Web Printing API

Syntax

window.printing.getPrinters();

Correction: current normative IDL exposes window.printing, not navigator.printing. Its print method is submitPrintJob(), not printJob(). The old names are retained only as stable local route labels where relevant.

Inputs

See the member routes below. The only accepted document format presently enumerated is application/pdf.

Outputs

Enumeration resolves printers; submission resolves a WebPrintJob, not completion.

Errors

Operations may synchronously throw or asynchronously reject DOMExceptions; inspect both paths.

Context and permission

The IDL requires a secure, isolated context. The specification also defines the web-printing Permissions Policy with default allowlist self; Chromium additionally checks an isolated context and cross-origin isolation before getPrinters(). The current proposal requires express, origin-specific consent triggered by enumeration. The exact chooser scope, persistence, and whether a later operation prompts again remain user-agent UX, not a settled web contract.

Lifecycle, cancellation, and cleanup

Enumeration yields handles with a small cached attribute set. Fetching replaces that cache. A job starts as preliminary; terminal state and event delivery are discussed on the job pages. No retry or cleanup guarantee beyond the current objects is specified.

Examples

if (!("printing" in window)) throw new Error("Web Printing API unavailable");
const printers = await window.printing.getPrinters();
console.log(printers.map((printer) => printer.cachedAttributes().printerName));

Browser compatibility

Security and privacy

Printer names, IDs, capabilities and state can fingerprint a device and reveal printing activity. A compromised IWA could create unwanted jobs or denial of service. Minimize enumeration and polling, do not expose attributes to untrusted content, validate documents before submitting, and offer an app-level confirmation/audit trail. The spec requires isolation and consent; it does not make printer information non-sensitive.

Demo and canonical sources

Open the canonical chrome-platform-showcase demo. Its platform behavior is governed by that project's own conformance contract.

Sources

See the source-fidelity critique for corrections and unresolved source differences, including the Chrome Intent to Ship.

• WICG normative specification
• Chromium WebPrinter IDL and implementation
• Chromium printing Mojo contract
• WICG explainer
• ChromeStatus record
• RFC 8011 IPP attributes
• Window binding IDL
• manager IDL
• job IDL
• attributes IDL
• enum IDL
• converter implementation
• module build file
• runtime feature definition

Inventory and local routes