Crystal and printing shipping labels - label size not saving

[Prognewb]

I've written a report (XI) that selects a customer shipping address, and prints it to a shipping label (on a Dymo LabelWriter 330 Turbo). In Crystal, I select the correct printer and label size, save the report, run it, and it prints correctly. However, if I close the report then reopen it, the printer itself is remembered by the report, but the label size is not. I have to continually go in and reset the label size to the correct one each time I open the report.

I have been unable to find any information on this particular issue anywhere (if indeed there is a fix), so any insight from the folks here is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Prognewb]

To add: I've attempted this on both XP and Vista Business workstations, same result.

 

[kenhamady]

You don't mention saving the report after changing the label size. I assume that you are but don't want to overlook the obvious.

Also, is this a label size done in the section expert or something done in the printer options?

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
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Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[Prognewb]

I should have mentioned it, but I do save the report at every step. The label size is a standard DYMO shipping label that I've set up in both the printer options and page setup. It resizes the design/preview screens to the size of the shipping label so I can arrange the fields within the given space and have the output fit on the printed label. Thanks for the response.

 

[kenhamady]

From Crystal's perspective you are losing the page size property in printer options. This is probably similar to reports that lose their "Landscape" orientation.

What label size does it revert to? Is this size the default size of the printer?

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[lbass]

Another option would be to not use the label expert and instead set up the report in the usual way, but using the multiple columns formatting in the section expert. Then you have more flexibility.

-LB

 

[Prognewb]

It reverts to the default label size, which is half the size of the one I need to use.

I'm not familiar with setting up a label using the section expert... I originally assembled the report in the usual manner, as the label expert was taking too much tweaking to get the proper label size and orientation (it's apparently set up mainly for Avery labels, I'm using Dymo). The more I think about it, Crystal could be dropping the label size because it's only referenced from the printer itself, not a "built in" label size, such as the Avery labels that show up when creating the report in the label expert.

 

[kenhamady]

What happens if you change the default size on the printer to be the one you are using in this report?

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[Prognewb]

It already is, doesn't seem to make a difference. When I go in and manually select the correct label size, Crystal actually scales the design/preview area to the size of the label so I can edit it for the allotted space. Crystal doesn't appear to have that label format in its architecture anywhere, it's having to come from the printer itself.

 

[kenhamady]

I think the Crystal label size is separate. It is for multiple labels per page. But with a label printer each label is a "page" so the label size is the page size. So I don't think it has to do with Crystal label sizes. I think it is losing the page size property which it could do with any printer.

One thing is to make sure you have the latest printer driver. The interaction between CR and printers is not always bulletproof.

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks

http://www.kenhamady.com/