Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registration

PDF-XChange Drivers API (only) V4/V5
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igor_p
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Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registration

Post by igor_p »

Hello,

We have bought a dev license of your product: PDF-XChange PRO SDK Default 5.0.270 SDK - Single.
It includes also a virtual printing driver. We want to install this driver using a silent installation on several machines. Unfortunately, after installation with registration, printer still adds a evaluation watermarks to the generated PDFs. Please for help.

During installation, we use PDFSDKPRO5.exe downloaded from: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... fileid=257
There is a silent installation command that we use:

Code: Select all

PDFSDKPRO5.exe /VERYSILENT /NORESTART /DIR="C:\Program Files\VirtualPrinter\" /COMPONENTS="pdfSaver, PDF-XChange driver, Help, Languagess" "/Key:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" "/Organization:UNIT" /PName="Virtual Printer"
Below, I'm also attaching a ZIP with sample PDF and screenshot of the Printer Preferences / About form.
files.zip
(410.57 KiB) Downloaded 160 times
Thanks and regards,
Igor
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Igor,

Do you get the "DEMO" stamps when you print via the source code of your own product or when you use the File -> Print from a third party product?
Your developer license key is only valid for use through the code of your application and does not allow general printing from third party software.

Also - please be aware that end user licenses are provided on a per seat basis and cannot be distributed Royalty Free.

Regards,
Stefan
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Thanks for your quick reply Stefan. Yes, I was printing from third party software. Which license should I purchase to be able to use general printing from a third party products?

Regards,
Igor
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hi Igor,

You will need an end user license, but only on your own machine.
In general you are not allowed to deploy our printing drivers and provide them as a general printer to customers of your own software. If you do need such functionality - please do e-mail us at sales@pdf-xchange.com with a detailed description of your printing driver needs - and we will see to make an offer.

Regards,
Stefan
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the explanation. We decided to use API and pass the serial key and dev code via source code.

When I initialize printer I need to change default properties of 'Save' section. Please, look at the source code below.

Code: Select all

PXCComLib5.CPXCControlEx prnFactory = new PXCComLib5.CPXCControlEx();

PXCComLib5.CPXCPrinter PDFPrinter = (PXCComLib5.CPXCPrinter)prnFactory.get_Printer( "",
	"P2F", "<serial_key>", "<dev_code>" );

PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.SaveType" ] = 2;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.ShowSaveDialog" ] = false;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.Path" ] = @"C:\ProgramData\MyApp";
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.File" ] = @"%[Date:yyy_MM_dd]_%[Time:HH.mm.ss]";
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.WhenExists" ] = 2;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.AutoNumber.Start" ] = 1;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.AutoNumber.NumDigits" ] = 3;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.RunApp" ] = true;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.RunCustom" ] = true;
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.AppName" ] = @"C:\Program Files\MyApp\MyApp.exe";
PDFPrinter.Option[ "Save.AppParams" ] = @"%f";
Hardcoding these options is not a fancy solution, because it prevents us to modify them in the production environment. We could use some XML but it is not such comfortable as your "Printing preferences" window. We setup the same settings during silent installation of the print driver. I'm curious whether is there any possibility to import the options from "original" print driver via source code? If yes, how can I do this?

Regards,
Igor
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hi Igor,

The Drivers API is designed to be used via code. You have full control over the settings, and if you capture the user preferences in some other way (e.g. a window you've designed that is shown in your main software) - you can then update them via code, and change the Drivers API options before generating a PDF.

Please note once again that you should NOT be providing a general PDF printer to your users!!!

Regards,
Stefan
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John - Tracker Supp
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by John - Tracker Supp »

Igor,

please see your email - we urgently need your answer to avoid us having to disable your license from use until your confirmation is received.

Thankyou.
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.

Best regards
Tracker Support
http://www.tracker-software.com
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Hi,

We have changed the way on usage your Print Driver API and we don't distribute the general PDF printer to our users. Also we've never distributed printer to other users. We use the API according to the "Drivers API 2012 SDK Manual" downloaded from the page below.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product/pdf ... rivers-api
I assume that it's permitted under the developer license.

Regards,
Igor
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Chris - Tracker Supp
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Chris - Tracker Supp »

Hi Igor,

The distributable driver included in the Drivers API SDK section of our download page:

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... rivers-api

Still needs to have the serial key and developer code passed to it programmatically, you cannot distribute the driver to end users with your PRO SDK serial key distributed as the serial key for general use.

Can you confirm that you are not distributing the driver with your Pro SDK key and that you are only programmatically creating new instances of the printer using your serial key and dev code in your source code only?

Thank you,
Chris
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.


Chris Attrell
Tracker Sales & Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Yes, we will use your distributable driver during installation of our product. We are only programmatically creating new instances of the printer using the serial key and dev code in our source code only. Then we use this temporary printer as a PDF printer to our eDMS application. I hope it dispel any doubts to the legality of our solution.

Regards,
Igor
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Chris - Tracker Supp
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Chris - Tracker Supp »

Hi Igor,

Thank you then we are satisfied that your usage is within the terms and conditions of the license.

Appreciated,

Chris
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.


Chris Attrell
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http://www.tracker-software.com
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Hi,

As we dispelled any doubts to the legality of our solution, I have another problem.
During initialization of the temporary virtual printer, we are changing some "Save" options to force printer to send all generated PDFs to our eDMS system. It's working very well. Created temporary printer is available on the system printers list. When I open Printing Preferences of this temporary printer, I can see your original dialog (with paper, font, compression, watermark etc. settings). When I change some of these settings and apply them, they are written to the registry under the key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDF-XChange 5\<printer_name>\Profiles\Current
Unfortunately, these changes are not being applied in generated PDF documents. I've found similar problem in topic:
https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/ ... =43&t=7918

I have also noticed that following settings are not written to the registry:
Paper / Page Size (whole group)
Paper / Graphic (whole group)
General / Transition Type
General / Transition Mode

I'm running PDF-XChange v5 build 272 on Windows 8.1 x64.

Please for help.

Regards,
Igor
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Ivan - Tracker Software
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Ivan - Tracker Software »

Now settings of the printer are stored in DEVMODE structure instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDF-XChange 5\<printer_name>\Profiles\Current
It helps use the same printer simultaneously by two (or more) applications with two (or more) set of settings.

We will provide a way to specify default settings via command line tool instead of registry editing.
Tracker Software (Project Director)

When attaching files to any message - please ensure they are archived and posted as a .ZIP, .RAR or .7z format - or they will not be posted - thanks.
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Thanks for your reply Ivan.

I understand that DEVMODE structure is better than registry in this case, but it seems to me that you are storing here only settings about Paper / Page Size and Graphics. I have to mention that only these settings have effect on generated PDFs. Unfortunately, other settings such as Compression, Watermarks, Security etc. are not applied to the generated PDF documents.

To be clear, we have following expectations for your product:
  • 1. Ability to change some properties programmatically. For example "Save" section. It makes us sure that whatever end users change, our configuration will always be applied. It works very well.
    2. Ability to change some print settings just before printing to PDF (for example Compression, Paper Size or Watermarks). We would also like to be able to set up default print settings in Control Panel / Devices and Printers / <printer> / Printing Preferences. Unfortunately, most of settings (these which are stored in registry) are not applied to printed PDFs.
    3. Ability to somehow read settings made by users (point 2.) and store them alfter closing our main application.
    4. Ability to restore settings when starting again our main application. It would allow us to avoid re-configuring print settings every time we restart our app.
Points 3 and 4 could be easily achieved by reading registry and saving settings when our application is closing and writing them to the registry when our application is starting. Unfortunately, there are two problems. First, Page Size and Graphics from Paper section are not stored in registry. Second, all settings which are stored in registry are not applied to printed PDF documents.

Regards,
Igor
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John - Tracker Supp
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by John - Tracker Supp »

Igor - before continuing with the issue you have raised - we need again to come back to licensing.

You are licensed to use the SDK to provide direct printing options to PDF from your application or from some other application (e.g. MS Office) for limited use - such as generating PDF's to store in a structured DM system - provided you are controlling the output via your application and not the user selecting to print from the application (e.g. MS Office) via the MS Office direct print options or some alternate ADDIN you may provide. The latter examples would be a breach of the license.

Therefore if you expect/rely the driver settings to affect as modified via our end user interface options then this is indicative potentially that you are using the driver to output from 3rd party applications directly rather than from your application as allowed by our developer's license.

All relevant driver properties must be defined and set by your application and your applications interface as presented to your end user - rather than our drivers end user interface and you currently have the means to do this - further you can if you wish in your application if you are using it within the described licensed usage create your own properties/preferences interface to control the output options to the desired means and present these to your end user for modification.

It is essential you understand that your user may never initiate output from a 3rd party application directly other than your own - to generate PDF files. E.g. in Office you would need to use the available COM options available in Word to allow your user from your application to select and print a Word file m- they cannot do so directly from Word - this is against the license terms - even if it is simply for the purpose of storing within your DM.

If you want your users to be able to select File -> Print from a 3rd party application directly e.g. MS Word (or any other such direct method) - then End user and not SDK licenses Must be purchased.

I have advised our dev team not deal with this further until your confirm this is understood and confirmed.
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.

Best regards
Tracker Support
http://www.tracker-software.com
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Yes, I understand the license conditions. There were only my considerations and please, don't worry about them any more. We are changing all required printing preferences inside our application. As I described earlier, we use temporary printer as a PDF printer to our eDMS application.
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by John - Tracker Supp »

Ok - thanks Igor - appreciate your response and that you understand fully the way the licensing is structured.
If posting files to this forum - you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded - thank you.

Best regards
Tracker Support
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igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Hi,

Does your driver API SDK somehow support manipulating Paper preferences (I mean Page Size, Resolution, Scale and Orientation)? I didn't find any information about it in the documentation. I know that these settings are stored in DEVMODE structure instead of registry. I tried to modify this structure using Windows API but without success. Could you provide me some advices and/or C# example how to achieve this?

I'm using PDF-XChange Printer 2012 version 5.0 build 272.

Thanks in advance,
Igor
igor_p
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by igor_p »

Hi again,

I've searched deeper your forum and found two interesting posts:
https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/ ... ode#p57949
https://forum.pdf-xchange.com/ ... ode#p66717

They are talking about changing DevMode properties using standard approach:

Code: Select all

PDFPrinter.Option("DevMode.DPI");
I didn't find any information about it inside Driver's API documentation (Drivers API 2012 SDK Manual). Could you provide me complete list of available options (with short description) for the DevMode section? I've found on your forum only following ones:
  • DevMode.PapSize
    DevMode.CWidth
    DevMode.CHeight
    DevMode.DPI
It would be very nice if you could update the Drivers API SDK Manual with description of the DevMode section.

Thanks,
Igor
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: Printing driver - evaluation watermark after registratio

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Igor,

I've asked one of our drivers devs to help me with answering your latest question and we will post again here when we have further info.

Regards,
Stefan
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