Print to a Barcode Printer
in [Visual Studio]
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From: mjimeno on 26 May 2005 17:58 Here is my problem: I want to print to a barcode printer (Zebra 2844) in this way: I want to use true type fonts like "Arial Bold", so I used the printer method from VB. Perfect. Now I want to print barcodes too, but it have been not easy trying with barcode fonts and other methods, so I decided to print barcodes using raw data via API programming. Here is the exact problem: If I use raw data I can't use windows fonts (according to Zebra is possible, but not to me) and if I use printer method I can't print perfectly barcodes like with raw data. The question is: Can I send raw data using printer method? any other suggestion, please? Thanks, Miguel.
From: John on 26 May 2005 19:16 mjimeno wrote: > Here is my problem: I want to print to a barcode printer (Zebra 2844) in > this way: I want to use true type fonts like "Arial Bold", so I used the > printer method from VB. Perfect. Now I want to print barcodes too, but it > have been not easy trying with barcode fonts and other methods, so I > decided to print barcodes using raw data via API programming. Here is the > exact problem: If I use raw data I can't use windows fonts (according to > Zebra is possible, but not to me) and if I use printer method I can't > print perfectly barcodes like with raw data. The question is: Can I send > raw data using printer method? any other suggestion, please? > Thanks, Miguel. Whenever I need to print barcodes I just use a standard 3of9 TTF font (Google for it). You have to remember to enclose your data within *stars* e.g. *12345* or it won't work. John
From: mjimeno on 26 May 2005 19:25 I used it, but it does not work well with small sizes (less than 1 inch length), so I need to use another way to print barcode. Thanx, M
From: John on 26 May 2005 19:32 mjimeno wrote: > I used it, but it does not work well with small sizes (less than 1 inch > length), so I need to use another way to print barcode. > Thanx, M Are you sure the printer is up to printing small barcodes DPI wise and is your scanner a good quality one? John
From: Gaga on 26 May 2005 20:58
"mjimeno" <miguelangeljimeno(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:94b8597158a4f84f674681e892ba3d78(a)localhost.talkaboutprogramming.com... >I used it, but it does not work well with small sizes (less than 1 inch > length), so I need to use another way to print barcode. > Thanx, M To correctly draw bar codes at different user defined sizes you need to have a printer that is capable of very high resolutions, otherwise the slight differences between the "design" width and the "printed width" of each single bar when it is converted to a "whole pixel size" for printing can cause problems. What is the resolution of your printer? If the resolution isn't high enough then you need to take greate care when choosing the size of your printed bar code if you are using True Type (or similar) fonts. I've never actually worked with bar codes myself, but I believe there are packages (and probably VB Controls) out there that make a very good job of optimising the output to suit the "pixel resolution" of your current specific output device (printer). They draw the lines individually (not as part of a font) and they optimise the thickness and separation automatically in accordance with the printer currently in use. I don't know if there is any freeware that does it though. Stuff like that usually costs a bit of money. You could probably come up with some "bar code optimising" stuff yourself using the LineTo and Rectangle APIs (or the equivalent VB drawing methods) if you are prepared to spend a lot of time on it. Mike |