Windows 10 Generic / Raw printing of PDF document?

Question

What I need is to send a PDF document directly to the remote network printer, without any changes, as it is, using Print button.

In Ubuntu I just use Generic / Raw Queue driver, and all is OK.

Problem with Windows 10 is that I can't find a Generic / Raw Queue driver, it's only a Generic / Text only driver here, and it fails to print PDF.

I tried to use Microsoft / PDF to file driver, but it changes PDF (changes PDF structure, it replaces all with 1 image, that I don't need).

Any advices? Or maybe someone could send me a driver that wouldn't change the file and just resend it?

Solution

If your printer understands PDF directly (most printers require some utility), you can try sending it to the printer using the following command:

LPR -S printer_IP_address -P queue_name filename.PDF

The queue_name parameter is printer specific. You could try PDF or RAW. If those don't work, you'll need to look up the printer's documentation.

Here's a user-friendly solution if you don't want to type commands. Use Notepad to create a file containing the command

LPR -S printer_IP_address -P queue_name %1%

Name this file PrintPDF.bat and place it (or a link to it) on the desktop. From Windows Explorer you can now drag a PDF onto this icon, and it will be sent to the printer.

Comments

[PatrikN]

Can you specify more information about the remote network printer (virtual printer)?

[fiction]

thank you for reply! Your advice is working, printer received file, file is good. BUT, i need user-friendly solution, so main idea to do it using usual printing process

[hdhondt]

There is no Windows driver that will just send the file "as-is". To "print" it you first have to open it (e.g. using Acrobat). From there you can print it using the normal driver. You could also put the command in a batch file, and then drop the PDF onto the icon for the batch file. In that case, replace filename.PDF with %1%

[fiction]

Main question is - i need a driver that would pass file "as is" to the printer. "Query the printer..." option wouldnt work, because i have virtual printer

[harrymc]

I said to uncheck this option.

[hdhondt]

@harrymc even if you uncheck the port query, you still have to select a printer model. In other words, the driver will still process the PDF before it sends it to the printer.

[harrymc]

I don't think you need to specify the printer model. I added above the procedure as I saw on my computer.

[hdhondt]

@harrymc It's the procedure to install a driver, NOT to send files directly to a printer.

[harrymc]

I think I understand why the procedure didn't work for you. See above.

[harrymc]

In case of a problem, please report. This works much better than downvoting.

[hdhondt]

Is my suggestion of a desktop icon suitable for what you want to achieve?

[hdhondt]

The Generic/Text Only driver will NOT send a PDF to the printer. It will convert it to text only, and ignore all non-text objects in the PDF.

[harrymc]

@hdhondt: A PDF file is a text file.

[hdhondt]

@harrymc Try opening one in Notepad. A PDF is like a binary PostScript file. And, even if it were a text file, it would still be interpreted by the Generic/Text Only driver, rather than being sent to the printer "as is".

[harrymc]

@hdhondt: Did you try it, or are you talking from theory only?

[fiction]

@harrymc i tried, PDF files are usually like a binary files. Your solution wouldnt work for such PDFs