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Windows 8 tablets & Windows RT printing

With the Windows platform being adopted on more and more device types, organizations are seeking knowledge and information on how to support printing and integration with PaperCut. This section discusses Windows mobile device printing and shares some hints and tips.

Note:

This is not a step-by-step guide on everything Windows Mobile. Rather, it covers the main concepts that help administrators integrate Windows RT and Windows 8 tablet devices into existing print infrastructure. The following information comes from our own experiences and customer feedback.

In most cases Windows devices are able to print and use existing Windows server-based print queues. The best approach for supporting users and devices vary depending on the device type and purpose:

  • Windows 8 Intel-based devices predominantly used in Desktop Mode

  • Windows 8 Intel-based devices predominantly used in Tile Mode

  • Windows RT devices

Client software

Windows 8 Intel-based devices predominantly used in desktop mode are best treated in the same way as Windows laptops. If the user requires the client software (e.g. for shared accountA shared account is an account that is shared by multiple users. For example, in business, shared accounts can be used to track printing costs by business unit, project, or client. Organizations like legal firms, engineering firms, or accounting offices often have long lists of accounts, projects, clients, or matters. In a school or university, shared accounts can be used to track printing by departments, classes, or subjects. selection), install the PaperCut User ClientThe User Client tool is an add-on that resides on a user's desktop. It allows users to view their current account balance via a popup window, provides users with the opportunity to confirm what they are about to print, allows users to select shared accounts via a popup, if administrators have granted access to this feature, and displays system messages, such as, the "low credit" warning message or print policy popups. software locally.

If the device is Windows RT based, or is predominantly used in Tile Mode, bookmark or pin the Mobile Client to the Start Screen. The Mobile Client is located at the URL:

http://[server-name]:9191/client

The Mobile Client provides most of the functionality of the desktop client software, but does not require local installation, as it runs in a web browser. If your users need to interact with the client (e.g. for shared account selection), instruct them to open the client after printing their job.

How do I print via a server with Windows RT?

You need:

Windows RT comes with many in-built or in-OS drivers. These are called class or mode 4 drivers. Printers that require specialized drivers do not work.

Tip:

If your primary print server runs an older version of Windows and you are not able to upgrade it, consider setting up a new secondary print server to support Windows RT. PaperCut is able to track printing on multiple servers and multiple operating systems.

When selecting a print driver to use for the printer, find a compatible "Class" driver as shown below.

This manual does not address how to best deploy these printers to your Windows RT users. A manual approach is, however, adopted by many organizations.

If you want to read the latest information on Windows RT, or want to share your preferred deployment method, check out PaperCut's Knowledge Base article on the topic .

I want to continue to use my standard driver on other systems. Is this possible?

At the time of writing, the suitability of mode 4 drivers with regards to Windows Vista and Windows 7 is unknown. In this situation, you could consider setting up duplicate printer queues on the Windows Server 2012 machine, perhaps with "RT" on the end of them, such as:

\\printserver\library \\printserver\libraryrt

You can then select the different "class" driver on the RT specific queue. To help with reporting, consider using PaperCut's inbuilt "Printer Groups" or physical printer reports to consolidate usage information from both queues.

Other options for Windows RT and Windows 8 tablet devices

and Email to Print have both been successfully deployed and are in active use in Windows RT and Windows 8 tablet environments. Although the print experience is not native, the simpler setup and management might be attractive to many organizations.