Printing without print service preview

Question

I want to press button in my app and send pdf document to printer for printing directly (without showing system android preview from printing-framework Android 4.4). How can I do it? I tried to connect to printer via Socket. It was Ok, without exceptions, but my printer didn`t respond and nothing printed.

Maybe need I setup driver on my phone for concrete printer? But how to do it and where can i get so driver?

EDITED

Answer 1

I have written a class to help printing a PDF file directly to a network printer, providing its IP. It is supposed to work on most printers, as long as they support PJL commands.

public class PrintService {

private static PrintListener printListener;

public enum PaperSize {
    A4,
    A5
}

public static void printPDFFile(final String printerIP, final int printerPort,
                                final File file, final String filename, final PaperSize paperSize, final int copies) {
    Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
        @Override
        public void run() {
            Socket socket = null;
            DataOutputStream out = null;
            FileInputStream inputStream = null;
            try {
                socket = new Socket(printerIP, printerPort);
                out = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
                DataInputStream input = new DataInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
                inputStream = new FileInputStream(file);
                byte[] buffer = new byte[3000];

                final char ESC = 0x1b;
                final String UEL = ESC + "%-12345X";
                final String ESC_SEQ = ESC + "%-12345\r\n";

                out.writeBytes(UEL);
                out.writeBytes("@PJL \r\n");
                out.writeBytes("@PJL JOB NAME = '" + filename + "' \r\n");
                out.writeBytes("@PJL SET PAPER=" + paperSize.name());
                out.writeBytes("@PJL SET COPIES=" + copies);
                out.writeBytes("@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PDF\r\n");
                while (inputStream.read(buffer) != -1)
                    out.write(buffer);
                out.writeBytes(ESC_SEQ);
                out.writeBytes("@PJL \r\n");
                out.writeBytes("@PJL RESET \r\n");
                out.writeBytes("@PJL EOJ NAME = '" + filename + "'");
                out.writeBytes(UEL);

                out.flush();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
                if (printListener != null)
                    printListener.networkError();
            } finally {
                try {
                    if (inputStream != null)
                        inputStream.close();
                    if (out != null)
                        out.close();
                    if (socket != null)
                        socket.close();
                    if (printListener != null)
                        printListener.printCompleted();
                } catch (IOException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                    if (printListener != null)
                        printListener.networkError();
                }
            }
        }
    });
    t.start();
}

public static void setPrintListener(PrintListener list) {
    printListener = list;
}

public interface PrintListener {
    void printCompleted();

    void networkError();
}

}

Answer 2

@Cristian answer with AsyncTask implementation. With this implementation you can perform UI operation with respect to the PrintServiceListener callbacks.

public class CustomPrinterService extends AsyncTask<Void, Void, Boolean> {

public enum PaperSize {
    A4,
    A5
}

private static final String TAG = "CustomPrinterService";

private PrintServiceListener mPrintServiceListener;

private String mPrinterIP;
private String mFilename;

private int mPrinterPort;
private int mNumberOfCopies;

private File mFile;
private PaperSize mPaperSize;

public CustomPrinterService(final String printerIP, final int printerPort, final File file,
                            final String filename, final PaperSize paperSize, final int copies) {
    mPrinterIP = printerIP;
    mPrinterPort = printerPort;
    mFile = file;
    mFilename = filename;
    mPaperSize = paperSize;
    mNumberOfCopies = copies;
}

@Override
protected Boolean doInBackground(Void... voids) {
    Boolean result = null;
    Socket socket = null;
    DataOutputStream out = null;
    FileInputStream inputStream = null;
    try {
        socket = new Socket(mPrinterIP, mPrinterPort);
        out = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
        DataInputStream input = new DataInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
        inputStream = new FileInputStream(mFile);
        byte[] buffer = new byte[3000];

        final char ESC = 0x1b;
        final String UEL = ESC + "%-12345X";
        final String ESC_SEQ = ESC + "%-12345\r\n";

        out.writeBytes(UEL);
        out.writeBytes("@PJL \r\n");
        out.writeBytes("@PJL JOB NAME = '" + mFilename + "' \r\n");
        out.writeBytes("@PJL SET PAPER=" + mPaperSize.name());
        out.writeBytes("@PJL SET COPIES=" + mNumberOfCopies);
        out.writeBytes("@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PDF\r\n");
        while (inputStream.read(buffer) != -1)
            out.write(buffer);
        out.writeBytes(ESC_SEQ);
        out.writeBytes("@PJL \r\n");
        out.writeBytes("@PJL RESET \r\n");
        out.writeBytes("@PJL EOJ NAME = '" + mFilename + "'");
        out.writeBytes(UEL);

        out.flush();
    } catch (Exception exception) {
        Log.d(TAG, exception.toString());
        result = false;
    } finally {
        try {
            if (inputStream != null) {
                inputStream.close();
            }
            if (out != null) {
                out.close();
            }
            if (socket != null) {
                socket.close();
            }
            if (result == null) {
                result = true;
            }
        } catch (Exception exception) {
            Log.d(TAG, exception.toString());
            result = false;
        }
    }
    return result;
}

@Override
protected void onPostExecute(Boolean result) {
    super.onPostExecute(result);
    if (result) {
        if (mPrintServiceListener != null) {
            mPrintServiceListener.onPrintCompleted();
        }
    } else {
        if (mPrintServiceListener != null) {
            mPrintServiceListener.onNetworkError();
        }
    }
}

public void setPrintServiceListener(PrintServiceListener listener) {
    mPrintServiceListener = listener;
}

public interface PrintServiceListener {

    void onPrintCompleted();

    void onNetworkError();
}

}

Answer 3

Additionally to Gokula's answer:

1. It's also possible to do this without having a file saved on device. In my case I used byte array or base 64 to print an image.

2. Code in kotlin =)

Printer Controller Call

override fun write(content: String, address: String?) {
    address?.let {
        val policy: StrictMode.ThreadPolicy = StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder().permitAll().build()
        StrictMode.setThreadPolicy(policy)
        Base64.decode("Base64 image content goes here", Base64.DEFAULT).printByDeviceIp(address)
    }
}

Printer Extension

fun ByteArray.printByDeviceIp(address: String) {
    try {
        val socket = Socket(address, PRINTER_DEFAULT_PORT)
        val output = DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream())
        val buffer = ByteArray(PRINTER_BUFFER_SIZE)
        val inputStream = ByteArrayInputStream(this)

        output.writeBytes(UEL)
        output.writeBytes(PRINT_META_JOB_START)
        output.writeBytes(PRINT_META_JOB_NAME)
        output.writeBytes(PRINT_META_JOB_PAPER_TYPE)
        output.writeBytes(PRINT_META_JOB_COPIES)
        output.writeBytes(PRINT_META_JOB_LANGUAGE)

        while (inputStream.read(buffer) != -1)
            output.write(buffer)

        output.writeBytes(ESC_SEQ)
        output.writeBytes(UEL)

        output.flush()

        inputStream.close()
        output.close()
        socket.close()
    } catch (e: Exception) {
        when(e) {
        is SocketException -> Log.e(this.javaClass.name, "Network failure: ${e.message}")
        is SocketTimeoutException -> Log.e(this.javaClass.name, "Timeout: ${e.message}")
        is IOException -> Log.e(this.javaClass.name, "Buffer failure: ${e.message}")
        else -> Log.e(this.javaClass.name, "General failure: ${e.message}")
    }
}

Printer Job Constants

private const val PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL = "@PJL"
private const val PRINT_META_BREAK = "\r\n"

private const val ESCAPE_KEY = 0x1b.toChar()
const val UEL = "$ESCAPE_KEY%-12345X"
const val ESC_SEQ = "$ESCAPE_KEY%-12345 $PRINT_META_BREAK"

const val PRINT_META_JOB_START = "$PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL $PRINT_META_BREAK"
const val PRINT_META_JOB_NAME = "$PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL JOB NAME = 'INBOUND_FINISH' $PRINT_META_BREAK"
const val PRINT_META_JOB_PAPER_TYPE = "$PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL SET PAPER = A4"
const val PRINT_META_JOB_COPIES = "$PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL SET COPIES = 1"
const val PRINT_META_JOB_LANGUAGE = "$PRINT_META_JOB_LABEL ENTER LANGUAGE = PDF $PRINT_META_BREAK"

const val PRINTER_DEFAULT_PORT: Int = 9100
const val PRINTER_BUFFER_SIZE: Int = 3000