Print to file

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Hi
If I print to a file within windows printing dialog – I am asked for a file name: What sort of file extension ??
I have to give – and how what have I to do to process this file – e.g. to be print it later
Regards from
blueDanube

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Now, that depends on which printer driver you are usings.
If you are using the Generic” driver and want to make a text file give it “txt”.
But if you you are using any “Hardware driver” and are going to print the file on another machine then you would need to use “prn”

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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I am interested in the answer to the second part of the original question – can anyone tell me how to print the resulting .prn file ? I tried dragging it to the printer icon, but nothing happened. Is that how it is normally done ?

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I think you can use the copy command at the command prompt:

c:>copy file.prn serverprinter

But I haven’t done it for quite a while. Needless to say, the file needs to have been created for the same type of printer you copy it to or the results will not be pretty.

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Well, with a little tweaking from memory, that got me some action at the printer at least.
The command copy file.prn >lpt1 brought the printer to life with the following message: “The file cannot be copied onto itself. 0 files copied.”

Any thoughts ? I was sure there would be a way to do this under Windows without resorting to the DOS command line. I mean, in Office applications, there is always the option to print to file. I can’t find anything in the help files to show how to print the resulting file.

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Well, there is a way

Check out How to ‘Print to *.PRN file, then Print out *.PRN file

And it works!

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It sure does. Thanks a lot, Leif. It warms the heart to receive help from a perfect stranger. (Well, maybe not perfect, but you are pretty good…)
Marvellous.

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I think your problem in the command is the use of the > character in the copy command.
You should type
COPY FILE.PRN LPT1
not
COPY FILE.PRN > LPT1

StuartR

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