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BarTender comes with a set of predefined print systems. By using the Printer Code Template Setup dialog, which you can access from the Administer menu, you can view a list of these print systems on the left side of the dialog. By using the tabs on the right, you can view and/or modify the properties of these print systems. If none of the predefined print systems match your needs, you can use the toolbar to create any number of your own custom print systems.
The dialog includes the following sections.
Print Systems List
The Print Systems section lists the print systems that are available. Use the toolbar at the bottom of the list to maintain the selected print system. You can also access each of the commands in the toolbar by right-clicking a print system.
Inserts a new print system into the list.
Removes the selected print system from the list.
Deletes the selected print system and places a copy of the print system on the Clipboard.
Copies the selected print system to the Clipboard.
Pastes a copy of the print system that is currently on the Clipboard into the list.
Moves the selected print system up one position in the list.
Moves the selected print system down one position in the list.
Print System
The Print System section displays detailed information about the selected print system. For custom print systems, you can also configure the printer, output, and performance settings by using the Delimiters, Printer, Output, Performance, and General tabs.
The following tabs are available.
Use the Delimiters tab to specify the printer code template delimiters, which are used by a print system to parse the printer code template. The delimiters are replaced by the print system before the print job starts.
The table lists each type of delimiter that you can insert into the printer code template. The following fields are displayed:
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Property: Provides a brief description of each type of delimiter, usually in terms of its location in the printer code template.
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Value: Specifies the value of each delimiter. This value is inserted into the template file, so you must use a value that your print system expects. For example, if the print system expects that lines in the printer code template begin with the delimiter {SL} and end with the delimiter {EL}, then you should enter {SL} as the Start of Line delimiter and {EL} as the End of Line delimiter.
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Use the Header and Footer delimiters to specify the characters, if any, that the print system expects to find at the beginning and end of the template file.
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Use the Start of Line and End of Line delimiters to specify the characters, if any, that the print system expects to find at the beginning and end of each line of the template file.
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Use the Start Field Delimiter and End Field Delimiter to specify the characters that immediately precede and immediately follow the template field names. For more information about template fields, refer to the help for the Template Fields tab of the Printer Code Template Options dialog.
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Use the Start Print Code and End Print Code delimiters to specify the characters, if any, that the print system expects to find at the beginning and end of passages of printer language code.
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... Opens the Delimiter Value dialog, which you can use to enter a delimiter value.
Use the Printer tab to filter print systems by printer language and/or printer manufacturer. When you do this, only the print systems that are compatible with the current printer are available for selection.
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Supported printer language(s): Specifies whether all or only some printer languages are supported by the selected print system.
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Printer language(s): Specifies the printer languages that are either supported (when Specified Language(s) Only is selected) or not supported (when All Except Specified Language(s) is selected) by the selected print system. Each printer language is defined by its three-letter code. You can add more languages to the list by clicking the 
icon and separating the codes with semi-colons.
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Supported printer manufacturer(s): Specifies whether all or only some printer manufacturers are supported by the selected print system.
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Printer manufacturer(s): Specifies the printer manufacturers that are either supported (when Specified Manufacturer(s) Only is selected) or not supported (when All Except Specified Manufacturer(s) is selected) by the selected print system. Each printer manufacturer is defined by its name. You can add more manufacturers to the list by clicking the icon and separating the names with semi-colons.
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Driver parameter(s): Specifies any additional parameters that the driver needs to process the printer code template.
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Manufacturer default: Limits printer code to the manufacturer default of the selected print system.
Use the Output tab to specify what options are available in the Export Printer Code Template dialog and to configure the default values for these options. Use the options in the Output tab to set the default directory and default file name extension.
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Output to port: Specifies that the printer code templates are sent directly to the printer, keyboard terminal, XML-enabled printer, or ERP system instead of being exported to a file. The following options are available:
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Optional: Specifies that the dialog enables the Output to port export method to be selected.
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Required: Specifies that only the Output to port export method is available.
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Disabled: Specifies that the Output to port export method is not available.
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Separate format and data files: Specifies that printer code templates are exported in one file or in separate format and data files. The following options are available:
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Optional: Specifies that the dialog enables either the All in one file option or the Separate format and data files option to be selected.
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Required: Specifies that only the Separate format and data files option is available.
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Disabled: Specifies that the Separate format and data files option is unavailable.
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Printer code only for format file: Specifies that when Separate format and data files is available as an option, the format file can be set to contain only printer code. The following options are available:
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Optional: Makes the Printer code only check box available.
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Required: Selects the Printer code only check box. This setting cannot be changed.
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Disabled: Makes the Printer code only check box unavailable. This setting cannot be changed.
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Default directory: Specifies the default directory for printer code template files. This directory is used if no path is entered in the Export Printer Code Template.
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Default extension: Specifies the default file name extension that is added to the exported printer code template files. This extension is used if no extension is specified in the Export Printer Code Template.
Use the Performance tab to specify how BarTender takes advantage of built-in printer capabilities when you use a Drivers by Seagull™ printer driver. Each of the options on this tab can be individually set to specify the behavior as Optional, Required, or Disabled.
If you select Optional for a setting, it appears in the Export Printer Code Template dialog as available and selected. If you select Required, it appears as unavailable and selected, and if you select Disabled, it appears as unavailable and unselected.
If the option is not supported by the current printer, it appears as unavailable and unselected.
Printer Optimizations
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Allow static graphics: Specifies that BarTender uses the printer's static graphics feature to store the specifications for all raster-type graphic objects that are printed exactly the same from item to item, including TrueType fonts.
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Allow static objects: Specifies that BarTender uses the printer's static objects feature to store the specifications for all objects that are printed exactly the same from item to item, whether or not they are raster graphics. This includes printer fonts, barcodes, imported graphics, and TrueType fonts.
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Allow variable data optimization: Specifies that BarTender uses the printer's data merge feature to store the formatting specifications (object positions, symbology, fonts, and so on) so that only object data needs to be transmitted.
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Allow serialization: Specifies that BarTender uses the built-in incrementing capabilities of the specified printer whenever appropriate. This option cannot be turned off when you are exporting a printer code template.
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TrueType fonts are transmitted to thermal printers as graphics rather than as downloaded fonts. Because thermal printers can increment data only when it is being handled as a font, a TrueType font cannot be incremented by using the printer's built-in serialization capabilities. If you want to serialize an object on your template and take advantage of your printer's serialization capabilities, you must use one of your printer's built-in fonts.
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Use the General tab to adjust the encoding settings for your printer, keyboard prompting settings, and other advanced options. You can also modify print code by using an action list or a custom Visual Basic script. The following options are available:
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Encoding: Specifies the encoding to be used on the templates of the print system. The default value is Windows Default.
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Supports prompting on external keyboard (KDU): Specifies that the selected print system can generate dialogs that prompt the user for input as part of the export process.
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Supports printing on both sides: Specifies that the selected print system supports duplex printing. For more information, refer to Automatic Duplex Printing.
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Supports multiple templates.: Specifies that the selected print system supports the use of multiple templates. For more information, refer to Using Multiple Templates.
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File export intended for use with FTP: Specifies that the printer code template export file is intended for FTP transport.
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Visible in print system list: Makes the print system appear in the Print Systems list of the Printer Code Template Setup dialog.
Printer Code Modifier
Each print system can have printer code modification actions or scripts associated with it that can replace, insert, or delete specified data in the printer code.
Related Topics
Delimiters Tab