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Friday 3rd February 2006

W3C advances XHTML-Print as Web standard 6:01PM, Friday 3rd February 2006

XHTML-Print has been advanced to the status of a Proposed Recommendation by the World Wide Consortium (W3C), the body in charge of Internet standards. It is designed to standardise the support for printing from mobile devices and low-cost printers that might not have a full-page buffer.

XHTML-Print is also targeted at printing in environments where it is not always feasible or desirable to install a printer-specific driver, and where some variability in output format is acceptable.

Designed to be a simple XHTML-based data stream - suitable for driving displays as well as printing - it is based on XHTML Basic



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with the addition of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

The W3C states that XHTML-Print is not appropriate when strict layout consistency is required, but is designed to provide a simple, 'broadly supportable page description format where content preservation and reproduction are the goal'. Traditional printer page description formats, such as PostScript or PCL, will be more appropriate when strict layout control is needed, the W3C states.

There is no support for bi-directional comms, such as checking out printer status or configuration details.

A review period lasting until the end of February will be completed before the standard advances to the status of full recommendation, and you can read more on the technology at www.w3.org/TR/2006/PR-xhtml-print-20060131/.

The W3C invites members of the public to email comments to www-html@w3.org.

Alun Williams

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