Zebra Printing Language

[George Kinney]

"Twist Around" <lilfurson at aol.com> wrote in message
news:2d6067cf.0310230942.1fe6f538 at posting.google.com...
> We have to use a zebra printer to print some specialty labels. I was
> wondering if anyone had used python to output text to these. I know
> they use the Zebra Printing Language and before we got into that i was
> wondering if there was already a module that did this. Any info would
> be greatly appreciated.
>

ZPLII isn't a language, its a *very* simple text markup.  So think HTML or
TEX,  not code.
Here's a 'hello world' label:

^XA
^FO10,10
^A0,40,40
^FD
Hello World!
^FS
^XZ
(
Which is:
^XA - Start label format
^FO10,10 - Set field origin to (10,10)
^A0,40,40 - Use Font 0, size 40x40
^FD - Begin field data
^FS - End field data
^XZ - End label
)

Enter the above in a text file, and you can send it by direct serial
connection,  via LPR, or even just FTP it to the printer.  Personally I use
FTP while working up a format, then LPR when it is put in production on the
iSeries. (Currently via ILE-RPG, even though python is available on OS/400
now.)

The ZPLII manuals area available from: http://www.zebra.com/SS/manuals.htm