rewrite the printer routine of the softwware pakcage to be half dos and Half windows - where we shell out of our dos program and use a windows program to do the printing. Windows will always touch the file. Period. Our big thing was that compression for reports and the exact spacing for lables would not work since windows changes a mono-spaced text to a porpotional spaced text causing mis-alignment of the document.

There doesn't really appear to be a solution. So if you are using a dos program get a windows replacement or go back to DOS only. Sorry no beter answer than that.

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