Thermal Labels

We have a need to create a 4x6 label(similar in size to ups labels) to stick to a box. Must be thermal to withstand the elements. Output data would come from Sales order. I'm guessing we would need to create a custom UBE to spit some data out and from there some other software(BIP?) translates it to some format and sends it on it's merry way.

Can anyone give a recommendation on a solution?

We have zebra printers, but from my research E1 doesn't support the ZPL language.

E1 is running on the iSeries

Consider TLAshford.com Barcode/400 labeling solution.
If your E1 is can write a record to a work file on your IBM i, Barcode/400 (from TLAshford.com) can render that record to the Label format you configu red, and send ZPL results to your Zebra printer.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

I'm going to look into that. we already own that software and i can create a workfile in jde that the iSeries can access. just a matter of getting the data in there and formatted correctly.

Other suggestions still welcome.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

Hi,

You should be able to generate ZPL in to a plain text file from a UBE and then send that file to the printer. Note that the file must be sent to and not printed to the printer.

In the UBE just use the normal flat file bsfn's to open, writeline (multiple times) and close the file. The writeline will just contain your ZPL strings e.g. "^FO230,20^GB0, 70,3^FS".

Regards

Neil.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

Thanks for the input. How would you send it to the printer and not print it to the printer in jde?

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

We just invoked a FTP script which would move the file from the IFS to \\PrintServer\Printer

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

Just did this. Pretty cool. Might be just what I needed.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

What kind of script do you use?
How do you invoke/execute the script?
How do you know the text file path?

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

If you're working on the iSeries, TL Ashford has APIs that you could call from some iSeries program to print the label. I've done this by building a generic "model" file, that contains all fields I could ever want to print on a label. But, I never actually use this file for label printing. The TL AShford label designer uses the generic label model table. When I want to print labels, I use the CRTDUPOBJ command to make a copy of the label model file into library QTEMP - QTEMP is at the top of the library list. A program populates the label model file in QTEMP and calls the rigth TL Ashford API to print the labels - TL AShford API vary by printer. Because the TL Ashford API uses the library list, just like any other job on the iSeries, the label model file in QTEMP is read by the TL Ashford API and labels are printed.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

Hi,

This was quite a while ago, and on a different site, so my memory is a little sketchy but the general process would be:

1. UBE running in single threaded queue to generate the ZPL file to the standard /Pathcode/Export/ directory. Static file name.
2. Processing option to specify the script name. Needed as we would have different scripts for different env's. Now you could get clever and try to create the scripts on the fly.
3. Call RPG program which will in turn invoke the FTP script. e.g. use bsfn "Execute External Program" passing in concat("call ftptool/p55ftp parm('script' 'ftptool' '",[PO FTP_Script]). We already had the RPG pgm in place and it just processes the script which is held as a standard SRC (SCRIPT?) file. Appreciate this is the bit you may need some more details of but I'll struggle to provide.

So the path of the text file is hard coded in the script. Not wonderful as ideally this is a parm and you build up for the process. Also it would have been better to avoid platform specific code (RPG) but sometimes timescales dictate otherwise.

Regards

Neil.

Re: RE: Thermal Labels

[ QUOTE ]
Consider TLAshford.com Barcode/400 labeling solution.<br>If your E1 is can write a record to a work file on your IBM i, Barcode/400 (from TLAshford.com) can render that record to the Label format you configu red, and send ZPL results to your Zebra printer.<br><br>

[/ QUOTE ]
what is barcode/400? a barcode label printing software ? <font color="black"> </font>

Hello,

Have programmed a label ZPLII for Zebra vZT220-203dpi. UBE writes the file with ZPLII commands to a file on IFS ( PO UBE).

Would a solution be to write the file directly to a windows printerservershare \\servername\printershare??

As I recall writing directly to windowsshares would mess up the makeup of files, would this apply to writing to a printershare?

Has anyone tried this and willing to share his /her findings?

Will test and report back on results.

Best regards,

Walter