Can Web Applications detect local printers?

Question

I was wondering if it is possible for a Web Application (hosted on a remote server) able to detect printers connected to a host(the one accessing the Web Application)?

Also, is it also possible to be able to send print-jobs (mainly images) to the host's printer?

For instance, assume you have a local WPF application (Windows Presentation Foundation, C#) running on the desktop.

To print an image:

1. Select an Image on the WPF application (loaded from a directory on the local harddisk)
2. Click the "Print Button"

This will run this line of C# code:

e.Graphics.DrawImage(image, x-coordinate, y-coordinate, imageWidth, imageHeight);

And it will send a print job of the image to the default printer of the local computer.

So now, instead of a WPF application, you have a Web Application. The user will:

1. Type in the URL of the Web Application
2. The Web-App will load a page similar to the WPF application
3. The Web-App will display images that are loaded from say, a database.
4. User select image he wants to print
5. User clicks "Print Image"

However, in order to Print the image, I would imagine the Web-App would need to recognise the printers the user has on his local computer, and be able to communicate with the printer.

Of course, the Web-App does not need to be in .NET. I was just using WPF/C# as an example.

Answer 1

I have a similar issue, which I haven't programmed, but, I have found that HP printers can receive print jobs, through the HP network. If you are WiFi enabled, there should be a way to email the print job to the printer. I'm still researching this. But, I have a friend who did something similar using AWS.

Been a while, but I have learned that HP printers can be WiFi enabled. Which means, they get an email address and can be printed to, at that address, through the internet, if they are connected to a WiFi net connected to the internet. The email goes through the internet directly to the printer, where it is then printed. So, you can email a print doc.