Printing in a browser-fronted environment

[Bob Rasmussen]

I'd like your thoughts on approaches to printing, in an environment where 
the user has only a web browser on their desktop, and a printer nearby. 
They might or might not be local to the server. Let's assume a known user 
base (not random public access).

If you manage such a system, how are you doing printing? How does the 
print data flow from server to printer? I can think of these 
possibilities:

1) Build a PDF on the server, present it to the user, have the user print 
it.

2) Print from the server to a networked printer, which has a known, 
static, IP address, possibly over a VPN. Choice of printer might be 
manual, automatic based on username, or automatic based on client IP.

3) Print from the server to the client's IP (dynamically), where some 
software component receives the job and prints it locally. This might be 
called "follow-me printing".

4) Some sort of web browser add-in.

Are there others?

Here's a proposed additional possibility. It's an adaptation of Print 
Wizard, with thanks to Brian White for inspiration in his description of 
scanning technique. Key pieces:

1) Print Wizard (a future version) would be installed on the client PC.

2) Web page presented to the user would have a link or button to press 
(or a script) to cause printing.

3) Print file (in PCL, PDF, plan text, etc.) would exist on the web 
server, ready for pickup.

4) Print Wizard is registered on the PC as the designated handler for 
"pw://", with an associated command line that launches printwiz.exe with 
appropriate options.

5) On click, web server links to a URL of the format 
"pw://https://somehost.com/somefile". Following the registry entry, 
browser fires off printwiz.exe, passing arguments. Printwiz fetches the 
printfile using the provided URL from the server, prints the file.

6) User receives the print job, printed on "their" printer.

Numerous options would be possible, but this is the basic flow. Features 
and benefits would be:

* Easy implementation
* Immediate, non-interactive print
* Handle various raw formats, such as Zebra
* Device independence
* Print PCL to non-PCL printers
* Print PDFs immediately
* Option to create PDF at client side
* Options for various levels of user interactivity
* Option to preview
* Print job transfer is encrypted via https
* Network connection allows Network Address Translation
* Works over firewall
* all the capabilities of Print Wizard...

I solicit your thoughts and comments.

Regards,
....Bob Rasmussen,   President,   Rasmussen Software, Inc.

personal e-mail: ras at anzio.com
  company e-mail: rsi at anzio.com
           voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time)
             fax: (US) 503-624-0760
             web: http://www.anzio.com
  street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc.
                  10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9
                  Portland, OR  97223  USA