Paxar Monarch TC6035PR User manual

TC6035PR Rev. BA 6/01 ©2001 Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
MONARCH
DOS-based
PATHFINDER Ultra
System

Each product and program carries a respective written warranty, the only
warranty on which the customer can rely. Monarch reserves the right to make
changes in the product, the programs, and their availability at any time and
without notice. Although Monarch has made every effort to provide complete
and accurate information in this manual, Monarch shall not be liable for any
omissions or inaccuracies. Any update will be incorporated in a later edition of
this manual.
©199 Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or
translated into any language in any form by any means, without the prior
written permission of Monarch Marking Systems, Inc.
WARNING
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.
CANADIAN D.O.C. WARNING
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Réglement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicte par le ministère des Communications du Canada.
Trademarks
Monarch, Pathfinder, and Ultra are registered trademarks of Monarch Marking Systems, Inc.
6035 is a trademark of Monarch Marking Systems, Inc.
Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft in the U.S. and other countries.
TrueType is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
CG Triumvirate and CG Triumvirate Bold are trademarks of AGFA Corporation.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain
jurisdictions.
Monarch Marking Systems
P.O. Box 60
Dayton, Ohio 45401

TABLE OF CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Standard Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Creating an MPCLII For at Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Using MPCLII Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
MPCLII Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Standard Syntax Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
DESIGNING A FORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Starting with a Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Deter ining For at Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Deter ining the Print Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Drawing Rough Sketches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Using Supply Layout Grids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Considering Field Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Considering Fonts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Using the For at Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Filling in the For at Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
DEFINING FIELDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Defining the For at Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Defining Text Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Defining Bar Code Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Defining Constant Text Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Defining Line Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Line Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Defining Box Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
i

DEFINING FIELD OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Applying Field Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Co bining Field Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Option 1 (Fixed Data). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Option 4 (Copy Data) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Merging Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Sub-Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Option 31 (Calculate Check Digit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Option 50 (Bar Code Density) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Option 51 (PDF417 Security/Truncation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Option 52 (PDF417 Width/Length) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Option 61 (Re-i age Field) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Using Check Digits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Su of Products Calculation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Su of Digits Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
PRINTING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Defining the Batch Header. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Defining the Batch Control Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Defining Batch Data Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Merged or Sub-Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Downloading Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Sequential Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Batch Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Batch Quantity Zero Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Defining the Print Control Packet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clearing Packets fro Me ory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
CREATING GRAPHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Overview of Bit apped I ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Deter ining a Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Designing Bit apped I ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
ii

Special Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Using the Hex Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Using the Run Length Encoding Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Deter ining How to Store the I age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Using RAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Using Te porary Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Creating a Graphic Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Positioning the Graphic I age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Defining the Graphic Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Creating Bit ap Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Creating Next-Bit ap Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Creating Duplicate Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Sa ple Hex Graphic Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Sa ple Run Length Graphic Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
Placing the Graphic in a For at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Defining the Graphic Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Sa ple Bit ap Graphic I age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Troubleshooting Infor ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
If You Receive an Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Calling Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Data Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
For at Errors (1 - 99) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Batch Errors (100 - 199) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Rule Errors (200 - 249) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Online Configuration Errors (250 - 299) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Check Digit Errors (300 - 324) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Graphic Errors (325 - 399). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
General Packet Errors (300 - 324). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Data For atting Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Machine Faults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
iii

PRINTER OPTIMIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Adjusting the Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Reducing I aging Ti e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
General For at Tips and Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
SAMPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Sa ple UPCA For at Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Sa ple Fixed Character For at Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
FONTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Standard Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Monospaced Font Magnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Proportional Font Magnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Using Font Nu bers in For ats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-17
Locating the Font Nu ber in a Font Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-17
SYMBOL SETS/CODE PAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Supported Sy bol Sets and Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Selecting a Sy bol Set or Code Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Selecting the Internal Sy bol Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Selecting the 437 Code Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Using Code 128 Function Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
ASCII Sy bol Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
Code Page 437 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4
Dot to Run Length Encoding Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5
ON (Black) Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5
OFF (White Dots) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5
FORMAT DESIGN TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
Batch Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2
Check Digit Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3
iv

GETTING STARTED 1
Before you read this manual, review the printer information in the
Equipment Manual.
About This Manual
This manual is for the developer creating the application for the
printer.
You must develop an application that uses the packets
you create. Refer to the Programmer Manual for
information about developing an application.
Use this manual to design and print your own custom formats on
the Monarch 6035 printer. This chapter creates a sample
MPCLII packet.
Standard Features
The following features are standard on the 6035 printer: 192 dots
per inch (DPI) printhead, 2 inch by 4 inch maximum print image,
1.8 inches per second (IPS) maximum print speed, baud rate up to
115K, center-justified printing, 4-line display, alphanumeric keypad,
scanner, and 1 Meg memory with an additional 2 Meg flash ROM.
Getting Started 1-1

Creating an MPCLII Format Packet
A format defines which fields appear and where the fields are
printed on the label. The printer requires this information in a
special form, using Monarch Printer Control Language II (MPCL).
This section describes how to create a sample MPCLII format
packet.
Make sure supplies are loaded, you have a fully charged battery,
and you have an application in the printer. Refer your Equipment
Manual for more information.
For detailed information about the format header, text, constant
text, and bar code fields, see Chapter 3, "Defining Fields." For
information about batch packets, see Chapter 5, "Printing."
1. Type the following format header, in any text editor:
{F,25,A,R,M,508,508,"FMT-25" p
2. Type the following constant text field:
C,250,80,0,1,1,1,W,C,0,0,"MONARCH MARKING:",0 p
3. Type the following bar code field:
B,1,12,F,110,115,1,2,120,5,L,0 p
4. Type the following text field:
T,2,18,V,30,30,1,1,1,1,B,C,0,0,0 p}
1-2 Getting Started

You have created a format packet for your MPCLII printer. Now, a
batch packet must be created before you can print the format.
5. Type the following batch header, after the text field line:
{B,25,N,1 p
6. Type the following bar code data:
1,"12345678901" p
7. Type the following text field data:
2,"DAYTON, OHIO" p}
8. Save your file as SAMPLE.FMT.
For your application to use the format, use the
PCL library functions in
the Programmer Manual.
Getting Started 1-3

sing MPCLII Conventions
Here are some guidelines to follow when using MPCLII.
MPCLII Punctuation
Use the following symbols when creating MPCLII packets:
{start of header
}end of header
p field separator. Depending on the character
set you are using, this character may appear
differently, but it should always be hex 7C.
,parameter separator
"ABC" Quotation marks enclose character strings.
Empty quotes ("") identify null strings or
unused fields.
‘comment‘ Grave accents enclose comments. Any data
enclosed in grave accents is ignored. Do not
embed comments within a quoted string.
Grave accents are also used to reject
mainframe data.
These MPCL characters are the default.
1-4 Getting Started

Standard Syntax Guidelines
When creating MPCLII packets:
NBegin each packet with a start of header ({).
NEnd each packet with an end of header (}).
NDefine no more than 50 fields in a format. Each p indicates
one field. However, options are not counted as fields.
NThe field number (0 to 999) must be unique. Monarch
recommends starting at 1, instead of 0.
NDo not use a field number more than once per format.
NDefine all fields in the order you want to image/print them.
NSeparate all parameters with a Parameter Separator (,).
NEnd each field with a Field Separator ( p ).
NEnter all information in CAPITAL letters, except words or
phrases within quotation marks.
NInclude all parameters for a field unless documented as
optional.
NDefine non-printable text fields before the field to which they
apply.
NDefine options immediately after the field to which they apply.
NMultiple options can be used with most fields. Options can be
used in any combination except as noted with each definition.
NKeep in mind that proportionally spaced fonts need wider fields
than monospaced fonts. For variable field data, use a letter
"W" to determine the maximum field size.
NDo not place a new line (return) or any other non-printing
character in a character string. However, a carriage return or
line break after each p makes your formats easier to read.
T,1,20,V,30,30,1,1,1,1,B,C,0,0,0 p
T,2,10,V,50,30,1,1,1,1,B,C,0,0,0 p
NSpaces are ignored, except within character strings.
Getting Started 1-5

1-6 Getting Started

DESIGNING A FORMAT 2
This chapter describes how to
Ndetermine what kind of information to use in your format.
Nuse the Supply Layout Grid and Format Worksheet.
Ncategorize data into field types.
Nselect fonts to use in your format.
Designing a Format 2-1

Starting with a Design
Before you create a format packet you must design your label.
There are several steps to designing a custom label:
1. Decide which fields should appear on your label. See
"Determining Format Contents" for more information.
2. Determine your label size. Labels are available from Monarch
in a wide variety of sizes. Your application and the amount of
data you need to print determines the supply size. Contact
Monarch Marking for more information.
3. Draw a rough sketch of your label. You may want to draw
several variations to see what works best. See "Drawing
Rough Sketches" for more information.
4. Identify the field types that appear on your label. See
"Considering Field Types" for more information.
5. Decide which fonts you want to use. See "Considering Fonts"
for more information.
6. Fill out your Format Worksheet. See "Using the Format
Worksheet" for more information.
At this point you are ready to use your format.
7. Create a format packet based on how you filled out your
worksheet. See Chapter 3 "Defining Fields " for more
information.
8. For your application to use the format use the PCL library
functions in the Programmer Manual.
9. Execute your application.
2-2 Designing a Format

Determining Format Contents
Before you lay out your format you need to make a few decisions.
For example:
NHow large is your supply?
NWhich fonts do you want to use?
NDo you want to include a bar code?
NDo you want to include graphics?
Determining the Print Area
The print area varies depending on the size of your supply. Below
are the maximum and minimum print areas. Notice that the top
edge of the supply exits the printer first.
Unit of
Measure Maximum Supply Size Maximum Print Area Minimum Supply Size Minimum Print Area
English
(1/100")
200 x 400 183 x 365 120 x 55 109 x 46
Metric
(1/10mm)
508 x 1016 465 x 927 305 x 140 277 x 117
Dots
(1/203 dots)
384 x 768 352 x 701 230 x 106 208 x 88
For exact print area measurements of your
supply see the supply layout grids in
Appendix D.
Use the following formulas to convert inches to dots and metric:
Dots = inches x 192
Metric (1/10mm) = inches x 254
English (1/100 inch) = 100 x (dots/192)
Dots = Metric (1/10 mm) x 756/1000
Designing a Format 2-

Drawing Rough Sketches
After you decide what information you want to
print sketch how you want the information to
appear on the label. Note any areas that are
preprinted on the label such as a logo.
As soon as you know what information to include
on the label and you have a rough sketch you
can use a supply layout grid to help you layout
and size your label. If you do not want to use a
grid go to "Considering Field Types" to choose
what information you want on your label.
Using Supply Layout Grids
A supply layout grid contains measurement markers. These
markers help you accurately position information on your label.
Decide whether you want to design formats using English Metric
or Dot measurements. Choose from the following grids:
NEnglish
The English grid is measured in
1/100 inches.
NMetric
The Metric grid is measured in 1/10
millimeters (mm).
NGraphic
The printer uses dots to print images
on a label. The printhead has 192 dots
per inch (DPI).
If you want to use supply layout grids a copy of each is in
Appendix D "Format Design Tools."
Supply Layout
(dpi)
0.0
480
384
288
192
96
576
672
768
192
192
0.0
480
384
288
192
96
576
672
768
0.0 384
288
192
96
2-4 Designing a Format

Considering Field Types
After you select a supply size the next step in designing a format
is to decide what information you want to print on the label. For
example you may want to print your company name price of an
item and a bar code that combines information from other places.
Everything you want to print falls into one of the following
categories.
Field Type Description Examples
Text Contains letters numbers or
symbols you want to print.
item number item
description department
number price date
Bar Code Used for printing bar codes
that can be scanned.
item or serial numbers zip
codes information you don’t
want to have visible to
customers
Constant Text Prints fixed characters that
print without changing.
company name company
address
Line or Box Highlights or separates items. line marking out the regular
price border around the
supply
Graphic Contains a bitmap image or a
compliance label overlay.
logos
All of the above field types except graphics
are discussed in Chapter 3. See Chapter 6
"Creating Graphics" for information on
including graphics in your format.
Designing a Format 2-5

Considering Fonts
When working with fonts you have three considerations:
Nfont appearance
Nfont size (bitmapped)
Nfont spacing (monospaced or proportional)
See Appendix B "Fonts " for samples of each font.
Using the Format Worksheet
The Format Worksheet is divided into sections that list the field
types. Each section has boxes to fill in with parameters that
define your format. A format worksheet is included in Appendix D
"Format Design Tools."
Filling in the Format Worksheet
Decide what type of field to use on your label.
1. Make a copy of the Format Worksheet.
2. Define the Format Header.
3. Define options as you require them. See Chapter 4 "Defining
Field Options" for more information.
2-6 Designing a Format

DEFINING FIELDS 3
This chapter provides a reference for defining
Nthe format header
Ntext and constant text
Nbar code fields
Nline and box fields.
Defining Fields 3-1

Defining the Format Header
A Format Header begins a format file.
Syntax {F,format#,action,device,measure,length,
width,"name" p
F1. F Format Header.
F2. format# Unique number from 0-999 to identify the format.
F3. action Enter A to add a new format to the printer.
F4. device Format storage device. R is the only valid value.
F5. measure Unit of measure. ptions:
EEnglish, measured in 1/100 inches
MMetric, measured in 1/10 mm
GGraphic, measured in dots
F6. length Supply length, top to bottom, in selected units.
English 55 - 400
Metric 140 - 1016
Dots 106 - 768
F7. idth Supply width, from left to right, in selected units.
English 120 - 200
Metric 305 - 508
Dots 230 - 384
F8. "name" Format name (optional), 0-8 characters, enclose within
quotation marks.
Example: {F,1,A,R,E,300,200,"TEXTILES" p
Format 1 ("TEXTILES") uses a three inch long by two inch wide
label.
3-2 Defining Fields