Windows 8 printing from legacy
(Desktop) applications is controlled by an application using operating
system functions that are internal to Windows. That is, when you
specify a print operation in an application, that application calls
Windows system functions to send the output to the printer.
You can print from within an open file or
directly from the Desktop—where you can print a single file, multiple
files, or even multiple files from different applications.
If you are printing multiple documents or
make a printing mistake, you will want to be able to manipulate the
print queue. When you print to a device, Windows 8 places a
Notification icon on the right side of the taskbar.
To print a file from an application
1. Open the file you want to print. Make sure that the Page Setup contains the options you want before printing.
2. Press Ctrl+P, or choose File > Print.
A Print dialog box appears . This dialog box will look similar in all applications. shows the Print dialog box for Notepad, a simple text editor.
A Print dialog box
3. Tap or click the printer you wish to print to; the print options available to you may change when you do so.
4. Select any print
options of interest to you, including the print range, the number of
copies, collation, color options, and so forth. Tap or click Print.
Windows 8 sends the print output to the print spooler for printing.
To print files directly from the Desktop
1. Select one or more files.
2. Right-click the selected file or files and select the Print command from the context menu .
The Print command on a file’s context menu
or
With the files selected, press Ctrl+P.
Windows 8 will open the application
responsible for the file, create the print job, send it to the spooler,
and then close the application. If multiple file types are involved,
Windows 8 opens the application for the second file type and prints
those files. Any additional applications required for printing are
opened and closed as needed.
To view and modify a printer’s print queue
1. Tap and hold, or right-click, the printer’s taskbar icon in the Notification area to view the Print Spooler menu .
The printer command opens this printer’s print spooler.
2. In the print queue window , click the print job that you wish to modify.
A printer’s print queue window
3. From the Document menu, select Pause, Resume, Restart, or Cancel.
From the Printer menu, you can connect
to the printer, cancel all documents, pause printing, set the default
printer, and perform other tasks.
Tip
Use an application’s Page Setup or Page Preview function to view your output before you print it. It will save time and expense.
