atomaka.com/_posts/2012-10-25-force-print-document-on-11x17-scaled.md

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2023-02-05 21:07:24 -05:00
---
layout: post
title: Force "Print Document on" 11x17 Scaled
tag:
- technical
---
The Print Spooler API in Windows does not seem to have an option to force
scaling to another paper size. Formerly, we would install the printer save the
registry key in `HKCU\Printers\DevModePerUser`. Then, we could check the "Print
Document On" option, apply the settings, and save the registry key again.
Performing a diff of between the two sets of roughly 4000 hex values should give
a subset of values that relate to "Print Document On." Finally, on installation
we could read in the registry key after everything else had been setup, cycle
through it changing the appropriate values based on our diff and then save the
registry key. This stopped working.
No new diffs could be collected that would update the scale to fit functionality
that we needed. However, if the "Print Document On" option is manually set and
the registry key is collected, that key can be used as the "diff" and the newly
added printer would print scaled as desired. This has the unfortunate side
effect of modifying all other settings on the printer including the name and
color settings. As a work around, two different registry key "diffs" are used:
one for color and one for black&white. Then, the first 30 hex characters can be
chopped off in each key to make sure the printer name is not overwritten.
```
#include <windows.h>;
int stf[][2] = {
{8, 0},
{10, 0},
// and more keys
};
int setPrintDocumentOn(char *printerName) {
HKEY hkey;
// find the tree where the key we need to change resides
RegOpenKey(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, "Printers\\DevModePerUser", &hkey);
DWORD requiredSize = 0;
DWORD dataType;
// read in the key
RegQueryValueEx(hkey, printerName, 0, &dataType, NULL, &requiredSize);
char *DevModePerUserData = malloc(requiredSize);
RegQueryValueEx(hkey, printerName, 0, &dataType, (BYTE *)DevModePerUserData, &requiredSize);
// update the key
int i = 0;
for(i = 0; i < sizeof(stf) / 8; i++) {
DevModePerUserData[stf[i][0]] = stf[i][1];
}
// and save our updates
RegSetValueEx(hkey, printerName, 0, REG_BINARY, (BYTE *)DevModePerUserData, requiredSize);
RegFlushKey(hkey);
RegCloseKey(hkey);
}
```