I have a problem with bar codes on labels. I have two Zebra printers ZTC ZM600-200dpi ZPL(unreadable code) and ZTC ZT420-300dpi. The problem is that one of them prints for long barcodes, which then can not be scanned by a scanner (screen). What may be the problem, I tried to compare the settings. I changed to identical and nothing. How to change barcode size?
The problem is that one of them prints for long barcodes
Do you mean the barcode length is too long and getting cropped/cut-off and that is why it is not scannable?
What software is generating the ZPL? And what values are being set with ^BY, which controls the module width of barcodes? Since the 300dpi label is readable, it sounds like you need to reduce the module width set by ^BY for the 200dpi label.
Related
I have a ZEBRA ZT411 label printer. I had a 203dpi printhead and changed it to 300dpi. I installed the ZT411 300dpi ZPL driver. The printer is now incorrectly calibrating the label. It doesn't push it to the edge so I can tear it off, but it's still tucked inside. It only prints on the bottom of the label. In size 40mm. The size of the label is larger. I've tried everything. Where is the mistake of how this could be changed?
I don't think that's an issue with the label because in that case, you would only have a smaller printout, but no calibration issues.
If you change the printhead with a different resolution, you also need to replace the pulley and the belt because the amount of paper the printer will push when you print a 203 dpi label and a 300 dpi label, is different.
Check here, page 2: you'll see the printhead part number (P1058930-013) which is the one you've used and the conversion kit (P1058930-022) which include the printhead, but also the mentioned pulley and belt, and that's the one you need.
Consider the below ZPL code.
^XA
^BY2,2,80
^FO50,50^BCR^FD3079+Plate-SS-14 # 44^FS
^XZ
Using the online viewer at http://labelary.com/viewer.html shows you vertically rotated bar code with label beneath and everything appears to be fine.
However, when I print the label the bar code is not scan-able because the lines of the bar code are too thick (see below images). Removing the rotate flag from ^BCR and making it ^BC fixes the issue and the lines are perfectly normal and scan-able. I have tried numerous different methods to rotate the code with no success and can't wrap my head around as to why the lines become thicker when rotating a bar code.
Does anyone have any insight as to why this happens?
Broken Rotated Barcode Image
Working (not rotated) Barcode Image
In my case, the solution was the printing speed being too fast. Another potential solution would be to turn down the darkness or temperature of the printer itself if it's an option in the settings.
Simply opening my respective zebra printer's printing preferences showed me a Print Speed setting which was set to 12.7 cm/s. Reducing it down to 10.1 cm/s fixed the problem.
Adjust the Darkness of the printing and/or the speed of the printing. that should solve your problem.
I think it is a problem with your use of the PNG file that the site generates. The PNG file generated includes enough whitespace in the front (top) quiet zone of the symbol to scan, but if you use the Windows system viewer to print the barcode and print in full size, it slices off the top-most bars.
Try embedding the PNG file into a document, setting the photo size to less than full page, or use the PDF file.
I would like to reduce my barcode's size but still be the same ratio like picture below.
From
Original Size
To be
Reduced Size
Here is my ZPL code.
^XA
^FO50,20
^BY2,2,20
^BCN,,N,N,N,D
^FDZWW011601512345^FS
^XZ
Please help me how do I deal with it?
Thank you.
This website is great for testing against: http://labelary.com/viewer.html.
Assuming you don't want the position to move it should just be changing
^BY2,2,20
to
^BY1,1,10
The API Reference guide can be found https://www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra/manuals/en-us/software/zpl-zbi2-pm-en.pdf
Don't forget to take into consideration the print density, i.e. at 152 DPI you probably want something like
^FO150,20
^BY1,1,10
But at 600 DPI
^FO550,80
^BY4,1,40
EAN-13 Text Modifications
If you are using the the inbuilt EAN-13 text function i.e. ^BEN,40,Y,N you can't modify the text. It is to a standard. You can however add your own text e.g.
^XA
^FO100,20
^BEN,40,N,N
^FD011601512345^FS
^CF0,48
^FO90,80^FD011601512345^FS
^XZ
^BEN,40,N,N The first N tells the printer to not generate the number underneath.
^CF0,48 Is the select font function of the printer, its first parameter is a default printer font (can be found in the Standard Printer Fonts section of the link above). The second parameter is the font height. If needed there can be a 3rd parameter which alters the font width, though isn't needed.
^FO90,80^FD011601512345^FS Sets the field origin of the string starting at the location defined by ^FO. ^FDXXXXXXXX^FS draws the string.
I am trying to right justify a bar code I am printing using ZPL from a .Net program. Here is my current code:
^FO10,50^FB500,1,0,R,0^AO,40,40^BY3^BCN,100,Y,N,N^FD1234567^FS^XZ
The Field Block seems to be ignored when working with a bar code, but for text it justifies it correctly. Any ideas?
Newer Zebra firmware supports a third parameter on ^FO and ^FT. If you want to right justify something, specify the right edge as the x parameter, and include a 1 as the third parameter.
^XA
^BY3
^FO85,30^GB500,450,3^FS
^FO100,50^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;12345678^FS
^FO100,120N^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;123456^FS
^FO100,190^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;1234^FS
^FO570,260,1^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;12345678^FS
^FO570,330,1^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;123456^FS
^FO570,400,1^BY3^BCN,30,Y,N,N
^FD>;1234^FS
^XZ
We had the same issue at our company. The barcode doesn't respond to the Field Block. Based on your example since you are using ZPL commands directly to generate your barcode (as opposed to an image of a barcode), you could do something similar to how we did. We know roughly how wide the barcode is going to be based on the data we write to it. So we created a method to determine the x-axis location of the barcode based on our also known label widths.
For example: We use the s4M printers and estimate the full label width to be about 780 dots wide. So in order to left/center/right justify, we take the rough barcode (estimated) width and calculate accordingly (left is set to xaxis = 0, center is set to xaxis = ((780 - barcodeWidth) / 2), and right justified would be xaxis = (780 - barcodeWidth). It isn't a perfect solution but is very close at least for our needs. You could certainly be more precise in your algorithm by looking at more barcode setting information like the data square size, columns, rows, etc... depending on your needs.
If you were to come up with a solution of generating an image of a barcode (which is what we are also trying to come up with now) then you should be able to easily get the width of the barcode image using build in .net graphics functionality.
I am developing a Windows Mobile App that requires printing into a Zebra printer. Problem is, I do not have the printer with me here in my country since the client did not provide any.
My approach was to design a label first in ZebraDesigner2, then print out the label into a text file. Printing the label to a text file instead of a printer sends out the ZPL Code to produce the label I was trying to print. Hence, I can generate ZPL codes faster by designing a label first then seeing the ZPL code. Kinda like having a drag and drop GUI with a background XML.
Say that I have this simple label that contains this text:
Hello World!
If I print this in ZebraDesigner2 it would be written to my text file as:
CT~~CD,~CC^~CT~
^XA~TA000~JSN^LT0^MNW^MTT^PON^PMN^LH0,0^JMA^PR5,5~SD15^JUS^LRN^CI0^XZ
^XA
^MMT
^PW609
^LL0406
^LS0
^FT1,29^A0N,28,28^FH\^FDHello World!^FS
^PQ1,0,1,Y^XZ
My main question is, which one do I include in my C# Code if im going to send this code to the printer via my Windows Mobile C# app? Do I include the part with ^XA until ^XZ? I believe that CT~~CD,~CC^~CT~ should not be included in my code If im not mistaken.
Late answer, but since this is getting viewed...
The CT line and first set of XA..XZ sequence sets up the modes, label length, printable area, etc.
If you remove those, it will take those settings from the label/printer settings, which is usually what you want. The printers can sense the length and width of the label.
Leaving them in can cause big problems, because if you define the printable area in your label, and then the next label type submitted does not, it will use the settings you have defined -- which can cause blank areas in the label, eg. cutoff USPS Label barcodes that are printed after your Zebra Designer custom labels.
Found this out the hard way - leave those out, and you should leave out of the remaining XA..XZ sequence the MMT, PW609, LL0406, and LS0 as well - your Hello World will not be affected.
If you really want to limit the area printed to, set up margins inside the printable area, etc, refer to the manual.
you have to look at the programmers guide before you remove anything of the code. The CT~ command for example changes the control prefix.
Search the internet or zebra.com site for "ZPL Programming guide".
So, leave the text file as is and then include that into your windows mobile application.
PS: zebra offers SDKs for label/receipt printers: http://www.zebra.com/gb/en/products-services/software/adapt-software.html
PS2: without a test printer you may get bad final results.