Understand ActMask Virtual Printer Driver SDK and how it exports PDF, TIFF, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TGA, PCX, TXT, EMF or SPL ( .SPL, Print Spooling File ) from Virtual Printer Driver.
>> Install ActMask Virtual Printer Driver
1. Embed SDK's installation (.exe) into your application's installation package.
2. Your installation saves SDK's installation (.exe) to temporary folder and execute it with command line below. Admin privileges are required.
virtual-printer-driver.exe /VERYSILENT
>> Uninstall ActMask Virtual Printer Driver
There're 2 ways to uninstall SDK.
1. Execute the uninstallation with command line below. Please note the quotation marks must be included.
"%WinDir%\%YourPrinterName%\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT
For example, "C:\Windows\ABC TIFF Printer\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT
2. Execute command line below to directly remove virtual printer(s), without admin privileges. Please note the command line with /delprinters or /delprinter parameter only removes printer(s), to remove SDK core, please remove folder Windows\%PrinterName%
1) Remove specified customized virtual printer. Admin privileges are not required.
"C:\WINDOWS\System32\printdisp.exe" /delprinter "%PrinterName%"
2) Remove all printers if the printer name includes %str%, the "%str%" is case sensitive. Admin privileges are not required.
"C:\WINDOWS\System32\printdisp.exe" /delprinters "%str%"
>> Custom ActMask Virtual Printer Driver
To custom printer name, please see Custom Service. We provide services for customizing printer name, printer comment, DPI setting, installation message, more and more! After purchasing, you'll get full version of ActMask Universe Virtual Printer SDK, and there's no shortcut, no limitation, no message box about our company. If you have further questions, please contact us at support@all2pdf.com
>> GUI Tool (Configuration Tool)
To configure SDK settings, just run %System32%\ConfigDrv.exe
>> The registry keys for SDK settings
The key of global settings: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\%PrinterName%
The key of personal settings: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\%PrinterName%
For example, the customized printer name is ABC TIFF Printer, the registry keys will be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ABC TIFF Printer
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ABC TIFF Printer
>> Integrate your own app into Printer Properties dialog box
You could build your own application to read / save SDK settings from / to registry and run it from Printer Properties dialog box.
User clicks the "Additional Settings" button of "Additional Settings" Tab from Printer Properties dialog box, then the application will be executed.
Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\%PrinterName%
For example, the customized printer name is ABC TIFF Printer, the registry key will be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ABC TIFF Printer
Value: PrinterDlgConfigApp
Data type: String
Data: For example, C:\Your App\YourApp.exe
Constant below can be used:
0 - Using built-in SDK configuration tool
To pass parameter(s) to the application, please set PrinterDlgConfigAppParam entry.
How ActMask Virtual Printer Driver works
1. User prints any printable document to the virtual printer from any application.
2. The virtual printer driver converts print job to output format you specified. All files are saved in temporary directory (CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA\Temp. A typical path is C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Temp, call Windows API SHGetSpecialFolderPath to get CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA folder) of current user. Of course, you can specify output directory too.
3. The virtual printer driver creates an INI file contains all printing information and full name(s) of target file(s) such as PDF, TIFF, JPG.
4. The virtual printer driver passes full name of the INI file to application you specified via one of ways (Transfer Mode) below:
1) Command line parameter: The virtual printer driver runs application you specified and passes full name of the INI file to it as command line parameter.
2) WM_COPYDATA message: The virtual printer driver sends WM_COPYDATA message contains full name of the INI file (ANSI characters) to application you specified. Please make sure your application is running.
3) Clipboard data: The virtual printer driver places full name of the INI file (ANSI characters) on clipboard in format you specified, then posts message to notice your application. Please make sure your application is running.
5. Your application parses the INI file received to get all information, move target file(s) to the folder you want, rename it (them) and delete the INI file if it's no longer used.
Evaluate Virtual Printer Driver
Simply print a document to ActMask Virtual Printer (you can custom printer name). After printing, ActMask Universe Virtual Printer Driver creates output file(s), load TransMode settings from registry, then runs a client demo and passes the INI file name to it, see images. Double click the file item in list to view it with default viewer.
To specify output format and other options, just run "Printer Preferences" shortcut.
This client demo ({sys}\PrtClient.exe) shows how to receive an INI file name parameter from ActMask Universe Virtual Printer Driver, parses it and load all information from it.
View INI sample file