Thread: Java printer selection

Hi All

As part of my program, I need to submit certain documents to one tray(with preprinted paper) and other documents to default tray.

I have used the following options with out luck.

1. Programmatically setting the printer by passing the following code in my attribute set

PrintRequestAttributeSet attributeSet = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
attributeSet.add(MediaTray.MIDDLE);

2. programmatically setting the printer by the following option

Media med[] = (Media[])service.getSupportedAttributeValues(Media.class, null, null);
for (int k=0; k<med.length; k++) {
if(med[k].getClass().equals(sun.print.Win32MediaTray.class) &&
med[k].toString().trim().contains("Tray 2")) {
SunAlternateMedia am = new SunAlternateMedia(med[k]);
attributeSet.add(am);
}

3. created a logical printer by disabling all the trays except "tray 2" in printer properties. In this scenario, if I print a pdf document using acrobat reader and selected my newly created logical printer, printer was printing on certified paper. The same is not possible through my java program

4. Created a custom size for tray 2 by adding 0.01 inches more to the letter size and defined the same in my java program as follows.

float printableX = (float)8.51;
float printableY = (float)11.01;
PrintRequestAttributeSet attributeSet = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();;
MediaSizeName mediaSizeName = MediaSize.findMedia(printableX,printableY,MediaPrintableArea.INCH);
attributeSet.add(mediaSizeName);
PrintService[] services = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(flavor, null);
PrintService service =(PrintService)services;
if(service.getName().contains("NEW_MAIL2")){
System.out.println(" printername ::"+service.getName());
DocPrintJob job = service.createPrintJob();
Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(is, flavor, null);
job.print(doc, attributeSet);
}

Any suggestions please!!!

My printer is HP LaserJet 9050 PCL 5e

Thanks in advance,
Gupta

For all the above 4 scenarios, printer is always printing from default tray.
I am not sure how to pick an appropriate tray through java program.

The HP LaserJet 8150 drivers had a strange quirk. The manual tray would only support printing image files. I was unable to resolve this issue at the time so I gave up on it. I considered writing a hack that converted the PDF's to PNG's but again, I gave up on that idea as it is deceptively complex. It is pretty safe to assume that the 9050 PCL 5e suffers the same problem.

If you do find a solution to this I would LOVE to hear about it.

Originally Posted by ChristopherLowe

The HP LaserJet 8150 drivers had a strange quirk. The manual tray would only support printing image files. I was unable to resolve this issue at the time so I gave up on it. I considered writing a hack that converted the PDF's to PNG's but again, I gave up on that idea as it is deceptively complex. It is pretty safe to assume that the 9050 PCL 5e suffers the same problem.

If you do find a solution to this I would LOVE to hear about it.

I could not able to resolve this issue using java print api, because of my project deadlines, I had to use acrord32.exe to print the pdfs by using Runtime.proc

Thanks