Send a file to a printer that is not the default printer

[cebrower]

I need to print a file located on a network share. The file is in PDF format. The following code sends the file to the user's default printer:



Dim Ltr As String
Ltr = "e:\Folder Name\File Name.pdf"
CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")

This works fine, but I also need to sent the file to a "printer" that creates a PDF if the user checks a certain checkbox before clicking the Print button. This printer is named PDF Writer and every user has a copy in Devices and Printers. Any suggestions?

[Gicu]

Maybe this would help...https://www.ozgrid.com/forum/index.p...cific-printer/

If not you can store the name of the current printer in a variable, then set the default printer to your virtual one (the PDF Writer) print the file using your code and finally reset the default printer to the original (see https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...7-7f622e2cfed2)

Cheers,

[cebrower]

I tried this but the file still goes to my HP laser printer. It's like the code did not actually change the PDF printer to be the default printer.

Dim prt As Printer
' Get current default printer
Set prt = Application.Printer
' Set default printer
Application.Printer = Application.Printers("PDF Writer")
' Print something
CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")
' Restore original printer
Set Application.Printer = prt

[Gicu]

Can you try using Set :

Dim prt As Printer
' Get current default printer
Set prt = Application.Printer
' Set default printer
SET Application.Printer = Application.Printers("PDF Writer")
' Print something
CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")
' Restore original printer
Set Application.Printer = prt

[cebrower]

I tried adding Set. Still goes to the laser. I also tried changing to a different laser printer but I get an Invalid Call error. These are all network printers except the PDF Writer which is a virtual printer. I tried specifying the path to a different printer (\\htfs01\printer name where htfs01 is our print server) with and without quotes but I get the invalid call error.

[davegri]

You can use this to show all the printer names known to the host PC.

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
Sub ShowPrinters()
    Dim strMsg As String
    Dim prt As Printer
    strMsg = "Printers installed: " & Printers.Count & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & vbCrLf
    Select Case Printers.Count > 0
        Case True
            For Each prt In Application.Printers
                strMsg = strMsg _
                & "Device name: " & Chr$(34) & prt.DeviceName & Chr$(34) & vbCrLf _
                & "Port is: " & prt.Port & vbCrLf & vbCrLf
            Next prt
        Case False
            strMsg = "No printers found"
    End Select
    MsgBox strMsg, vbOKOnly + vbInformation, " Discovered Printers "
End Sub

[cebrower]

I have another virtual PDF printer located on our file and print server. Its address is \\htfs01\NovaPDF. I modified my code as follows, but now I get the error message Run-time error '5': Invalid procedure call or argument at the line marked with '********. Any help would be appreciated.

If Forms!frmOrderEntry!Type = "Quote PDF" Then
Dim prt As Printer
Dim prt2 As String
' Get current default printer
Set prt = Application.Printer
' Set new default printer
prt2 = "\\htfs01\novapdf"
Set Application.Printer = Application.Printers(prt2) '****************
' Print something
CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")
' Restore original printer
Set Application.Printer = prt
Else
CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")
End If

[davegri]

I think for that to work, the printer must be available on the client PC, and be visible as indicated in post #6 before it can be assigned.

[Gicu]

See if the info in this link helps, I think it is closer to what you're trying to do:

https://myengineeringworld.net/2018/...inter-vba.html

Cheers,

[cebrower]

The printer named PDF Writer is installed locally on my computer and on every user's computer on our network. It's my understanding that the following line of code will set the printer referenced in parentheses as the default printer. It is also my understanding that I can refer to the printer by number or by name.

Set Application.Printer = Application.Printers(16)
or
Set Application.Printer = Application.Printers(PDF Writer)

If I refer by number the file still goes to my laser printer. If I refer by name I get an error message when my cursor leaves that line of code. I've tried it by name as shown above, enclosed in quotes, enclosed in single quotes, by assigning it to a variable declared as a string and as a variable declared as a printer. Nothing works.

I can't actually refer by number because the number might not be the same on each user's computer. I just tried it to see if it worked, which it doesn't. The name is the same on every user's computer and the printer is installed locally.

[davegri]

Try this. After the report is opened in print preview:

Screen.ActiveReport.Printer = Application.Printers("PDF Writer")

Edit:
You might also try your code without the SET

[cebrower]

Thanks for the suggestion davegri. The problem is that I'm not trying to print an Access report. I'm trying to create a pdf of a file that is in PDF format and that resides in a network share. For example, send e:\foldername\filename.pdf to the virtual printer named PDF Writer.

[Gicu]

Thanks for the suggestion davegri. The problem is that I'm not trying to print an Access report. I'm trying to create a pdf of a file that is in PDF format and that resides in a network share. For example, send e:\foldername\filename.pdf to the virtual printer named PDF Writer.

That is why I suggested to have a look at the link I've sent you yesterday that explains how to set the default Windows printer from VBA.

Cheers,

[cebrower]

Thanks much - the functions in that link solved the issue of changing the default printer. However, the file still goes to my laser printer instead of to the PDF Writer. This is the line that sends the print job. Ltr is a variable containing the path and filename that I'm trying to send to the PDF Writer.

CreateObject("Shell.Application").NameSpace(0).Par seName(Ltr).InvokeVerb ("Print")

[Gicu]

See if using this alternate way to print helps you:
From https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...nt-not-working

Option Explicit

PublicDeclare PtrSafe Function ShellExecute Lib"shell32.dll"Alias"ShellExecuteW"(ByVal hWnd AsLong, _
                                                                    ByVal lpOperation As LongPtr, _
                                                                    ByVal lpFile As LongPtr, _
                                                                    ByVal lpParameters As LongPtr, _
                                                                    ByVal lpDirectory As LongPtr, _
                                                                    ByVal nShowCmd AsLong)AsLong


PublicConst SW_HIDE AsLong=0
'Hides the window and activates another window.

PublicConst SW_MAXIMIZE  AsLong=3
'Maximizes the specified window.

PublicConst SW_MINIMIZE  AsLong=6
'Minimizes the specified window and activates the next top-level window in the z-order.

PublicConst SW_RESTORE  AsLong=9
'Activates and displays the window. If the window is minimized or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position. An application should specify this flag when restoring a minimized window.

PublicConst SW_SHOW  AsLong=5
'Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position.

PublicConst SW_SHOWDEFAULT  AsLong=10
'Sets the show state based on the SW_ flag specified in the STARTUPINFO structure passed to the CreateProcess function by the program that started the application. An application should call ShowWindow with this flag to set the initial show state of its main window.

PublicConst SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED  AsLong=3
'Activates the window and displays it as a maximized window.

PublicConst SW_SHOWMINIMIZED  AsLong=2
'Activates the window and displays it as a minimized window.

PublicConst SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE  AsLong=7
'Displays the window as a minimized window. The active window remains active.

PublicConst SW_SHOWNA  AsLong=8
'Displays the window in its current state. The active window remains active.

PublicConst SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE  AsLong=4
'Displays a window in its most recent size and position. The active window remains active.

PublicConst SW_SHOWNORMAL  AsLong=1
'Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position. An application should specify this flag when displaying the window for the first time.

PublicEnum shexActions
    shexEDIT
    shexEXPLORE
    shexFIND
    shexOPEN
    shexPRINT
EndEnum

PrivateFunction getShellAction(ByRef enACTION As shexActions)AsString
    SelectCase enACTION
        Case shexActions.shexEDIT
            getShellAction ="EDIT"
        Case shexActions.shexEXPLORE
            getShellAction ="EXPLORE"
        Case shexActions.shexFIND
            getShellAction ="FIND"
        Case shexActions.shexOPEN
            getShellAction ="OPEN"
        Case shexActions.shexprint
            getShellAction ="PRINT"
    EndSelect
EndFunction



PublicFunction ShellEx(ByRef strFILE AsString, _
                        OptionalByRef lngWINDOWHANDLE AsLong=0, _
                        OptionalByRef shexACTION As shexActions =(-1), _
                        OptionalByRef strPARAMETERS AsString, _
                        OptionalByRef strDIRECTORY AsString, _
                        OptionalByRef lngSHOWCOMMAND AsLong=0)AsLong

    Dim lngReturnCheck AsLong

    lngReturnCheck =(-1)

    lngReturnCheck = ShellExecute(hWnd:=lngWINDOWHANDLE, lpOperation:=StrPtr(getShellAction(shexACTION)), lpFile:=StrPtr(strFILE), lpParameters:=StrPtr(strPARAMETERS), lpDirectory:=StrPtr(strDIRECTORY), nShowCmd:=lngSHOWCOMMAND)

        While lngReturnCheck =(-1)
            DoEvents
        Wend

    ShellEx = lngReturnCheck
EndFunction

Sub printBAR()
    Dim shFIcol         As Shell32.FolderItems
    Dim shFIx           As Shell32.FolderItem
    Dim shFLDx          As Shell32.Folder
    Dim lngX            AsLong

    Set shFLDx = GetFolder("Choose a folder...",True)

    Set shFIcol = shFLDx.Items()

    ForEach shFIx In shFIcol
            lngX = ShellEx(shFIx.Path,, shexPRINT)
            Debug.Print lngX
    Next
EndSub

Cheers,