Passing custom receipt info to Epson TM88III via windows print spooler

[5speedfreak]

I've written a POS app in VB6 for my brother's restaurant. I've used OPOS to code custom line for line receipts that get sent to a locally attached TM88III.
Question:
How can I pass this same information to the windows print spooler if I want to print the same receipt to a TM88III-E on the restaurants LAN? Using the windows print spooler would take care of managing the multiple receipts that several POS clients would be sending it (potentially simultaneously). I'm trying to avoid writing another background app on the server that sorts the receipts and sends them to printer itself.

 

[5speedfreak]

I've already made some progress utilizing Epson's Advanced printer driver and have printed a test page to the printer.

I'm now exploring using the VB printer object to print to the spooler instead of directly printing line for line to the printer via the OPOS commands.

Although the VB printer object uses the default printer setup on the machine, how could I specify to the printer object which printer to use if there are more than one setup on the PC?

 

[kermit01de]

Try this ...

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=824307

 

[5speedfreak]

Solved.

For anyone who is interested. Epson makes an advanced windows driver ADK package that allows you to setup Epson Receipt printers and such in Windows just like a Windows printer.

From that point, my solution was easy. Just re-write the OPOS printing routine with VB's printer object methods and then just make sure the default printer when needed is set to the installed EPSON and windows takes care of the rest. No more having to use OPOS based methods to check the status of the printer, claim it, etc. etc.

Thanks for the help kermit01de. I just looked at this message after solving my problem a month ago but your info would have led me in the same direction eventually.

 

[o1webdawg]

5speedfreak:

I am struggling for several months to print to the exact same printer in vb. I only need to print a simple receipt. Can you please post you code. I would be grateful.