software allows character based applications to print to any windows printer, including usb, network printers, faxmodems and pdf writers, even if it is a dos/windows application or a unix/linux app. running on a windows pc via telnet, without changes to the original applications . you can set your application to print to an ascii file, or you can have printfil capturing a parallel port output, automatically redirecting your print jobs to any printer, even if a printer is phisically connected to the captured port. in addition, it will allows you to: - preview printing - include logos or background images stored in separate files - colorize the text - print a4 landscape sheets instead of printing on dot-matrix 136-column printers - print to any printer installed on the windows control panel, including usb, gdi, windows-only and virtual printers - send the print jobs via fax (using any third-party fax software acting like a printer - i.e. microsoft fax - or a multifunction - all-in-one - printer) - print to networked printers without having to "net use" a lpt port - use special windows fonts (barcodes, for instance) as well as normal characters - exporting the print jobs in pdf format, with or without user intervention, even with encryption and password protection - use your own, single set of escape sequences for all the printers, regardless of the make, model, supported emulation (or no emulation at all, as for virtual and windows-only printers) - and other interesting features. all this without changes to your applications . if you are developing host based applications (like unix) and the clients are using them with a windows terminal emulator, you can stop to fight with transparent-print characters and different settings for different printers. all you need is a shared file system (nfs, sco-visionfs, samba and others) where to store output for your print jobs and printfil.