Setting up the print server

  • 29/10/2025
  • 7 minutes to read

The print server feature enables automatic printing by connecting to the Continia Document Output print web service in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and retrieving print jobs from a queue. It delivers a smooth printing experience in environments with limited external access to on-premises printers.

One of the core components of Document Output is the document queue. When a document is added to the queue, Document Output processes it based on the template configuration. For example, it may send the document as an email, create a print job or a file download job, or combine these in various ways.

In traditional on-premises setups, service tiers typically have direct access to printers. However, in cloud or hybrid environments – such as self-hosted on-premises instances of Business Central running in Azure – printers located on company premises may not be accessible from outside the network. To address this, the print server feature was introduced.

When the print server feature is enabled and configured in the Continia Document Output Service, it pulls print jobs from the print queue via the relevant Document Output web service and sends them to the appropriate printer. You can control which printers to use by configuring Printer Selection in Business Central.

Note

You must use the Document Output printer selection, not the standard Business Central one.

Recommendations for using the print server

We recommend that you follow the guidelines below when setting up and using the print server feature:

  • Install on a stable computer: Choose a desktop computer that remains powered on and connected to the network. If the computer is turned off or moved to a location without access to the configured printers, print jobs will either fail or be redirected to other printers (if Use the default printer if the specified in BC isn't found is enabled in the Document Output Service).
  • Avoid interactive printers: Don't set the default printer to one that requires user interaction (such as a PDF printer), as this may cause the service to stall when running as a background Windows service.
  • Understand web services: Ensure that you have a basic understanding of how Business Central web services work and are accessed.

Important

The print server feature only supports document printing from the Business Central print queue. It doesn't allow other Business Central users to select printers and send print jobs directly to them.

To set up the print server

To add a connection to the Document Output print web service in Business Central manually (that is, without using the setup assistant), follow these steps:

  1. Follow the guide in Configuring the Document Output Service to enter the Service Manager setup.
  2. On the Print Server tab, select Connect to Business Central web service.
  3. Select Use the default printer if the specified in BC isn’t found if you want to use the default printer in case the printer specified in Business Central isn't found.
  4. Under Web service connections, select Add to open the Add web service page.
  5. Under Name, enter a name for the connection – for example, the name of the company. This is only for internal use.
  6. In the Business Central web client, search (Search) for and select Web Services.
  7. In the list of web services, locate CDO Print Web Service, and then copy its URL from the SOAP URL column.
  8. In the Service Manager, on the Add web service page, paste the copied URL into the Url to web service field.
  9. Under Credentials, authenticate the Document Output Service using either OAuth or a Business Central user with a generated web service access key. For more information, see the following links:

    Note

    OAuth is required in Business Central 2022 Release Wave 1 (version 20) or later.

  10. Following authentication, select Test connection.

    Note

    If you're using OAuth and receive an error message, check that you can successfully generate an access token from the OAuth details dialog. Also check that your Azure application has been registered in Business Central, that user groups have been assigned to it, and that permissions have been signed in accordance with the guide.

  11. If no error messages are displayed, a connection to the web service has been established. Select OK.
  12. Select Add to add the web service and return to the Settings page.
  13. At the bottom of the page, select Save to update your settings.
  14. Select OK to close the dialog.

The print server feature is now connected to the Document Output print web service in Business Central, enabling it to start retrieving print jobs from the print queue. This makes it possible for you to print multiple documents from Business Central according to your setup.

For instructions on how to run the service, see the section Running the Document Output Service.