HOWTO: Send Raw Data to a Printer by Using the Win32 API

• Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK), used with:
  • Microsoft Windows NT 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

It is sometimes necessary to send printer-specific data directly to a printer, bypassing the driver. The Win32 API provides a do it that works on local and networked printers. This method can be used to replace the PASSTHROUGH escape and SpoolFile() methods used in previous versions of the Windows API.

MORE INFORMATION

Sample Code

   // RawDataToPrinter - sends binary data directly to a printer
   // 
   // Params:
   //   szPrinterName - NULL terminated string specifying printer name
   //   lpData        - Pointer to raw data bytes
   //   dwCount       - Length of lpData in bytes
   // 
   // Returns: TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
   // 
   BOOL RawDataToPrinter(LPSTR szPrinterName, LPBYTE lpData, DWORD dwCount)
   {
     HANDLE     hPrinter;
     DOC_INFO_1 DocInfo;
     DWORD      dwJob;
     DWORD      dwBytesWritten;

     // Need a handle to the printer.
     if( ! OpenPrinter( szPrinterName, &hPrinter, NULL ) )
       return FALSE;

     // Fill in the structure with info about this "document."
     DocInfo.pDocName = "My Document";
     DocInfo.pOutputFile = NULL;
     DocInfo.pDatatype = "RAW";
     // Inform the spooler the document is beginning.
     if( (dwJob = StartDocPrinter( hPrinter, 1, (LPSTR)&DocInfo )) == 0 )
     {
       ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
       return FALSE;
     }
     // Start a page.
     if( ! StartPagePrinter( hPrinter ) )
     {
       EndDocPrinter( hPrinter );
       ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
       return FALSE;
     }
     // Send the data to the printer.
     if( ! WritePrinter( hPrinter, lpData, dwCount, &dwBytesWritten ) )
     {
       EndPagePrinter( hPrinter );
       EndDocPrinter( hPrinter );
       ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
       return FALSE;
     }
     // End the page.
     if( ! EndPagePrinter( hPrinter ) )
     {
       EndDocPrinter( hPrinter );
       ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
       return FALSE;
     }
     // Inform the spooler that the document is ending.
     if( ! EndDocPrinter( hPrinter ) )
     {
       ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
       return FALSE;
     }
     // Tidy up the printer handle.
     ClosePrinter( hPrinter );
     // Check to see if correct number of bytes were written.
     if( dwBytesWritten != dwCount )
       return FALSE;
     return TRUE;
   }
 

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q154078 HOWTO: SendRaw Data to a Printer Using the Win32 API from VB

Additional query words: RAW.DRV binary

Keywords          : kbcode kbprint kbNTOS351 kbSDKWin32 kbWinOS95 kbDSupport 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: July 6, 1999