Printing to USB Zebra TLP 2844 Label Printer?

BTW...start with a REALLY simple label. I've found a single dot outside of the label-window expected can cause chaos.

One you've got it working though - never have to touch it again. Just clean the printer periodically!

...Bill

Okay, this is what I have found.  If I use the Generic/Text driver then Create-A-Label won't let me use their program with the printer because it is not recognized.  With the Zebra drivers it prints fine.

So, I set to Generic/Text anyway.  It prints text great, but I cannot get it to do Graphics, which I am guessing because the driver is a text driver.

I try to set to Zebra Drivers and the Create-A-Label works perfect, but I cannot get your code to do anything but eject a label and maybe print a weird character.

What I am trying to do involves graphics, so it must be able to do graphics and therefore I need a solution that will work with the Zebra drivers.

Anybody else have any ideas?

You leave both the Generic AND Zebra drivers installed.

With CAL, you select the printer you require with 'Select Printer' from the File drop-down. This should be your Zebra driver.

On the File drop-down, you'll also see "Generate EPL Source File"

If you select this, you'll find you can convert your label to EPL source code (normally as 2 files, the main EPL source and another for the graphics)

All you need to do from there is to send the appropriate graphics & EPL source through your Delphi App to the Generic driver associated with your printer. This has the advantage of allowing you to manipulate the EPL for substituting batch numbers, barcode numbers, etc. through Delphi rather than through CAL.

...Bill

ok, I will try it later tonight.  Just so everyone else that reads this post will know, this is what Zebra technical support wrote back to me.

The reason you can't use our driver is our driver converts whatever your sending into text and prints the text. If you send EPL it will print the code on the label.

You use a generic text driver to pass the data to the port without (hopefully) changing anything in the code. The problem with the generic text driver is it often chops off characters, making the code useless.  See link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B328894

You can send the data to the printer while it is in dump mode and see if the data is being corrupted passing through the generic text driver.  There are work arounds depending on what operating system and patches installed. Sometimes you just pad the code to get all the data to the printer. Also check your page setup, remove all headers, footers, boarders, etc.

Microsoft also has a link explaining how to bi-pass the driver functions and
print directly to the port: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;138594

Yeah - I've dealt with Zebra ts before. The Eltron guys know what they're talking about, but unfortunately the Zebra people aren't quite up to scratch - or weren't when I asked them about EAN128 AI Human-readable decoding, about which they hadn't got the first clue.

I hope that since they've absorbed Eltron the Eltron people have been able to enlighten them.

...Bill

Just as a question when trying to print graphics.  Where do I store the graphics.pcx file.  I have it in my application directory, and maybe it was not printing because it can't find the graphics file.  Can you give me any insight on this, as the programmers manual does not seem to give very much detail in this area?

It's really left over from the DOS days - some "advances" are such in name only.

If you use the command
GM"NAME"size

where NAME is up to 8 characters, case-sensitive and simply attaches that name to the graphic data received by the printer (so that you can delete/print only a particular graphic by referring to the graphic's NAME)

then the SIZE bytes received following the newline after the GM command is the PCX-format graphic itself.

With DOS batch, you'd upload a (series of) graphic(s) using
echo GM"NAME1"size1>lpt1:
copy c:\path\to\graphic1.pcx lpt1:
echo GM"NAME2"size2>lpt1:
copy c:\path\to\graphic2.pcx lpt1:

THEN you'd select as appropriate.

Naturally, this continues to work under Windows, even if the latest versions insist that you use graphics interface gobbledegook (and hence drivers that were initially designed to make the o/p of OFFICE-type applications transmissable to pick-your-printer.) In fact, you get transmitted-filesize reductions of typically 98% using DOS methods.


So, simply slurp in the files created by CAL (I forget the extensions - one is .BIN) and transmit them as part of your character stream to the printer, simulating what DOS used to do.

It doesn't surprise me that it's not part of the manual. I don't suppose Zebra really wants to be part of retraining graphics-users to use DOS methods, despite the relative efficiency and stability of the DOS methodology.

...Bill

Hmm, I will play around with it.  I am not completely confident in how to do what you say, especially sending it as a stream in my character stream to the printer.  Any more code examples would be welcome.

I did just have one more question - Why does CAL let me print graphics and everything using the Zebra drivers?  Are they using a language that would work better like Visual Basic, or API?  I am not sure why they can use the Zebra Drivers just fine and you and Zebra Technical support tell me that I must use the Generic Text Driver.

Boy, I can't seem to get things to work.  I found this unit:

unit rawprint;

// {$ASSERTIONS OFF}

interface

uses
  Windows, WinSpool, Printers, Dialogs, Classes;

type
  TError = procedure(Sender: TObject; var ErrorMessage: String) of object;
  Trawprint = class(TComponent)
private
  { Private declarations }
  MyDeviceName: String;
  MyJobName: String;
  MyError: TError;
  hPrinter: Cardinal;
  IsOpenDevice: Boolean;
  IsOpenPage: Boolean;
protected
  { Protected declarations }
  function GetLastErrMsg: String;
  procedure RaiseError(ErrMsg: String);
  public
  { Public declarations }
  function OpenDevice: Boolean;
  function CloseDevice: Boolean;
  function WriteString(Text: String): Boolean;
  function NewPage: Boolean;
  procedure SelectPrinter;
  constructor Create(AOwner : TComponent); override;
  destructor Destroy; override;
published
  { Published declarations }
  property DeviceName: String read MyDeviceName write MyDeviceName;
  property JobName: String read MyJobName write MyJobName;
  property OnError: TError read MyError write MyError;
end;

procedure Register;

implementation

constructor Trawprint.Create(AOwner : TComponent);
begin
  inherited;
  MyDeviceName := Printer.Printers.Strings[Printer.PrinterIndex];
  MyJobName := 'rawprint';
  IsOpenDevice := False;
  IsOpenPage := False;
end;

destructor Trawprint.Destroy;
begin
  if IsOpenDevice then CloseDevice;
  inherited;
end;

procedure Register;
begin
  RegisterComponents('MyStuff', [Trawprint]);
end;

function Trawprint.OpenDevice: Boolean;
  type _DocInfo = record
    pDocName: PAnsiChar;
    pOutputFile: PAnsiChar;
    pDatatype: PAnsiChar;
  end;
  var DocInfo: _DocInfo;
begin
  Result := True;
  if not OpenPrinter(PChar(DeviceName), hPrinter, nil) then begin
    RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
    Result := False;
  end else begin
    DocInfo.pDocName := pChar(JobName);
    DocInfo.pOutputFile := pChar(#0);
    DocInfo.pDatatype := pChar(#0);
    if StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, @DocInfo) = 0 then begin
      RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
      Result := False;
    end else begin
      IsOpenDevice := True;
      NewPage;
    end;
  end;
end;

function Trawprint.NewPage: Boolean;
begin
  Result := True;
  if IsOpenDevice then begin
    if IsOpenPage then begin
      if not EndPagePrinter(hPrinter) then begin
        RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      end;
    end;

    if not StartPagePrinter(hPrinter) then begin
      RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      Result := False;
    end else begin
      IsOpenPage := True;
    end;
  end;
end;

function Trawprint.WriteString(Text: String): Boolean;
var
  WrittenChars: Cardinal;
begin
  Result := False;
  if IsOpenDevice then begin
    Result := True;
    if not WritePrinter(hPrinter, PChar(Text), Length(Text), WrittenChars) then
    begin
      RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      Result := False;
    end;
  end;
end;

function Trawprint.CloseDevice: Boolean;
begin
  Result := True;
  if IsOpenDevice then begin
    if IsOpenPage then begin;
      if not EndPagePrinter(hPrinter) then begin
        RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      end;
    end;

    if not EndDocPrinter(hPrinter) then begin
      RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
      Result := False;
    end else begin
      if not ClosePrinter(hPrinter) then begin
        RaiseError(GetLastErrMsg);
        Result := False;
      end else begin
        Result := True;
        IsOpenDevice := False;
      end;
    end;
  end;
end;

procedure Trawprint.RaiseError(ErrMsg: String);
begin
  if Assigned(OnError) then MyError(Self,ErrMsg);
end;

function Trawprint.GetLastErrMsg: String;
var
  Buf: Array[0..499] of char;
  BufLen: Integer;
begin
  BufLen := FormatMessage(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, nil, GetLastError, 0,
  Buf, SizeOf(Buf), nil);
  Result := Copy(Buf, 1, BufLen);
end;

Procedure Trawprint.SelectPrinter;
var
  PrtDlg: TPrintDialog;
begin
  PrtDlg := TPrintDialog.Create(Self);
  prtdlg.Options := [poPrintToFile];

  if PrtDlg.Execute then begin
    DeviceName := Printer.Printers.Strings[Printer.PrinterIndex];
  end;

  PrtDlg.Free;
end;

end.

which I installed and sent the following:

procedure TfTestUnit.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  L: String;
begin
  L := Chr(10);
  RawPrint.SelectPrinter;
  RawPrint.OpenDevice;
  try
    RawPrint.WriteString(L+'N'+L+'A200,0,0,1,1,1,N,"Example 1"'+L+'P1'+L);
  finally
    RawPrint.CloseDevice;
  end;
end;

and it prints just like it says it should in the book.  However, I try just a simple line of text "hello world" in CAL and try to send the .EJF file:


OD
FK"TUGOR"
FS"TUGOR"
q816
Q507,24+0
S3
D8
ZT
TTh:m
TDy2.mn.dd
A8,32,0,5,1,4,N,"HELLO WORLD"
FE

and it does not print, but it prints from CAL.  I don't know what is different.  I went through each ORD value and nothing is extra, just a Linefeed and the characters.  So why won't it print.  The .BIN file was empty so I did not send that.  They were both called TUGOR.EFJ and TUGOR.BIN.  I don't know how to send the .BIN file along with it.  I tried, but no success.

I need help!!!!

I have been doing some DUMP MODE comparisons with Create A Label and the EPL
language it exports.  When it prints it shows up like this as coming to the
printer:

N
q816
Q507,24+0
S3
D8
ZT
TTh:m
TDy2.mn.dd
OD
A83,72,0,1,1,1,N,"Hello World"
P1

If I Generate EPL Source File and send that to the printer, then it sends
the following:


OD
FK"TEST"
FS"TEST"
q816
Q507,24+0
S3
D8
ZT
TTh:m
TDy2.mn.dd
A83,72,0,1,1,1,N,"Hello World"
FE

So if I modify it then it will print, but now comes the hardest part, and that is the .BIN file.  When I dump the code coming to the printer when printing out a font that is a true type, then it turns the font into a graphic.  It shows some of the code in between the binary file.  I don't know how to reproduce it.  I have tried all sorts of ways.

Anyway, I finally decided to look into the command file and let CAL do the printing, but even that is dumb- it opens a new instance of the software each time you run the command file.  If I put in the "QUITAPP" then it closes the program, but it opens and closes each time it prints, now that is not very fun.  If I ever figure this out I plan on making a newbie tutorial for Delphi and hopefully Zebra will post it to their site.

I finally got my program to print.  I did the following.  I exported the .EJF and .BIN from CAL (Create A Label), and then I did the following code:

procedure TfTestUnit.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  L, tmp: String;
  tmpBin: WideString;
  i: integer;
  h: Thandle;
begin
  L := Chr(10);
  RawPrint.SelectPrinter;
  if RawPrint.DeviceName = '' then exit;
  RawPrint.OpenDevice;
  try
    tmp := Memo1.Lines.Text;
    tmp := tmp;
    readfiletostring('C:\Program Files\CreateALabel3\test.BIN', tmpbin);
    RawPrint.WriteString(tmp+tmpbin+L+'P1'+L);
  finally
    RawPrint.CloseDevice;
  end;
end;

function TfTestUnit.readfiletostring (fname:string; var sbuf:Widestring): boolean;
var
  f: file;
  buf: array[0..4095] of char;
  bytesread: cardinal;
  i: integer;
begin
  result:=false;
  {$i-}
  assignfile(f,fname);
  reset(f, 1);
  {$i+}
  if ioresult<>0 then exit;
  sbuf:='';
  repeat
    blockRead(f, buf,sizeof(buf),bytesread);
    for i:=0 to bytesread-1 do
      sbuf:=sbuf+buf[i];
  until bytesread=0;
  closefile(f);
  result:=true;
end;

And when I click on the button then it prints the graphic, on condition that I only have 1 graphic.  I tried some text with a true type font with the graphic and that did not work.  I noticed in dump mode when printing from CAL that it put some of the binary, then another line of the regular EPL2 language then some binary.  I am not sure where to split up the binary in the file.

I would really like some help here.  I have increased the points to 500.

My program will be printing a complicated label (full of graphics and text) and each time it prints it will be a little different, so I don't really want to store images into the memory, but just send the new label each time.  Please Help!

I do not really want external files either, so I plan on putting all the graphics in as a resource file and using them when needed.