Printing bills with custom paper

[Mitja Bonca]

Hello, I am doing a C# win. application, and using crystal report for printing bills on a custom paper size The width of the paper is unknown (the program has to get the paper size - if this is possible), the lenth of the paper is infinitive (its a roll paper).

What and how I do it, that the report it will be printed out?

The report is filled up with all the data needed, and the code already gets the printer name, ... so what now?

- How to get the paper width and print the report (the report was made that all goes onto such paper width)?
- And that the printer will stop puting the paper out the it when the report is printed?

This code I have now, and I didnt test it yet, so I am not sure if it will work:

string printerName = GetPrinterName();
    if (printerName != null)
    {
      cr.PrintOptions.PaperSource = PaperSource.Auto; 
      cr.PrintOptions.PaperSize = PaperSize.DefaultPaperSize;

     CrystalDecisions.Shared.PageMargins edges = new CrystalDecisions.Shared.PageMargins(1, 1, 1, 1);
     cr.PrintOptions.ApplyPageMargins(edges);

     crystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = cr;
     crystalReportViewer1.Refresh();

     cr.PrintOptions.PrinterName = printerName;
     cr.PrintToPrinter(1, false, 0, 0);
    }

[Momerath]

If your printer can detect the paper size, then PrintOptions.PaperSize will have the value you are looking for. No matter what, though, your program will consider the paper to be of a specified length. Mostly this will determine how much it will attempt to print before it does a 'next page' command. If you can find one of the enumerated paper sizes that is the right width and length, I'd use that.

[Mitja Bonca]

If you can find one of the enumerated paper sizes that is the right width and length, I'd use that.

The width is not a problem, but the lenght, as I said it varies. Depends how much items its on it. So in this case it hard (or almost impossible) to use enumerated paper size.

But lets say if I do use one, how would I do it?

[Mitja Bonca]

Now I know the width of the paper. It`s 76mm (or 3 inches). But I DO NOT know the lenght. So how can I create a new custom paper if I dont know the lenght? As far as I know, the custom paper size consists of width and lenght, but there is one of them missing it is impossible to create it... or am I wrong?

[Mitja Bonca]

I have created new new paper size in the windows (Print Server Properties > Create new form), with name: POPPaperSize (76mm x 150mm) - this has all know dimensions (width and height).

Then I did this code:

string printerName = GetPrinterName();
        if (printerName != null)
        {
          System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument doctoprint = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument();
          doctoprint.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = printerName;
          int rawKind = 0;
          for (int i = 0; i <= doctoprint.PrinterSettings.PaperSizes.Count - 1; i++)
          {
            if (doctoprint.PrinterSettings.PaperSizes[i].PaperName == "POSPaperSize")
            {
              rawKind = Convert.ToInt32(doctoprint.PrinterSettings.PaperSizes[i].GetType().GetField("kind",
                System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance |
                System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic).GetValue(doctoprint.PrinterSettings.PaperSizes[i]));
              break; // TODO: might not be correct. Was : Exit For
            }
          }
          cr.PrintOptions.PaperSize = (CrystalDecisions.Shared.PaperSize)rawKind;
          CrystalDecisions.Shared.PageMargins pMargin = new CrystalDecisions.Shared.PageMargins(0, 0, 0, 0);
          cr.PrintOptions.ApplyPageMargins(pMargin);
          crystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = cr;
          cr.PrintToPrinter(1, false, 0, 0);
        }

What I would like to know is how to change the code in case if I do not know the height of the paper. There is difference in the height if put 1 or 100 items on the paper (like the bill in the store).

I heard that I have to use Graphics objects, but I have no clue how... so please if someone can help me out. I would really appreciate it.

Mitja