Thanks, Mike. That's pretty much what I was looking to know. It seems like it'd definitely be software specific then, where each software and/or filetype solution would need to be individually identified, solved, and then maintained (in case of changes due to updates of software).

I might be able to automate the opening of applications without a GUI using (if I go the batch file or script route) CMDOW, I'll just have to run some tests to verify that it'd actually be more efficient to do so than not.

Thanks again to you - and to all who have replied, both with code and other suggestions!



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.

________________________________________
From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Michael Beccaria [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 1:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Silently print (no GUI) in Windows

Wireless no-device-drive install print solutions usually do this and I think Adobe Acrobat full version does this when it converts files from, say, Word to PDF. They automate a print job and print to a PDF writer printer. This usually requires whatever software that is needed to print be installed on the machine (i.e. acrobat, excel, word, etc). You could easily write a vbscript or powershell script to print them like so:

How to print a pdf file:
set oWsh = CreateObject ("Wscript.Shell")
oWsh.run """Acrobat.exe"" /p /h" &FileName,,true

And a Word document:
Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Open("c:\scripts\inventory.doc")
objDoc.PrintOut()
objWord.Quit

Or, for word documents, you can use the command line to print (via a batch file or other scripting program) refer to this:
http://www.christowles.com/2011/04/microsoft-word-printing-from-command.html

Mike Beccaria
Systems Librarian
Head of Digital Initiative
Paul Smith's College
518.327.6376
[log in to unmask]
Become a friend of Paul Smith's Library on Facebook today!

-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kyle Banerjee
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 3:17 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Silently print (no GUI) in Windows

Would Google Cloud Print be helpful?

Otherwise, I think you may need to use multiple apps to actually print things (i.e. you actually need Word to print Word docs) unless the files are all converted. While at least in the case of Word, this can be done from the command line with switches, it actually invokes the whole program which is a huge waste -- it's probably better to just have Office running and then have an Office Basic program scan for files and send them to the printer.

kyle

On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 11:48 AM, Kozlowski,Brendon <[log in to unmask]>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 subject of the message.
> > 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,
> please send e-mail to [log in to unmask] including the entire contents and
> subject of the message.
> 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,
please send e-mail to [log in to unmask] including the entire contents and subject of the message.
It will be reviewed by staff and acted upon appropriately.