Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

  • Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

How do I print a file that I created using Print to File

Status
Not open for further replies.

Drw

MIS
May 29, 2001
75
KR
Does anyone know how to print a file that I created using the 'Print to file' option in the printer dialog box?

eg From one PC (that is not connected to a printer and has word installed) I am printing a word document and select 'print to file' and press ok in the print dialog box, I am then prompted for a filename - I enter c:\temp.prn and the print job completes.
I now would like to take this file to another PC (that has a printer connected but does not have word installed) and would like to print this file on a printer.

Drew
 
First save this file to a floppy. Then go to the machine you want to print it at and put the file in My Documents or something similiar. Then go to Microsoft's website and do a search for WordViewer or Microsoft Word Viewer. You should find a program that will allow you to view Word Documents without having word. Then you can open the file and print it.
 
Thanks for your response... Tis good to think laterally - now for a twist:

What if this document was not produced with MSWord and produced by another application that does not have a 'viewer' to use?

Drew
 
You won't be able to open the temp.prn file with wordviewer (or word for that matter) - its a file formatted ready to be printed on whichever printer you installed driver for for 'print to file'.

Been a while since I did this, but I think something like copy temp.prn LPT1 at a command/dos prompt will print the file (where LPT1 is designation of the printer - and printer matches print driver on original machine). Doesn't matter which application produced the print file.
 
copy filename.ext > lpt1, if i remember it correctly.

assuming you have a local printer.
 
How about that, you learn something new everyday. I didn't know that.

Michael
 
I beliee is't actually COPY/B filename.ext lpt1 (you can capture lpt1 to a network printer if you don't have a local printer)

I think you have to have the binary switch in order for the print to come out correctly.

FYI
 
Done the decent thing - tried out my earlier suggestion - it actually works!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top