c# - print on dot matrix printer in .net

Question

anyone can please tell me the code how to print documents on dot matrix printer in C# windows application.

Answer 1

You can print to dot matrix "graphically", which is built-in in Windows, albeit slower.

But if you only want to print pure text with simple formattings, you need to send escape commands to your dot matrix printer, which is faster than graphical printing. Different printers has different escape commands.

Here are typical escape commands(for epson): http://www.printfil.com/manualen/c5.htm

This might help: https://web.archive.org/web/20051212193242/http://sacpcug.org:80/archives/0306/prc0603.html

What I do in VB6 then was to print to Generic / Text Only printer, you open the PRN or LPT1 as a file handle, then print escape commands on the file handle, all escape commands will be redirected to whatever printer is attached to LPT1 or PRN. You can do the same thing with C#, just open the PRN or LPT1 as a file, then print to it.

To add Generic / Text Only printer, Control Panel > Printers > Add Printer. On manufacturer, select Generic, then on printers, select Generic / Text only.

You can do the same (printing on Generic / Text Only) for Zebra printers which have their own escape commands for printing bar codes, which is faster than letting Windows print to it graphically.