Printing Labels With Intermec Easycoder 4420 (SAP Library)

Printing Labels With Intermec Easycoder 4420

Use

This topic tells you how to use the method described under Printing Labels to create and print labels with Intermec Easycoder 4420.

According to the manufacturer you can use the same procedure also for the printer models Easycoder 3240, 3400, 3440, 3600, 4400, 4420, 4440, 4630, 4830 and 7421 by Intermec.

Procedure

Create the label: To design the label layout, use the design program LabelShop PRO, version 4.21 of the manufacturer Intermec. This program runs under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT.

In addition, you need the product "ERPLabel(TM) - for SAP R/3" by Intermec. (http://www.intermec.com/products/printers.htm)

As printer, select the relevant Intermec printer in LabelShop PRO, in our example Easycoder 4420.

Define the R/3 form fields: In LabelShop PRO define all those fields as variable fields of type Import that will later be filled with variable data from the R/3 system. As variable name use the R/3 field name (for example, VBAK_KUNNR ).

Do not enclose the variable in the ampersands ("&") generally used in SAPscript, because LabelShop PRO automatically adds them.

LabelShop PRO does not allow certain characters in field names. The character "-", which is used in R/3 to separate table name and field name, is not allowed. Use the underline ("_") instead. If you use an "illegal" character in the variable name, LabelShop PRO ignores you newly created variable and names it with a default name, such as "Import1". If you detect during label printout from SAPscript that field contents are missing, check the variables (program symbols) in the SAPscript form.

You want to print the field VBAK_KUNNR from the print program of the R/3 application in a LabelShop PRO text field, with a fixed length of 8: In LabelShop PRO create a variable text field. On the next screen, choose New to create a field of type Import and name VBAK_KUNNR . Then choose Add.

Use the context menu (right mouse button) of the new field to specify the attributes of the variable. Determine the field position and the output length of the variable. To enable the system to display field contents of the variable fields in the graphical display, enter sample data ("") in field Value of variable - In the label. In the icon bar you can toggle between field name display and field contents display.

Select fonts for the text fields: For text fields with variable contents you can use only printer-internal fonts. For text fields with constant contents you can use either printer-internal or TrueType fonts.

Insert bitmap graphics: You can include bitmap graphics (for example, company logo as *.BMP file) into the label definition. The system passes them to the print file during the download. You can use these graphic formats: *.bmp, *.dib, *.rle, *.dxf, *.eps, *.fmf, *.img, *.jpg, *.pcd,*.pcx, *.dcx, *.png, *.tga, *.wmf, *.wpg.

Barcodes: When defining barcode fields, use only printer-internal barcodes ("printer barcodes"). If you use others as well ("graphic barcodes"), the file created for upload into R/3 contains non-printable characters that interfere with the import into R/3.

Download the label definition into the print file: To convert the printer commands into an ITF file suited for import into SAPscript on the PC, choose File ® Make an object file for printer. You can now choose between two variants: template SAPHOST.POC and template SAPSTORE.POC.

SAPHOST.POC: With variant SAPHOST.POC, the system stores the entire label definition together with the label data in a file suited for import into R/3. When printing the label from R/3, the label definition together with the variable data is passed to the printer each time. This produced rather large files, especially if you use graphics and TrueType fonts. Specify the path and file names of the file to be created. When executing the function, LabelShop PRO creates a file xxxxx.ITF in the specified path, where xxxxx is the label name used in LabelShop PRO.

SAPSTORE.POC: With variant SAPSTORE.POC, the label definition is stored in the printer. From R/3, you must retrieve only the variable data of the label. This produces extremely small print files in R/3, which makes SAPSTORE.POC much better for the performance than SAPHOST.POC.

Choose File ® print to pass the label definition into the resident memory of the Intermec printer. Make sure that for the printer driver settings (File ® Printer ® Setup) the option Store layout when printing - with format number XX is activated on the Forms tab. Enter the path and file names of the file to be created. When executing the function, LabelShop PRO creates a file xxxxx.ITF in the specified path, where xxxxx is the label name used in LabelShop PRO.

Upload the print file to SAPscript and insert the variables: Start the SAPscript standard text editor (transaction SO10). Create a new standard text. Use Text ® Upload to load the label file; choose ITF as format. Save the file.

Adapt the SAPscript form: To print the label, adapt the SAPscript form you want to use for printing. Choose Utilities ® SAPscript ® Form:

The MAIN window must cover the entire page format (for example, DINA4), which means that there may not be an upper or left margin between MAIN and the page margin.
Delete all windows except MAIN. If you keep any windows, they must not contain any data you want to print (you may mark texts as comments).
The MAIN window should contain only one text element which contains the newly created label file. The name of the text element depends on the R/3 application program you use. Insert the label file into this text element by copying the entire text from SO10 into the form window.
If there are any other text elements defined in MAIN that are called from within the print program, mark their contents as comments.
The first page of the form should point to itself as next page, since the label file in the MAIN window may be very large.

Create an output device: Define the Intermec printer as Output Device in the SAP System.

The easiest way is to connect the printer to a Windows PC, install any Windows printer driver there, and start the output program SAPlpd. Then define the printer in the spool administration (transaction SPAD) using coupling type "S" or "U".

As device type select LB_INT .