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I have some clients with multiple html files in folders that are occasionally updated & printed. They would like to be able to print them all at once without having to open each one.

I typically do this with a quick command for myself, but I'm unaware of any freeware to do this. After a google search, I'm not finding one, so I'm hoping someone can help. I'd rather not use a script to do this for various security/ease of use/familiarity reasons, I'd rather be able to just point to a simple program they can download and use on their windows desktops. Anyone know of one or some other easy solution to do this? Maybe I'm overlooking the obvious.

If anyone's curious, this is what I do for myself (not for my clients):

for %h in (*.html) do type "%h" >> all.htm

then open all.htm & print.

If I need a page break on each doc, I just search and replace in all.htm </body> with <p style="page-break-after:always">&nbsp;</p></body>.

It's quick & simple, but too unfamiliar for them.

Thanks!

masegaloeh
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Keith Bentrup
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2 Answers2

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By selecting the web pages to print, right-clicking and selecting Print from the context menu, I was able to print multiple documents to the printer, each starting on a new page. The documents were sent to my machine's default printer, and a separate print dialog box was generated for each web page. In that respect, the drag-and-drop option is probably better.

If the print command from the context menu is failing to work you, you may verify what application is registered as the default print command for that document type.

On my machine (Windows Server 2003) I go to Tools | Folder Options | File Types tab and scroll in the list to the file extension I am attempting to print (in my case HTM) and select the Advanced button which opens an Edit File Type dialog. From there, I click the Print entry in the Actions: list and click the Edit... button.

In my case, the application that prints web pages is msohtmed. The specific settings for my Print command are as follows:

Action:
&Print

Application used to perform action:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\msohtmed.exe" /p %1

Use DDE: Checked

DDE Message:
[blank]

Application:
msohtmed

DDE Application Not Running:
[blank]

Topic:
System

This information directs default printing of HTM documents to be routed through a light-weight editor that is a part of MS Office 2007. If you installed other HTML editors and indicate that they should become the default handler of files with the HTM extension, then it is possible that this application takes over default printing duties as well. This dialog box will show you exactly which application you need to blame/fix in order to get your printing from a context menu working again.

Best of luck.

HipCzeck
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  • +1 very informative and helpful. it's what my comment to pjz was getting at, but i stopped exploring b/c the basic process failed on multiple computers with different default "open" handlers (IE vs. Firefox vs. Chrome). unfortunately, i have the EXACT same "edit" settings as you except Office11 vs Office12. i'll check on a few other computers later today and see what i find. thanks for confirming that it's possible! – Keith Bentrup Jun 11 '09 at 19:35
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Isn't windows the land of drag and drop? what if they drag and drop the folder onto the printer?

pjz
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  • I tried this before on a couple different computers, it does ask me if I want to print multiple files at once. I confirm but then nothing. I also tried selecting several then right click & print but no luck. I guess the default behavior for this action would be to open up the file with it's default extension handler and run the print command, but the default program would have to support this - which may be some do and some don't. Anyway, thanks, but no luck. – Keith Bentrup Jun 10 '09 at 02:53