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Simon S.
Simon S.
Known Participant
May 25, 2023
質問

InDesign Script - Print with specific printer preset

  • May 25, 2023
  • 返信数 3.
  • 2600 ビュー

Hi everyone.

 

I'm trying to write a script that would print pages directly from InDesign.

I see that can use Document.printPreferences.activePrinterPreset to select the general preset like below (sorry for the french interface):

 

But I don't find a way to select a specific printer preset that would include tray settings, paper thickness and other stuff like here:

 

Is that even possible? Maybe I am missing something, but I don't understand what benefits I would get from printing with a script if I cannot set printer-specific options.

 

Thank you in advance for any help!

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返信数 3

leo.r
Community Expert
leo.rCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 26, 2023
quote

Is that even possible? Maybe I am missing something, but I don't understand what benefits I would get from printing with a script if I cannot set printer-specific options.


By @Simon S.

 

You'll need to select the desired printer-specific options when you set up your InDesign print preset. Normally, they will be saved in your InDesign preset.

 

There's no way to select macOS print preset via scripts (not known to me at least).

 

Also, I don't recommend to use macOS print presets at all when you set up your InDesign presets. Mac's print presets are a buggy poorly designed mess. Just set up your print-specific settings without selecting any preset.

 

On Ventura, if you select a macOS print preset when setting up your InDesign preset, this macOS preset will become selected in ALL your other InDesign presets, thus changing all printer-specific setting you have set up previously in other InDesign presets.

 

I know you're on a pre-Ventura system. I'm not sure if macOS presets cause the same problem with InDesign presets on your system (there were quite a few changes on Ventura). Still, like I said, I believe it's better to avoid macOS presets altogether when working with InDesign - just select the desired printer-specific settings as part of your InDesign preset. 

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 26, 2023

just select the desired printer-specific settings as part of your InDesign preset.

 

The print driver settings (e.g., Resolution, Paper Type, etc.) are not included in the InDesign Print preset—here the Printer Features for my large format Epson are not included in the InDesign Print Preset:

 

 

All you can do with ExtendScript is set the printer and the PPD—none of the above are listed as properties in the API:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#PrinterPreset.html

 

You can get at print settings via an AppleScript shell script, but it would take some advanced scripting:

 

https://talk.automators.fm/t/automate-printing-with-specific-print-settings-using-hazel-shell-script/10127

 

https://www.cups.org/doc/options.html

 

leo.r
Community Expert
leo.rCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 26, 2023
quote

The print driver settings (e.g., Resolution, Paper Type, etc.) are not included in the InDesign Print preset—here the Printer Features for my large format Epson are not included in the InDesign Print Preset:


By @rob day

 

These settings will be saved within InDesign preset. When you set up your InDesign preset, click Printer... (just like in your screenshot) and set up the desired settings in the standard Print dialog. The settings will be saved as part of the InDesign preset.

Robert at ID-Tasker
Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
May 25, 2023

On windows you can create a copy of a printer and set all required preferences and then use it as a destination printer - maybe you can do the same on Mac? 

 

leo.r
Community Expert
leo.rCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 26, 2023
quote

On windows you can create a copy of a printer and set all required preferences and then use it as a destination printer - maybe you can do the same on Mac? 


By @Robert at ID-Tasker

 

Nope, we Mac users are out of luck here.

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 25, 2023

But I don't find a way to select a specific printer preset that would include tray settings, paper thickness and other stuff

 

Hi @Simon S. The PrintPreference and PrinterPreset extendscript objects are limited to the InDesign specific settings, so I don’t think there is a way to get at the printer specific settings, which are handled by the print driver software and OS. It looks like you are on a Mac, so you should be able to set the printer specific settings via AppleScript’s system events (see app.doScript()), but your script would not be cross platform.

 

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#Application.html#d1e42253__d1e45802

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