INF: Developing Printer Device Drivers for Microsoft Windows

ID Number: Q86032

3.10

WINDOWS

Summary:

The Microsoft Windows Universal Printer Driver has been developed to

simplify the process of developing printer drivers for Windows 3.1.

The Universal Printer Driver supports most dot-matrix printers, the

Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet family of laser printers and LaserJet-

compatible laser printers.

The UNITOOL, which creates printer drivers based on the Universal

Printer Driver, is provided with version 3.1 of the Microsoft Windows

Device Driver Kit (DDK). UNITOOL is an application developed for the

Windows environment that accepts user input and creates data tables

that contain information on printer operation, printer commands, font

metrics, and so on. In the vast majority of cases, no coding is

required to create a printer driver that uses the Universal Printer

Driver architecture.

If you create a Windows-compatible printer driver and want to make the

driver part of the Microsoft Windows Driver Library (WDL), please

contact Ty Graham at (206) 635-4949. Microsoft tests all submitted

drivers to ensure that each one meets quality standards; however,

there is a fee to cover the cost of this testing.

Microsoft develops printer drivers based on the Universal Printer

Driver technology on a contract basis. For more information in the

United States or Canada, please contact Robert Merriman at (206)

882-8080. For more information elsewhere, please contact Keith Clarke

at 011-353-1-295-5353.

Additional reference words: 3.10 DDKPRINT