Understanding Printer Code Templates

In some manufacturing situations portable devices or terminals are used to print items. These portable devices and terminals in many cases are dedicated to one job (like printing), and usually do not run the Microsoft Windows operating system and cannot run a printing package like BarTender.

These portable devices and terminals typically take the printer code for a template and merge into it user input information, like lot number and expiration date, and send the completed printer code directly to the printer.

Other systems may use software printing applications that insert user information into the printer code for an item. An example of such a system is SAP/R3, which uses SAPscript-ITF files. A SAPscript-ITF file is composed mostly of printer code, but has extra field information for data input substitution and system processing. The SAP/R3 system software opens the SAPscript-ITF file, comprised of printer code and extra fields, merges user information, and sends it to the printer.

Collectively, these devices, terminals, and printing applications are called print systems.

To support various print systems, BarTender provides Printer Code Template generation. A printer code template contains mostly native printer code, but it also contains delimited fields that the print system can recognize and use to merge user input information.

A new capability being supported by some printers is the ability to receive and process XML-formatted print job information. The printer can take a previously stored template and populate its field data with the information from the XML file for each printed item. BarTender has built-in Printer Code Template print system support for several XML printers, and custom print systems can be added for other XML capable printers using the Printer Code Template features.

Related Topics

• Exporting to a Printer Code Template
• Printer Code Export Options
• Printer Code Template Setup Dialog
• Printer Code Validation

Open topic with navigation