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Setup a Shared Printer

Shamanth Vohra

BarTender Content Team

  • Updated

Overview

In this article, we will go over the details of setting up a printer to be shared between multiple computers. In order to do so, it is possible to use the shared printer option even if you are using a non-IP printer. 

Applicable to 

Seagull Scientific Printer Drivers

Information

The below instructions are based on the Seagull Scientific printer drivers, which can be found here. 

Share a Locally Installed Printer

  1. Open the Printers & Scanners panel in Windows.
  2. Select the locally installed Printer you wish to share and click Manage.
  3. Enable Share this printer under under Printer properties > Sharing.
  4. The UNC path by which to address the printer over your local network is composed of the computer name and the printer name specified in Step 3. The UNC path should look as follows: 
    \\ComputerName\PrinterName

Note that you cannot print to the locally connected printer using the printer instance, which points to the local USB port. Since you will make use of the UNC path when printing from another computer on the network, this could result in printer duplication due to the way licensing works in BarTender.

In order to solve this, you will need to install a secondary printer instance on the local computer for this printer using the UNC path, as shown in the following section. 

For more detailed information on how BarTender treats shared printers and printer duplication issues, please have a look at the article Sharing Networked Printers Using Windows Causes Printer Duplication on the BarTender Licensing System

Install Secondary Printer Instance Using UNC Path

  1. Start the DriverWizard application that comes as part of our Seagull printer drivers download files (this tool is normally located under the C:\Seagull Windows folder or directly on a Seagull folder on your Desktop since driver version 2017.1). Run this tool and choose the option Install printer drivers.
  2. At the next dialog, choose Other as the connection method. Click Next.
  3. Choose the model and make of your printer. Click Next.
  4. When prompted for the port to use, click the Create Port button.
  5. Choose Local Port as the Port, then click the New Port... button.
  6. Now, as the Port Name, enter the UNC path for the printer share on the print server as specified above.

 

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