Web Print Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the system requirements for Web Print?

General server requirements are listed on PaperCut NG System Requirements and PaperCut MF System Requirements for PaperCut NG and MF respectively.

For Web Print Sandbox servers specifically, jump to the Web Print Sandbox Requirements section.

How do I set up duplex/simplex (double-sided/single-sided),color/grayscale, or stapling options with Web Print?

When a job is printed through Web Print default print queue settings on the print server will be used. For Windows, this would be managed with the Printing Defaults or Printing Preferences settings on the print queue.

So if you update the print queue defaults to use duplex, that should affect how Web Print submits the print job as well. This means it’s possible to set up different Web Print queues for specific functions, for example:

• A print queue defaulted to grayscale.
• A print queue defaulted to staple.

For more details, check out the Modify default Web Print settings section in the manual.

Is Web Print Default mode (PDF) available on Mac or Linux?

Yes! Since PaperCut version 10.5, Default mode is available on Mac and Linux (running CUPS) and is set up during the default installation.

However, Web Print Default mode isn’t available for Novell OES Linux with iPrint. If you’re using Novell OES, you’ll want to configure Sandbox mode instead.

Can I print a selected page range in a document?

Currently, Web Print only supports printing entire documents. One useful workaround would be to print the selected pages to a PDF, then use Web Print to print the PDF.

How can I remove or hide a printer from the Web Print printer list?

As covered in the Web Print Configuration section, to enable or disable Web Print for individual printers, navigate to Printers, select the printer in question, Advanced Configuration, and find the box Enable Web Print (users may upload documents to print). Now un-click that checkbox, and the printer will no longer appear in the Web Print printer list.

You can also use the Filters & Restrictions tab for a printer in PaperCut to manage which groups of users are able to see certain printers.

Can the Web Print Sandbox server run as a service?

When the Web Print Sandbox Server was first developed, the API to access the Microsoft applications (like MS Word) to submit a print job required a user be logged in to the operating system. This necessitated that the Web Print Sandbox needed to be an application rather than a service.

We get that this is not ideal for many organizations. Our Mobility Print solution may be a much better alternative for BYOD printing.

What is the suggested load limit for a Web Print server (Default mode or sandbox)?

The suggested load limit can be tricky to pin down, as it depends on several factors, including server speed, average job size, and whether users print throughout the day or all at once. As a rough guideline, think if you are exceeding 120 jobs per hour then it’s a good idea to add another Web Print Sandbox server.

The good news is that if the print server needs extra time to render print jobs because users are printing simultaneously, then the users will be informed on their print job’s position in the queue.

Can I use Web Print on Microsoft Server Core?

For Default Mode , Web Print requires that Adobe Reader is installed to the PaperCut Application Server. At the time of writing (October 8, 2010) it does not appear possible to install Adobe Reader to Windows Server 2008 Core.

Those wishing to use the Web Print module will need to implement the Sandbox Mode install.

What options do I have for iPad printing?

For flexible printing options across multiple platforms, including iOS and Android, we highly recommend exploring PaperCut Mobility Print. This solution provides seamless printing capabilities from a variety of devices, allowing users to print documents without the need for complex configurations. For more details, check out the Mobility Print overview for insights on how it works.

The drag-and-drop feature is not displaying correctly - what causes this?

The most common cause is Internet Explorer running in compatibility mode. To resolve this, go to Settings and find the Compatibility View Settings option. Ensure that the Display intranet sites in Compatibility View option is unchecked. If this setting is enabled and PaperCut is listed as an intranet site, Internet Explorer operates in a mode that does not support the drag-and-drop feature.

When printing multiple copies of a PDF, each copy is tracked as a separate Web Print job. Why?

When printing multiple copies of a PDF, each copy is tracked as a separate Web Print job. This occurs because the Web Print Server cannot ask the application to process and print multiple copies simultaneously for certain file types. In contrast, when printing multiple copies of other document types, such as those created in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), Excel (.xls, .xlsx), and PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx), the Web Print Server can leverage the application’s native printing capabilities, allowing those copies to be processed under a single job.

However, applications like Adobe Reader and the Microsoft XPS Document Writer do not support this simultaneous printing feature from Web Print.

One solution offered by PaperCut is to use the built-in xpdf renderer instead of Adobe, which can print multiple copies of PDF documents as a single job. To leverage this, uninstall Adobe Reader from each Web Print server and then restart the Web Print application.

Do Web Print Servers running in “Sandbox Mode” open and execute macros which are embedded within Microsoft Office documents?

Web Print Servers running version 17.4.2 or later of PaperCut MF and PaperCut NG can prevent the execution of any embedded document macros. This is controlled with the Advanced Config Key web-print.disable-macros. Standard values are Y, N, and DEFAULT. This setting helps minimize the risk of document-borne attacks affecting your Web Print setup.

Additionally, running a Web Print sandbox server isolates the processing of Office documents from your critical infrastructure, ensuring that only your Web Print Sandbox servers face potential exposure to such attacks.

Is there a way to speed up Web Print processing times?

To some extent, yes. Here are a few strategies to improve processing times:

1. Confirm system requirements: We recommend that each Web Print sandbox server has at least two cores and a minimum of 2GB of memory. Adding more cores beyond this won’t necessarily enhance performance. Instead, optimizing the priority and performance of each core may improve job rendering times.
2. Add additional Web Print sandbox servers: While adding more servers won’t decrease the time it takes to render individual Web Print jobs, it allows multiple jobs to be processed simultaneously, improving overall throughput.
3. Watch out for other factors affecting slow printing: Plenty of other things can cause slow printing. Follow this article on slow printing to rule out those possibilities.

Why are some file formats not available?

First, check the Supported Applications and File Formats to ensure the file format is supported in the mode your Web Print server is using. Some formats are only available in Sandbox Mode. You can view the supported formats in the PaperCut NG/MF admin interface under Enable Printing > Mobile & BYOD > Web Print; check the Files supported list in the status box.

Next, confirm that the associated application is installed and functioning properly. If you’re running in Sandbox Mode, log in as the web print user and attempt to open and print a document with the application to verify that the user has the correct permissions.

If issues persist, share the Web Print log files with your PaperCut support contact. The server has a handler for each supported application, and each handler generates a log file that can provide insights into the unavailability of the file format. These log files are named web-print-handler-*.log, where * corresponds to the application name. For instance, use web-print-handler-mso-word.log for Microsoft Office Word documents. Open the relevant log file in a text editor and look for any obvious errors, such as issues locating or launching the application, like*“No valid handler programs installed/defined”.*