MS Access: custom paper size

Question

I am building a MS Access (2010) application and I'll be printing barcode labels from this application. There are a variety of other reports and forms which will also be printed, using the standard printer settings, however with the barcodes I need it to print to a specific printer, and have to set it to use a special page size.

In my searching I have found the printer object's property "Papersize" which itself has quite a few 'standard' default options including acPRPSLetter for the standard US Letter at 8.5" x 11" and acPRPSA4 for the A4 paper size. None of the preset sizes will work for my use. There is one preset which represents a user custom size, acPRPSUser, but I have not found any way to programmatically set the custom size.

I did read about how there are the '.height' and '.width' properties of the printer, but it does not appear that they exist in the VB used for Access 2010 (I believe it is based on VB6).

Can anyone help me set a custom paper size using VB code in Access 2010?

Answer 1

I had the same problem. I solved it by using How to: Programmatically Retrieve Printer Capabilities

I made a module with a Procedure Printout. With the Function Printerselection I could call a printer using a specific part of the printername. The function PaperSelection was used to specify the paper using a specific part of the paper name.

First I had to use the declaration for the DeviceCapabilities function API call

    ' Declaration for the DeviceCapabilities function API call.
Private Declare Function DeviceCapabilities Lib "winspool.drv" _
    Alias "DeviceCapabilitiesA" (ByVal lpsDeviceName As String, _
    ByVal lpPort As String, ByVal iIndex As Long, lpOutput As Any, _
    ByVal lpDevMode As Long) As Long

' DeviceCapabilities function constants.
Private Const DC_PAPERNAMES = 16
Private Const DC_PAPERS = 2
Private Const DC_BINNAMES = 12
Private Const DC_BINS = 6
Private Const DEFAULT_VALUES = 0

Private Type str_DEVMODE
    RGB As String * 94
End Type

Private Type type_DEVMODE
    strDeviceName As String * 32
    intSpecVersion As Integer
    intDriverVersion As Integer
    intSize As Integer
    intDriverExtra As Integer
    lngFields As Long
    intOrientation As Integer
    intPaperSize As Integer
    intPaperLength As Integer
    intPaperWidth As Integer
    intScale As Integer
    intCopies As Integer
    intDefaultSource As Integer
    intPrintQuality As Integer
    intColor As Integer
    intDuplex As Integer
    intResolution As Integer
    intTTOption As Integer
    intCollate As Integer
    strFormName As String * 32
    lngPad As Long
    lngBits As Long
    lngPW As Long
    lngPH As Long
    lngDFI As Long
    lngDFr As Long
End Type

Private Cnt As Integer, PrinterSelect As Integer

Public Sub PrintOut(ByVal rptName As String, Printer As String, Paper As String, BinName As String, Optional Landscape As Boolean, Optional WhereCond)
Dim rpt As Report
DoCmd.OpenReport rptName, acViewPreview, , WhereCond
Set rpt = Reports(rptName)
PrinterSelect = PrinterSelection(Printer)
rpt.Printer = Application.Printers(PrinterSelect)
rpt.Printer.PaperSize = PaperSelection(Paper, PrinterSelect)
If Landscape Then
    rpt.Printer.Orientation = acPRORLandscape
Else
    rpt.Printer.Orientation = acPRORPortrait
End If
rpt.Printer.PaperBin = BinSelection(BinName, PrinterSelect)
End Sub

Public Function PrinterSelection(Printer As String) As Integer
For Cnt = 0 To Application.Printers.Count - 1
    If InStr(1, Application.Printers(Cnt).DeviceName, Printer) > 0 Then
        PrinterSelection = Cnt
    End If
Next Cnt
End Function

Public Function PaperSelection(Paper As String, Printer As Integer) As Integer

    Dim lngPaperCount As Long
    Dim lngCounter As Long
    Dim hPrinter As Long
    Dim strDeviceName As String
    Dim strDevicePort As String
    Dim strPaperNamesList As String
    Dim strPaperName As String
    Dim intLength As Integer
    Dim strMsg As String
    Dim aintNumPaper() As Integer

    On Error GoTo GetPaperList_Err

    ' Get the name and port of the selected printer.
    strDeviceName = Application.Printers(Printer).DeviceName
    strDevicePort = Application.Printers(Printer).Port

    ' Get the count of paper names supported by the printer.
    lngPaperCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_PAPERNAMES, _
        lpOutput:=ByVal vbNullString, _
        lpDevMode:=DEFAULT_VALUES)

    ' Re-dimension the array to the count of paper names.
    ReDim aintNumPaper(1 To lngPaperCount)

    ' Pad the variable to accept 64 bytes for each paper name.
    strPaperNamesList = String(64 * lngPaperCount, 0)

    ' Get the string buffer of all paper names supported by the printer.
    lngPaperCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_PAPERNAMES, _
        lpOutput:=ByVal strPaperNamesList, _
        lpDevMode:=DEFAULT_VALUES)

    ' Get the array of all paper numbers supported by the printer.
    lngPaperCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_PAPERS, _
        lpOutput:=aintNumPaper(1), _
        lpDevMode:=DEFAULT_VALUES)

    ' List the available paper names.
    For lngCounter = 1 To lngPaperCount

        ' Parse a paper name from the string buffer.
        strPaperName = Mid(String:=strPaperNamesList, Start:=64 * (lngCounter - 1) + 1, Length:=64)
        intLength = VBA.InStr(Start:=1, String1:=strPaperName, String2:=Chr(0)) - 1
        strPaperName = Left(String:=strPaperName, Length:=intLength)
        If InStr(1, strPaperName, Paper) > 0 Then
        ' Select the a paper number corresponding to the paper name.
            PaperSelection = aintNumPaper(lngCounter)
        End If
    Next lngCounter


GetPaperList_End:
    Exit Function

GetPaperList_Err:
    MsgBox Prompt:=err.Description, Buttons:=vbCritical & vbOKOnly, _
        Title:="Error Number " & err.Number & " Occurred"
    Resume GetPaperList_End

End Function

Public Function BinSelection(BIN As String, Printer As Integer) As Integer
' Uses the DeviceCapabilities API function to choose the desired paper bin supported by the    chosen printer

    Dim lngBinCount As Long
    Dim lngCounter As Long
    Dim hPrinter As Long
    Dim strDeviceName As String
    Dim strDevicePort As String
    Dim strBinNamesList As String
    Dim strBinName As String
    Dim intLength As Integer
    Dim strMsg As String
    Dim aintNumBin() As Integer

    On Error GoTo GetBinList_Err

    ' Get name and port of the default printer.
    strDeviceName = Application.Printers(Printer).DeviceName
    strDevicePort = Application.Printers(Printer).Port

    ' Get count of paper bin names supported by the printer.
    lngBinCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_BINNAMES, _
        lpOutput:=ByVal vbNullString, _
        lpDevMode:=DEFAULT_VALUES)

    ' Re-dimension the array to count of paper bins.
    ReDim aintNumBin(1 To lngBinCount)

    ' Pad variable to accept 24 bytes for each bin name.
    strBinNamesList = String(Number:=24 * lngBinCount, Character:=0)

    ' Get string buffer of paper bin names supported by the printer.
    lngBinCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_BINNAMES, _
        lpOutput:=ByVal strBinNamesList, _
        lpDevMode:=DEFAULT_VALUES)

    ' Get array of paper bin numbers supported by the printer.
    lngBinCount = DeviceCapabilities(lpsDeviceName:=strDeviceName, _
        lpPort:=strDevicePort, _
        iIndex:=DC_BINS, _
        lpOutput:=aintNumBin(1), _
        lpDevMode:=0)

    ' List available paper bin names.
    strMsg = "Paper bins available for " & strDeviceName & vbCrLf
    For lngCounter = 1 To lngBinCount

        ' Parse a paper bin name from string buffer.
        strBinName = Mid(String:=strBinNamesList, _
            Start:=24 * (lngCounter - 1) + 1, _
            Length:=24)
        intLength = VBA.InStr(Start:=1, _
            String1:=strBinName, String2:=Chr(0)) - 1
        strBinName = Left(String:=strBinName, _
                Length:=intLength)

        If InStr(1, strBinName, BIN) > 0 Then
        ' Select the bin number corresponding to the bin name.
            BinSelection = aintNumBin(lngCounter)
        End If
     Next lngCounter


GetBinList_End:
    Exit Function
GetBinList_Err:
    MsgBox Prompt:=err.Description, Buttons:=vbCritical & vbOKOnly, _
        Title:="Error Number " & err.Number & " Occurred"
    Resume GetBinList_End
End Function

Answer 2

looks like you need to look out for .DefaultSize - if it's true, then your ItemSizeHeight & ItemSizeWidth settings are ignored

There's lots more information on MSDN and some examples

Answer 3

There is no need for VBA. You can set all page settings for margins, orientation, paper, printer and columns by using the page settings command from the menu: Tools for report designs > Page settings > Page settings > Page > Paper > Size, or > Page > Printer for ReportName > Use specific printer > Printer > Properties. These settings are saved for each induvidual report.