Printing

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There are a series of steps that take place to allow a print job to be completed. Understanding these steps and their significance will help you solve problems you encounter. These steps are as follows:

  • Administrator creates a print share on a print server.

  • Client system connects to the share.

  • Client system creates a print job.

  • Client system sends job to the print share.

  • Print server receives, spools, and modifies the print job.

  • Print server sends job to the printer.

  • Printer interprets the job and prints it.

Administrator creates a print share on print server

This makes the printer available to the network. Necessary drivers are stored on the server for distribution to clients and the print server waits to receive jobs to be produced by the printer.

If this step is not completed properly, users might be unable to connect to the printer on the server, despite installing the printer properly.

Client system connects to the share

Using any of the Windows 2000 techniques, such as Point and Print, the Add Printer wizard, or finding the printer in My Network Places, the client connects to the printer. If necessary, appropriate drivers are downloaded to the clients computer and information about the printer is recorded.

If this step is not completed properly, the user might not locate the printer you want in the list of available printers.

Client system creates a print job

Users initiate this process by choosing to print a document. If the printer drivers are not available on the users computer, the GDI cannot properly create the print job.

Client system sends job to the print share

A network connection between client and print server must be available.

The print server must have enough space to accommodate print jobs.

Proper port or language monitor must be available for printer type. Network connection between print server and printer must be working.

Printer interprets the job and prints it

The printer must be turned on, online, connected to the network, and functioning properly.