Printer properties overview

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Printer properties overview

You use a printer's properties pages, or tabs, to set and customize a printer's behavior, provided you have the appropriate printer permission. The printer's properties tabs include a standard set of tabs that always appear for all printers, and optional tabs that might appear based on the printer's driver. For example, color printers have an additional tab called Color Management.

The first table summarizes the standard set of the printer's properties tabs, which always appear. The second table shows some examples of optional printer's properties tabs that might appear.

Tab Use to
   

General

Change printer's name

Set printer's location and comment

Print a test page

Set personal printing preferences

Sharing

Share a printer, or stop sharing

Publish a printer in Active Directory

Install additional drivers

Ports

Add, delete, and configure a port

Enable printer pooling

Advanced

Schedule printer availability

Assign printer priority

Change printer's driver

Set spooling options

Set printer's default preferences

Set a separator page

Security

Assign permissions for a printer

Audit printer use

Take ownership of a printer

Device Settings

Set printer memory

Assign a print form to a tray

Choose font types

Set what optional features are installed

Here are some examples of optional properties tabs that might appear depending on the type of printer (as indicated by its driver), the situations in which they appear, and what you use them to do. Other optional tabs not listed in the table might also appear.

Tab Appears with Use to
     

Color Management

Color printers

Set color profile

About

Some drivers

Printer manufacturer information (when manufacturer assists with driver)

Utilities

Some drivers

Printer manufacturer utilities

User Information

Fax drivers

Information to be used on the fax cover page

Printer Commands

Generic printers (text only)

Set control codes for a generic printer

Font Selection

Generic printers (text only)

Set control codes for fonts