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datamax_dmx-e-4204_printer_setup

Installing a DATAMAX e Class DMX-e-4204 Printer

dmx-e-4204.jpg

This printer is only supported using code based labels.

It will not work with the Label Designer within Windward System Five.

This printer is NOT recommended for Remote Desktop Environments

SHOP FOR COMPATIBLE HARDWARE

Install The Windows Printer Driver

First you will need to install a Windows printer driver for this printer, which you can download direct from DATAMAX's web site.

ftp://ftp.datamaxcorp.com/Window%20Printer%20Drivers/Seagull

Any of the available drivers should work. DATAMAX_7.1.6_M-0.exe was the one I used for testing purposes, so I know that that one will work. Do not connect the printer until the drivers are installed. Once they are installed you can connect the USB cable to the printer, and then to an available USB port on your computer.

*NOTE: This printer MUST be connected through a USB port. In testing we discovered that if it is connected through the parallel port it would not work correctly. Also DATAMAX's configuration utility would not communicate with the printer until it was connected through USB.

Set Up Driver In System Five

Next you will need to go into System Five and in the Navigator, go to Setup Tools - Printing Options, and Printer Setup. Find the DATAMAX printer in the left hand window and click on it once to highlight it. Now in the right hand window, put a check mark in the check box next to Default Label Printer, and Barcode Printer. Click Exit at the top of the screen to exit this window.

System Five is now set up to work with your printer.

Designing the Label

Now you will need to design your code based label. The first resource you will need is the field names required for System Five. The documentation for these barcode and text fields can be downloaded at:

http://mywindward.wws5.com/selfhelp/viewarticle.php?f=t&u=http://mywindward.wws5.com/selfhelp/helpfile/systemfive/index.html?conbarcodetextfields.htm

You will also need the programmers manual from DataMax, which can be downloaded at the following Link:

dmx_prog-v10.pdf

Effectively using the information in this programming manual can be somewhat overwhelming. Especially if you have never created code based labels before, or have never designed them for the DataMax printers before. So I have included a sample label here to get you started, followed by the same codes with a detailed line by line explanation of the code.

Sample Code 1.5 by 1.25 label

Here is the sample codes for a 1.5 wide by 1.25 long Shelf label. These codes are case sensitive, so they MUST be entered exactly as shown.

<STX>n
<STX>s
<STX>c0124
<STX>M0124
<STX>L
A2
D11
PC
SC
H25
1A2101900090017<BARCODE,-1>
102300000390066<SALE.0>
102300000390001<PRICE.0>
100200000560009REG.
100200000560060SALE
100400000730010<DESCRIPTION,35>
101400000950010<PART,-1>
101400000950060<BRAND.NAME,21>
E

What The Codes Mean

Here are the details you need to know to modify the lines of code in the sample above. A more complete description of the codes can be found in the programming guide:

http://www.datamaxcorp.com/_assets/library/pdf/88231601_d.pdf

<STX>n Sets Printer to Imperial mode (inches)

<STX>s Sets Single Buffer Mode

<STX>c0124 Sets Label Length to 1.24“ (The width is not entered, as the code will dictate where on the label a the information is placed, up to 4 inches wide).

<STX>M0124 Sets Maximum Label Length before reporting an error (you can set this as the same number as the label length, or any number higher than that. Usually I would set to the label length, or a number not more that twice the label length).

<STX>L Enter Label Formatting Command Mode (must use)

A2 Font Format Attribute (2 means that background is transparent. Text can overlap)

D11 Dot width of 1, and Height of 1 (Dwh - w can be 1 or 2, h can be 1, 2 or 3)

PC Set Print Speed to 2.0 Inches Per Second (valid ranges are from A-G for the E-4204-Default is G)

SC Set Feed Speed to 2.0 Inches Per Second (valid ranges are from A-G for the E-4204-Default is G)

H25 Heat set to 25 (01-30). This is the temperature setting for the print head. A lower number will print lighter on the label. A higher number will print darker. Also the thicker a label is, the higher the number needs to be.

This is the actual printed information. The System Five Field information is contained within the <>. The two lines that end with REG and SALE, will print REG. and SALE on the label at the positions specified. The string of Characters preceding the fields or the text specify the location to print the information, the font used, and the size of the font or lines in the case of the barcodes. The format of this information is as follows

abcdeeefffggg

so the barcode line is broken down as:

a  b  c  d  eee  ffff  gggg<FIELD,VARIABLE>

1  A  2  1  019  0009  0017<BARCODE,-1>

*NOTE: I have added the spaces between each setting for clarity only. The actual coding for each line would not contain spaces between them.*

a is the rotation. 1 is NO rotation (2 is 90 degrees, 3 is 180, and 4 is 270. This is clockwise rotation)

b is the Font ID. You will need to refer to the Programming Manual for further information on this. Page 116.

c is the width multiplier (Thick Line) for barcodes. This adjusts the thickness of the wide bars in the barcode (c and d usually are the same number). It is the Height Multiplier for fonts

d is the width multiplier (Thin Line) for barcodes. This adjusts the thickness of the thin bars in the barcode (c and d usually are the same number). Also Width Multiplier for fonts.

eee is the barcode height in dots. In our example it is 19 dots. Valid range is from 001 to 999. For fonts this will always be 000.

ffff is the row position on the label. This is from the bottom of the label up in our example the barcode is at the bottom so it is 0009 dots up from the bottom of the label Our label height is 124 dots or 0124, so any valid range would be from 0001 to 0124

gggg This is the column position on the label. This is from the left side of the label in our example barcode.

<FIELD,VARIABLE> The <FIELD> can be entered by itself or with a variable <FIELD,VARIABLE>, depending on the fields usage. The variables are better explained at the end of this document. The System Five Fields can be found at the following link, and each field is explained in that document.

http://mywindward.wws5.com/selfhelp/helpfile/systemfive/index.html?conbarcodetextfields.htm

Also the <FIELD,VARIABLE> can be replaced with alpha-numeric characters if the <> are omitted. A good example for this would be to display your company name on each label. An example of this would be:

1A2101900090017WINDWARD SOFTWARE

Sample Code With Explanation

<STX>n                           (Sets Printer to Imperial mode (inches))

<STX>s                           (Sets Single Buffer Mode)

<STX>c0124                       (Sets Label Length to 1.24 inches)

<STX>M0124                       (Sets Maximum Label Length before reporting an error to 1.24 inches)

<STX>L                           (Enter Label Formatting Command Mode (must use))

A2                               (Font background is transparent. Text can overlap)

D11                              (Dot width of 1, and Height of 1)

PC                               (Print Speed to 2.0 Inches Per Second)

SC                               (Feed Speed to 2.0 Inches Per Second)

H25                              (Heat set to 25)

1A2101900090017<BARCODE,-1>      (Prints the barcode. -1 means to print the entire barcode)

102300000390066<SALE.0>          (Prints the Sale Price Based on Price Schedule 0)

102300000390001<PRICE.0>         (Prints the Selling Price Based on Price Schedule 0)

100200000560009REG.              (Prints the word REG. - Note that this text is not enclosed in < >)

100200000560060SALE              (Prints the word SALE - Note that this text is not enclosed in < >)

100400000730010<DESCRIPTION,35>  (Prints the Item Description. 35 limits the number of characters to 35)

101400000950010<PART,-1>         (Prints the Part Number. -1 again says to print the whole Part Number)

101400000950060<BRAND.NAME,21>   (Prints the Brand Name. 21 limits the maximum characters printed to 21)

E                                (Terminates Label Formatting and Print Label - always the last line of label)

Printing Your New Label

In the Navigator, go to Setup Tools, Printing Options, Form and Label Designers, Barcode Label Print Codes, and select the type of label you will be creating. select the form (form 1 - 14)and give it a name. Paste your new label code into the label form you have just named. If this is your first code based label, then you will also need to paste it into the default form. If you do not have anything set up as a default form, you will not be able to print code based labels. The menu option is not available without having some code specified in that default label. Test the label by going into an inventory item and from the label drop down select barcode / label printer, type how many labels you would like to print, press OK, then make sure that the correct printer and form is selected, and click OK. You may still need to tweak the label slightly, but if you follow the basic code laid out here, you should now see your label coming out of the printer. If you get an error, you may have set one of your fields to print outside of the printable area of the label. Try not to set any of the fields to be too close to the edges of the label.

If your print looks like it is overlapping, it may be that a field is printing more characters than what can fit on the label, and you will need to limit the number of characters with the ”,XX“ variable. The XX being how many characters to print. (,35 would mean up to 35 characters. ,15 would be 15 etc.).

Other Helpful Variables

,-1 Tells the printer to print the entire field.

,X Where X= a specific numerical value, limits how many characters to print (,35 would mean up to 35 characters. ,15 would be 15 etc.).

<STX>e Select Edge Sensor. This command enables transmissive (see-through) sensing for top-of-form detection of die-cut, and holed (or notched) media. This Media Sensor will detect a minimum gap of 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) between labels (see the Operator’s Manual for media requirements). Syntax: <STX>e

Created By Steve Wind May 10/2011
datamax_dmx-e-4204_printer_setup.txt · Last modified: 2021/04/19 21:39 (3 years ago) by kturner