WD: How to Send Printer Escape Codes from a Word Document

ID: Q189048

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SUMMARY

In Word for Windows, you can use one of the following methods to send an instruction, or printer escape sequence, to your printer:

Insert a PRINT field in your document that contains the printer escape codes. Example:
{PRINT "<printer instructions>"}
-or-

Type the printer escape sequence in your document and format it for a printer font.

MORE INFORMATION

There are limitations and drawbacks to each of these methods, depending on which printer driver you use. Neither method is guaranteed to work with every printer.

Limitations of the PRINT Field

When you insert a PRINT field, Word calls an escape sequence in the printer driver that sends the printer instruction text to the printer. If the escape in the printer driver malfunctions, the PRINT field may produce incorrect or no results. NOTE: The PRINT field does not affect the page layout because Word treats a PRINT field as a nonprinting character.

Limitations of Typing Printer Information Directly in Your Document

When you type printer information directly in your document, Word treats the escape sequence text as normal text. This means that Word incorporates the text in your document page layout.

When you print the document, the printer interprets the escape sequence text as printer instructions and does not print it. Your printer may misinterpret the escape sequence if Word does not send the entire string contiguously. For example, if you apply justified paragraph formatting, Word sends other characters to adjust the line length, thereby changing the escape sequence string.

REFERENCES

For more information about the PRINT field, click the Index tab in Word Help, type the following text


   PRINT field

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Print Field" topic.

For more information about the PRINT field, search for Print Field using the Help menu in version 2.0 of Word for Windows.

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Reference," version 1.x, page 104

Additional query words:


Keywords          : kbdta 
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,1.1,1.1a,2.0,2.0a,2.0a-CD,2.0b,2.0c,6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: July 30, 1999