Issues with multi-tray printers

Issues with multi-tray printers

Posted by: dinman on 25 April 2018, 5:25 pm EST

• 

  dinman

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  Posted 25 April 2018, 5:25 pm EST

  I have a multi-tray printer that has two profiles/printers configured, each profile/printer points to a different tray. The following is how i am assigning the printer to my report.

      
  Private Sub btnPrintDefaultTestReport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnPrintDefaultTestReport.Click
          rpt.Run()
  
          Dim Printer As New PrinterSettings
          Printer.PrinterName = cmbPrinters.SelectedItem.ToString
  
          rpt.Document.Printer.PrinterSettings = Printer
  
          GrapeCity.ActiveReports.PrintExtension.Print(rpt.Document, False, False)
      End Sub
  
  

  cmbPrinters is a combo box of installed printer’s name

  I select my printer that is pointing to tray 2 in the combo box and press print
  
  “Currently this printer is not my default printer” and it prints my section report out of Tray 1.

  Now if i choose the printer that is pointed to tray 2 and make it my default printer and choose that printer from my combo box it prints to tray 2 perfectly fine.

  I was wondering if anyone knew how to get a non default printer to print to tray 2?

  note: i have tried to manually assign the papersource tray 2 to this report and if the printer that i choose is not the default printer then it will still print it to tray 1
  
  

  Also, this issue seems to happen with orientation as well. If the printer you are using to print a section report is not the default printer than my report always prints portrait even if the actual printer setting on the printer is set to landscape.

  The color/greyscale settings and scaling settings work fine whether you use the default printer or not

  Tested this on Windows 7 and Windows 10
  
  Active Reports 11 is what i am using
  
  Visual Studio 2017 and is my IDE

• 

  mohitg

  

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  Posted 27 April 2018, 5:09 am EST

  Hello,

  You need to set “Orientation” and “PaperSource” of the printer in your code. Please add the following line of code in your method:

  
  
  Private Sub btnPrintDefaultTestReport_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnPrintDefaultTestReport.Click
          rpt.Run()
  
          Dim Printer As New PrinterSettings
          Printer.PrinterName = cmbPrinters.SelectedItem.ToString
  
          rpt.Document.Printer.PrinterSettings = Printer
          rpt.Document.Printer.DefaultPageSettings.Landscape = True
  // Please change according to your printer
          rpt.Document.Printer.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSource = sectionReport.Document.Printer.PrinterSettings.PaperSources.Item(2) 
          GrapeCity.ActiveReports.PrintExtension.Print(rpt.Document, False, False)
      End Sub
  
  

  Also, please refer the attached sample.

  Hope it helps.

  Thanks,
  
  Mohit
  
  prj_PrinterName.zip

• 

  dinman

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  Posted 27 April 2018, 8:52 am EST

  Thank you for the reply mohitg! I have attempted the code source you posted and it seems the only way i can actually get the printer to print correctly is if i assign the report a empty string paper name first.

  
  	rpt.Document.Printer.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = ""
          Dim Printer As New PrinterSettings
          Printer.PrinterName = cmbPrinters.SelectedItem.ToString
  
          rpt.Document.Printer.PrinterSettings = Printer
  
  

  If i do the above first it seems it prints to paper tray 2 just fine.

  What would cause the empty string printer name to allow it to work properly

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  mohitg

  

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  Posted 30 April 2018, 2:37 am EST

  Hello,

  Empty string printer name prevents ActiveReports from making a call to the default printer driver. That’s why it is necessary to set PrinterName blank to print on non-default printer.

  Hope it clarifies.

  Thanks,
  
  Mohit

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  dinman

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  Posted 30 April 2018, 8:44 am EST

  Thank you Mohitg, that seems to fix my issue!