Thread: Print Duplex

Hello Redeoclown,

Unfortunately VBA did not add a Printer Object as Visual Basic did. If Microsoft had then this would wouldn't be so difficult. Actually, I have done the difficult part for you. Copy all of this code into a separate VBA module. This is what is needed to set a printer to duplex or back to simplex mode.

'Written: June 17, 2010
'Author:  Leith Ross
'Summary: Sets a printer to Duplex mode or back to Simplex. There are 2 duplex settings:
'         Book style and Legal (Flip) style. See comment box below for the values.


   Public Type PRINTER_DEFAULTS
       pDatatype As Long
       pDevmode As Long
       DesiredAccess As Long
   End Type

   Type PRINTER_INFO_2
       pServerName As Long
       pPrinterName As Long
       pShareName As Long
       pPortName As Long
       pDriverName As Long
       pComment As Long
       pLocation As Long
       pDevmode As Long             ' Pointer to DEVMODE
       pSepFile As Long
       pPrintProcessor As Long
       pDatatype As Long
       pParameters As Long
       pSecurityDescriptor As Long  ' Pointer to SECURITY_DESCRIPTOR
       Attributes As Long
       Priority As Long
       DefaultPriority As Long
       StartTime As Long
       UntilTime As Long
       Status As Long
       cJobs As Long
       AveragePPM As Long
   End Type

   Type DEVMODE
       dmDeviceName As String * 32
       dmSpecVersion As Integer
       dmDriverVersion As Integer
       dmSize As Integer
       dmDriverExtra As Integer
       dmFields As Long
       dmOrientation As Integer
       dmPaperSize As Integer
       dmPaperLength As Integer
       dmPaperWidth As Integer
       dmScale As Integer
       dmCopies As Integer
       dmDefaultSource As Integer
       dmPrintQuality As Integer
       dmColor As Integer
       dmDuplex As Integer
       dmYResolution As Integer
       dmTTOption As Integer
       dmCollate As Integer
       dmFormName As String * 32
       dmUnusedPadding As Integer
       dmBitsPerPel As Integer
       dmPelsWidth As Long
       dmPelsHeight As Long
       dmDisplayFlags As Long
       dmDisplayFrequency As Long
       dmICMMethod As Long
       dmICMIntent As Long
       dmMediaType As Long
       dmDitherType As Long
       dmReserved1 As Long
       dmReserved2 As Long
   End Type

   Const DM_DUPLEX = &H1000&
   Const DM_IN_BUFFER = 8

   Const DM_OUT_BUFFER = 2
   Const PRINTER_ACCESS_ADMINISTER = &H4
   Const PRINTER_ACCESS_USE = &H8
   Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED = &HF0000
   Const PRINTER_ALL_ACCESS = (STANDARD_RIGHTS_REQUIRED Or _
                               PRINTER_ACCESS_ADMINISTER Or PRINTER_ACCESS_USE)

   Private Declare Function ClosePrinter _
     Lib "winspool.drv" _
       (ByVal hPrinter As Long) _
     As Long
    
   Private Declare Function DocumentProperties _
     Lib "winspool.drv" _
       Alias "DocumentPropertiesA" _
         (ByVal hWnd As Long, _
          ByVal hPrinter As Long, _
          ByVal pDeviceName As String, _
          ByVal pDevModeOutput As Long, _
          ByVal pDevModeInput As Long, _
          ByVal fMode As Long) _
     As Long
     
   Private Declare Function GetPrinter _
     Lib "winspool.drv" _
       Alias "GetPrinterA" _
         (ByVal hPrinter As Long, _
          ByVal Level As Long, _
          ByRef pPrinter As Byte, _
          ByVal cbBuf As Long, _
          ByRef pcbNeeded As Long) _
     As Long
     
   Private Declare Function OpenPrinter _
     Lib "winspool.drv" _
       Alias "OpenPrinterA" _
         (ByVal pPrinterName As String, _
          ByRef phPrinter As Long, _
          ByRef pDefault As PRINTER_DEFAULTS) _
     As Long
     
   Private Declare Function SetPrinter _
     Lib "winspool.drv" _
     Alias "SetPrinterA" _
       (ByVal hPrinter As Long, _
         ByVal Level As Long, _
         ByRef pPrinter As Byte, _
         ByVal Command As Long) _
     As Long

   Private Declare Sub CopyMemory _
     Lib "kernel32" _
       Alias "RtlMoveMemory" _
         (ByRef pDest As Any, _
          ByRef pSource As Any, _
          ByVal cbLength As Long)
 
   Private Declare Function StrLen _
     Lib "kernel32" _
       Alias "lstrlenA" _
         (ByVal lpString As Long) As Long
 
   ' ==================================================================
   ' SetPrinterToDuplex.
   '
   '  Set the Duplex flag for the specified default properties
   '  of the printer driver.
   '
   '  Returns: True on success and False on error. An error will also
   '  display a message box. These messages are displayed for information
   '  only.
   '
   '  Parameters:
   '    PrinterName - The name of the printer to be used as an ANSI string.
   '
   '    DuplexSetting - One of the following standard settings:
   '       1 = None
   '       2 = Duplex on long edge (book)
   '       3 = Duplex on short edge (legal)
   '
   ' ==================================================================
   Public Function SetPrinterToDuplex(ByVal PrinterName As String, _
                                      ByVal DuplexSetting As Long) As Boolean

      Dim hPrinter As Long
      Dim PD As PRINTER_DEFAULTS
      Dim PINFO As PRINTER_INFO_2
      Dim DM As DEVMODE
   
      Dim DevModeData() As Byte
      Dim PInfoMemory() As Byte
      Dim nBytesNeeded As Long
      Dim nRet As Long, nJunk As Long
   
      On Error GoTo cleanup
   
      If (DuplexSetting < 1) Or (DuplexSetting > 3) Then
         MsgBox "Error: dwDuplexSetting is incorrect."
         Exit Function
      End If
      
      PD.DesiredAccess = PRINTER_ALL_ACCESS
      nRet = OpenPrinter(PrinterName, hPrinter, PD)
      If (nRet = 0) Or (hPrinter = 0) Then
         If Err.LastDllError = 5 Then
            MsgBox "Access denied."
         Else
            MsgBox "Cannot open the printer specified " & _
              "(make sure the printer name is correct)."
         End If
         Exit Function
      End If
   
      nRet = DocumentProperties(0&, hPrinter, PrinterName, 0&, 0&, 0&)
      If (nRet < 0) Then
         MsgBox "Cannot get the size of the DEVMODE structure."
         GoTo cleanup
      End If
   
      ReDim DevModeData(nRet + 100) As Byte
      nRet = DocumentProperties(0&, hPrinter, PrinterName, _
                  VarPtr(DevModeData(0)), 0&, DM_OUT_BUFFER)
      If (nRet < 0) Then
         MsgBox "Cannot get the DEVMODE structure."
         GoTo cleanup
      End If
   
      Call CopyMemory(DM, DevModeData(0), Len(DM))
   
      If Not CBool(DM.dmFields And DM_DUPLEX) Then
        MsgBox "You cannot modify the duplex flag for this printer " & _
               "because it does not support duplex or the driver " & _
               "does not support setting it from the Windows API."
        GoTo cleanup
      End If
   
      DM.dmDuplex = DuplexSetting
      Call CopyMemory(DevModeData(0), DM, Len(DM))
   
      nRet = DocumentProperties(0&, hPrinter, PrinterName, _
        VarPtr(DevModeData(0)), VarPtr(DevModeData(0)), _
        DM_IN_BUFFER Or DM_OUT_BUFFER)

      If (nRet < 0) Then
        MsgBox "Unable to set duplex setting to this printer."
        GoTo cleanup
      End If
   
      Call GetPrinter(hPrinter, 2&, 0&, 0&, nBytesNeeded)
      If (nBytesNeeded = 0) Then GoTo cleanup
   
      ReDim PInfoMemory(nBytesNeeded + 100) As Byte

      nRet = GetPrinter(hPrinter, 2&, PInfoMemory(0), nBytesNeeded, nJunk)
      If (nRet = 0) Then
         MsgBox "Unable to get shared printer settings."
         GoTo cleanup
      End If
   
      Call CopyMemory(PINFO, PInfoMemory(0), Len(PINFO))
        PINFO.pDevmode = VarPtr(DevModeData(0))
        PINFO.pSecurityDescriptor = 0
      Call CopyMemory(PInfoMemory(0), PINFO, Len(PINFO))
   
      nRet = SetPrinter(hPrinter, 2&, PInfoMemory(0), 0&)
      If (nRet = 0) Then
         MsgBox "Unable to set shared printer settings."
      End If
   
      SetPrinterToDuplex = CBool(nRet)

cleanup:
      If (hPrinter <> 0) Then Call ClosePrinter(hPrinter)

End Function

Example for Setting the ActivePrinter to Duplex (Book style)

Sub DuplexTest()

  Dim PrinterName As String
    
    PrinterName = Application.ActivePrinter
    SetPrinterToDuplex Left(PrinterName, InStr(1, PrinterName, " on") - 1), 2
    
End Sub

Hello Tom,

I will check on what the cause might be or ways we can troubleshoot it. The API has evolved some since Windows XP. The biggest change is with 64 bit Windows. However, if you were using Windows 64 the code would have failed to run.

What printer are you using this on?

Leith,

Thanks for the quick reply. The printer is an HP 2605DN, about 4 yrs old.

Tom

Hello Tom,

Thanks for the printer info. Is this a personal printer or a networked printer?

Hello Tom,

No need to answer the last post. The printer specs indicate it uses HP PLC (Printer Control Language) 6. It most likely is not responding to API command because it expects a PLC command to set the duplex option. I will work on some code to send the PLC command to printer. That should work for you.

Hello Tom,

Try this macro. It should send the set duplex command directly to the printer in PCL.

'Written: January 24, 2012
'Author:  Leith Ross
'Summary: Sends HP PCL Simplex/Duplex commands to a printer.

' Print Spooler Win32 API Calls
'
Private Declare Function OpenPrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "OpenPrinterA" _
    (ByVal pPrinterName As String, _
     ByRef phPrn As Long, _
     ByRef pDefault As Any) As Long
     
Private Declare Function StartDocPrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" Alias "StartDocPrinterA" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long, _
     ByVal level As Long, _
     ByRef pDocInfo As DOC_INFO_1) As Long
     
Private Declare Function StartPagePrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long) As Long
    
Private Declare Function WritePrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long, _
     ByVal pBuf As String, _
     ByVal cdBuf As Long, _
     ByRef pcWritten As Long) As Long
     
Private Declare Function EndPagePrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long) As Long
    
Private Declare Function EndDocPrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long) As Long
    
Private Declare Function ClosePrinter _
  Lib "winspool.drv" _
    (ByVal hPrn As Long) As Long
'
'
' API Structure required by StartDocPrinter
'
Private Type DOC_INFO_1
   pDocName As String
   pOutputFile As String
   pDatatype As String
End Type
'
'
'
' Steps to send raw data to a printer
'   1. Call OpenPrinter to get a handle to the printer.
'   2. Initialize a DOCINFO structure with the printer data.
'   3. Call StartDocPrinter to indicate that the application will be sending document data to the printer.
'   4. Call StartPagePrinter to indicate that the application will be sending a new page to the printer.
'   5. Call WritePrinter to send the data.
'   6. Call EndPagePrinter to indicate that all data for the current page has been sent.
'   7. Call EndDocPrinter to indicate that all data for this document has been sent.
'   8. Call ClosePrinter to release the resources.

Sub SetDuplexMode()

  Dim BytesWritten As Long
  Dim Cmd As String
  Dim DocInfo As DOC_INFO_1
  Dim hPrn As Long
  Dim PrinterName As String
  Dim Response As Boolean
  Dim Status As Long
  
   'HP PLC Simplex and Duplex commands.
    SimplexMode = vbEsc & Chr(38) & Chr(108) & Chr(48) & Chr(83)
    DuplexLegal = vbEsc & Chr(38) & Chr(108) & Chr(49) & Chr(83)
    DuplexBook = vbEsc & Chr(38) & Chr(108) & Chr(50) & Chr(83)
    
    Cmd = DuplexBook
    
    PrinterName = Application.ActivePrinter
    PrinterName = Left(PrinterName, InStr(1, PrinterName, " on") - 1)
    
    Status = OpenPrinter(PrinterName, hPrn, ByVal 0)
    
    If Status <> 0 Then
       With DocInfo
         .pDatatype = "TEXT"
         .pDocName = "My Document"
         .pOutputFile = ""
       End With
       
       Job = StartDocPrinter(hPrn, 1, DocInfo)
       
         If Job > 0 Then
            Status = StartPagePrinter(hPrn)
            
              If Status <> 0 Then
                 Status = WritePrinter(hPrn, Cmd, Len(Cmd), BytesWritten)
                 EndPagePrinter hPrn
              End If
            
            EndDocPrinter hPrn
         End If
        
       ClosePrinter hPrn
    End If
    
    If BytesWritten = Len(Cmd) Then
       MsgBox "Command sent to printer was successful."
    End If
    
End Sub

Hello Tom,

I will have to check on the Post Script method for setting the printer to duplex mode. At least we are making headway.