Printing

Printing modes in the environment and their compatibility according to the connection path.

Printing is one of the classic friction points in a remote desktop: the document is generated on the server, but the printer is on the user's desk.

Each mode solves that jump in a different way.

Modes

Mode	How it works	What problem it solves	Requires
Universal Printer	Prints with a universal driver, without installing the manufacturer's driver on the server	Avoids installing and maintaining printer drivers in the environment	Printer compatibility with the universal driver
TS Print	Redirects the print job to the local computer using TS Print software	Prints to any local printer without relying on the driver on the server	TS Print software on the user's computer
Printer mapping	Takes the user's local printers into the remote environment	That the user sees and prints to their usual printers	That the connection method supports mapping

Why the connection method matters

The technical reason is that not all connection methods redirect local devices in the same way. A browser session (HTML5) does not expose local printers in the same way as a RemoteApp client, so the mode that works in one case may not be available in another.

That is why it is advisable to decide on printing and the connection method at the same time.

For example: a user who connects via HTML5 from a Mac will usually rely on a solution that does not depend on the local driver, while a user with a Windows client has more direct mapping options.

Best practices

• If the printer fleet is varied or has driver issues, consider Universal Printer or TS Print before direct mapping.
• Define printing together with the user's connection method, not afterward.
• Test printing with a pilot user before rolling out to all clients.

To choose the connection method, go to Connection modes and compatibility.