One DDS, Two Different Printers - Can't They All Just Get Along?

[Paul Tykodi <ptykodi@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jim,

Here is some contextual information to consider. Both
the IntelliTech 48AS and Printronix T5304 thermal
printers can function as IPDS compatible cut sheet fed
laser printers. In their cut sheet compatibility mode,
it is possible to rotate the complete page image. 

An example, using a 4 inch by 6 inch label, would be
as follows. If you wanted the human being to read the
label horizontally in the 6 inch dimension and
vertically in the 4 inch dimension, you could specify
to rotate the page by 90 degrees in the printer file.
This would cause the text and the bar codes to be
displayed so that the 6 inch dimension was used as the
horizontal dimension.

The Printronix IPDS manual has two pieces of
information, which could be important to this example.

1. The IPDS compatibility can function in both a page
printer mode and a line printer mode. The line printer
mode of IPDS capable printer (continuous forms media)
typically supports the rotation of objects (such as
bar codes) within the page but not the rotation of the
complete page itself. Thus you would want to verify
you have your printer configured for the page printer
mode.

2. The Printronix IPDS setup allows you to change the
internal to the printer IPDS orientation (0,0
calculation point) from the top left corner of the
media to any of the other corners of the media. If you
specify a corner other than the default, the result
when printing your label application could include
unexpected positioning of certain data elements.

HTH

Best Regards,

/Paul
--
Paul Tykodi
E-mail: ptykodi@xxxxxxxxx

>date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:52:58 -0500
>from: "Trow, Jim" <J.Trow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>subject: One DDS, Two Different Printers - Can't
>They All Just Get Along?
>
>I've searched the archives with no specific
>conclusions and am therefore posting this to the
>general community for assistance.
>
>We have a receiving label program which creates
>barcode output to an Intellitech 48AS printer, using
>a standard BARCODE(CODE3OF9) DDS statement.  We
>recently purchased a Printronix T5304 printer to
>provide additional receiving label output to, but
>are experiencing problems with the labels that are
>printing via the Printronix (most notably the 
>labels appear to be rotated 90 degrees
counter->clockwise).
>
>We've contacted the printer vendor and have
>referenced IBM's info on printer device >programming.
 No matter what the keyword change in >the DDS, we are
unable to get correct label output >on both printers
using the same DDS.
>
>Does anyone have any specific experience with this
>issue, and/or able to provide any insight?
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Jim
>
>James D. Trow
>Information Systems Supervisor
>
>Dick Blick Holdings, Inc.
>Ph: (847) 681-6820
>Cell: (847) 309-4760
>Email:  <mailto:tj.trowj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>J.Trow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



=====
Paul Tykodi
Principal Consultant
PDT Consulting

Mobile: 603-866-0712
E-mail: ptykodi@xxxxxxxxx

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