guidox / Hardware
Print from any app and choose **Microsoft Print to PDF** as the printer, then set the file name in the save dialog. If the printer is missing, add it with **Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName Printing-PDF**.
The printer is an optional feature and can be missing after a slim install. **Get-Printer** lists it by its exact name, which the print dialog uses.
Get-Printer | Select-Object Name,DriverName,PortName,PrinterStatus
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Printing-PDF | Select-Object FeatureName,State
Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName 'Microsoft Print to PDF' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object PrinterName,PaperSize**Printing-PDF** installs the driver and the port in one step. A restart of the spooler is enough; the feature does not need a reboot.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Printing-PDF -All -NoRestart
Restart-Service Spooler -Force
Get-Printer | Where-Object Name -like '*PDF*' | Select-Object Name,DriverName,PortNameThe PDF printer takes the settings from the driver defaults, not from the app. Setting them before printing avoids a landscape page saved as portrait.
Set-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName 'Microsoft Print to PDF' -PaperSize A4
Get-PrintConfiguration -PrinterName 'Microsoft Print to PDF' | Select-Object PaperSize,Duplexing,Color
Get-PrintCapabilities -PrinterName 'Microsoft Print to PDF' | Select-Object PaperSizes**Ctrl+P**, then the PDF printer, then Print. The save dialog is the actual file selection, so the name and the folder are chosen there, not in the app.
# in the app: Ctrl+P > Microsoft Print to PDF > Print
# in the save dialog: pick the folder and type the name
Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents" -Filter *.pdf | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 3 Name,Length,LastWriteTimeA PDF that is 0 KB means the print job failed between the app and the port. Page count and size are the two quick checks.
$f = Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents" -Filter *.pdf | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1
$f | Select-Object Name,Length,LastWriteTime
Get-WinEvent -LogName 'Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Admin' -MaxEvents 5 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object TimeCreated,Id,Message -First 3**Out-Printer** sends text straight to the printer, and the port prompts for a file name once. For a scripted export, **printui** with the printer name is the reliable path.
Get-Content 'C:\temp\report.txt' | Out-Printer -Name 'Microsoft Print to PDF'
Get-PrinterPort | Where-Object Name -like '*PDF*' | Select-Object Name,Description,PrinterName
# scripted: rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /k /n "Microsoft Print to PDF" /f "C:\temp\out.pdf"The job went to another printer, or the PDF port prompt was disabled. Check the default printer and the port settings.
The app prints a page range that does not exist, or a font failed. Reinstall the driver with Remove-Printer and Add-Printer.
The port wrote an incomplete file. Clear the queue, print again, and avoid saving to a network path during the print.
A print produces fixed pages. Use the app's own Export as PDF when the output must stay interactive.
It uses a standard PDF compression. For a smaller file, reduce the image resolution in the app before printing.
Yes, with printui or with the app's own export switch. Plain text works with Out-Printer.
Only if the source text was text. A scanned image remains an image unless you run OCR on it.
Remove the printer with Remove-Printer -Name 'Microsoft Print to PDF', or disable the feature with Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Printing-PDF.
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