How to convert a graphic using the Zebra driver

Goals:  

Provide step by step instructions for converting and  printing graphics

Facts or Affected Items:

ZPL II printers

Changes:

N/A

Details

If you have problems converting your graphic files that you want to download to a Zebra ZPL Printer with ZTools, this procedure provides an alternate method.  In this procedure you will insert your graphic file into Microsoft Word and print it to a file through the Zebra Driver. Then you have to edit the ZPL that was output from the driver.   The type of  graphic file you can use is not limited to .pcx or .tif files as in ZTools.  You should be able to convert any file that will open in  Microsoft Word.

Important: In order for this to work, you have to use a version of the Zebra driver that supports the Zebra ZPL Printer you intend to upload the graphic to.  For ZPL Printers with a version of firmware higher than x.10 you can use the Zebra Universal Driver. 

For ZPL Printers with firmware versions lower than x.10, use appropriate Windows Driver.

The Graphic Conversion Process:

1. Open Microsoft Word.  Note: I choose Word because is it very common and easy to work with.  There may be other programs that work as well.

2. Select Insert, Picture - From File, then browse to your graphic file and select it to open it in Word.

3. Go to File - Page Set up.  Set your Margins, Header, & Footer to 0.  Set up your Page Size to be the size you want to graphic to be, not the full size of your label.  

4. Before printing, you must set up a local port in the driver to print to a file:    

    I. Go to Start, Settings, Printer.  Right click on the Zebra Printer and select properties.

    II. In Windows NT 4.0, 2000, & XP select the Ports Tab.  In Windows 95/98/ME, select the Details Tab.

    III. Select Add Port. Highlight Local Port and select New Port.

    IV.  In the New Port window, type the full path and name you want file to have,  i.e. C:\graphic.txt  Use the .txt extension to have file saved as a text file.

    V. Click OK, until printer's properties is closed.

5. Print your document.

6. Browse to location of your text file and open it

7. Edit the ZPL in the file.  It will look something like this:

Example 1 - Zebra Universal Driver Example:

~CC^~CD,~CT~^IDR:*.*^XA^LH0,0^PW1725^LL2232^MMT~TA000^MTT~SD10^LT0

^MFN,N^JUS^PR3,3,2^PON^PMN^LRN~DYTEMP,a,G,936,36,:Z64:eJyt0jsOwyAMBm

BHDIwcgaNwszymHqNXIeqQkSuQiZURJMRf0wxVtqTFE0gfsrFN
1C30gjhgJhpJRenJWAlb+CaiTH2NwKOZwgfGJgkUjRf4lYnTLbMcRmFHRP0Yhw3+
nlFpgFgzSIWAWEcd8fTKbcFD4I7xEm5NE+dig6SteSTVcpXbBl9T2Sz1F5O4yuEw
hdhEzJODBNdc6bpps8CQuYdhb38/emhl8Od5XTLr/6btmMvZs/GKDe+YrqqZ8x52
MV3iDalNlj4=:17f0^FO240,209^IMR:TEMP.GRF^FS^IDR:TEMP.GRF^PQ1,0,0,Y^XZ

Remove the ZPL highlighted in Red.  The Zebra Universal Driver outputs the ZPL with the ~DY command to download graphic data to printer.  The ~DY only allows graphic to be stored in the Printer's DRAM.  For more storage options, insert the ~DG command.  The file should  now look similar to  this:

~DGR:graphic.grf,936,36,:Z64:eJyt0jsOwyAMBmBHDIwcgaNwszymHqNXIeqQkSuQi

ZURJMRf0wxVtqTFE0gfsrFN1C30gjhgJhpJRenJWAlb+CaiTH2NwKOZwgfGJgkUjRf4

lYnTLbMcRmFHRP0Yhw3+nlFpgFgzSIWAWEcd8fTKbcFD4I7xEm5NE+dig6SteSTV

cpXbBl9T2Sz1F5O4yuEwhdhEzJODBNdc6bpps8CQuYdhb38/emhl8Od5XTLr/6btmMv

Zs/GKDe+YrqqZ8x52MV3iDalNlj4=:17f0

 

Example 2 - Zebra Windows Driver:

~EF~EG^XA^MNY^PW609^LH0,0^MFN,N^PR5,5^LT0^TA000^TA0^MMT^MTT^MD0^XZ
^XA^MCY^LRN~DGTMP,660,30,H07E07HFCH07FEK01F8H03FC01F8I0HFH01IF03FH01F

8I0FC01FE0::0HFE1IFCH07IFJ0HFE07HFC0HFEH0JF07IF0HFC07FEH0HFC1HFE0:0HFE07

HFCH07IFI03IF87HFC3IF80JF07IF3IF1IF80HFC1HFE0:3FEH07FC0F07E7FCH03F9F9IFC3

F9F87FC3FE7F803F3F1F9F83FC0IFE0:3F801IF3F07E1FCH03IF9IFC3HFE07FH0FE1FE03I

F1IF83FH0IFE0:3F801KF07E1FCH03IF9IFC3IF87FH0FE07F83IF1IF83FH0IFE0:3FE07FC3F

C07E1FCH03IF9HFH03IF87FC3FE01HF3HFC1IF83FC0HF8,:0HFE1JFC07E7FI03F9F87HFC

3F9F80JF07IF3FH01F9F80HFC1HFE0:0HFE1KF07E7FI03F9F87HFC3F9F80JF07IF3FH01F9

F80HFC1HFE0:H07E07HF3FE7E78I03F9F803FC3F9F8H0HFH07HF83FH01F9F8H0FC01FE0::
^FO176,8^IMTMP^FS^MCN^LRY^XZ^XA^MCY^LRN^XZ

In the above example, the driver output is already using the ~DG command.  For ZPL command reference see the
ZPL Manuals. The edited ZPL would look like following:

~DGR:GRAPHIC.GRF,660,30,H07E07HFCH07FEK01F8H03FC01F8I0HFH01IF03FH01F8I0FC01FE0::0

HFE1IFCH07IFJ0HFE07HFC0HFEH0JF07IF0HFC07FEH0HFC1HFE0:0HFE07HFCH07IFI03IF87HFC3I

F80JF07IF3IF1IF80HFC1HFE0:3FEH07FC0F07E7FCH03F9F9IFC3F9F87FC3FE7F803F3F1F9F83FC0I

FE0:3F801IF3F07E1FCH03IF9IFC3HFE07FH0FE1FE03IF1IF83FH0IFE0:3F801KF07E1FCH03IF9IFC3I

F87FH0FE07F83IF1IF83FH0IFE0:3FE07FC3FC07E1FCH03IF9HFH03IF87FC3FE01HF3HFC1IF83FC0

HF8,:0HFE1JFC07E7FI03F9F87HFC3F9F80JF07IF3FH01F9F80HFC1HFE0:0HFE1KF07E7FI03F9F87H

FC3F9F80JF07IF3FH01F9F80HFC1HFE0:H07E07HF3FE7E78I03F9F803FC3F9F8H0HFH07HF83FH01

F9F8H0FC01FE0::

NOTE: In these examples I am downloading the graphic to the printers DRAM( R:).   If you want this graphic to be downloaded to printer flash memory (E:), PCMCIA memory (B:) or compact flash (A:) then edit the file. Replace the ~DGR: with ~DGE: for flash, ~DGB for PCMCIA,  or ~DGA: for compact flash and save.

8. File is now ready to be sent to printer.  You can Copy the file directly to the printer's port  in DOS.

9. You can create a ZPL script to test the graphic: ^XA^FO50,50^XGR:GRAPHIC.GRF^XZ

Notice: Zebra Technologies Corporation makes no representations about the suitability of this documentation for any purpose. It is provided "as is", for your information only, without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.