To support device-independent applications consistently across the full range of possible printing devices, Win32® accesses printer features through a printer driver. A printer driver is an intermediate software module that provides device-specific implementations for printer functions.
Hardware vendors can develop and easily install printer drivers in Windows NT®. This chapter defines a printer driver's role in the Windows NT print environment and outlines the components required by all Windows NT printer drivers. It then presents general design issues and describes how printer drivers support Win32 printer administration and setup. Finally, it briefly describes the Common Property Sheet User Interface with which a printer interface driver must communicate.
Part 1 of this manual contains information crucial to the design of all graphics drivers, which includes both printer and display drivers. It describes the general capabilities of GDI and provides information on implementing driver entry points common to all graphics drivers. Printer-specific DDI support is discussed in Supporting DDI Printing and User Interface Functions. Detailed descriptions of DDI entry points, GDI support functions, and data structures, can be found in the Graphics Driver Reference.