Is there a way to save print job for later?

You can pause the print queue. Double click on the printer in System Preferences, and you'll get a new window with a pause button. Click pause.

Your print jobs will line up in the window and you can resume the queue when convenient.

In fact, you can still send jobs to the print queue even when the printer is turned off.

Moving print jobs to another computer is a bit more difficult, as print jobs contains specific information relating to the printer and the user enviroment. You're better off using a PDF for that.

the method mentioned by benwiggy will certainly work. If you want to an option that would give you more options, you could use a PDF Service. You could then put a specific job on hold while still allowing others to use the printer.

You can do this by opening AppleScript Editor (/Applications/Utilities). You can copy and paste the following into an editor window --

on open printJobs

tell application "Finder"

set trapFile to quoted form of POSIX path of (printJobs as string)

end tell

set defaultPrinter to do shell script "lpstat -d | awk -F: '{print $2}'"

do shell script "lpr -P" & defaultPrinter & " -q " & trapFile

end open

Save the file as an Application. You can name it something like Hold Print Job. Then just put it in the PDF Services directory in the Library directory of your Home folder <yourname>/Library/PDF Services. You may need to make the PDF Services directory as it may not already be there.

Once the file is in place, you can use it by using the PDF drop down menu at the bottom left of a print window. That will send the file to the printer and put it on hold. Others can still use the printer. You can then print your file whenever you want. Just open the print queue as mentioned by benwiggy. Highlight the job that is Paused. You will see a little curly icon at the very right (looks like a reload icon in a web browser). Just click that icon and the job will start printing.

Or create a second print queue for the same printer, called "Hold", and pause that one.

You can drag print jobs from one print queue window to another when you're ready to print. (Rather than un-pausing the Held queue, as you might forget what state you left it in.)

folksong wrote:

...You can name it something like Hold Print Job. Then just put it in the PDF Services directory in the Library directory of your Home folder <yourname>/Library/PDF Services. You may need to make the PDF Services directory as it may not already be there.

On second thought, it might be better to put the file in the main /Library/PDF Services at the root of the hard drive. That will allow all users to access it.

poppalocs wrote:

So, I tried doing as you suggested and when I attempted to save it as an application I get the following message: "The document “Untitled” could not be saved as “Hold”. No matter what name I use, I get the same message. Any suggestions?

After you copy and paste the commands in my previous post, click the Compile icon at the top of the Script Editor window. That will let you know that you probably have working code. If that is OK, then I would ask where are you trying to save it? You won't be able to save it directly to /Library/PDF Services. You will have to save it to your Desktop or somewhere else first and then drag it to the PDF Services directory.

poppalocs wrote:

How do I create a second print queue?

Just Add another printer in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners, exactly as you did for the first.