Using VPE to Drive a Barcode Printer

[IDEAL Software Support]

Using Windows ME, Power Basic 6.11 and VPE I am trying to print bar code labels on an Intermec C4 Easycoder label printer using their Interdriver for Windows (available at www.intermec.com):

Product: Intermec ESIM Driver
Version: 6.5.4 M-0
Build: T-1122

I have tested their driver with Word and it appears to be OK as printed output is obtained reliably. The physical connection is parallel, single direction. A bidirectional serial connection is also available as an alternative. You can talk to the driver without the printer being connected.

The label size is 70 mm wide and 24 mm tall (so 700 x 240 in VPE units).

My problem is that my program works reliably printing the labels to my HP 895Cxi (driver HPFDJC15.drv V4.00) . Note that this driver always returns 0,0 as page width and height.

When using the Intermec driver on a small label, any attempt to place data on the current page (vpeprint etc) causes an error in Kernel32 or a hang.

I have set the margins to 0,0,0,0 as the default top and bottom margins overlap by default.

I think this problem is deep as the behavior of VPE varies with the label size. For a 100 mm wide label vpeprint will work but vpebarcode causes problems.

All other VPE methods I use which do not place data on the page seem to work as expected.

I think I understand the concept of the margins but could be wrong!

Are there any known problems with VPE and small page sizes or in relationship to the Intermec driver.

Regards
Len Doust

[IDEAL Software Support]

> I have set the margins to 0,0,0,0 as the default top and bottom
> margins overlap by default.

This setting is wrong. The margins must be set as an absolute offset from the paper borders, e.g. 0, 0, 2100, 2970 for a paper format of 2100 x 2970 means there are no margins in effect. If you want to set the margins 2cm away from each paper border (which is the default setting), use 200, 200, 1900, 2770 for a paper format of 2100 x 2970.

Regards
Thorsten Radde
IDEAL Software GmbH