printfil allows printing from dos, unix, linux, host
programs to any
windows printer, including usb, gdi, network printers, fax printers and pdf writers, without changes to the original
applications .
you can set your
application to print to an ascii file, or you can let printfil capturing one or more parallel ports (prn: and from lpt1: to lpt9:), automatically redirecting your print jobs to any printer, even to a printer which is physically connected to the captured port or if no lpt ports are physically installed on your pc.
it allows also:
- preview printing
- include logos or other
images stored in separate files
- colorize the text
- print a4 landscape sheets in place of printing on dot-matrix 136-column printers
- print to any printer installed on the
windows control panel, including usb, gdi, windows-only and virtual printers
- send print jobs via fax (using any third-party fax
software which acts like a printer - eg.
microsoft fax - or a multifunction - all-in-one - printer)
- use specialist
windows fonts (barcodes, for instance) as well as normal characters
- export print jobs in pdf format, with or without user intervention, even with encryption and
password protection
- send print jobs via e-mail by using your own e-mail client program, with or without user intervention
- use a single, customizable set of escape sequences for all printers, regardless of make, model and emulation provided (if any, as for gdi printers)
- print complex jobs to legacy printers in raw mode (graphs, drawings)
- archive a copy of all the captured jobs
- use multiple printers simultaneously
all this without changes to your
applications
if you are developing host based
applications (like unix) to run on a
windows terminal emulator, you can stop battling with transparent-print characters and different settings for different printers. all you need is a shared
file system (nfs, sco-visionfs, samba and others) to store output for your print jobs and printfil.
