Printing Enhancements Previously Introduced in Windows Vista

A number of print subsystem, print management, and printing experience improvements were first introduced in Windows Vista, and these continue to be included in Windows 7. The new features and enhancements to printing in Windows Vista were as follows:

• Integrated support for XPS Windows Vista includes support for XPS, which is a set of conventions for using Extensible Markup Language (XML) to describe the content and appearance of paginated documents.
• XPS print path In addition to supporting the Graphics Device Interface (GDI) print path used by earlier versions of Windows, the printing architecture of Windows Vista includes a print path that uses XPS as a document format, a Windows spool file format, and a page description language (PDL) for printers.
• XPS document graphics fidelity and performance The XPS document printing capability in Windows Vista supports vector-based graphics that can be scaled to a high degree without creating jagged or pixilated text, producing high-fidelity print output for graphics-rich documents. An XPS document is created by default when you print from any application running on Windows Vista, and you can print this document without rendering it again to an XPS-capable printer. Therefore, you can reduce print processing time by as much as 90 percent compared with printing in previous versions of Windows, depending on the richness of the content being printed and the capabilities of the printer.
• Microsoft XPS Document Writer Windows Vista includes the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, which you can use through any Windows application to print graphicsrich application output as XPS documents. You can then view these documents in Windows Internet Explorer by using the Microsoft XPS Viewer or by printing them directly to an XPS-capable printer without rendering them again.
• Client-Side Rendering (CSR) By default, Windows Vista renders print jobs on the client instead of the print server. This can significantly reduce print processing times when printing to XPS-capable printers. CSR works on non-XPS printers as well and is useful for reducing CPU and memory load on the server (servers can host more queues); it also reduces network traffic for some drivers.
• Resource Reuse XPS documents include the capability of rendering an image once and reusing the rendered image when it appears on multiple pages of a print job. This can reduce the print processing time for documents that have graphics-rich corporate logos and reduces the amount of data sent over the network to remote printers.
• Windows Color System Windows Color System (WCS) works with the Windows Vista print subsystem to provide a richer color-printing experience that supports widegamut printers (inkjet printers that use more than four ink colors) for lifelike printing of color photos and graphics-rich documents.
• Print Management Print Management, a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that was first included in Windows Server 2003 R2, is installed by default on Windows Vista, allowing administrators to manage printers, print servers, and print jobs easily across an enterprise. Print Management in Windows Vista has also been enhanced with new capabilities.
• Network Printer Installation Wizard Windows Vista replaces the Add Printer Wizard, which was used in previous versions of Windows, with the Network Printer Installation Wizard, which is easier to use and has new capabilities. This new wizard makes it easier for users to connect to remote printers and to local printers that are not Plug and Play.
• Non-admin printer installation Standard users (that is, users who are not local administrators on their computers) can install printers without requiring administrative privileges or elevation at a User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
• Deploying and managing printers using Group Policy Using Group Policy to deploy printer connections-first introduced in Windows Server 2003 R2-was enhanced in Windows Vista by eliminating the requirement to prepare client computers first using a startup script that installs PushPrinterConnections.exe client software on them. New policy settings have also been added in Windows Vista to enhance the capability of managing printers and printing using Group Policy. You can also use the Group Policy Results Wizard in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to display Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) for deployed printers.
• Assigning printers based on location In Windows Vista, you can assign printers based on location by deploying printers using Group Policy and linking Group Policy objects (GPOs) to sites in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). When mobile users move to a different site, Group Policy updates their printer connections for the new location; when the users return to their primary site, their original default printers are restored.
• Easier printer migration You can use a new Printer Migration Wizard (including a command-line version called PrintBRM) to back up printer configurations on print servers, move printers between print servers, and consolidate multiple print servers onto a single server.