Selecting a printer from Data Source
Much of the data we use on labels is via 'variables' provided as Named Data Source/Embedded Data. We use a selection of printers and the identity of them is also sent as a Name Data Source.
Within my label(s) in Bartender Designer, under the Print option, instead of selecting a specific printer I have it set to 'Get printer from data source'.
I have tried this as 'Embedded Data' and also as 'Print Job Field/ Printer Name' but neither option actually seems to work.
Has anyone else experienced this, or am I just missing something
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Where is the actual input coming from? If I set the label to Set By Named Data Source and then link a Data Entry Form to that field then it works correctly for me with the Data Source Type set to Embedded Data
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Hi Peter, thanks for the comment.
The data is being brought in via a Web Integration file as a variable.
I am then using this variable as the embedded data.
The data does exist as I can also display the output from that elsewhere.
The printer is set to Set by Dta Source.
Thats why I am scratching my head a bit.
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I think you would just need to leave the printer selection in the label as the default (Print Dialogue) option and then the command in the web integration would replace this at print time.
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Hey Paul
Were you able to find a solution for the problem above?
We have 1 printer which uses the named data sources and integration to trigger the print with the printer set to default on the integration file.
Now we need to add a new printer.
In this case i am trying to use the data from the external source which is created from a combination of data coming from our WMS and combined with few other fields from SAP Creating the spool file which is used as the source for the variables for the named data source fields in the Bartender template design via integration builder. The print itself is triggered by the integration which up to this point was using the default printer in the integration when we were using only 01 printer.
But as i added a new printer for which i have configured the template design to set to 'Get printer from data source' and now when i need to print separately it doesn't trigger the print and for some reason goes back to very first printer "01" which was originally being used.0 -
Hi sid
My problem was easily resolved, it was a problem caused well before it got to Bartender, so somewhat misleading.
In your case, with the single printer, you could have left it to just use the printer 'default' set up in the label design, but I guess that by using a NDS you have half prepared it for multiple printers anyway.
In my case, I have an NDS called 'printerCode' and the label design uses this NDS as Embedded data and that is entered in the Printer Setup for the label design.
Your source then needs to send this content as a variable, and this content needs to be exactly the same as the printer names you have setup within the Bartender Administration, ie your printers need to be set up in your originating system exactly the same as on your server. Your Integration File is where you can tweak the NDS name if required.
Hope that makes sense.
Paul
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You need to tell the Integration which printer to use, this can be done in a couple of ways such as by declaring it in the web string/data being used and linking that to say a Named Data Source on the label that is linked to the printer name or else you could save the label linked to the printer you are using
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Hello,
Here’s a more detailed account of my recent attempts to set up a printer:
We have two printers: P1 (label8 - original) and P2 (label9 - new). Both are connected locally via USB ports and configured in the WMS server with their respective IP addresses.
P1 is linked to Template 1, which has been set as the default printer setting until now. The integration for this printer does not include the NDS field Variable for the printer name.
In a new scenario that required the use of P2, I modified the integration file to include the NDS Variable field. This allows the printer name to be picked up from the web integration file as a variable, similar to the other data printed on the label design. The template for P2 now also includes the NDS printer name field. The printer selection is set to a specific printer, following the setup method used by @Paul, which is ‘Get printer from data source’.
During an actual test, I attempted to initiate printing via the integration. However, the print did not come out. The integration message board detected the trigger, waited, and eventually timed out, resulting in a socket failure.
Image 1: Bartender Template NDS
Image 02: Print setup in Bartender with NDS as Embedded data
Image 03: Integration print NDS Fields
Can you tell me what am I doing wrong ? Do I need to leave the printer setup default in the template and only configure it in the integration ?0 -
The Named Data Source value on your bottom image below is just telling BarTender that the text field object printer_name should have the value taken from the %printer_name% variable in your trigger file, it is not telling BarTender to use that variable to choose which printer to use.
To do this click on the Print Options tab and click in the Printer box which will then mean the Insert Variables option is no available and from in there you should be able to locate and select your printer-name field which will then control the printer that is being used to print
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Hello Peter,
Thank you for your input. I’ve tested your solution, and now I can observe that the integration is being triggered. However, there’s an odd behavior: it’s picking up a trigger event performed by a scan for P1 with label8 as the printer name. This follows the path: Scan Item ➡️ Create a spool file (containing NDS from SAP) ➡️ Feed back into triggering the label integration print.
Currently, I have the P1 printer still on the old settings, which use the default system printer. Meanwhile, P2 is configured with a variable printer using the
%printer_name%option.Interestingly, whenever someone scans an item, I can see triggers on both the P1 connected device screen and the P2 connected device screen.
For further context, I’ve attached an image related to the integration from the P2 Device Integration file. which have %printer_name% configured for it and the actual printer's name is label9.
Do you think i am missing something while setting them up as individual printers.
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as i tried to change the P1 printer name to label8 and started the integration, all of a sudden it started to print dozens of files that were never triggered by me or anyone else but have been completed as a print earlier days ago.
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The error looks to me like the PC/Server running the integration does not have access to a printer called label8. Can you print to it from BarTender Designer on that machine directly?
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Yes, I can print it from BarTender Designer on that machine directly if I select the printer name or even if the source is set as NDS.
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