Printing the file I printed to

[kc0bfv]

I know how to print to a file, but I don't know how to print the file I printed to. I understand that when I print to a file, it basically reroutes the printer driver output directly to a file, but once that's done, I have no use for the file that I printed to.

 

[syangloo]

Sorry, i not very understand what is you problem.

 

[Chemakill]

Why don't you just open the file and click print, and choose printer, instead of file? Or if this is in a program, open the other file, read it into memory, print it with the printer. Easy.

 

[kc0bfv]

Well, see, I just would like to know what the purpose of printing to a file is, if later I can't print. You can't read the file you printed to either. It's not really a problem I have, just I'm curious.

 

[skywriter3]

Printing to a file works great for moving files to another system for printing. Unfortunately, you MUST have the printer drivers for the DESTINATION printer. And as far as I can tell, you must have a way to easily access the printer.

The only way I have been able to make a print file work, is to print from DOS to lpt1. I am sure some of the more technical gurus can help with what we do from
Windows. You cannot open a print file with the PROGRAM, such as Word, because it includes instructions to the hardware. I use this method when I take a CorelDraw file to Kinko's for output on a 1200 dpi printer for repro. My commercial printer also accepts files this way, so they do not need my PROGRAM in which I created the file --they only need the output of the print file to produce nice copy.

 

[HaroldH]

I have often used "Print to file" by opening the MSDOS screen and doing a copy to LPT1.

...Harold

 

[kc0bfv]

OHHHHH! THANK YOU!! I always wondered why they would include this in programs if Windows didn't have the option to print from the print file. I shall try this right away. It may not be helpful to me right now, but at least my quest for knowledge has been satisfied!