Technical requirements for quickinstallation on print servers
Installing License Server on the print server
Installing ThinPrint Engine on the print server
Installing ThinPrint Client on a Windows workstation
Creating printers on the central print server (Driver Free Printing)
Installing ThinPrint Engine on a remote desktop
Printing from a session (Driver Free Printing)
The following documentation is a quick guide for installing ThinPrint Engine on a central print server.
Scenario
This documentation describes the quick installation of ThinPrint Engine on a print server, using the following scenario:
Technical requirements for quickinstallation on print servers
Be sure that the TCP port number/s for printing via TCP/IP is/are not being blocked by another program or by a server-side or client-side firewall. IPv4 has to be enabled for each involved machine.
Servers
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2012 R2
Workstations
- Windows 11
- Windows 10
Network
The computers are domain members. Users or servers with ThinPrint Engine installed can also be in subdomains or trusted domains.
Browsers
To license users, you can use the following browsers:
- Microsoft Edge
- Google Chrome version 27 minimum
- Mozilla Firefox version 21 or later
Note! Before beginning installation, we recommend deactivating any virus scanner. Also be aware that after installation ThinPrint Engine will only become functional after a Windows restart.
Installing License Server on the print server
The following describes the installation using the installation wizard. Unattended installation is also possible (see Unattended installation).
- Log on as a domain user with local administrator permissions.
- Start the installation program, e. g. Setup_ThinPrint_13_Complete_x64.exe or ThinPrintLicenseServer_x64.exe.
- If you use the bundle installer, e. g. Setup_ThinPrint_13_Complete_x64.exe, then select Install ThinPrint License Server.
- Select Install ThinPrint License Server if you use the bundle installer Setup_ThinPrint_13_Complete_x64.exe.
- You will be informed which components will be installed, here: the Readiness Check component. Click on Install.
- ThinPrint License Server readiness check opens. It may run for several minutes.
- Readiness Check will show you if all installation requirements have been met (green check marks).
A yellow dot indicates that recommended requirements have not been met: continuing with the installation is possible, but with the restrictions detailed on the right (see Details).
Click Install.
- A red cross indicates an error. Click on Details and in the text box on the right you will see a description of the error and how you can fix it. Installation cannot continue until this is rectified.
Proceed only when you have all green check marks on the left. It may be necessary to Cancel the installation, rectify a problem and then start the installation again.
Click Proceed.
- InstallShield Wizard opens. Click Next.
- Accept the license agreement and click Next.
- Confirm the installation folder or select a different one. Click Next.
- In the next window, click Install.
- At the end of the installation routine, the license key to be installed is requested.
Here you can have a 30-day key installed automatically (which cannot be activated or extended). On this, click Evaluation mode.
Or you can manually enter a key that you have already received from your reseller or from ThinPrint or Cortado. On this, click Enter license key(s).
Entering a license key
- If you selected Enter license Key(s) the window shown in the following screenshot will appear. Copy your license key(s) into the white field, as shown on the left in the next screenshot and click Enter License(s).
- This causes one of the exclamation marks in a red circle to change to a checkmark in a green circle (above right in screenshot above).
Complete the installation by clicking OK.
Installing ThinPrint Engine on the print server
- Start the installation program, e. g. Setup_ThinPrint_13_Complete_x64.exe or Setup_ThinPrintEngine_x64.exe.
- Select Install ThinPrint Engine if you use the bundle installer Setup_ThinPrint_13_Complete_x64.exe.
- Select your language and click OK.
- Components that need to be installed beforehand for the installation of the ThinPrint Engine are displayed.
Confirm by clicking on Install.
- InstallShield Wizard will open. Click Next.
- Read the license agreement and accept it. Click Next.
- Select Print Server. Click Next.
- Enter the License Server address if it’s installed on a different machine. Confirm with Next.
- Choose an installation path, if necessary. Confirm with Next.
- Click Install.
- Click Finish.
- Click Yes to reboot the server.
Installing ThinPrint Client on a Windows workstation
- Are your printers installed?
- Feel free to install several printers as many as you like – including network printers, multi-functional devices, ink-jets etc.
Note that Local Administrator permissions are necessary on the workstation to install the ThinPrint Client Windows.
- Start the ThinPrint Client installation program, e. g. Setup_ThinPrintClient.exe.
- Select a language and click OK to confirm.
- In the Welcome window just click Next.
- Read the License Agreement, accept its terms and click Next.
- Select ThinPrint Client TCP/IP and click Next.
- Choose the installation method Install ThinPrint Client TCP/IP as an application and click Next.
- Select Anyone who uses this computer (all users).
- In the Start menu, run ThinPrint Client TCP (or double-click its icon in the taskbar) to open the ThinPrint Client Manager.
- Change to Assignment tab and find out the printer ID in question (here: 1).
- Deselect the printers you do not need. Click OK.
Creating printers on the central print server (Driver Free Printing)
- Create at least one printer here as follows:
- Connect the printer object to a ThinPrint printer port, e.g. ThinPort:
- Share the printer object. Share name = printer name on the workstation.
- Assign the TP Output Gateway (from ThinPrint) as driver.
- Include client address and printer ID (see above) in the name of the printer object ‒ syntax: printer#address:ID
- Check in the printer properties whether the Share name is (in this simple example) the same as the respective printer name on the workstation.
Installing ThinPrint Engine on a remote desktop
- To install the ThinPrint Engine on a remote desktop, just proceed as on the central print server (see above) – with the following exception:
- Select the Remote Desktop server role.
- After installation including a remote desktop reboot, open the ThinPrint Configuration.
Note! Please also note the section Storage destination for AutoConnect settings.
- Select the Dynamic Printer Matrix. Start editing with Edit or with double-click into the table.
- Enter a new line with the following entry in the target column (server001 = address of the central print server):
\\server001\HP Color LaserJet MFP M477
- Set the checkbox in the W column (like Windows client). The asterisk in the other columns stands for any resp. all (= without restrictions).
- Click OK to confirm.
- Select Publish.
Note! In the remote desktop’s Windows Explorer, establish – as an administrator – at least once a connection to a printer on the print server manually.
Printing from a session (Driver Free Printing)
- Start a remote desktop session from the Windows PC on which you have installed the ThinPrint Client.
- Printers are created automatically in the session ‒ here: the printer object created manually on the print server (server001):
HP Color LaserJet MFP M477#192.168.149.51:1
- Open an application and select the print function there.
- Now select a ThinPrint printer and click Print.