Print It Your Way

Sometimes you may want to spool documents so you get access to your application sooner, and other times you want the printout pronto. Or on some days you may choose to print everything at night, and on other days you want to print right away. Another possibility is that you're prevented from using the tips above because you're sharing a printer connected to your computer. Fortunately, there's an easy way to print what you want, when you want, and without your having to dig through dialog boxes to configure your printer every time. The trick is to install multiple icons for a single printer and then set each icon to one of the preferences you're most likely to use. (Note that this tip may not work for networked printers on Windows 2000.)

Open the 'Printers' or 'Printers and Faxes' window and use the tips described above to configure your printer with the settings you'll use most often. Select the icon for the printer you just configured, press F2, type a name that will remind you of this icon's settings--for example, spooled printing--and press Enter.

Now double-click the Add Printer icon, or in XP click the Add a printer link on the left. Step through the Add Printer Wizard as if you were installing your existing printer all over again. When the wizard asks whether to keep the existing driver or use a new one, select Keep existing driver (recommended) and click Next. When prompted for a name for your printer, type something appropriate for the settings--for example, direct printing. Click Next and follow the prompts to finish the wizard. Now select the icon you just created and follow the steps above to configure this shortcut with your alternative settings (see FIGURE 3).

Now choose the appropriate custom printer icon from the print dialog box. Usually you'll see your custom printer icons in a Name drop-down list. Select the one you want, specify any other dialog box settings you prefer, and click OK or Print.

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