Organizations that rely on Citrix as their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and/or published application solution are all too aware that printing in Citrix can be hit or miss. That’s why they tend to memorize the Citrix printer driver compatibility list—or ignore it at their peril. Ensuring hardware compatibility is usually the first step toward troubleshooting a printer that isn’t working with Citrix printing.
Citrix’s software has evolved, though, and so too has the Citrix printer driver compatibility list. Because manufacturers can’t always be counted upon to update and maintain drivers for legacy devices, printer models that were once supported aren’t necessarily compatible with the current version of Virtual Apps. That kind of obsolescence can get awfully expensive when whole printer fleets have been purchased with the intent of printing in Citrix.
The finicky nature of Citrix printing also makes it difficult for organizations with diverse or niche printer fleets. Either they have to cross-reference every single printer with the compatibility list whenever a new Virtual Apps version rolls out, or they have to opt for the universal Citrix print driver. The Citrix Universal Print Driver is incredibly useful in these situations because it ensures broad compatibility across heterogeneous hardware environments, but configuring it still suffers from the same unpredictability as Citrix printing in general. For example, certain applications might not be able to see and print to certain printers—or even certain models of printers—for reasons that aren’t always clear.
PrinterLogic’s print management solution takes the uncertainty out of printing in Citrix. It doesn’t matter if your printer is on the Citrix printer driver compatibility list or not because our software helps to bridge the compatibility divide through its versatility and acclaimed ease of use.
With PrinterLogic, there are two general methods of Citrix printing. You can use whichever one your organization prefers and finds most efficient for use in Virtual Apps.
Auto-created printers: Using this method, admins install (or deploy) the PrinterLogic software client to the end-user workstation. Printers can then be deployed to the workstation automatically and are recreated through the policy of printer auto-creation that is common in Citrix printing. All the workstation printers will be replicated inside the session and use the universal Citrix print driver, which precludes the need to cross-check devices with the Citrix printer driver compatibility list.
Session printers: In this scenario, admins install the PrinterLogic client right into the Citrix Virtual Apps session. The client automatically gathers information about the end-user workstation from the Citrix session and uses that information to install the appropriate printers. The advantage here is that PrinterLogic plays a larger role in the Citrix printing process, so, for instance, end users are able to use PrinterLogic’s intuitive self-service installation portal to locate and install their own printers. They also don’t have to use the universal Citrix print driver; the print job is sent to the printer via a direct IP connection.
Even in large-scale and longtime Citrix environments, there’s no longer any need to fret about whether or not your printer is (or will continue to be) on the Citrix printer driver compatibility list. PrinterLogic’s next-gen print management solution integrates seamlessly with Virtual Apps and Virtual Desktops to restore order and reliability to Citrix printing. For more details on printing in Citrix using PrinterLogic, click here.