8Printing β Getting Labels on Paper
Labels designed, data bound β now let's print.
8.1 Preparation β Print Settings
Go to Print β Print Settings to open the dialog:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Target Printer | Choose a printer: regular Windows printer (inkjet/laser), ZPL printer (professional label printers like Zebra), or push to the background Print Service |
| Copies | Number of copies per label |
| Print Range | All data / specific range (from record X to Y) |
| Repeats per page | How many times to repeat the same label on one sheet (e.g. 10 identical labels on one A4) |
| Orientation | Portrait / Landscape |
| Print Quality | Draft (saves ink, fast) / Standard / High (fine detail, slow) |
ZPL Printing Special Settings
If using a Zebra or similar professional label printer (ZPL protocol):
- ZPL Preview: Preview the generated ZPL commands for debugging
- Font Download: Transfer fonts from computer to the ZPL printer for correct rendering
- Ribbon settings: Thermal transfer ribbon configuration
π‘ About ZPL: ZPL stands for Zebra Programming Language β the "print language" used by professional label printers. The software auto-generates the ZPL commands; you don't need to learn the syntax.
8.2 Preview Before Printing β Print Preview
Strongly recommended before printing to avoid wasting label stock.
Go to Print β Print Preview. You'll see:
- An accurate rendering of the printed label
- If data is bound, you can browse through each record's print result
- Zoom for detail
- Click "Print" directly from the preview window when satisfied
8.3 Direct Print
If you've already confirmed the label is correct:
- Click the printer icon on the toolbar
- Or press Ctrl + P
- Or go to Print β Direct Print
8.4 Print Queue Management
With many print jobs, open the queue to view and manage them:
- View queue: Print β Print Queue, lists all pending jobs
- Pause/Resume: Pause the queue to resolve printer issues, then resume
- Cancel jobs: Remove unwanted print jobs
- Reorder: Move urgent jobs to the front
- History: View previous print records
8.5 Push to Print Service
If the background Print Service is installed (see Chapter 14), you can push jobs directly to it for unified queue management and retry handling.