This is not as easy as creating a PCL file. A SPL file is created when a print job spools out what is called EMF files to the printer spooler.
First locate the spool directory, usually "\windows\system32\spool\printers". Under Windows NT, it may instead be "\winnt\system32\spool\printers" or "\winnt\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers". On some versions you can configure Windows to use a different directory for all printers, or for a specific printer.
To find your PC's general spool directory:
- Go to the Control Panel
- Click on "Printers" or "Printers and Faxes"
- In the File menu, click on "Server Properties"
- Click on "Advanced"
- Note what is in "Spool folder".
If in the steps below you fail to find a particular spool file, you may want to check the Windows Registry, under one of the following areas:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Printers\DefaultSpoolDirectory
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\specific printer name\SpoolDirectory
Now capture the SPL file.
- Open the Control Panel's "Printers" or "Printers and Faxes" applet.
- Double-click the icon for the printer in question. Ideally, there will be no print jobs showing.
- From the Printer menu, choose "Pause printing".
- Print the document you want to capture, on the chosen printer, using whatever Windows software is appropriate. You should see the print job show up in the printer window on your screen.
- Look in the spooler directory as identified previously. You should find a file with a ".SPL" extension (hopefully only one). Copy this file to some other location on your computer.
- In the printer's window, cancel the print job.