Barcode printing with Eltron(Zebra) TLP2844 using EPL

[Ing Chris via AccessMonster.com]

Hello,

I want to print Barcodes(Code39) directly from Access (Report) with an Eltron
(Zebra) TLP2844-Labelprinter.
Label-size: 11mm x 21mm

There are the possibilities to use barcode - font in access report or to use
some add-in, but this is not recommended for this small labels.

I heard that It would be better to use EPL2-language to use the barcodes
inside the printer. (supports "Code39" and other barcodes)
Does someone know if it is possible to send a "number" or "string" from an
access report direct to the labelprinter by using EPL?

Thanks Chris

 

[Thomas Lutz]

Unfrotunately you would not be able to do things from an Access report
and instead you would need to write a little code in an Access module
that would drive the printer directly.

The way that most bar code label printers work is that you send a
"template" for a label directly to the printer and then when you want
to print a label, you send it data that then gets filled into the
template. It's sort of like the way you design a mail merge in Word.
You first design the "merge document" containing "merge fields" and
then you feed it records of data that get plugged into the merge
fields and printed.
For a bar code label printer, you typically use a label design program
that is either provided or recommended by the manufacturer of the
printer. Once you have the "label template" burned into the printer's
memory, all you need to do is shoot simple text records out the serial
port to the printer containing the data that you want put into the
correct places in the template. When you send a data record to the
printer, it spits out a label.

You would not be able to do any of this from within an Access report
because Access will use the Windows printer driver for the printer
instead of controlling it directly with commands sent through the
serial port.

If you have the capability of creating a "label template" either
manually or using some label design software and you also understand
what data you need to send to the printer to insert into each label,
then you could use Access to do the job however it would require that
you write the data directly to the COM port. You could use a tool like
the WinWedge software from TAL Technologies (www.taltech.com) to send
the data out the serial port from an Access VBA subroutine or you
could use a serial communications ActiveX control in a form in your
database.

You have a bit of learning to do first and the best place to start
would be whatever programming guide you can get from Eltron for your
particular printer.