Printer Sharing Limitations
OEM Printer Drivers, Licensed “End-User” Printer Drivers and Agent Printers also can be shared over the network. Agent Printers are not available in OEM Printer Drivers.
When sharing Black Ice printers over a network, there are some restrictions that must be taken into consideration.
- If the Printer Driver was installed without Driver Packages (with the NPI=1 MSI installer option), the Shared printers can only be added to operating systems with the same architecture as the Host operating system. (32-bit/64-bit). For example, if the printer was shared on 64-bit operating system, it can be added only on 64-bit operating systems.
- Avoid using Environment Variables on shared printers. The environment variables will be substituted on the Host (where the printer was originally shared) where the values may differ from the client’s values.
- While a shared Black Ice Printer Driver is added on a client, the same Black Ice Printer Driver cannot be installed. For example, if the ColorPlus Printer Driver for Desktop is added on a Windows 7 64-bit client, then the ColorPlus Printer Driver for Desktop cannot be installed on the client
- The printed output document will be generated on the Host computer.
- The shared printer on the client computer will be added only to the current user. If one is logged into the client as a standard user, but mounting the shared printer as an Administrator, the printer will be added to the Administrator’s printer list.
- The Host printer must be configured on the Host computer, in the Control Panel > right-click on the Host Printer > Print Properties > Advanced Tab > Printing Defaults, or in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Click on the Host Printer > Print Properties > Advanced Tab > Printing Defaults.
- The Host cannot be configured for shared printers through Control Panel > right-click on the Host Printer > Printing Preferences, or Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Click on the Host Printer > Printing Preferences.
For the complete list of which Printer Driver features must be configured on the Client or Host, please see the table below:
| Printer Driver Feature | Needs to be configured on the Host or Client |
| Device settings tab | |
| Paper size (including Custom Paper Sizes) | Client |
| Fax resolution | Client |
| Orientation | Client |
| Graphic Resolution | Client |
| Preview Window | Not Available |
| File formats tab | |
| File format | Client |
| File format options (For example: PDF settings) | Host* |
| Color Depth | Client |
| Save each page as separate file | Client |
| Generate output in memory | Client |
| Flip | Client |
| Invert | Client |
| Unicode/Eastern char. support | Client |
| Disable output file | Client |
| Photo Quality | Client |
| Filename Generation tab | |
| Save As Option | Not Available |
| Filename Generation Methods | |
| Use this prefix and extension | Client |
| Prefix and extension from the registry | Client, but the registry value will be read on host. |
| Prefix and extension from the INI File | Client, but the INI file value will be read on host. |
| Exact filename | Client |
| Exact filename from the registry | Client, but the registry value will be read on host. |
| Exact filename from the INI File | Client, but the INI file value will be read on host. |
| Use the document name | Client |
| Custom file naming | Client, but variables will be substituted on the host. |
| Combine/Merge silently | Client |
| Merge Documents window | Not Available |
| Output Directory |
If the “Set output directory on the client computer for shared printers” option is checked on the host, the output directory is set on the Client; otherwise, it is set on the Host. Variables will be substituted on the host. The directory cannot be validated on the client. |
| Group File Options | Client |
| FTP, SharePoint, Upload to Web, Upload to Database, Upload to M-Files | Host* |
| Email Sending | Host*, but only silent email sending is available on shared printers. |
| Troubleshooting | Host* |
| Annotation-Header-Footer tab | |
| Annotation | Client, but variables will be substituted on the host. |
| Header | Host* |
| Footer | Host* |
| Start Application tab | |
| Start Application options | Host*, NO Start Application window will be displayed. The printer driver is run in Session 0, therefore no windows or message boxes can be displayed. |
| Enable the Messaging Interface | Host* |
| Open output folder | Not Available |
| Open printed document | Not Available |
| Cover Page | Not Available |
| Text Output Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
| Watermark/Stamp Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
| Bates Numbering Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
| Profile Manager Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
| Redirect Printing Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab except the Prompt window | Host*. Print redirection is only available if the printing is redirected to a local printer on the host system (the printer is directly connected to the computer) and if the given destination printer saves the printed/output document silently without Save As window. |
| Prompt the user to select the printer during printing | Not Available |
| OCR Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
| Barcode Tab | |
| Every setting on the tab | Host* |
*The Host printer must be configured on the Host computer, in the Control Panel > right-click on the Host Printer > Print Properties > Advanced Tab > Printing Defaults, or in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Click on the Host Printer > Print Properties > Advanced Tab > Printing Defaults.
The Host cannot be configured for shared printers through Control Panel > right-click on the Host Printer > Printing Preferences, or Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Click on the Host Printer > Printing Preferences.