Google Apps Script: Recognize When Print is Selected with Google Apps Script

Have you ever wanted to know when a user selects the print option on your Google Sheets or Google Docs? Google Apps Script can help you track this action and trigger any custom code that you want to run at this point. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to recognize when print is selected using Google Apps Script.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, you should have a basic understanding of Google Apps Script and JavaScript. Additionally, you will need:

• Access to a Google Sheets or Google Docs document
• A Google account
• A web browser

Step 1: Create a New Google Apps Script Project

First, open a new Google Sheet or Google Doc document. Then, click on «Tools» in the menu bar and select «Script Editor». This will open a new Google Apps Script project in a new tab.

Step 2: Add the onPrint Function

Copy and paste the following code into your Google Apps Script project:

function onPrint(e) {
    // Your code here
}

This is the function that will be triggered when the user selects the print option.

Step 3: Add the onOpen Function

Next, add the following code to your Google Apps Script project:

function onOpen() {
    var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
    ScriptApp.newTrigger("onPrint")
        .forSpreadsheet(ss)
        .onPrint()
        .create();
}

This code will trigger the onPrint function when the user selects the print option.

Step 4: Test the Script

Save your Google Apps Script project and reload your Google Sheets or Google Docs document. Then, select «File» in the menu bar and click «Print». You should see a dialog box pop up with the Google Cloud Print preview. At this point, the onPrint function should also be triggered.

Step 5: Customize the Code

Now that you have successfully recognized when print is selected, you can add any custom code that you want to execute at this point. For example, you might want to prompt the user to confirm the print action or change the color of the sheet tab to indicate that it has been printed.

Here is an example of adding a confirmation prompt to the onPrint function:

function onPrint(e) {
    var result = ui.alert(
        'Are you sure you want to print this document?',
        ui.ButtonSet.YES_NO
    );
    if (result == ui.Button.YES) {
        // Continue with printing
        // Your code here
    } else {
        // Cancel printing
        return;
    }
}

Conclusion

You can use Google Apps Script to recognize when print is selected and trigger any custom code that you want to execute at this point. In this tutorial, we showed you how to use Google Apps Script to track the print action and prompt the user to confirm it. With this knowledge, you can create more interactive and customized Google Sheets and Google Docs documents to fit your specific needs.