Compaq 5525B/31/32 manual Printing Bar Codes

Bar Codes

Printing Bar Codes

Generally, sending bar code information to the printer is performed in two steps:

Step 1: Selecting the bar code printing specifications; bar code type, height, and header control information.

Step 2: Moving the cursor to the desired label location and sending the bar code data.

Step 1.

Before positioning and printing the bar code data, the type of code, height of the label, and header placement may be specified. Once this is done, the succeeding labels will be printed using these specifications until a new type, height, or header control is specified. In other words, the bar code print specifications can be sent once and need not be sent again unless the printer is reset or new print specifications are desired. The following example specifies the print specifications for bar codes that are 0.5 inches in height, have a header above the label, and are printed in the UPC A code.

ESC*z8v5h1Q
ESC*z8v	Select UPC A code
5h	Label is to be .5 inches high
1Q	Places header above bar code

Notice that the last letter in the escape sequence (Q) is upper-case while the other letters in the sequence (v and h) are lower-case. (See “Escape Sequences” on page 15 for more information concerning combining two or more sequences.)

Step 2.

To print a bar code label, the cursor must be placed in the desired position and the bar code data must be sent. The following escape sequence moves the cursor to column 25, sends the data “1234567” to the printer, and initiates printing.

ESC*z25c<1234567>Z

ESC*z25c Places start of label at column 25

<Indicates start of bar code data

1234567 Bar code data

>Signals end of bar code data

Z Upper case Z initiates printing *

*Note that an upper-case “Z” terminator results in the bar code being printed and an automatic carriage return (CR) being executed.

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