How can I install a printer driver in Windows 11 without the printer present?

Hi Steve. Rather than sending them a Word document try saving it (or printing it) to a ,pdf file. Send that to the other company. Since it's an image file not a text document it shouldn't reformat regardless of which printer they use.

Hope this idea helps.

Regards

Eric W

Hi Eric --

Thanks for your reply.

I wish it were that simple!

I work with PDFs extensively in various applications. In this case, however, my Word document is a series of 8 letter-size pages, which I must combine into a booklet on 11x17 paper. It works fine in Word, but as of this time I have not, even after consulting with a couple of folks with Adobe certification, been able to generate a PDF to print in that format.

(I am placing a question in the Adobe Community forum on this question, as it would definitely be my preference to send a ready-to-print file.)

Thanks again!

Steve -

Unfortunately not. There's no way to add their printer to your document, it can only be done on the PC connected to the printer. Nothing in a document formats it for the printer, that only happens when it opens on the PC with the printer.

What I would do is tell the printer how you want it printed and ask for a proof back first, which is common for print jobs.

Hi Greg:

Thanks for your prompt reply, and for engaging my question.

I may be working from old information, but I was under the impression (and I am sure that it used to be true, although I have worked with other word processing software in the past and could be remembering that) that when you open a document in Word it formats to the printer selected when you open it, or that it may reformat when you select a printer in the print dialog.

I was in the office of the printing organization today and had them open the file I wanted them to print from an email attachment. When they went to print it, it had reformatted so that it produced a blank page in the middle of the document. (I opened the document on my own laptop to confirm that the file I sent them was formatted correctly in the attached file.)

Since the printing organization is not responsible for reformatting the documents I send so that they print correctly, this puts me in a bind. This is why I thought (and have done this in the past) that if I saved my document with their printer driver selected, it would not reformat when they opened it.

Hi Steve. I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, specializing in Installation, Performance, Troubleshooting and Activation, here to help you.

You wouldn't load the printer driver into a document, it's specific to the printer at the recipient's end so having it already loaded on their end is all you can do.

What makes you think the formatting will change if they choose to print it while choosing a size paper the printer is capable of printing?

So the answer is that there's nothing you can do with their printer driver on your end to assure the document you're taking care or provide in the necessary format will print for them. They have already done that by having a printer that can print it.

If I am not understanding exactly what you're asking, please clarify so I can help you better.

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

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