NSPrintInfo

Inherits From: NSObject

Conforms To: NSCoding, NSCopying NSObject (NSObject)

Declared In: AppKit/NSPrintInfo.h

Class Description

An NSPrintInfo object stores information that's used during printing. A shared NSPrintInfo object is automatically created for an application and is used by default for all printing jobs for that application. You can create any number of additional NSPrintInfo objects; however, only one can be active at a time, as set through the setSharedPrintInfo: class method. The shared NSPrintInfo object is returned through the sharedPrintInfo class method.

An NSPrintInfo object is used by the NSPrintOperations class to control printing. If you create special instances of NSPrintInfo objects for a specific printing task, you must ensure that either the application's shared NSPrintInfo object is current, or you must instantiate an NSPrintOperations object using one of its methods that explicitly designate an NSPrintInfo object.

Although you can set an NSPrintInfo's attributes through the methods it provides, this is usually the task of other objects, notably the NSPageLayout and NSPrintPanel objects. The NSView or NSWindow that's being printed may also supercede some NSPrintInfo settings. In particular, a NSView or NSWindow can supply the range of pages in the document and can provide its own pagination mechanism through the knowsPagesFirst:last: and rect:forPage: methods (see the documentation of these methods in the NSView class for details).

If the printed NSView or NSWindow doesn't supply a pagination, the NSPrintInfo's vertical and horizontal pagination constants are used to trigger built-in pagination mechanisms:

Pagination Constant Meaning

NSAutoPagination The image is diced into equal-sized rectangles and placed in one column of pages.

NSFitPagination The image is scaled to produce one column or one row of pages.

NSClipPagination The image is clipped to produce one column or row of pages.

Vertical and horizontal pagination needn't be the same. However, if either dimension is scaled (NSFitPagination), the other dimension is scaled by the same amount to avoid stretching the image. If both dimensions are scaled, the scaling factor that produces the smallest image is used. Note that NSPrintInfo's scaling factor is independent of the scaling that's imposed by pagination and is applied after the document has been paginated.

NSPrintInfo uses points as the unit of measurement for paper size and margin width in the methods below. See the NSFont specification for a discussion of points.

Creating and Initializing an NSPrintInfo Instance

• - (id)initWithDictionary:(NSDictionary *)aDict Initializes a newly allocated NSPrintInfo object by assigning it the parameters specified in aDict. This is the designated initializer for the class.

• + (void)setSharedPrintInfo:(NSPrintInfo *)printInfo Sets the shared NSPrintInfo object to printInfo.
• + (NSPrintInfo *)sharedPrintInfo Returns the shared NSPrintInfo object.

• + (NSSize)sizeForPaperName:(NSString *)name Returns the size for the specified type of paper. name identifies the type of paper, such as Letter or Legal. Paper names are implementation specific.
• - (float)bottomMargin Returns the height of the bottom margin.
• - (float)leftMargin Returns the width of the left margin.
• - (NSPrintingOrientation)orientation Returns whether the orientation is Portrait or Landscape.
• - (NSString *)paperName Returns the paper type, such as Letter or Legal. Paper names are implementation specific.
• - (NSSize)paperSize Returns the size of the paper.
• - (float)rightMargin Returns the width of the right margin.
• - (void)setBottomMargin:(float)value Sets the bottom margin to value.
• - (void)setLeftMargin:(float)value Sets the left margin to value.
• - (void)setOrientation:(NSPrintingOrientation)mode Sets the orientation as Portrait or Landscape.
• - (void)setPaperName:(NSString *)name Sets the paper type. name identifies the type of paper, such as Letter or Legal. Paper names are implementation specific.
• - (void)setPaperSize:(NSSize)size Sets the width and height of the paper.
• - (void)setRightMargin:(float)value Sets the right margin to value.
• - (void)setTopMargin:(float)value Sets the top margin to value.
• - (float)topMargin Returns the height of the top margin.

• - (NSPrintingPaginationMode)horizontalPagination Returns the horizontal pagination mode.
• - (void)setHorizontalPagination:(NSPrintingPaginationMode)mode Sets the horizontal pagination mode.
• - (void)setVerticalPagination:(NSPrintingPaginationMode)mode Sets the vertical pagination mode.
• - (NSPrintingPaginationMode)verticalPagination Returns the vertical pagination mode.

• - (BOOL)isHorizontallyCentered Returns whether the image is centered horizontally.
• - (BOOL)isVerticallyCentered Returns whether the image is centered vertically.
• - (void)setHorizontallyCentered:(BOOL)flag Sets whether the image is centered horizontally.
• - (void)setVerticallyCentered:(BOOL)flag Sets whether the image is centered vertically.

• + (NSPrinter *)defaultPrinter Returns the user's default printer.
• + (void)setDefaultPrinter:(NSPrinter *)printer Sets the user's default printer.
• - (NSPrinter *)printer Returns the NSPrinter that's used for printing.
• - (void)setPrinter:(NSPrinter *)aPrinter Sets the printer that's used in subsequent printing jobs.

• - (NSString *)jobDisposition Returns the action specified for the job: printing, faxing, previewing, etc. See setJobDisposition:.
• - (void)setJobDisposition:(NSString *)disposition Sets the action specified for the job. disposition can be one of NSPrintSpoolJob, NSPrintFaxJob, NSPrintPreviewJob, NSPrintSaveJob, NSPrintCancelJob.
• - (void)setUpPrintOperationDefaultValues Allows the receiver to set any attribute that hasn't been previously set.

• - (NSMutableDictionary *)dictionary Returns the NSPrintInfo object's dictionary.