node-native-printer

A node module to natively print your files

Requirements

• Windows:

  • edge, electron-edge (depending on your environment) or any other fork of these. The package you choose should be installed before node-native-printer. During installation you'll be prompted to select which package do you want to use.
    BE CAREFULLY: it will be listed all packages in node_modules containing the word "edge"; be sure to make the right choice

    If you wish, you can manually specify which fork of edge or electron-edge to use. See installation

• Unix (Mac and Linux)

  • node-gyp to build native modules
  • cups (Linux only). You need libcups2-dev and libcups2. The first contains source code needed to build native modules, the second contains command-line executables needed in order to print. It may also need libcups2 in production. See API

Imporant notes

Due to important differences in enviroments and ecosystems between Microsoft and Unix-based systems, this module has been written in C++ for Unix and C# for Windows. This can result in different behaviours during the execution of the methods (such as different execution time, returning values, allowed options for printer, etc.).

Installation

npm install node-native-printer --save

You will be prompted for selecting edge backend based on installed packages that contains the word "edge". If you wish to enter manually the name of edge backend package, select Not listed and type it manually.

Flags (Windows only)

• -p or --production: to be used when packaging with (i.e.) electron-builder. It will skip prompting for edge backend and will take correctly the dll path needed for windows.
  Note that -p flag require that edge backend has been specified during installation.

Usage

First of all you need to require the module inside your app this way:

const printer = require('node-native-printer');

Then you can set a printer to work on, calling setPrinter(printerName). In this way you don't need to pass else the printer name on each method it's required.

API

listPrinters()

    return an array with all installed printers

defaultPrinterName()

    return the default printer name

setPrinter(printer)

    set the printer to work on

getCurrentPrinter()

    get current printer you are working on

printerInfo(printer)

    return general info about current working printer such jobs and options:

• printer: printer of which get informations
• returning value:
  • Windows: return only jobs in printer queue
  • Unix: return jobs in printer queue and CUPS options. Theese last depends on printer

printerOptions(printer)

    return printer-specific options:

• printer: name of the printer to print on. If not specified it will print on previously setted printer. If printer is not set it will print on default printer.

• Returning value:

  • Windows: return an object containing main options for printer:

    {
      "Collate": "array containing collation options",
      "Duplexing": "array containing collation options",
      "MaxCopy": "max number of copies you can send to printer",
      "SupportsColor": "boolean indicating whether a print can print with colors",
      "PaperSheets": "available paper formats supported from printer. If custom is present it can be submitted custom width and height",
      "Resolutions": "printer resolutions (i.e.: High, Medium)"
    }

  • Unix: return an object containing printer-specific options and from PPD file.

print(filename[, options, printer])

• filename: file to print

• options: a JSON object containing options for printer:

  • Windows: default options:

     {
         "collate": true,
         "color": true,
         "copies": 1,
         "duplex": "Default",
         "landscape": false,
         "paperSize": "",
         "fromPage": 0,
         "toPage": 0
     }

    List of supported extensions can be found here

    Notes: duplex is case sensitive, so be careful to write correctly. "paperSize" refers to size of sheet to print on; if you want to print on a paper with custom dimensions, pass "Custom.WidthxHeight" where Width and Height are integer dimensions in hundredths of inch. "fromPage": 0 means document will be printed from first page; "toPage": 0 means document will be printed from "fromPage" to last page.

  • Unix: you can use command-line options in JSON-style and/or printer-specific options retrieved from printerOptions(); i.e.:

     {
         "landscape": true,
         "n": 2,
         "sides": "two-sided-long-edge"
     }

    For options that doesn't have a value (like landscape or fit-to-page) you can assign a boolean (see above)

    It will be generated and executed a command like lp -d printerName /path/to/filename -o landscape -n 2 -o sides=two-sided-long-edge

• Returning value (only for Unix): job id of work sent to printer

printText(text[, options, printer])

Same as print() but you can pass directly a string of text on the first parameter.

Electron Packaging (Windows only)

As from electron's docs, there are two methods of packaging your app: with one of the builders or manually making your own an asar archive.

• Builders (tested with electron-builder): it's enough to add flag -p or --production.
  Example with electron-builder:

    "build": {
      "npmArgs": "--production"
    }

• Manually packing: you'll need to copy all lib/windows folder, under <app-root>/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/node-native-printer/lib/windows.
  The tree will look like:

    /app folder
    +-- ...
    +-- resources/
        +-- app.asar
        +-- electron.asar
        +-- app.asar.unpacked/
            +-- node_modules/
                +-- node-native-printer/
                    +-- lib/
                        +-- windows/
                            +-- nl/
                            +-- x64/
                            +-- x86/
                            +-- PdfiumViewer.dll
                            +-- PdfiumViewer.xml
                            +-- windows_printer.dll