Print to file with Java

In this example we are going to see how to print a document to a .ps file in Java. This is very useful when you want to create simple and easy previews of the print that the user might perform.

In order to print to a file, one should follow these steps:

• Open a new pdf file to print using BufferedInputStream(new FileInputStream("myfile.pdf")).
• Create a PDF doc flavor using DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.PDF that returns aDocFlavor object.
• Use PrintServiceLookup.lookupDefaultPrintService() to locate the default print service for this environment.
• Use createPrintJob() to create and return a DocPrintJob capable of handling data from any of the supported document flavors.
• Create a class that extends PrintJobAdapter.
• and override printJobCompleted. Then register a listener to the print job to get notified when the job is complete using.
• Set up the PrintRequestAttributeSet using HashPrintRequestAttributeSet.
• Use attributes.add(new Destination(new java.net.URI("file:C:/myfile.ps"))) to set the destination document.

Let’s see the code:

package com.javacodegeeks.snippets.desktop;

import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.InputStream;

import javax.print.Doc;
import javax.print.DocFlavor;
import javax.print.DocPrintJob;
import javax.print.PrintService;
import javax.print.PrintServiceLookup;
import javax.print.SimpleDoc;
import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.standard.Destination;
import javax.print.event.PrintJobAdapter;
import javax.print.event.PrintJobEvent;

public class PrintToFileWithJava {

	private static boolean jobRunning = true;

	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

		// Open the image file

  InputStream is = new BufferedInputStream(new FileInputStream("myfile.pdf"));

  // create a PDF doc flavor

  DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.PDF;

  // Locate the default print service for this environment.

  PrintService service = PrintServiceLookup.lookupDefaultPrintService();

  // Create and return a PrintJob capable of handling data from

  // any of the supported document flavors.

  DocPrintJob printJob = service.createPrintJob();

  // register a listener to get notified when the job is complete

  printJob.addPrintJobListener(new JobCompleteMonitor());

  // Construct a SimpleDoc with the specified 

  // print data, doc flavor and doc attribute set.

  Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(is, flavor, null);

  // set up the attributes

  PrintRequestAttributeSet attributes = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

  attributes.add(new Destination(new java.net.URI("file:C:/myfile.ps")));

  // Print a document with the specified job attributes.

  printJob.print(doc, attributes);

  while (jobRunning) {

  	Thread.sleep(1000);

  }

  System.out.println("Exiting app");

  is.close();

	}

	private static class JobCompleteMonitor extends PrintJobAdapter {
		@Override
		public void printJobCompleted(PrintJobEvent jobEvent) {
			System.out.println("Job completed");
			jobRunning = false;
		}
	}

}

 
This was an example on how to print to file with Java.