Printing barcodes using zebra printer
I need to create a windows form application in VB.Net to print barcodes on zebra printer(Z4MPlus).
I have controls where the user can select the item and enter the number of barcodes for that item.
When user clicks on Print button, barcodes should should be printed with the barcode and the item number below it. Please tell me how do I do this.
I have controls where the user can select the item and enter the number of barcodes for that item.
When user clicks on Print button, barcodes should should be printed with the barcode and the item number below it. Please tell me how do I do this.
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ASKER
I donot want to use any purchased software, I write code to generate barcodes using Vb.Net code.
ASKER
I donot want to use any purchased software, I want to write code to generate simple barcodes(which can be read by the scanner) using Vb.Net cod
Then the first step is being able to draw boxes. Do you know how to do that?
The next step is going to be learning the specification for the barcode you want to print. There are several types of barcodes out there. Just a few examples I've heard of include 2-of-5 and 3-of-9 and have different ranges of what can be printed. As an example 3-of-9 can print 0-9, A-Z (no lower case), and the symbols *-.$/+% and <Space>. Others can only print numbers 0-9. Then there is the UPC Barcode specfication. Some specifications you can find on the internet for free. Others, it seems the only way to learn the specification is to BUY them from one of the standards committees (I know we've done that before to be able to print our own OCR font).
The only barcode specification I could help you with at all would be the 3-of-9.
The next step is going to be learning the specification for the barcode you want to print. There are several types of barcodes out there. Just a few examples I've heard of include 2-of-5 and 3-of-9 and have different ranges of what can be printed. As an example 3-of-9 can print 0-9, A-Z (no lower case), and the symbols *-.$/+% and <Space>. Others can only print numbers 0-9. Then there is the UPC Barcode specfication. Some specifications you can find on the internet for free. Others, it seems the only way to learn the specification is to BUY them from one of the standards committees (I know we've done that before to be able to print our own OCR font).
The only barcode specification I could help you with at all would be the 3-of-9.
ASKER
I haven't written any barcodes application prior to this, this is my first application.
The user for whom I am writing this application doesn't have any specification about the barcodes, the only thin the user is concerns is that the barcodes cshoudl be printed using zebra printer(Z4MPlus). so please help with the 3-of-9.
The user for whom I am writing this application doesn't have any specification about the barcodes, the only thin the user is concerns is that the barcodes cshoudl be printed using zebra printer(Z4MPlus). so please help with the 3-of-9.
ASKER
I haven't written any barcodes application prior to this, this is my first application.
The user for whom I am writing this application doesn't have any specification about the barcodes, the only thing the user is concerns is that the barcodes should be printed using zebra printer(Z4MPlus). so please help with the 3-of-9.
The user for whom I am writing this application doesn't have any specification about the barcodes, the only thing the user is concerns is that the barcodes should be printed using zebra printer(Z4MPlus). so please help with the 3-of-9.
Here's what I can tell you about the basics 3-of-9:
Dimensions:
The optimum Height of the barcode is 0.4 inches.
The optimum Narrow Bar/Space Width is 0.01 inches.
The optimum Wide Bar/Space Width is 0.03 inches.
The bar code should start and end with a '*' symbol (so to print "123", you really print "*123*").
The code snippet below, written in VB6, draws a barcode for the given Code39 String at the given X,Y coordinates on the page. The GoSubs Dash, Dott, Deep, and Dixx sort of defines the encoding for each character.
The GoSub Dash would draw a Wide Bar and move the distance of a Narrow Space.
The GoSub Dott would draw a Narrow Bar and move the distance of a Narrow Space.
The GoSub Deep would draw a Wide Bar and move the distance of a Wide Space.
The GoSub Dixx would draw a Narrow Bar and move the distance of a Wide Space.
The code snippet utilizes additional logic that is beyond the scope of this snippet and the implementation for which can not be provided. However, it should suffice to say that 'Brush as clsAPIBrush' and 'R as RectDbl' implement API Brush and Rectangle objects with coordinates in decimal inches (i.e. coordinates are floating point doubles where 1.0 equals one inch). The function and property names shown in the code should suffice to indicate what the logic is doing with these objects.
Below the example is an attempt to "Draw" a barcode with ASCII characters for the string "123".
Dimensions:
The optimum Height of the barcode is 0.4 inches.
The optimum Narrow Bar/Space Width is 0.01 inches.
The optimum Wide Bar/Space Width is 0.03 inches.
The bar code should start and end with a '*' symbol (so to print "123", you really print "*123*").
The code snippet below, written in VB6, draws a barcode for the given Code39 String at the given X,Y coordinates on the page. The GoSubs Dash, Dott, Deep, and Dixx sort of defines the encoding for each character.
The GoSub Dash would draw a Wide Bar and move the distance of a Narrow Space.
The GoSub Dott would draw a Narrow Bar and move the distance of a Narrow Space.
The GoSub Deep would draw a Wide Bar and move the distance of a Wide Space.
The GoSub Dixx would draw a Narrow Bar and move the distance of a Wide Space.
The code snippet utilizes additional logic that is beyond the scope of this snippet and the implementation for which can not be provided. However, it should suffice to say that 'Brush as clsAPIBrush' and 'R as RectDbl' implement API Brush and Rectangle objects with coordinates in decimal inches (i.e. coordinates are floating point doubles where 1.0 equals one inch). The function and property names shown in the code should suffice to indicate what the logic is doing with these objects.
Below the example is an attempt to "Draw" a barcode with ASCII characters for the string "123".
Public Sub PrintCode39BarCode(ByVal hDC As Long, Code39 As String, X As Double, Y As Double)
Dim BarLength As Double 'Size (Height) of a Bar
Dim DotWidth As Double 'Size (Width) of a Dot (0.01)
Dim DashWidth As Double 'Size (Width) of a Dash (0.03)
Dim FudgeWidth As Double
'Initialize Dimentions
BarLength = 0.4
DotWidth = 0.01
DashWidth = 0.03
FudgeWidth = 2# / CDbl(GetDeviceCaps(hDC, LOGPIXELSX)) 'API Function Call
Dim BarCode As String 'String of what to Print
Dim I As Long
'Insert Start/Stop Char
BarCode = "*" & Code39 & "*"
PrintBarCode:
Dim Brush As clsAPIBrush 'Personal Implementation of API Brush
Dim R As RectDbl 'Rectangle UDT with floating point (double) coordinates
Set Brush = New clsAPIBrush
With R
.Left = X
.Bottom = Y
.Right = X
.Top = .Bottom - BarLength
End With
'Draw the Code 39
For I = 1 To Len(BarCode)
Select Case Mid$(BarCode, I, 1)
'DASH = "### ", DOTT = "# ", Deep = "### ", DIXX = "# "
Case "*": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott 'Start/Stop Char
Case "0": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "1": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "2": GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "3": GoSub Dash: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "4": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "5": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "6": GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "7": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash
Case "8": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "9": GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "A": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "B": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "C": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "D": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "E": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "F": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "G": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash
Case "H": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "I": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "J": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "K": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash
Case "L": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash
Case "M": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
Case "N": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash
Case "O": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
Case "P": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
Case "Q": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dash
Case "R": GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott
Case "S": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott
Case "T": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott
Case "U": GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "V": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "W": GoSub Deep: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "X": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash
Case "Y": GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "Z": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "-": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dash
Case ".": GoSub Deep: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case " ": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dash: GoSub Dott
Case "$": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dott
Case "/": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
Case "+": GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
Case "%": GoSub Dott: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dixx: GoSub Dott
End Select
Next I
Set Brush = Nothing
Exit Sub
Dash:
With R
.Right = .Left + DashWidth - FudgeWidth
Call Brush.FillRect(hDC, R)
.Left = .Right + DotWidth + FudgeWidth
End With
Return
Dott:
With R
.Right = .Left + DotWidth - FudgeWidth
Call Brush.FillRect(hDC, R)
.Left = .Right + DotWidth + FudgeWidth
End With
Return
Deep:
With R
.Right = .Left + DashWidth - FudgeWidth
Call Brush.FillRect(hDC, R)
.Left = .Right + DashWidth + FudgeWidth
End With
Return
Dixx:
With R
.Right = .Left + DotWidth - FudgeWidth
Call Brush.FillRect(hDC, R)
.Left = .Right + DashWidth + FudgeWidth
End With
Return
End Sub
'This code shoudld draw a barcode for the string "123" that looks something like this:
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
# # ### ### # ### # # # ### # ### # # ### ### ### # # # # # ### ### #
<- Here is the '*' ---><- Here is the '1'----><- Here is the '2'----><- Here is the '3'----><- Here is the '*' ->
Like I said, easiest way is to use barcode font. You can download FREE one here:
http://www.barcodesinc.com/free-barcode-font/
How to generate it? Easy. Let's say your product barcode number (number that is located just beneath barcode lines) is 123456789. So you will write 123456789 using any font (Arial, ...) and then change font to Code 39 Font TrueType that you download from site above. You can try this in Word. You will see barcode lines. That is it. In VB just set Text box font in Text box where you write barcode number to be Code 39 Font TrueType and voila :D
Here is another one font if you dont like previous. It is also FREE:
http://freebarcodefonts.dobsonsw.com/code128font-download.html
http://www.barcodesinc.com/free-barcode-font/
How to generate it? Easy. Let's say your product barcode number (number that is located just beneath barcode lines) is 123456789. So you will write 123456789 using any font (Arial, ...) and then change font to Code 39 Font TrueType that you download from site above. You can try this in Word. You will see barcode lines. That is it. In VB just set Text box font in Text box where you write barcode number to be Code 39 Font TrueType and voila :D
Here is another one font if you dont like previous. It is also FREE:
http://freebarcodefonts.dobsonsw.com/code128font-download.html
I have to note that HooKooDooKu barcode will be unreadable for most (maybe all) barcode scanners. It is nice idea to play with, but is impractical. This is my opinion from practice since barcode scanners are very sensitive.
I have to admit that with my first implementation, I was having a problem with getting the bars to be just the right size. The issue you have to take into account is pixel size of your printer. You can see in the code above that there is a 'FudgeWidth' factor that had to come into play to get the barcodes to actually print to just the right size, and this was required for a LaserJet printer printing at 300 or 600dpi. I'm not familier with a Zebra Printer, so I don't know what if any different type of fudge factor would be needed to get the barcode to print at the appropriate dimensions.
Obviously using a barcode font, all of that has already been calculated for you. You only have to make sure the barcode font is included in your application. An easier task to learn that to learn to draw boxes if you haven't learned to do that accurately.
The one other plus side to writing it yourself would be the fact that you state your only trying to get this to work on a single type of printer. If Fudge Factors are required, at least you only have one machine to test and get it working with.
Obviously using a barcode font, all of that has already been calculated for you. You only have to make sure the barcode font is included in your application. An easier task to learn that to learn to draw boxes if you haven't learned to do that accurately.
The one other plus side to writing it yourself would be the fact that you state your only trying to get this to work on a single type of printer. If Fudge Factors are required, at least you only have one machine to test and get it working with.
SOLUTION
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Author stated "I used ZPL manual to write the ZPL code for printing the labels using the zebra printer." but question actually was how to print barcodes. In thread there was multiple working solutions, but author at the end never not stated he tried nor solutions are not working, so I request points to be diveded between me and HooKooDooKu.
ASKER
Thanks for replying back to me! I used the ZPL code in my program to print the barcodes.
ASKER
Can please give me small example what you mean by barcode font.