printout with colors

nmm,

you can force it via:

function SetPrinterColorMode(InColor : Boolean) : Boolean;
var
  Device : array[0..MAX_PATH] of char;
  Driver : array[0..MAX_PATH] of char;
  Port   : array[0..MAX_PATH] of char;
  hDMode : THandle;
  PDMode : PDEVMODE;
begin
  result := FALSE;
  Printer.GetPrinter(Device, Driver, Port, hDMode);
  if hDMode <> 0 then begin
    pDMode := GlobalLock(hDMode);
    if pDMode <> nil then begin
      if (pDMode^.dmFields AND dm_Color) = dm_Color then begin
        if (InColor) then begin
          pDMode^.dmColor := DMCOLOR_COLOR;
        end else begin
          pDMode^.dmColor := DMCOLOR_MONOCHROME;
        end;
        result := TRUE;
      end;
      GlobalUnlock(hDMode);
    end;
  end;
end;

regards

Jens

good one. Still, it would be good to know why (if,  first, in his case) the TPrinter does not retain the default windows parameters for some drivers. Because the problem can be anywhere. For instance, I have a problem with default layout. I have an EPSON thermal receipt printer that persist in setting the page layout as A4 and not 80mm width.... Maybe there could be a more global fix that can read windows config and set everything right once and for all.

epasqier,

I think this is more related to the printer drivers themselves than the TPrinter Object.

Right now the only way - I know -  is to set all attributes

(paperBin, paperFormat, color, ect) manually if they are not retained by the driver.

Jens

@jmohrmann: thanky you, I guess, that is the solution: I will try as soon as possible.
Do you know also the following: can one set the printing area, so that if I call
 xre := GetDeviceCaps(dc, LogPixelsX);
 yre := GetDeviceCaps(dc, LogPixelsy);
I get values I set, not something from the printer?

@epasquier: other parameters I set myself due similar method as jmohrmann describes:
in my programm I can set the printnig parameters different for every print-job, that means I have a small databaseteble where the parametrs PaperSize, PaperSource, ORIENTATION, Duplex can be set. If I than do a printout, I load this parameters an set them via
(example ThePaperSize is the value from my database for this particular printout)
  Printer.GetPrinter(Device, Driver, Port, hDMode);
  if hDMode <> 0 then begin
    pDMode := GlobalLock(hDMode);
    if pDMode <> nil then begin
(**)       if ThePaperSize<>0 then begin
          pDMode^.dmPapersize:=ThePaperSize ;
          pDMode^.dmfields:=pDMode^.dmfields or DM_Papersize;
        end;
    end;
   GlobalUnlock(hDMode);
  end;

So I can preselect different options for different printjobs without to force the user to set them everytime manually.
If I set "0" to the parameter in my database, no change in DMode is made (see line (**)): in this case the presetting in the windows-dialog is used.
This sometimes seemingly does not work correct: in this cases I set it in the database to force it.
I suppose, that forcing DMCOLOR_COLOR will get the desired result.

> I think this is more related to the printer drivers themselves than the TPrinter Object.
true

> Right now the only way - I know -  is to set all attributes
for the standard ones, yes. I'll have a close look at pdMode

nmm,

The LogPixelsX/LogPixelsY are the dots per inch from the printer canvas, which is an abstraction.
They are derived Printer Parameters. So you get this from the printer driver.
If you have a printer where you can change the resolution, these values will change as well.

Jens

Hi Jens,

OK, thanks. I will try DMCOLOR_COLOR next week.

(OT: the problm with logpixels is, that my print-routines decide upon their values, whether an object will fit to the actual page, and if not, put it on the next page. Using very small printercanvas (like cardprinters) it is sometimes difficult to arrange the fields to be printed, so that they will not move to the "next" page (there will be no next page! so the objects dissapeare): to solve this, I will introcuce offsets for X and Y (that can be set in my databasetable) and add them to the result of logpixels. This is to say: I enlarge the canvas a bit: then the objects are not moved; whether there will be a problm, putting objects outside of the real Canvas I will see: I hope windows or the driver will clip at the utter boundary).


Mircea

Hi,
due to other things I was up to now not able to test the code with a Zebra P120i, but I test it with a
HP PSC 2200: unfortunately it does not work:
HP PSC 2200 prints color, even if I force DMCOLOR_MONOCHROME!
(Via the printerproperty-dialog one can choose "grayscale", but this possibility is not avaiable via "devicemode".) (dm_Color is set in dmFields).

I will try on P120i as soon as possible.
Regards
Mircea

Hi Jens: to the OT about logpixels: I add the offsets to printer.PageWidth and printer.PageHeight, not logpixels.
Regards
Mircea

Sorry, still no test on Zebra P120i possible...
Zebra Hotline also dont know anything...

Sorry for the long break. Now we have tried the idea from jmohrmann, but unfortunately the printer again prints only black/white.
We have then set a special option in the driver of that P120i: the option is named "Use Black panel", and we have set it to "dont use". After doing that the printer actually prints two colored cards, but after a restart of the comuter, it again prints b/w only (although the option "Use Black panel" had still the value  "dont use").
So we are on our wits' end...

I guess, that the printer-driver is silly.

still no solution.....