How to Print PDF Files from a BAT File

In simple terms, BAT files are text files that contain a series of commands passed to the computer to perform a specific task. You can create BAT files to perform almost any task, including tasks that you perform on a regular basis and wish to automate, or tasks that may be performed by other software, such as printing a PDF.

• 1

  Open an Internet browser, and navigate to Rob van der Woude's batch files examples page (see Resources).

• 2

  Scroll down to the "PrintPDF.bat," and click on the hyperlink to open the BAT file in your browser.

• 3

  Press "Ctrl+A" to highlight the text, and then press "Ctrl+C" to copy the text to the clipboard.

• 4

  Open the "Start" menu, and type "Notepad" in the search field. Click on the program link to open a new Notepad file.

• 5

  Press "Ctrl+V" to paste the contents of the online BAT file to the Notepad file.

• 6

  Click "File" and "Save As" to open the "Save" window. Select the desktop as the save destination, and enter "PrintPDF.bat" for the file name. Choose "All Files" for the file type, and press "Save."

• 7

  Locate the line of code near the end of the file that reads "PRINTPDF pdf_filespec [ /M ]." Change "pdf_filespec" to the name of the PDF file you wish to print, and press "Ctrl+S" to save the BAT file. Close the BAT file.

• 8

  Right-Click on the BAT file, and choose "Run" or "Run as Administrator" to print the desired PDF from the BAT file.