Network printing with driverless clients

A method for printing an electronic document, comprising:

• a client identifying one or more available printing devices by receiving a message, over a network, from each of the one or more available printing devices;
• the client communicating with the one or more available printing devices to identify printing features supported by the one or more available printing devices;
• in response to the client receiving a request to print an electronic document to a selected printing device, of the one or more available printing devices, the client, without the use of a printer driver, causing the electronic document to be printed by:
• sending document identification data to the selected printing device, wherein the document identification data identifies a location where the selected printing device may retrieve the electronic document;
• and
• sending print configuration data to the selected printing device, wherein the print configuration data is data that instructs the selected printing device how to print the electronic document using the printing features supported by the selected printing device.

A method for printing an electronic document, comprising:

• a printing device communicating with a client to provide to the client, data that indicates one or more printing features supported by the printing device;
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, an electronic document described using a page description language (PDL);
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, print configuration data that instructs the printing device how to print the electronic document using printing features supported by the printing device;
• and
• processing the electronic document and the print configuration data to cause the electronic document to be printed,
• wherein the electronic document and the print configuration data are received by the printing device from the client, without the use of a printer driver.

A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes:

• a client identifying one or more available printing devices by receiving a message, over a network, from each of the one or more available printing devices;
• the client communicating with the one or more available printing devices to identify printing features supported by the one or more available printing devices;
• in response to the client receiving a request to print an electronic document to a selected printing device, of the one or more available printing devices, the client, without the use of a printer driver, causing the electronic document to be printed by:
• sending the electronic document to the selected printing device;
• and
• sending print configuration data to the selected printing device, wherein the print configuration data is data that instructs the selected printing device how to print the electronic document using the printing features supported by the selected printing device.

A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes:

• a client identifying one or more available printing devices by receiving a message, over a network, from each of the one or more available printing devices;
• the client communicating with the one or more available printing devices to identify printing features supported by the one or more available printing devices;
• in response to the client receiving a request to print an electronic document to a selected printing device, of the one or more available printing devices, the client, without the use of a printer driver, causing the electronic document to be printed by:
• sending document identification data to the selected printing device, wherein the document identification data identifies a location where the selected printing device may retrieve the electronic document;
• and
• sending print configuration data to the selected printing device, wherein the print configuration data is data that instructs the selected printing device how to print the electronic document using the printing features supported by the selected printing device.

A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes:

• a printing device communicating with a client to provide to the client, data that indicates one or more printing features supported by the printing device;
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, an electronic document described using a page description language (PDL);
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, print configuration data that instructs the printing device how to print the electronic document using printing features supported by the printing device;
• and
• processing the electronic document and the print configuration data to cause the electronic document to be printed,
• wherein the electronic document and the print configuration data are received by the printing device from the client, without the use of a printer driver.

An apparatus for printing an electronic document, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a machine-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes:
• a client identifying one or more available printing devices by receiving a message, over a network, from each of the one or more available printing devices;
• the client communicating with the one or more available printing devices to identify printing features supported by the one or more available printing devices;
• in response to the client receiving a request to print an electronic document to a selected printing device, of the one or more available printing devices, the client, without the use of a printer driver, causing the electronic document to be printed by:
• sending the electronic document to the selected printing device;
• and
• sending print configuration data to the selected printing device, wherein the print configuration data is data that instructs the selected printing device how to print the electronic document using the printing features supported by the selected printing device.

An apparatus for printing an electronic document, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a machine-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes:
• a client identifying one or more available printing devices by receiving a message, over a network, from each of the one or more available printing devices;
• the client communicating with the one or more available printing devices to identify printing features supported by the one or more available printing devices;
• in response to the client receiving a request to print an electronic document to a selected printing device, of the one or more available printing devices, the client, without the use of a printer driver, causing the electronic document to be printed by:
• sending document identification data to the selected printing device, wherein the document identification data identifies a location where the selected printing device may retrieve the electronic document;
• and
• sending print configuration data to the selected printing device, wherein the print configuration data is data that instructs the selected printing device how to print the electronic document using the printing features supported by the selected printing device.

An apparatus for printing an electronic document, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a machine-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for printing an electronic document, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes:
• a printing device communicating with a client to provide to the client, data that indicates one or more printing features supported by the printing device;
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, an electronic document described using a page description language (PDL);
• at the printing device, receiving, from the client, print configuration data that instructs the printing device how to print the electronic document using printing features supported by the printing device;
• and
• processing the electronic document and the print configuration data to cause the electronic document to be printed,
• wherein the electronic document and the print configuration data are received by the printing device from the client, without the use of a printer driver.