Label printing 1

[Idar]

Hello,

I have been trying to make labels from Access using a TEC 472 labeling printer. For some reason, the labels do not want to print and I am unsure where the problem lies, either as a technical problem or in Access.

My computer/printer set up is as such:

One computer and two printers attached via an A/B switch. The HP printer prints the 8.5" x 11" reports no problem but the labels do not print at all. I believe that I have tried all the technical items possible and am wondering if it is simply a matter of Access coding that is necessary to get the information to the appropriate printer.

I used the label wizard to create the report to the proper size and details. It looks great in preview mode, hehe.

If there is a better forum for answering this, perhaps someone could direct me there but it certainly pertains to Access reporting.

Also, I may not have given enough info but am not sure what would be required. If more is needed, I will keep checking and make updates when necessary.

Wally
CaShMaN

 

[Trendsetter]

Hi There,
You obviously have no problem with your report printer so why not send just one page or one label to this printer to see if Access is working OK. If this works I would assume that the printer setup of the label printer is faulty.... this could be done to the software installation - drivers etc..
or the hardware such as Centronic cable or switches...
You need to isolate where the fault actually is!!!

 

[Idar]

Hi Trendsetter,

I appreciate such a fast response.

I have tried printing the labels to the HP report printer and it works fine, except for the improper formatting of course. The external software that normally prints out labels has no problem printing on the label printer the way it is set up now which is my main reason for thinking that the setup is not faulty. It is only when I attempt to print from Access directly that it doesn't work.

The one clue that I just found was that the label printer has a green button that blinked twice when attempting to print a label. That would mean that it received some kind of information but perhaps didn't know how to process it. I will research the printer manual to see what two blinks means but probably won't get much info. *Sigh*

Wally
CaShMaN

 

[Trendsetter]

This may be obvious but it may be that the paper size in the Access report is not what the label printer is expecting or that the address lines on the Access report are outside the print area of the label printer.

 

[Idar]

I have never attempted to create a label in Access before so even the "obvious" items may be the problems.

Does the label wizard create everything on an 8.5" x 11" paper or does it design according to the specifications input into it. For instance, I had to create a custom label at 4" x 2.5" using the label wizard and was just assuming that this could print on a label printer using a 4" wide roll of labels. However, the print wizard could have set up the label to print on the 8.5 x 11" paper but perhaps using only 4 x 2.5" of it. The label printer in this case wouldn't know what to do with the information in this case.

How then can I determine what Access has created ? I look at the label in design view and it shows a 4" x 2.5" label. Using the print preview, it shows a larger paper using the label information in the left hand corner as though using only a portion of it. Any ideas as to what (if) I did anything wrong and how to correct it ?

I will be working at this thing all day ( and week if necessary, lol ) so I will reply with any success I have with this.

Thanks for you help

Wally

 

[Idar]

Trendsetter,

I was able to download a driver for a TEC 472 label printer which now allows me to use any Windows application to print to my TEC printer. Thanks for your advice, obvious and otherwise.

For anyone else that has problems such as this, go to

http://www.seagullscientific.com

to download any bar code label printing drivers.

Wally
CaShMaN

 

[Trendsetter]

Glad to help!!