diff --git a/plugins/printers/api/asset_routes.py b/plugins/printers/api/asset_routes.py
index 6ad1c21..122abe7 100644
--- a/plugins/printers/api/asset_routes.py
+++ b/plugins/printers/api/asset_routes.py
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ def printer_install_list():
             'sharename': printer.sharename,
             'hostname': printer.hostname,
             'ipaddress': ipaddress,
-            'vendorname': data.get('vendorname'),
+            'vendorname': _printer_vendor(printer),
             'modelnumber': data.get('modelname'),
             'installpath': printer.installpath,
             'iscsf': printer.iscsf,
@@ -352,6 +352,15 @@ def printer_install_list():
             'mapy': asset.mapy,
         })
 
+    # A pipe-delimited text variant for the Inno installers: one printer per
+    # line, fixed field order, so the Pascal side is a split() instead of a
+    # hand-rolled JSON parser. The web map uses the default JSON.
+    if request.args.get('format') == 'text':
+        fields = ('printerid', 'windowsname', 'vendorname', 'modelnumber',
+                  'hostname', 'ipaddress', 'mapx', 'mapy')
+        lines = [_text_line(row, fields) for row in rows]
+        return Response('\n'.join(lines), mimetype='text/plain')
+
     return success_response(rows)
 
 
@@ -378,6 +387,17 @@ def _batch_base_url():
     return 'https://%s%s' % (host, root)
 
 
+def _text_line(row, fields):
+    """One pipe-delimited line for the installer text format. None -> empty;
+    any pipe/newline in a value is neutralized so the field count stays fixed."""
+    parts = []
+    for key in fields:
+        value = row.get(key)
+        text = '' if value is None else str(value)
+        parts.append(text.replace('|', ' ').replace('\r', ' ').replace('\n', ' '))
+    return '|'.join(parts)
+
+
 def _printer_vendor(printer):
     """Vendor name for install grouping. The legacy import sets the printer's
     model but not its direct vendorid, so resolve via the model's vendor (as the
@@ -560,14 +580,21 @@ def pc_default_printer():
     Returns {printerid, windowsname}, or {} when the machine is unknown or has
     no active default printer set.
     """
+    as_text = request.args.get('format') == 'text'
+
+    def _empty():
+        # Text variant returns an empty body (no default) so the installer's
+        # split yields nothing; JSON keeps the {} contract.
+        return Response('', mimetype='text/plain') if as_text else success_response({})
+
     machine = (request.args.get('machine') or '').strip()
     if not machine:
-        return success_response({})
+        return _empty()
 
     pc = Asset.query.filter_by(assetnumber=machine, isactive=True).first()
     dp_type = RelationshipType.query.filter_by(relationshiptype='defaultprinter').first()
     if not pc or not dp_type:
-        return success_response({})
+        return _empty()
 
     rel = AssetRelationship.query.filter_by(
         sourceassetid=pc.assetid,
@@ -575,14 +602,21 @@ def pc_default_printer():
         isactive=True,
     ).first()
     if not rel:
-        return success_response({})
+        return _empty()
 
     printer = db.session.query(Printer).join(Asset).filter(
         Printer.assetid == rel.targetassetid,
         Asset.isactive == True,
     ).first()
     if not printer:
-        return success_response({})
+        return _empty()
+
+    if as_text:
+        return Response(
+            _text_line({'printerid': printer.printerid,
+                        'windowsname': printer.windowsname},
+                       ('printerid', 'windowsname')),
+            mimetype='text/plain')
 
     return success_response({
         'printerid': printer.printerid,
diff --git a/tests/test_plugins/test_printer_install_list.py b/tests/test_plugins/test_printer_install_list.py
index 1a61a6e..d6d315f 100644
--- a/tests/test_plugins/test_printer_install_list.py
+++ b/tests/test_plugins/test_printer_install_list.py
@@ -38,6 +38,54 @@ def test_install_list_returns_network_printer_with_map(client, db, auth_headers,
     assert row['mapx'] == 120 and row['mapy'] == 240
 
 
+def test_install_list_vendorname_resolves_via_model(client, db, auth_headers,
+                                                    printer_assettype):
+    """vendorname falls back to the model's vendor when the printer has no
+    direct vendorid (the import sets the model, not the printer's vendor). The
+    Inno installer filters on this, so it must not be null on real data."""
+    from shopdb.core.models import Vendor, Model
+
+    hp = Vendor(vendor='HP')
+    db.session.add(hp)
+    db.session.commit()
+    model = Model(modelnumber='LaserJet M607', vendorid=hp.vendorid)
+    db.session.add(model)
+    db.session.commit()
+
+    client.post('/api/printers', json={
+        'assetnumber': 'CSF09-2022-HP', 'hostname': 'wjprn09',
+        'modelnumberid': model.modelnumberid,
+    }, headers=auth_headers)
+
+    resp = client.get('/api/printers/install-list', headers=auth_headers)
+    row = next((r for r in resp.get_json()['data']
+                if r['machinenumber'] == 'CSF09-2022-HP'), None)
+    assert row is not None
+    assert row['vendorname'] == 'HP'
+
+
+def test_install_list_text_format(client, db, auth_headers, printer_assettype):
+    """format=text returns one pipe-delimited line per printer (fixed field
+    order) so the Inno installers split() instead of parsing JSON."""
+    client.post('/api/printers', json={
+        'assetnumber': 'CSF01-HP', 'windowsname': 'CSF01-HP', 'hostname': 'wjprn01',
+        'mapx': 120, 'mapy': 240,
+    }, headers=auth_headers)
+
+    resp = client.get('/api/printers/install-list?format=text', headers=auth_headers)
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert resp.mimetype == 'text/plain'
+    line = next((l for l in resp.get_data(as_text=True).splitlines()
+                 if 'CSF01-HP' in l), None)
+    assert line is not None
+    cols = line.split('|')
+    # printerid|windowsname|vendorname|modelnumber|hostname|ipaddress|mapx|mapy
+    assert len(cols) == 8
+    assert cols[1] == 'CSF01-HP'      # windowsname (falls back to assetnumber name)
+    assert cols[4] == 'wjprn01'       # hostname
+    assert cols[6] == '120' and cols[7] == '240'
+
+
 def test_install_list_excludes_usb_only_printer(client, db, auth_headers,
                                                 printer_assettype):
     """A printer with no hostname and no network IP is excluded."""