ITC Server

I use Zebra BAR-ONE software to design the UCC128 shipping labels. Basically the process is:

• Design the UCC128 label with Zebra BAR-ONE
• Create format for SAP - it creates a ITF (Internal Text Format)
• Upload ITF file into SAP as a standard text or SAPscript form
• Call SAPscript form from print program
• Use a Zebra printer and print the labels.

My collegue said the labels had been printed faster before, but they have been printed slowly right now. So what is the problem?

As far as I knew I didn’t do anything for speed. How can I control the speed of the printer?

Long story short what I learned is yes we can can control the speed of the Zebra printer from BAR-ONE side. Basically either you will edit your TIFF file with special commands or you do print options for the label file before downloading/creating TIFF file.

Menu path for that in BAR-ONE: Label - Print Options

Commands:

^PR
Print Rate
Description The ^PR command determines the media and slew speed (feeding a blank
label) during printing.
The printer operates with the selected speeds until the setting is reissued or the printer is turned
off.
The print speed is application-specific. Because print quality is affected by media, ribbon,
printing speeds, and printer operating modes, it is very important to run tests for your
applications.
Format ^PRp,s,b
Important • Some models go to default print speed when power is turned off.
Parameters Details
p = print speed Accepted Values:

• 1 = 25.4 mm/sec. (1 inch/sec.) a
• A or 2 = 50.8 mm/sec. (2 inches/sec.)
• B or 3 = 76.2 mm/sec. (3 inches/sec.)
• C or 4 = 101.6 mm/sec. (4 inches/sec.)
• 5 = 127 mm/sec.(5 inches/sec.)
• D or 6 = 152.4 mm/sec. (6 inches/sec.)
• E or 8 = 203.2 mm/sec. (8 inches/sec.)
• 9 = 220.5 mm/sec. 9 inches/sec.)
• 10 = 245 mm/sec.(10 inches/sec.)
• 11 = 269.5 mm/sec.(11 inches/sec.)
• 12 = 304.8 mm/sec. 12 inches/sec.)
• 13 = 13 in/sec b
• 14 = 14 in/sec b

Default Value: A
a.    This value is supported only on the 110Xi4-600dpi and 110XiIIIPlus-600dpi printers

^MD
Media Darkness
Description The ^MD command adjusts the darkness relative to the current darkness
setting.
Format ^MDa
Comments The ~SD command value, if applicable, is added to the ^MD command.
Parameters Details
a = media darkness level Accepted Values: -30 to 30, depending on current value
Initial Value at Power-up: 0
If no value is entered, this command is ignored.
Example • These examples show setting the printer to different darkness levels:
• If the current value (value on configuration label) is 16, entering the command ^MD-9
decreases the value to 7.
• If the current value (value on configuration label) is 1, entering the command ^MD15
increases the value to 16.
• If the current value (value on configuration label) is 25, entering the command ^MD10
increases only the value to 30, which is the maximum value allowed.
Each ^MD command is treated separately in relation to the current value as printed on the
configuration label.
Note • On Zebra G-Series™ printers the value set with the ^MD command is persistent
across label formats.
Important • The darkness setting range for the XiIIIPlus and Xi4 is 0 to 30 in increments of
0.1.
The firmware is setup so that the ^MD and ~SD commands (ZPL darkness commands)
accepts that range of settings.
Example • These are examples of the XiIIIPlus and Xi4 Darkness Setting:
^MD8.3
~SD8.3
Example • For example, this is what would happen if two ^MD commands were received:
Assume the current value is 15. An ^MD-6 command is received that changes the current
value to 9. Another command, ^MD2, is received. The current value changes to 17.
The two ^MD commands are treated individually in relation to the current value

^GB
Graphic Box
Description The ^GB command is used to draw boxes and lines as part of a label format.
Boxes and lines are used to highlight important information, divide labels into distinct areas,
or to improve the appearance of a label. The same format command is used for drawing either
boxes or lines.
Format ^GBw,h,t,c,r
For the w and h parameters, keep in mind that printers have a default of 6, 8, 12, or
24 dots/millimeter. This comes out to 153, 203, 300, or 600 dots per inch. To determine the
values for w and h, calculate the dimensions in millimeters and multiply by 6, 8, 12, or 24.
If the width and height are not specified, you get a solid box with its width and height as
specified by value t.
The roundness-index is used to determine a rounding-radius for each box. Formula:
rounding-radius = (rounding-index / * (shorter side / 2)
where the shorter side is the lesser of the width and height (after adjusting for minimum and
default values).
Parameters Details
w = box width (in dots) Accepted Values: value of t to 32000
Default Value: value used for thickness (t) or 1
h = box height (in dots) Accepted Values: value of t to 32000
Default Value: value used for thickness (t) or 1
t = border thickness (in
dots)
Accepted Values: 1 to 32000
Default Value: 1
c = line color Accepted Values:
B = black
W = white
Default Value: B
r = degree of cornerrounding
Accepted Values: 0 (no rounding) to 8 (heaviest rounding)
Default Value:

So technically the command for print speed is the ^PRC which is 4 IPS, I changed to ^PRE which is 8 ips. When increasing the print speed it may be necessary to increase the Darkness setting. That is the ^MD0, I changed to ^MD5.

You can do more with BAR-ONE! Zebra printer is under your control

Tags: BAR-ONE, form, ITF, label, SAPscript, UCC128, Zebra

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 11:40 am and is filed under SAP. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.