How to Auto-Create the Generic Citrix Universal Printer in User Sessions

This article describes generic Citrix Universal Printer and how to create it within user sessions. This printer object is generic as the device-specific settings are not known and managed through printer. It is a very efficient option because there is no need for capabilities or document settings exchanges to take place with the client device when printing.
The Citrix Universal Printer must not be confused with the Citrix Universal Print Driver on which it is based. For more information on the Citrix Universal Print Driver, refer to: CTX089874 – Troubleshooting and Explaining the Citrix Universal Print Driver.

Background

The Citrix Universal Printer is an auto-created printer object that uses the Citrix Universal Print Driver and is not linked to any specific printer defined on the client. Once implemented, Citrix Universal Printer is available in all sessions that use the 32-bit Windows client. Citrix Universal Printer is independent of any printing policies defined in the management console hence it is possible to implement the Citrix Universal Printer with other auto-created printers, session printers, and/or non-Citrix defined printers. Citrix Universal Printer auto-creates in a standard name “Citrix UNIVERSAL Printer”, refer following image:

Note: The Citrix Universal Printer does not auto-create when using the policy to “Create old-style client printers”.

When users print to this printer within their sessions, the standard action is to automatically send the job to the default printer specified on the Windows client machine. To modify this behavior for allowing printing to any client-defined print device, go to the Preferences of the auto-created Citrix Universal Printer either within the print dialog of the application or from within the Printers folder by selecting?? Preview on client.

When this option is adjusted on the?? Preferences?? of the Citrix Universal Printer from within the?? Printers?? folder on the server, the setting is retained in the user profile and set for future sessions as per the Printer Properties Retention Policy.
Printing to the Citrix Universal Printer with this option selected brings up the Enhanced Metafile (EMF) Viewer (CPViewer.exe) on the Windows client with a preview of the print job. The user can select the client printer to be used, similar to printing from any other local application.
Note: It is possible to modify the default behavior and force the?? Preview on client?? option to be selected through a Citrix User Policy as shown in the following figure:

For environments that do not have additional printer requirements, creating only the Citrix Universal Printer within each session instead of one printer for each underlying client printer can provide substantial performance savings on the XenApp server. So, the administrator must choose to disable client printer auto-creation through the User Policy from within the Citrix Delivery Services Console or Citrix AppCenter.

The following Citrix User Policy screenshot shows how to auto-create the generic Citrix Universal Printer in user sessions. This is distinct from any other available printers that other policies in the Citrix Delivery Services Console or Citrix AppCenter may or may not define.

Enhanced Metafile (EMF) Viewer versus Final Printer Output

Citrix Universal Printer output, although very closely represented in the EMF Viewer on the Citrix Plugin, may not actually align on the final printed output when using certain pre-printed forms and documents. Pre-Printed documents that have specific alignment requirements or specialized fonts may print misaligned even when the preview shows exact document alignment. For this reason, Citrix recommends using the Native or Universal Printer Drivers on legal documents where exact horizontal and vertical lines are a requirement.
Note: It is recommended that Administrators pre-test Citrix Universal Printer output to verify alignment before using CUP in a Production environment.

CTX884335 –?? How to Publish the Printers Folder