Javascript .print() Failing with IE11 for type application/pdf

Question

I've made a sample of the code I've been using on my site for a while now that is now giving issues when running from IE11 and Windows 8.1.

The problem is that the Print Window does not pop up when the javascript method .print() is called anymore.

<html>
<head></head>

<body onload="window.document.getElementById('PDFDoc').print();">
    <object id='PDFDoc' name='PDFDoc' type='application/pdf' data='Hello World.pdf' height="369" width="266" style="border-width:thin;border:#CCCCCC" >
</object>
</body>
</html>

I found this article that talks about something similar but was not able to use it as a fix myself.

PS: I would've uploaded the Hello World pdf but stackoverflow does not allow me to so just use any pdf to replicate the error.

In Debug mode I get the error object doesn't support property or method 'print'

enter image description here

I know that self.print() works but I'm not sure how to adapt it into this code to print the pdf and not the whole html page. Are there any other ways around this?

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

1

Correct me if I am wrong, but an <object> element does not seem to have a print() method. The reason why it worked in eariler IE I guess is because they did not give too much about standards but nowadays they tend to get closer to them, thus they might have dropped their custom print method.

You have plenty of alternatives however:

Hide everything that you don't want to print and call window.print()
Create a print.css stylesheet
You might be able to create an <iframe> element and append your element there, and call print on that iframe.

Also have a look at these discussions.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:16

Community

1
1

answered Dec 02 '13 at 13:16

bagonyi

3,258
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2

1. How? I'm referencing a .pdf file, not a page 2. How? I'm referencing a .pdf file, not a page 3. iFrames cause the same problem. All I'm trying to do is bring up the print dialog window containing the pdf in the iframe/object – Dec 02 '13 at 14:47

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 10 '20 at 10:24

Although this is a quite old issue, here is an excellent solution which really works. Tested with IE11 v11.1039.17763.0 (in IE10 mode), Google Chrome v80.0.3987.132, MS Edge v44.17763.831.0 and MS Edge (on Chromium, beta) v81.0.416.20, all under Win10.

This solution directly opens the print dialog of the browser with the given pdf file.

<object id="objectPdf" data="my.pdf" type="application/pdf" width="1" height="1">
  alt : <a href="my.pdf">my.pdf</a>
</object>

<iframe id="iFramePdf" src="my.pdf" style="display:none;"></iframe>

<input type="button" value="Print PDF" onclick="printTrigger();" />

<script type="text/javascript">
 function printTrigger() {
    try {
        document.getElementById('objectPdf').printWithDialog();
    } catch(e) {
        document.getElementById('iFramePdf').contentWindow.print();
    }
 }
</script>

Be aware, the provided solution has bad performance as it initiates three instead of just one HTTP requests!

Javascript .print() Failing with IE11 for type application/pdf

2 Answers2