IppPrinter

IppPrinter is a lightweight, cross-platform IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) print server web application built with ASP.NET Core and powered by the SharpIppNext library.

Features

• Full IPP Protocol Support: Implements standard IPP 1.1 and 2.0 operations (Print-Job, Create-Job, Send-Document, Get-Printer-Attributes, Get-Job-Attributes, Get-Jobs, Cancel-Job, subscriptions, etc.) via SharpIppNext.
• HTTP & HTTPS (IPPS) Support: Supports secure encrypted printing over TLS/HTTPS (IPPS) as well as standard unencrypted HTTP connections on port 631.
• Automatic Document Conversion: Converts incoming document payloads automatically to PDF format for storage and processing:
  • PWG Raster (image/pwg-raster)
  • Apple Raster / URF (image/urf)
  • Images (image/png, image/jpeg, image/gif, image/bmp)
  • Plain Text (text/plain) with automatic line wrapping and PDF layout generation
  • Native PDF (application/pdf) pass-through
• Post-Process Job Action: Automatically execute external application (e.g. Adobe Acrobat, SumatraPDF), CLI print utility (lp/lpr), or custom script after receiving print job.
• mDNS / Zeroconf Discovery: Automatic network printer advertisement (PrinterDiscoveryService) allowing clients on the network (Windows, macOS, iOS AirPrint, Android, Linux CUPS) to discover the printer automatically.
• Multiple IPP Endpoints: Supports common IPP path patterns (/, /ipp, /ipp/print, /printers/{PrinterName}, /{PrinterName}).
• Cross-Platform & Windows Service: Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Includes native Windows Service hosting and Event Log integration.
• Background Job Queue: Async job queue with background processing and job timeout handling.
• Easy Deployment & Setup: Comes with PowerShell automation scripts (Add-Printer.ps1 / Remove-Printer.ps1) and an optional Inno Setup GUI installer.

Requirements

• .NET 10.0 Runtime installed.

Installation

The printer is compatible with any standard IPP client.

Windows (GUI Installer)

1. Download IppPrinter-vX.X.X-x64.exe from Releases.
2. Run the installer wizard as Administrator.
3. Select your desired Installation Type:
   • Windows Service (Default): Runs system-wide in the background before user logon (Session 0). Recommended for headless servers. Note: Cannot display GUI windows or call interactive desktop applications.
   • Startup Application: Runs automatically upon user logon in the active desktop session. Allows post-process actions to launch applications with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) (e.g. Acrobat Reader, SumatraPDF window, or interactive scripts).
4. The setup automatically configures the firewall rule for port 631, sets up permissions, and registers the IppPrinter print queue.

Windows (Printer Wizard)

1. Open Printers & scanners in Windows Settings.
2. Click Add device.
3. Click Add a new device manually.
4. Select Add a printer using an IP address or hostname.
5. Select IPP Device as the device type.
6. Enter http://127.0.0.1:631/ or https://127.0.0.1:631/ as the Hostname or IP address.
7. Click Next to finish adding the printer.
8. (Optionally) Click Print a test page.
9. Click Finish.

Windows (PowerShell Script)

Add-Printer -Name "IppPrinter" -IppURL "http://127.0.0.1:631/ipp/print"

All installation and removal steps are also automated via Setup/Add-Printer.ps1 and Setup/Remove-Printer.ps1.

Android

Tested with the NetPrinter app and standard Android IPP print services.

Post-Processing Configuration

IppPrinter can automatically execute an external application, viewer, or command-line tool whenever a print job is received and converted to PDF.

You can configure post-processing actions in appsettings.json under the "Printer" configuration section:

• PostProcessName: The full path to the executable or command (e.g. AcroRd32.exe, SumatraPDF.exe, lp, powershell.exe).
• PostProcessArguments: Arguments passed to the process. You can use placeholders for the target PDF file path:
  • {fullName}: Replaced with the path of the saved PDF file.
  • If no placeholder is included, the file path is automatically appended in quotes ("{fullName}").

Usage Examples

Silent Print to Default Windows Printer via SumatraPDF

"Printer": {
  "Name": "IppPrinter",
  "PostProcessName": "C:\\Program Files\\SumatraPDF\\SumatraPDF.exe",
  "PostProcessArguments": "-print-to-default \"{fullName}\""
}

Open PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader

"Printer": {
  "Name": "IppPrinter",
  "PostProcessName": "C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Acrobat Reader DC\\Reader\\AcroRd32.exe",
  "PostProcessArguments": "/t \"{fullName}\""
}

Note

Interactive GUI applications like Adobe Acrobat Reader require running IppPrinter as a Startup Application (active desktop session). If IppPrinter is running as a Windows Service (Session 0), GUI applications cannot display windows. For silent background printing when running as a service, use SumatraPDF or CLI tools instead.

Forward to Physical Printer via Linux CUPS (lp)

"Printer": {
  "Name": "IppPrinter",
  "PostProcessName": "lp",
  "PostProcessArguments": "-d Physical_Printer \"{fullName}\""
}

Run a Custom PowerShell Script

"Printer": {
  "Name": "IppPrinter",
  "PostProcessName": "powershell.exe",
  "PostProcessArguments": "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File \"C:\\Scripts\\ProcessJob.ps1\" -FilePath \"{fullName}\""
}

Contributing & Testing

For local development setup, building the installer, and integration testing instructions, see CONTRIBUTION.md.

License

IppPrinter is provided as-is under the MIT license.

For details on third-party dependencies and their licenses, see THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt.