[RESOLVED] Printing Problems

[manofsteel00]

I'm having printing problems because I do not have the Microsoft VB Printer Dialog(PSS) aka (vbprndlg.dll) in my references-it's missing. Does anyone know where I can get it? Thanks.

[si_the_geek]

I've never heard of that reference before, what is it? Are you sure you need it?

[Hack]

I'm having printing problems because I do not have the Microsoft VB Printer Dialog(PSS) aka (vbprndlg.dll) in my references-it's missing. Does anyone know where I can get it? Thanks.

I just did a hard drive wide search of my machine, and I don't even have the file on my PC, but I've not had any printing issues.

What are you trying to print and how are you trying to print it?

[manofsteel00]

Ok here's the code:

Dim printDlg As PrinterDlg
    Set printDlg = New PrinterDlg
    ' Set the starting information for the dialog box based on the current
    ' printer settings.
    printDlg.PrinterName = Printer.DeviceName
    printDlg.DriverName = Printer.DriverName
    printDlg.Port = Printer.Port
    
    ' Set the default PaperBin so that a valid value is returned even
    ' in the Cancel case.
    printDlg.PaperBin = Printer.PaperBin
    
    ' Set the flags for the PrinterDlg object using the same flags as in the
    ' common dialog control. The structure starts with VBPrinterConstants.
    printDlg.Flags = VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDNoSelection _
                     Or VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDNoPageNums _
                     Or VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDReturnDC
    Printer.TrackDefault = False
    
    ' When CancelError is set to True the ShowPrinterDlg will return error
    ' 32755. You can handle the error to know when the Cancel button was
    ' clicked. Enable this by uncommenting the lines prefixed with "'**".
    '**printDlg.CancelError = True
    
    ' Add error handling for Cancel.
    '**On Error GoTo Cancel
    If Not printDlg.ShowPrinter(Me.hWnd) Then
        Debug.Print "Cancel Selected"
        Exit Sub
    End If
    
    'Turn off Error Handling for Cancel.
    '**On Error GoTo 0
    Dim NewPrinterName As String
    Dim objPrinter As Printer
    Dim strsetting As String
    
    ' Locate the printer that the user selected in the Printers collection.
    NewPrinterName = UCase$(printDlg.PrinterName)
    If Printer.DeviceName <> NewPrinterName Then
        For Each objPrinter In Printers
           If UCase$(objPrinter.DeviceName) = NewPrinterName Then
                Set Printer = objPrinter
           End If
        Next
    End If
    
    ' Copy user input from the dialog box to the properties of the selected printer.
    Printer.Copies = printDlg.Copies
    Printer.Orientation = printDlg.Orientation
    Printer.ColorMode = printDlg.ColorMode
    Printer.Duplex = printDlg.Duplex
    Printer.PaperBin = printDlg.PaperBin
    Printer.PaperSize = printDlg.PaperSize
    Printer.PrintQuality = printDlg.PrintQuality
    
    ' Display the results in the immediate (Debug) window.
    ' NOTE: Supported values for PaperBin and Size are printer specific. Some
    ' common defaults are defined in the Win32 SDK in MSDN and in Visual Basic.
    ' Print quality is the number of dots per inch.
    With Printer
        Debug.Print .DeviceName
        If .Orientation = 1 Then
            strsetting = "Portrait. "
        Else
            strsetting = "Landscape. "
        End If
        Debug.Print "Copies = " & .Copies, "Orientation = " & _
           strsetting
        If .ColorMode = 1 Then
            strsetting = "Black and White. "
        Else
            strsetting = "Color. "
        End If
        Debug.Print "ColorMode = " & strsetting
        If .Duplex = 1 Then
            strsetting = "None. "
        ElseIf .Duplex = 2 Then
            strsetting = "Horizontal/Long Edge. "
        ElseIf .Duplex = 3 Then
            strsetting = "Vertical/Short Edge. "
        Else
            strsetting = "Unknown. "
        End If
        Debug.Print "Duplex = " & strsetting
        Debug.Print "PaperBin = " & .PaperBin
        Debug.Print "PaperSize = " & .PaperSize
        Debug.Print "PrintQuality = " & .PrintQuality
        If (printDlg.Flags And VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDPrintToFile) = _
           VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDPrintToFile Then
             Debug.Print "Print to File Selected"
        Else
             Debug.Print "Print to File Not Selected"
        End If
        Debug.Print "hDC = " & printDlg.hDC
    End With
    rtb.SelPrint printDlg.hDC
    Exit Sub
    '**Cancel:
    '**If Err.Number = 32755 Then
    '**    Debug.Print "Cancel Selected"
    '**Else
    '**    Debug.Print "A nonCancel Error Occured - "; Err.Number
    '**End If

I'm getting the "User defined Type not defined" error when creating the PrinterDlg object.

[dglienna]

Here's a link. It's a revised control from Microsoft that lets you use a CDC to print. It resolves issues with selecting the printer on the fly.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...322710/EN-US/?

SUMMARY
You can use the Vbprndlg.dll file instead of the Print dialog box portion of the Visual Basic CommonDialog control. This file exposes properties and provides functionality that the CommonDialog control does not.

The CommonDialog control in Visual Basic permits the Print dialog box to be displayed, but it does not give access to many of the properties that can be set in the Print dialog box and consumed by the Printer object. Because of alignment problems with structures (that is, user-defined types) when the Win32 application programming interface (API) functions are made from Visual Basic, you cannot reliably obtain additional information by using these API calls. As a workaround, this article provides a DLL that you can use instead of the Printer portion of the CommonDialog control.

[manofsteel00]

I still have not gotten that code to work. It will pop up a screen and let me select a printer, but once I click print it does nothing. I'm also been trying to tweek this code:

Dim printDlg As PrinterDlg
Set printDlg = New PrinterDlg
' Set the starting information for the dialog box based on the current
' printer settings.
printDlg.PrinterName = Printer.DeviceName
printDlg.DriverName = Printer.DriverName
printDlg.Port = Printer.Port
 
' Set the default PaperBin so that a valid value is returned even
' in the Cancel case.
printDlg.PaperBin = Printer.PaperBin
 
' Set the flags for the PrinterDlg object using the same flags as in the
' common dialog control. The structure starts with VBPrinterConstants.
printDlg.Flags = VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDNoSelection _
                 Or VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDNoPageNums _
                 Or VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDReturnDC
Printer.TrackDefault = False
 
' When CancelError is set to True the ShowPrinterDlg will return error
' 32755. You can handle the error to know when the Cancel button was
' clicked. Enable this by uncommenting the lines prefixed with "'**".
'**printDlg.CancelError = True
 
' Add error handling for Cancel.
'**On Error GoTo Cancel
If Not printDlg.ShowPrinter(Me.hWnd) Then
    Debug.Print "Cancel Selected"
    Exit Sub
End If
 
'Turn off Error Handling for Cancel.
'**On Error GoTo 0
Dim NewPrinterName As String
Dim objPrinter As Printer
Dim strsetting As String
 
' Locate the printer that the user selected in the Printers collection.
NewPrinterName = UCase$(printDlg.PrinterName)
If Printer.DeviceName <> NewPrinterName Then
    For Each objPrinter In Printers
       If UCase$(objPrinter.DeviceName) = NewPrinterName Then
            Set Printer = objPrinter
       End If
    Next
End If
 
' Copy user input from the dialog box to the properties of the selected printer.
Printer.Copies = printDlg.Copies
Printer.Orientation = printDlg.Orientation
Printer.ColorMode = printDlg.ColorMode
Printer.Duplex = printDlg.Duplex
Printer.PaperBin = printDlg.PaperBin
Printer.PaperSize = printDlg.PaperSize
Printer.PrintQuality = printDlg.PrintQuality
 
' Display the results in the immediate (Debug) window.
' NOTE: Supported values for PaperBin and Size are printer specific. Some
' common defaults are defined in the Win32 SDK in MSDN and in Visual Basic.
' Print quality is the number of dots per inch.
With Printer
    Debug.Print .DeviceName
    If .Orientation = 1 Then
        strsetting = "Portrait. "
    Else
        strsetting = "Landscape. "
    End If
    Debug.Print "Copies = " & .Copies, "Orientation = " & _
       strsetting
    If .ColorMode = 1 Then
        strsetting = "Black and White. "
    Else
        strsetting = "Color. "
    End If
    Debug.Print "ColorMode = " & strsetting
    If .Duplex = 1 Then
        strsetting = "None. "
    ElseIf .Duplex = 2 Then
        strsetting = "Horizontal/Long Edge. "
    ElseIf .Duplex = 3 Then
        strsetting = "Vertical/Short Edge. "
    Else
        strsetting = "Unknown. "
    End If
    Debug.Print "Duplex = " & strsetting
    Debug.Print "PaperBin = " & .PaperBin
    Debug.Print "PaperSize = " & .PaperSize
    Debug.Print "PrintQuality = " & .PrintQuality
    If (printDlg.Flags And VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDPrintToFile) = _
       VBPrinterConstants.cdlPDPrintToFile Then
         Debug.Print "Print to File Selected"
    Else
         Debug.Print "Print to File Not Selected"
    End If
    Debug.Print "hDC = " & printDlg.hDC
End With
rtb.SelPrint printDlg.hDC
Exit Sub
'**Cancel:
'**If Err.Number = 32755 Then
'**    Debug.Print "Cancel Selected"
'**Else
'**    Debug.Print "A nonCancel Error Occured - "; Err.Number
'**End If

However, this only prints if there is a textbox on the form. I have a listbox on my for and the listbox does not have a method called SelPrint(). Anyone have any suggestions?

[dglienna]

You cannot print just a listbox. You can however print a form that it's on using

PrintForm Form1

in the dialog instead of printing the RTB.

[Hack]

You cannot print just a listbox.

You can print the contents of a listbox easily enough.

Dim lngIndex As Long
    
    For lngIndex = 0 To List1.ListCount - 1
        Printer.Print List1.List(lngIndex);        
    Next
    
    Printer.EndDoc

[dglienna]

I meant the actual listbox, not the items IN the listbox

[manofsteel00]

Hack rocks!

[RobDog888]

You have to use Hacks method since if you have items in your listbox that are wider then the displayable width of the listbox, they would be chopped off and not printed..

[manofsteel00]

Thanks guys, it works

[manofsteel00]

One quick question though: How can I change the font size? When it prints out it prints a little smaller than I would like for it to. I already tried changing the font size on the listbox property itself but it was not reflected when it was printed.

[RobDog888]

Change the .Fontsize property of the Printer object.

Printer.ForeColor = vbRed
Printer.Font = "Times New Roman"
Printer.FontSize = 16
Printer.FontItalic = True
Printer.FontUnderline = True
Printer.Print "This is in Red"
Printer.Print
Printer.Font = "Arial"
Printer.FontSize = 12
Printer.FontBold = True
Printer.Forecolor = vbGreen
Printer.Print "This is Green Arial font"
Printer.EndDoc

[dermodyr]

Fantastic code dude. Thanks for you help.