Printing to a USB printer via the command line interface in XP?

[Bogie]

(and it's gotta be XP...)
 
I've got a printer where I occasionally need to send it pre-processed files. Basically a sort of "sound check" for it...
 
When I had it plugged into the parallel port, it was easy...
 
copy checkup.prt lpt1:
 
Is there anyway I can do this sort of thing now that the computer that it is plugged into is only USB? And I'm out of card-room in the thing, so I can't easily add a parallel port.
 
Is there a "dos" name for the USB ports?
 

[41magsnub]

I have a crappy way to do it. 

1.  share the printer
2.  run a net use command such as:  net use lpt2: \\yourcomputername\sharename /persistent:yes
3.  print to LPT2

[lee n. field]

I've got a vague recollection of trying to get this to work years ago.  I don't think you can.  I think  Windows (at least W2K) complains when you try to do the printer redirection.

[AZRedhawk44]

What application is actually doing the printing?

I wrote a program a few years ago that generated dynamic HTML, called Internet Explorer to view the newly created page, then run through a "printer" that was a PDF engine using IE API's to initiate a print job, and finally save the file.  Sending to a real printer would be easier since you don't have to specify an output file for the PDF engine.

Word?  IE?  Acrobat?

[mtnbkr]

This link echoes what 41mag said, plus adds another method that appears to pipe the doc through notepad, then printing.  I just tested that method and it works fine.

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/39674/how-can-i-print-to-a-usb-printer-from-the-command-prompt.html

Chris

[Bogie]

The printer doesn't play well with anything but highly specialized postscript RIPs...
 
Ergo, if you have a file that you use occasionally, it is better to RIP it, and then save the file to disk, to then occasionally send to the printer. If it is a periodic thing, it's even better if you can automate it... Thanks, guys... I think that may have solved the troublem.
 

[roo_ster]

Install cygwin & cygwin-X and learn the joys of a real command-line interface.

lp, enscript, & other options.