Looking for a freeware virtual printer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fran
  • Start date Start date
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Fran

Is there a free virtual printer that prints to jpg (or any other standard
graphics format)?
 
Yes.

You can add a hi-res tiff (and/or jpg) option that you can use from any
Windows program.

They take a bit of work to setup, but they're great to have handy.

Here are the instructions. I've tested this on Win2K and XP.

1) Install Ghostscript. If you use the defaults, it will be in C:\GS.
If not, you will need to adapt the instructions to match your path.
You can get Ghostscript from:
<http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/ghostscript/gs814w32.exe?download>

------Instructions for TIFF printer

2) Create a plain text file called TIFF.RSP with the following lines
and save it in C:\GS

-Ic:\gs\gs8.14;c:\gs\fonts
-sDEVICE=tiff24nc -r300x300
-dSAFER

3) Go to Start->Settings->Printers and choose "Add Printer"

4) Install a "Local Printer" but do NOT let Windows detect
plug-and-play

5) Choose "Create a new port" and select "Redirected Port" as the type

6) Give it the name of "TIFF:"

7) Pick a Postscript printer. I use the Apple Color LW 12/660 PS and
tell it to "Keep existing driver" (if it asks)

8) Change the printer name to "Tiff File". You probably don't want it
to be your default printer and you don't want to share it.

9) Don't print a test page, you aren't quite done yet. It should now
be listed in your printers list. You just need a couple more steps.

10) Right-Click on it and choose "Properties"

11) Go to the "Ports" tab and choose "Configure Port"

12) Enter
c:\gs\gs8.14\bin\gswin32c.exe
in the "redirect this port to the program" field.

13) Enter
@c:\gs\tiff.rsp -sOutputFile="%1%%02d.tif" -
in the "arguments for this program" field. Do NOT forget the
<space><dash> at the end. If you want a multipage TIFF instead of one
file per page, do not include the "%%02d" text.

14) Under "Output" select "Prompt for filename"

15) You are DONE! You can now pick "Tiff File" as a printer and it
will ask you what file name. If you want higher resolution, change the
"-r300x300" in the RSP file.

-------Instructions for JPG printer

2) Create a plain text file called JPG.RSP with the following lines and
save it in C:\GS

-Ic:\gs\gs8.14;c:\gs\fonts
-sDEVICE=jpeg -r300x300
-dJPEGQ=85
-dSAFER

3) Go to Start->Settings->Printers and choose "Add Printer"

4) Install a "Local Printer" but do NOT let Windows detect
plug-and-play

5) Choose "Create a new port" and select "Redirected Port" as the type

6) Give it the name of "JPG:"

7) Pick a Postscript printer. I use the Apple Color LW 12/660 PS and
tell it to "Keep existing driver" (if it asks)

8) Change the printer name to "JPG File". You probably don't want it
to be your default printer and you don't want to share it.

9) Don't print a test page, you aren't quite done yet. It should now
be listed in your printers list. You just need a couple more steps.

10) Right-Click on it and choose "Properties"

11) Go to the "Ports" tab and choose "Configure Port"

12) Enter
c:\gs\gs8.14\bin\gswin32c.exe
in the "redirect this port to the program" field.

13) Enter
@c:\gs\jpg.rsp -sOutputFile="%1%%02d.jpg" -
in the "arguments for this program" field. Do NOT forget the
<space><dash> at the end.

14) Under "Output" select "Prompt for filename"

15) You are DONE! You can now pick "JPG File" as a printer and it will
ask you what file name. If you want higher resolution, change the
"-r300x300" in the RSP file. You can change the JPG quality setting by
changing the "-dJPEGQ=85" line. 85 = 85% and 100 = best quality, but I
haven't noticed a difference (besides a much bigger file)

Eric
 
Is there a free virtual printer that prints to jpg (or any other standard
graphics format)?
Click to expand...

Try VPrinter:

http://www.mabuse.de/vprinter.mhtml

It works sufficiently well in most system setups. (You can use IrfanView
to convert the *.emf output to whatever ;-) graphics format you want.)

A PaperlessPrinter program is available 'free for noncommercial use':

http://www.rarefind.com/paperlessprinter/downloads.html

I can't say anything about this one. Maybe someone else has tried it and
can give an evaluation?

BeAr
 
Yes.

You can add a hi-res tiff (and/or jpg) option that you can use from any
Windows program.

They take a bit of work to setup, but they're great to have handy.

Here are the instructions. I've tested this on Win2K and XP.

1) Install Ghostscript. If you use the defaults, it will be in C:\GS.
If not, you will need to adapt the instructions to match your path.
You can get Ghostscript from:
<http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/ghostscript/gs814w32.exe?download>

------Instructions for TIFF printer

2) Create a plain text file called TIFF.RSP with the following lines
and save it in C:\GS

-Ic:\gs\gs8.14;c:\gs\fonts
-sDEVICE=tiff24nc -r300x300
-dSAFER

3) Go to Start->Settings->Printers and choose "Add Printer"

4) Install a "Local Printer" but do NOT let Windows detect
plug-and-play

5) Choose "Create a new port" and select "Redirected Port" as the type

6) Give it the name of "TIFF:"

7) Pick a Postscript printer. I use the Apple Color LW 12/660 PS and
tell it to "Keep existing driver" (if it asks)

8) Change the printer name to "Tiff File". You probably don't want it
to be your default printer and you don't want to share it.

9) Don't print a test page, you aren't quite done yet. It should now
be listed in your printers list. You just need a couple more steps.

10) Right-Click on it and choose "Properties"

11) Go to the "Ports" tab and choose "Configure Port"

12) Enter
c:\gs\gs8.14\bin\gswin32c.exe
in the "redirect this port to the program" field.

13) Enter
@c:\gs\tiff.rsp -sOutputFile="%1%%02d.tif" -
in the "arguments for this program" field. Do NOT forget the
<space><dash> at the end. If you want a multipage TIFF instead of one
file per page, do not include the "%%02d" text.

14) Under "Output" select "Prompt for filename"

15) You are DONE! You can now pick "Tiff File" as a printer and it
will ask you what file name. If you want higher resolution, change the
"-r300x300" in the RSP file.

-------Instructions for JPG printer

2) Create a plain text file called JPG.RSP with the following lines and
save it in C:\GS

-Ic:\gs\gs8.14;c:\gs\fonts
-sDEVICE=jpeg -r300x300
-dJPEGQ=85
-dSAFER

3) Go to Start->Settings->Printers and choose "Add Printer"

4) Install a "Local Printer" but do NOT let Windows detect
plug-and-play

5) Choose "Create a new port" and select "Redirected Port" as the type

6) Give it the name of "JPG:"

7) Pick a Postscript printer. I use the Apple Color LW 12/660 PS and
tell it to "Keep existing driver" (if it asks)

8) Change the printer name to "JPG File". You probably don't want it
to be your default printer and you don't want to share it.

9) Don't print a test page, you aren't quite done yet. It should now
be listed in your printers list. You just need a couple more steps.

10) Right-Click on it and choose "Properties"

11) Go to the "Ports" tab and choose "Configure Port"

12) Enter
c:\gs\gs8.14\bin\gswin32c.exe
in the "redirect this port to the program" field.

13) Enter
@c:\gs\jpg.rsp -sOutputFile="%1%%02d.jpg" -
in the "arguments for this program" field. Do NOT forget the
<space><dash> at the end.

14) Under "Output" select "Prompt for filename"

15) You are DONE! You can now pick "JPG File" as a printer and it will
ask you what file name. If you want higher resolution, change the
"-r300x300" in the RSP file. You can change the JPG quality setting by
changing the "-dJPEGQ=85" line. 85 = 85% and 100 = best quality, but I
haven't noticed a difference (besides a much bigger file)

Eric
Click to expand...

Eric, that's great. Thanks.
 
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