How to Create a Python Label Printer Program Using ZPL

Описание: Learn how to build a `Python` program to print labels in a range with ZPL and output the data to a notepad file for easy printing.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68898688/ asked by the user 'Its Diztrik' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/16736287/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68899469/ provided by the user 'Brian Z' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/14560040/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Printing Labels with Python and ZPL: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you ever needed to print labels with sequential numbers, but found yourself scratching your head trying to figure out the correct format? If you're using ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) for printing, you might have encountered those pesky formatting issues especially when dealing with data ranges. In this guide, we’ll tackle how to create a straightforward Python label printer program that not only prints labels with numbers in a specified range but also writes the data to a notepad file for easy printing. Let’s dive right into it!

Understanding the Problem

The task is to develop a Python script that prompts the user for a starting and ending number, generating labels that print the numbers in order. Here's a breakdown of the requirements:

Input: User inputs the start and end of a number range.

Processing: The program prints labels for each number in this range using ZPL format.

Output: The generated labels should first be written to a notepad file, which can be printed easily.

Step-by-Step Solution

Import Required Libraries

You'll need to import the necessary libraries to handle file operations and system commands. Here’s a minimal code to get you started:

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Getting User Input

Next, we need to capture the starting and ending numbers from the user. Here’s how you can prompt for that input:

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Generating ZPL Code

Now comes the crucial part where we generate the ZPL code for each label. You can do this by building the ZPL commands inside a loop.

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Here’s a breakdown of the ZPL commands used:

^XA: Starts the label format.

^PQ2: Prints two copies of each label.

^FO185,50: Sets the field origin coordinates.

^A0,300: Sets the font type and size.

^FD{label}^FS: Defines the field data for the label and marks the end.

Printing the File

After generating the ZPL commands in the text file, use the os library to send the notepad file to the printer automatically.

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Replace the path with your local path where TestFile.txt is saved.

Full Script

Here’s the complete Python code incorporating all of the above sections:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

You should now have a functional Python program that allows you to print labels in a specified range using the ZPL format. This tool can be incredibly valuable for printing labels quickly without the hassle of manual entry, especially in inventory management or shipping. For further customization, you can tweak the ZPL commands according to your printer's specifications. Happy printing!