Virtual Printing
Virtual printing is a software-based technology that allows users to 'print' documents to a virtual printer driver instead of a physical printer, generating digital output files such as PDFs, images, or other formats. It emulates the printing process to create electronic documents from any application that supports printing, enabling paperless workflows and easy document sharing. This technology is commonly used for archiving, document conversion, and digital distribution without requiring physical hardware.
Developers should learn and use virtual printing when building applications that require document generation, conversion, or digital archiving features, such as in enterprise software, reporting tools, or web applications that need to output user-generated content as PDFs. It is essential for creating paperless solutions, automating document workflows, and integrating with systems where physical printing is impractical or unnecessary, such as in cloud-based services or mobile apps.