Printing - new papersize creation
lazarus / 23-Operating Systems

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-05 19:33

Hi!

I would need to create size A5 if does not exist in the system, which
is half of size A4.

I have no any solution for now.

If someone has experience in printing, then I would really appreciate
it.

Thanks in advance.

Op. system: Windows 8.1, or Windows 7

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howardpc · 2014-09-05 21:45

All modern printers support A5 as a paper size (even American ones
which default to inches rather than metric and have Letter as default
size).
Drop a TPageSetupDialog (rightmost icon on Dialogs tab) on your form,
and invoke it say in a button OnClick handler viaCode: [Select] 
PageSetupDialog1.Execute;
at runtime.
In the "Paper" groupbox of the dialog there is a "Size" dropdown which
will reveal A5 along with various other settings for your default
printer. See image below.

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rvk · 2014-09-05 22:29

Quote from: howardpc on September 05, 2014, 11:45:57 pmDrop a
TPageSetupDialog (rightmost icon on Dialogs tab) on your form, and
invoke it say in a button OnClick handler via...Or if you don't want
the user of your program to do this manually you can do it in code:
Code: [Select]Printer.PaperSize.PaperName:='A5';

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-05 22:32

It's clear for me. I do not want to use Dialog, I would like to handle
from my application.

...and unfortunately, size A5 is not known by each printer, for
instance my printer does not have this size in defaults.

RVK: Yes, I can set the name if it exists.

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rvk · 2014-09-05 22:59

Quote from: drschwarcz on September 06, 2014, 12:32:03 am...and
unfortunately, size A5 is not known by each printer, for instance my
printer does not have this size in defaults.
There is a topic here where there is some code to add a custom
papersize (if A5 does not exists) but it's for Delphi (and no answer
for FPC).
It should get you started. (I can't test this myself at the moment).

I take it you get an exception if you try to set A5 and A5 is not
defined. You can catch that exception and try to add the custom size
and try to set it again. If it fails again your routine should end and
not print (because the custom size failed too).

B.T.W. Did you try adding A5 manually as custom papersize in the
printer configuration? And did that work when you choose that
papername from Lazarus? (Just to make sure that A5 is supported on the
printer itself because there might be a reason it's not in the default
papersizes.)

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-05 23:12

Physically, the printer is able to print in A5 format if I add it to
list and I can also choose from.

THX for your tips. I will check that during the day.

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rvk · 2014-09-06 11:33

I'm not sure if you've already got around to it...
But here is an attempt to set the custom papersize to A5.

(i can't test this for myself at this moment but i'm sure you can)
(You need to decide if it's 21x14,85 or 14,85x21)

I'm sure i did some things wrong (i.e. not setting a GlobalLock and
Unlock on devmode etc.) but this should work for now. We can worry
about cleaning it up when it works. (preferably as a separate function
to set custom-paper size.)

Code: [Select]uses Printers, OSPrinters, Windows, WinUtilPrn;

// ...

const
  DMPAPER_USER = 0; // Why is this not defined in defines.inc ??????

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  PDev: TPrinterDevice;
  dmW: PDeviceModeW;
  dmA: PDeviceModeA;
begin
  PDev :=
TPrinterDevice(Printer.Printers.Objects[Printer.PrinterIndex]);
  if UseUnicode then
  begin
    dmW := PDev.DevModeW;
    dmW^.dmFields := DM_PAPERLENGTH or DM_PAPERWIDTH or DM_PAPERSIZE
or DM_SCALE;
    dmW^.dmPaperLength := round(21 * 100); // 1/10 of mm
    dmW^.dmPaperWidth := round(14.85 * 100); // 1/10 of mm
    dmW^.dmPaperSize := DMPAPER_USER; // Custom Size, DMPAPER_A5
    dmW^.dmScale := 100;
    ResetDCW(Printer.Canvas.Handle, dmW);
  end
  else
  begin
    dmA := PDev.DevModeA;
    dmA^.dmFields := DM_PAPERLENGTH or DM_PAPERWIDTH or DM_PAPERSIZE
or DM_SCALE;
    dmA^.dmPaperLength := round(21 * 100); // 1/10 of mm
    dmA^.dmPaperWidth := round(14.85 * 100); // 1/10 of mm
    dmA^.dmPaperSize := DMPAPER_USER; // Custom Size, DMPAPER_A5
    dmA^.dmScale := 100;
    ResetDCA(Printer.Canvas.Handle, dmA);
  end;
  Printer.BeginDoc;
  // ... do you thing
  Printer.EndDoc;
end;

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drschwarcz · 2014-09-06 16:34

THX, it looks great. I will try your code soon.

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drschwarcz · 2014-10-01 19:28

Hi RVK,

Code is pasted to my program. The print preview is fine, but the real
papersize is still A4.

I currently testing with Abode Acrobat (I have no printer at home),
but I going to test it in a real printer tomorrow and I will come back
with the result. 

Good night!