Is anyone printing barcode labels, with text and barcode.

Can they be created directly from OI to the printer, or does it have to be via a 3rd party app.

I would assume control codes , but would need to print directly to a usb printer….is that achievable.

What printers are the best answer.

I have used Zebra printers with Bartender software. You can write a text file and call the software's print functions. I believe you can send a properly formatted file directly to the printer but it is more complicated. Refer to the printer's reference manual and you can figure out how to make it happen. I believe Zebra printers have ZPL for Zebra Programming Language.

HTH,

John

I've had experience with TALTech Barcode DLLs. At the time the barcodes were implemented it wasn't possible to call OLE controls from OI. The DLL's proved to be easy to interface with by calling the DLL to write a WMF file to disk and then loading it into OIPI. I suspect this is even easier now with the OLE support in OI. The barcodes have worked well on a wide range of label and standard printers.

Another option was to use Barcode fonts but according to sources at the time there were issues with scaling and rendering issues.

Barry-

With a regular windows printer, you can print barcodes and text using OIPI. Just set the font to a barcode font. There are various ones available on the net, depending upon your application needs - UPC, 3 of 9, etc.

Mike

Barry -

I have used all the different methods and found that direct print allows the most control over the resulting output, but the coding is tedious.

Paul

Thanks guys, sounds like the Bartender software might be the way to go. Run it like a service and feed the template with text file info.

Hi Barry,

I have many clients printing barcodes or any label using Datamax and Zebra printers. I use the label software that comes with the printer to create a generic label file in text format, save the text file in OI in a label_template file, then swap generic data with required info, then send this file to the printer via dos print utility. Works file for printing logos, barcodes, fonts etc.

Hope this helps or give me a ring if you require any further info.

We do extensive printing to datamax printers. After reviewing the technical manual for the datamax we simply concatenated a string of ascii characters to "program" the printer. No 3rd party applications required.

Here is the subset of the program used for our model of datamax:

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('START',I_PRINTER,'','')

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',STX:'M0500',1) ;* MAXIMUM LABEL LENGTH 5 INCHES, USED TO BACKUP TO FIND LABEL EDGE

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',STX:'V0',1)    ;* TURN ON THE "CUTTER" OPTION

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',STX:'SS',1)    ;* SET SPEED TO 10 INCHES PER SECOND (SEE APPENDIX "L")

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',STX:'L',1)     ;* ENTER LABEL FORMATING COMMAND MODE

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','D11',1)       ;* DOT-SIZE MULTIPLIER WIDTH=1, HEIGHT=1 (BASICALLY NO MULTIPLYER)

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','PO',1)        ;* SET PRINT SPEED TO 8 INCHES PER SECOND  (SEE APPENDIX "L")

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','pK',1)        ;* BACKFEED SPEED = 6 INCHES PER SECOND (SEE APPENDIX "L")

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','SS',1)        ;* PRINT SPEED 10 INCHES PER SECOND (SEE APPENDIX "L")

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','A2',1)        ;* SET FORMAT ATTRIBUTE TO TRANSPARENT MODE (CAN PRINT ON TOP OF ITSELF)

• 15-byte header

• a b c d eee ffff gggg [hhhh iiii] jj…j

• a, 1 = rotation, 1 = 0 degree rotation

• b, e = font ID, e = barcode font without human reabable text , type 128 (see appendix F)

• c, 6 = width multiplier, 6 times wider than normal

• d, 3 = height multiplier 0-9 where 0 = narrow bars, 9 = really wide bars

• eee, 025 = bar code height in ???

• ffff, 0059 = row position above lower left corner

• gggg, 0027 = column posisiton from left margin

• hhhh = optional scalable font height

• iiii = optional scalable font width

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','1E6302500590027C':OUTB,1)

 IF I_PRINTERTYPE = "NEW" THEN

• select font symbol set S = single byte symbol set, W1 = Windows 3.1 Latin 1 symbol set

  X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','ySW1',1)

• 1 = rotation 0

• 9 = scalable font

• 1 = width multiplier

• 1 = height multiplier

• s01 = font data type (should be capital "S" 01)

• 0034 = row position from bottom left

• 0010 = column position from left margin

• P012 = character height in points (12 pt font)

• P012 = character width in points (12 pt font)

  X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','1911S0100400025P012P012':OUTB,1)

  X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','1911S0100140010P012P012':BCDESC,1)

 END ELSE

  SS1 = ""              ;* INITIALIZE SETUP STRING FOR TEXT LINE

  SS1 = SS1:'1'         ;* ROTATION = 0 DEGREES

  SS1 = SS1:'9'         ;* BARCODE TYPE (SEE DATAMAX APPENDIX FOR EXAMPLES)

  SS1 = SS1:'11'        ;* BARCODE BAR WIDTH (DOTS) RATIO

  SS1 = SS1:'004'       ;* TEXT HEIGHT IN 100/INCHES

  SS1 = SS1:'0040'      ;* PLACEMENT UP FROM BOTTOM OF LABEL IN 100/INCHES 0100 = 1 INCH (BOTTOM MARGIN)

  SS1 = SS1:'0020'      ;* PLACEMENT RIGHT FROM LEFT SIDE OF LABEL (100/INCHES)  ;LEFT HAND MARGIN

  X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',SS1:OUTB:CHAR(13),0)

  SS1 = ""              ;* INITIALIZE SETUP STRING FOR TEXT LINE

  SS1 = SS1:'1'         ;* ROTATION = 0 DEGREES

  SS1 = SS1:'9'         ;* BARCODE TYPE (SEE DATAMAX APPENDIX FOR EXAMPLES)

  SS1 = SS1:'11'        ;* BARCODE BAR WIDTH (DOTS) RATIO

  SS1 = SS1:'004'       ;* TEXT HEIGHT IN 100/INCHES

  SS1 = SS1:'0010'      ;* PLACEMENT UP FROM BOTTOM OF LABEL IN 100/INCHES 0100 = 1 INCH (BOTTOM MARGIN)

  SS1 = SS1:'0015'      ;* PLACEMENT RIGHT FROM LEFT SIDE OF LABEL (100/INCHES)  ;LEFT HAND MARGIN

  X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT',SS1:BCDESC:CHAR(13),0)

 END

• quantity of labels to print

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','Q':1,1)

• terminate label formatting mode

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('PRINT','E',1)

 X = DIRECT_PRINT('STOP')

Thanks Chris, I will follow you up on that.

We used to print barcode labels from an Intermec 3600 barcode label printer using direct_print. We had to create a template, read the template from disk and append the data to the template. Just set the printer as a shared Windows printer. It was tricky figuring out if the user was a Citrix user because of the naming of shared printers in Citrix.

It's been a number of years since using these printers. I forget how the templates are created.

Thanks, looks like the 'Template' is the way to go with these printers.

View this thread on the Works forum...