Intent to Prototype: Web Printing API
Andrew Rayskiy
Contact emails
Explainer
https://github.com/GrapeGreen/web-printing
Specification
TBD
Summary
Enables deeper integration with printer-related functionality in web applications. This API provides a set of JavaScript methods that allow developers to query local printers, submit print jobs to the most appropriate printers, and manage print job options and status directly from web applications. To represent these concepts, it relies on the attribute names and semantics from the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) specifications.
Blink component
Motivation
The Web Printing API strives to improve the general printing experience with a primary focus on remote/virtual desktop systems by providing a seamless way for remote clients to interact with printers directly. The proposed API methods unlock proper printer forwarding by allowing the remote client to access essential information about printers on the near side. This eliminates the need for tedious manual configuration, such as setting up virtual printers, and excessive user interactions such as having to click through print job settings twice (once on the remote side & once locally). It also enables remote document rendering to be tailored to the capabilities of the local printer.
Initial public proposal
https://github.com/WICG/proposals/issues/120
TAG review
https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/910
TAG review status
Pending
Risks
Interoperability and Compatibility
None
Gecko: No signal
WebKit: No signal
Web developers: Positive (https://github.com/WICG/proposals/issues/120#issuecomment-1752979770) Positive feedback from Citrix.
Other signals:
WebView application risks
Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?
None
Debuggability
None
Is this feature fully tested by web-platform-tests?
No
Flag name on chrome://flags
enable-printing-web-api
Finch feature name
WebPrinting
Non-finch justification
None
Requires code in //chrome?
True
Estimated milestones
No milestones specified
Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status
https://chromestatus.com/feature/5100352332627968