It is true that bartender is much nicer than SSRS labels in my own opinion, but I’ve been having a heck of a time with bartender labels using random driver settings lately and changing color.
Trying to get the process down for editing and publishing labels. I think I had different driver settings than the floor printers so when I modified the label it changed the stored driver settings in the .btw file and then it started printing differently on the floor.
In short, still trying to figure out the procedure to keep settings straight with labels. I also find bartender is super fussy with the stock on the printers unlike an SSRS report that prints to whatever size you want even if half the page gets printed.
Trying to handle errors using bartender integration builder via a Epicor rest call is the next thing I need to get straightened out. Don’t know if you have any code samples of your own where you are reading the response for success or failure from bartender web service do you…?
Hmmm, that makes it trickier. They have labels that have different colors in different zones so that they can be “Color”, but 100% color flexibility isn’t something they have. Bummer.
Have you worked with Seagull support? They are actually pretty good and might have some better suggestions.
From what I was told and deduced from troubleshooting, I think it was like I described above. Different driver settings at different computers (both on the design computer and floor computers) may have cause the issue.
I can control the settings by making sure all the client printers have the same stock and settings etc. Walk around to them and ensure that is the case.
And then from my own client I also need to make sure that the label I am designing is using one of those printers with the same exact settings.
Agreed, that is always how I have done it. Also, make sure your using Seagull Scientific Printer Drivers, I am sure their support covered that. I have used other printers besides Zebra, like Eltron, and besides getting the settings correct initially I have not seen a problem. Your Template dictates a lot of the settings, make sure you Page Size and Template sizes are correct, and margins. I don’t have BarTender in front of me but I believe there is a visual on how the template lays out on the page. That is one concept to understand, their is a difference in Template for the label and the Page Size, as you look at the properties make sure you have those correct, generally if your printing to a label printer you page size matches your template size taking in account for margins. But you could print two up then template is half the page size so it can print two up.
Right on Scott thank you so much for detailing that out for me.
The issues have calmed down for now, I made changes to the labels as they came up and ensured the settings matched the printer and driver settings we would like to see.
@utaylor Yes, theoretically you can. But all it takes is one thing to change and that printer is back out of whack. I would recommend networking all your printers and then installing them on your Epicor server.
We have had 0 issues with BarTender drivers. In fact we use them for a lot of printers that BarTender doesn’t even print to just because we love them so much.
I was 100% serious in the other post I love BarTender it’s easy to use, incredible flexible, and the new integration stuff over TCP and web request has me fat in the pants. For us it has been worth every penny. We recently tried a few replacement softwares attempting to get faster print jobs and aside from manual ZPL files BarTender is as fast as the bigger dogs!
Satos do great for us, it is the color printers and labels that gave us a headache last month, but I think it was because I didn’t know about the template and the printer settings coordination that was necessary to keep things consistent and I think some client properties from my computer were saved in the design.
On your Computer install a Manual Printer, select COM1 as output and select the same Driver manually as the one on the floor and viola you have a “Virtual Label Printer” which will work and the output will be shown in the Bartender History Explorer.
Let’s pretend I have a ZDesigner (you should find one from Seagull Website for your Model)
I usually do this on the Server so I have a Development Virtual Printer. I can even map it in Epicor then \MyServer\MyFakeZebraPrinter
PS: We love BarTender so much that we just acquired a BarTender Reseller If you need BT Licenses in the Midwest hit me up.
If you need BT Licenses in the Midwest hit me up.