If you had PDFs, you could probably do it.

But if you have a bunch of different proprietary application files.... 
each one is different, and needs software that can interpret the file 
and turn it into a print job (postscript, or whatever).  Normally this 
software is the 'full application' that owns it, say Microsoft Word.  
The particular application may come with software to 'silently' print, 
but most probably does not.  The particular format may have a competitor 
that can open it (say, OpenOffice for Microsoft Word), and an open 
source competitor is perhaps more likely to have such 'silent printing' 
ability -- but it would still need to be done on a format-by-format basis.

I don't know if anyone's selling software that can try to do what you're 
talking about for a multitude of popular formats. But it's pretty much 
impossible for there to be software that can do it for every/any format.

I think you're not going to have much luck.

Perhaps you could figure out a way to use some kind of Windows 'macro' 
program to actually open up each document in the 'full application' and 
choose File/Print, but to do this unattended.  I am not familiar with 
such software.

On 4/3/2012 2:48 PM, Kozlowski,Brendon wrote:
> Not a dumb question at all. In this particular case, the receiving PC that is to be storing/printing the documents will be taking jobs from multiple networks, buildings, etc by either piping an email account, or downloading via a user's upload from a webpage. We already have a solution for catching jobs in the print spooler (not ours), but need to automate the sending of the documents to the spooler itself.
>
> The only way I've ever sent documents to the spooler was by opening up the full application (ex: Microsoft Word), and using the GUI to send the print job. Since the PC housing and releasing these files is expected to be un-manned and sit in a back room, we just need to be able to silently print the jobs in the background. Opening multiple applications over and over again would use up a lot of resources, so a silent, no-GUI option would be the best from my very little understanding - if it's even possible.
>
>
>
> Brendon Kozlowski
> Web Administrator
> Saratoga Springs Public Library
> 49 Henry Street
> Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866
> [518] 584-7860 x217
> ________________________________________
> From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Kyle Banerjee [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 1:25 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Silently print (no GUI) in Windows
>
> At the risk of asking a dumb question, why wouldn't a print server meet
> your use case if the print jobs come from elsewhere?
>
> kyle
>
> On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:15 AM, Kozlowski,Brendon<[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>> I'm curious to know if anyone has discovered ways of silently printing
>> documents from such Windows applications as:
>>
>>
>>
>> - Acrobat Reader (current version)
>>
>> - Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio, etc...)
>>
>> - Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
>>
>>
>>
>> I unfortunately haven't had much luck finding any resources on this.
>>
>>
>>
>> I'd like to be able to receive documents in a queue like fashion to a
>> single PC and simply print them off as they arrive. However, automating the
>> loading/exiting of the full-blown application each time, and on-demand,
>> seems a little too cumbersome and unnecessary.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have not yet decided on whether I'd be scripting it (PHP, AutoIT, batch
>> files, VBS, Powershell, etc...) or learning and then writing a .NET
>> application. If .NET solutions use the COM object, the scripting becomes a
>> potential candidate. Unfortunately I need to know how, or even if, it's
>> even possible to do first.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you for any and all feedback or assistance.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Brendon Kozlowski
>> Web Administrator
>> Saratoga Springs Public Library
>> 49 Henry Street
>> Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866
>> [518] 584-7860 x217
>>
>> Please consider the environment before printing this message.
>>
>> To report this message as spam, offensive, or if you feel you have
>> received this in error,
>> please send e-mail to [log in to unmask] including the entire contents and
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>> It will be reviewed by staff and acted upon appropriately.
>>
>
>
> --
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> Kyle Banerjee
> Digital Services Program Manager
> Orbis Cascade Alliance
> [log in to unmask] / 503.999.9787
>
> To report this message as spam, offensive, or if you feel you have received this in error,
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>