[RetailEdge Moderator]

Although we sell and support the Zebra series of label printers, and have had good success with these in the past, RetailEdge should be able to print to any printer that has a Windows driver. To get RetailEdge to print to a dedicated label printer you should perform the following steps.

1. Download and install the latest driver from the barcode printer's website or installation CD. If this is a Zebra Desktop printer you should install the ZDesigner Driver.

2. Make sure you can perform a test print from the Windows printer driver to your printer. If Windows can't print to the printer, then neither can RetailEdge.

3. Once you have the printer driver installed, you will need to setup the Label Stocks (paper sizes) in the Windows printer driver. If you are printing to a Zebra 2824 printer, we have created an import file that will allow you to import a number of pre-defined stocks into the Printer Driver. This import file can be found at:

ftp://ftp.highmeadow.com/pub/Support/pr ... -11-11.drs

More about how to install the stocks file can be found here.

If you are not using a Zebra printer, then you will need to manually create in the Windows Driver the label sizes you need. RetailEdge currently supports the following label sizes for up to 2.25 wide labels.

Label 1.18 x 1.00 (2 Across)
Label 1.20 x 0.85
Label 1.50 x 1.00
Label 2.00 x 1.00
Label 2.20 x 0.50 (Jewelry)
Label 2.25 x 0.75
Label 2.25 x 1.25
Label 2.25 x 4.00

The label name in the driver must exactly match these names for the label you are trying to print. Just copy and past from this posting to to make sure it is correct.

4. Make sure that RetailEdge has the current label definition files. We have two SQL files on our website that you can use to make sure that your label files are up to date.

Updating Existing Label Styles

ftp://ftp.highmeadow.com/pub/Support/pr ... -23-11.sql
Replacing Label Definition File and Adding New Labels

ftp://ftp.highmeadow.com/pub/Support/pr ... -11-11.sql

Once you have downloaded these files to your computer, you can run them by choosing SQL Runner from the Tools menu in RetailEdge and choosing the downloaded file.

5. Try and print a label from RetailEdge Inventory manager using Zebra/Eltron - 1.2"w x 0.85"h, 1 Up (for the Label 1.20 x 0.85). Preview the label. If the label previews in a small label in the middle of the form you know it should work. If it looks like a label in the upper left hand corner of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper you know that you have setup your label size/stock in your Windows printer incorrectly.

If it does not display correctly then you either need to change the driver settings or there is something in the driver that will not allow it to print properly.

Label Sizes

These are fairly common types. The 2.25 x 1.25 is typically used for apparel labeling for hang tags. The jewelry tags are the butterfly type that wrap around rings, etc. The 1.18 x 1.00 2 across is a removable adhesive label that is good for gift store labeling where you have items that might be ruined with the other adhesives (think lacquer boxes). The 2.25 x 0.75 which are nice for bead tubes or test tubes.

For information on setting up these other labels you can take a look at these forum postings.

Rat Tail Jewelry labels: http://www.retailedge.com/phpBB/viewtop ... 823&p=2735
Tags for Plant Nurseries: http://www.retailedge.com/phpBB/viewtop ... 667&p=2056

RetailEdge currently has over 65 predefined labels that have already been created from customer requests. So if you don't see one that you like, pick one that is closest to the one you want and let us know. It is pretty easy for us to create new ones. If we think it is something other customers would want and is pretty close to another label that we can use for the modification, then there is usually no charge for this. However, if it is something unique to your business and takes time to create then we might have to charge some nominal fee for this service.

Some of the available fields you can use are:
Stock Number
Item ID
Description
Retail Price
Department
Class
Vendor
Discounted Price (For was/now or ours/theirs labels)
UPC Codes
Bin Shelf
Export Codes, Manufacturers Part Numbers Vendor Part Numbers User fields and Notes fields (these can be useful for alternate descriptions
Barcode
Date or Date Code
Store Name

If the driver you are using is not allowing you to make modifications to the label stocks you might want to download the Seagull driver. They have drivers that support most printers and do allow you a lot of flexibility. You can download the drivers from here

http://www.seagullscientific.com


Configuration Service

If you can't make RetailEdge to print to your barcode label printer or don't want to spend the time setting up your printer, we provide a barcode label configuration server and can do it for you. Typical service plan charges apply and typically this takes no more than 15 minutes.

[RetailEdge Moderator]

Here are some more setup directions from technical support:

1. Using Windows Explorer, change your Address to ftp.highmeadow.com and press Enter. You should see Incoming, Pub, and Misc.

2. Double-left click on Pub.

3. Double-left on Support.

4. Drag/Drop the following files to your Desktop and eventually put them perhaps in a Folder on the Desktop called Zebra_Stuff.

ZD1452.exe (a ZDesigner Driver)
ZDesigner Stocks for RetailEdge.drs
SQL_zebra zdesigner set paper.sql

5. Hook up the Zebra.

6. Execute and extract the ZD1452 driver which, after extracted, will walk you through the install of the printer.

Note: The "Catch22" here is that you won't know which port to choose for it. What we do is
choose something that does not conflict with anything else and then after the driver is through installing, turn off and then turn on again the printer which then might either load another copy of the
driver or give you an indication as to what USB Port is available when you go to the Ports Tab in Printer Properties. It might even be better to load the software first and then turn on the printer.

7. Go to Devices and Printers and right click on the Zebra.

8. Left-click on Printer Preferences.

9. Left click on the Import/Export Settings Tab.

10. Left-click the Import button, point to the Zebra_Stuff folder and double-left on the ZDesigner Stocks...drs file.

11. OK out of the Printer Screens (won't see the Label Stocks until you come back in).

12. Get back into the Printer Properties.

13. Press the Printing Preferences button and you should open onto the Options Tab.

14. Press the Drop-Down next to the Stocks field and choose one of the Label Styles that you want.

15. Put the Dot on Landscape.

16. Eyeball that the Width/Height are correct.

17. Check your other Label size and make sure that it too has the correct settings. (Once set up, you don't need to switch sizes within the driver again.)

18. Press OK to exit out of the Driver and come back in. Once in, press the Print Test Page button in the lower right of the General Tab and see if the printer reacts and prints somewhere the Windows Logo. If not, try turning off the printer and turning it on again. Still if not, try turning off the printer and plugging it into
another available USB port, and turning it on again.

Note: These On and Offs might create a new driver within Printers and Faxes. If so, then either
repeat the setup steps above for the new driver or look at what Port the new driver is talking through and choose that Port on the earlier driver.

19. Exit RetailEdge and re-start it.

20. In RetailEge, choose Tools - Settings - Workstations, Modify the correct workstation, go to the Labels (1 of 2) Tab and set the Printer Name to the working driver in the Drop-Down list.

21. Choose one of your Label styles. OK and Exit out.

22. Open up Inventory, left click on any item to select it, left-click on the Label button on the right and tell it to print 3 labels. When you come to the Pricing Labels: Print screen, make sure that the Print Immediately box is not checked. Press Print.

23. You should get the Preview screen. If you only see one label in the middle of the Preview, continue and see how they print.

24. If you see three labels in the upper left, Stop and exit out of any interior screens of RetailEdge.
Press Tools - SQL Runner (at the bottom), follow the Prompts and point to the SQL_zebra zdesigner set paper.sql file in Zebra_Stuff and run it.

25. After the SQL is done, repeat the test print from Inventory and see if now the Preview only shows 1 label in the middle of each page.

That should do it.

[RetailEdge Moderator]

Many times users will need to switch the labels to print tags and labels on different items. For instance if you are printing on gift items, you might use the 1.2" x 0.85" labels or if you are labeling jewelry you might want to print to the Jewelry (butterfly) labels. When using the Z-Designer driver this can cause problems. Especially when switching between a label that has Black Marks and one that does not. You may need to re-align the labels using the driver to make sure that RetailEdge prints correctly on the label.

When using Jewelry Label Stock with the large Black Marks on their underside in order to move the Text of the label downwards do the following:

1. Right click on the Z-Designer Driver in Printers and Faxes (XP) or Devices and Printers (Win 7).

2. Left click on Printer Properties.

3. Press the Preferences button, and then left click on the Advanced Setup Tab. Make sure that the Media type equals "Label with marks". Further down the page, adjust the Offset value. Try changing the Offset to 0.12 from 0.00. This change should move the print further down the label.

If this does not cause a change try putting a Check in the "Top of form backup" box and then pressing the Calibrate button at the bottom.