Can't define label length - ZPL (RW 220)

Question

fellows,

what I'm trying to do should be simple: to print an example label from ZPL II Programming Guide. But no matter what I write, the label is always printed with 40mm length.

This is the code:

^XA
^LH0,30
^FO20,10^AD^FDVERSUL^FS
^XZ

I tried changing the label's settings in the printer's properties, tried to add the ^LL command, set units to dots. I'm using the console from Zebra Setup Utilities, and I've already changed the language to ZPL. Nothing changed.

Do you know what I'm doing wrong or if is there any other place I should change the label's settings?

BTW: the printer is working fine in CPCL mode, it looks like it's something regarding ZPL's configuration.

Thanks in advance.

Elfie

Answer 1

Do you have gap or black mark label media loaded in the printer? Or continuous receipt paper?

If the printer is in non-continuous mode with receipt paper, it will look for a label gap (or black mark) so that it can feed up to the next label. If the printer is loaded with continuous receipt paper, it will not find it and feed up to some maximum. Look at the ^MN command and try to set it to continuous, while also using the ^LL command in your ZPL format. You can send ^XA^MNN^LL400^XZ^XA^JUS^XZ to set and save the printer in continuous mode, 400 dots length just to see if it works.

Agretha

Ovi, you're my hero. I've been struggling for a day to solve this, and your solution worked promptly. Thanks! One last question, if you don't mind: I noticed you're using ^XA..^XZ tags more than once. Why would you do that, is it necessary to wrap other commands within these tags? – Elfie

No prob, glad to help! The ^JUS is recommended to be put in its own ^XA^XZ block because it's the "save settings" command. If you do them in the same ^XA^XZ, there could be a scenario where the save executes before the setting changes, and it'll save the old value. It's just to be super safe and only really recommended for the ^JU commands (save, restore defaults, etc) – Agretha

Answer 2

I had a similar problem but a different cause (GK420T) - for some reason I had turned of backfeed using ~JSO, and the rest position (~TA) placed the next label already halfway under the print head.

Without backfeed, the printer started from this position so it looked like the bottom of the label was cropped and length and page size was ignored.

Changing the backfeed sequence to ~JSN (default - 90%) causes the printer to roll the label back before printing starts so the whole label is accessible.

Immensurable