Binaryworld - Get the Default Printer ... [ VB -> Printing ]

API Declarations

Option Explicit

'MS Windows API Function Prototypes
Private Declare Function GetProfileString Lib "kernel32.dll" Alias "GetProfileStringA" (ByVal lpAppName As String, ByVal lpKeyName As String, ByVal lpDefault As String, ByVal lpReturnedString As String, ByVal nSize As Long) As Long

Module

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'---------------------------------------------------------------
' Retreive the vb object "printer" corresponding to the window's
' default printer.
'---------------------------------------------------------------
Public Function GetDefaultPrinter() As Printer
  Dim strBuffer As String * 254
  Dim iRetValue As Long
  Dim strDefaultPrinterInfo As String
  Dim tblDefaultPrinterInfo() As String
  Dim objPrinter As Printer

  ' Retreive current default printer information
  iRetValue = GetProfileString("windows", "device", ",,,", strBuffer, 254)
  strDefaultPrinterInfo = Left(strBuffer, InStr(strBuffer, Chr(0)) - 1)
  tblDefaultPrinterInfo = Split(strDefaultPrinterInfo, ",")
  For Each objPrinter In Printers
    If objPrinter.DeviceName = tblDefaultPrinterInfo(0) Then
      ' Default printer found !
      Exit For
    End If
  Next
  ' If not found, return nothing
  If objPrinter.DeviceName <> tblDefaultPrinterInfo(0) Then
    Set objPrinter = Nothing
  End If
  Set GetDefaultPrinter = objPrinter
End Function

Usage

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'Example:
'- Start a new project and on the form_load event write this code
Private Sub Form_Load()
  Dim objPrinter As Printer

  Set objPrinter = GetDefaultPrinter()
  MsgBox "Default printer is: " + objPrinter.DeviceName
  MsgBox "Driver name is: " + objPrinter.DriverName
  MsgBox "Port is: " + objPrinter.Port
  Set objPrinter = Nothing
End Sub