Printer shared via Windows Server 2012 R2 group policy : how to allow users to change printing format without having to access shared printer properties

Question

Hello all,
I am installing printers in my company through users-GPO.
What I am doing is the following:

1. Installing software and driver on the server (level 3 driver; cannot use level 4 driver);
2. creating a GPO to add a shared printer to the users' control panel.

Printers are actually configured to print in A4 format. Whenever a user needs to change format, i.e. to A3, he cannot do it from the usual printing interface, but he has to change the shared printer properties from the control panel. After printing, he has to change them again.

Is there any way to make it easier for users to do this, without having to access printer properties every time?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Hi,

When printing from a certain application (like from adobe, word or autocad) you should be able to change the print properties there upon printing.
If this does not work, please add some screenshots and details (see below)
Are you using a print server?
Is this the only printer in current use? Do other printers have the issue as well? (if using more than 1 printer).

Hope this does help, elsewise don't hesitate to message back :)

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If it helps, please accept the answer and upvote

Answer 2

Thanks for the answer!
I am using a server as print server (O.S. is Windows Server 2012 R2). I have some printers (same model everywhere) installed there and shared like I mentioned before.
If a user tries, for example, to print from adobe, he will not be able to change the paper size from the usual print view of the application. I mean, he can change the paper size there, but it will not affect the final size of the paper on which the printer will print the document. So, what happens is that an user who wants to print on A3 selects A3 from the print view of Adobe, but when printing he will print on A4, unless he goes directly in the printer settings and sets A3 as paper size there. Also, once set A3 from printer settings, it will remain like that until he goes and changes it back to A4.
I hope I have been clearer with my explanation now. If not, feel free to ask me for additional details.

Answer 3

Hi!

Thanks for providing more insights.
I wonder, just wondering have you tried creating a seperate queue for A3 perhaps? So basically an additional queue, seperately shared renaming that one to A3, which then should pick up the right paper as per server-defined settings?

Let me know if this works!

Answer 4

Yeah, I had already thought about that, but I would prefer another solution, just because the majority of PCs have not been maintained over time and they have already an average of ten printers installed on each of them. Besides that, the average level of "computer culture" here is low, and having to learn a new way of printing would be a stress for the users. Actually, this was the main reason why I decided to post my question here :-)