Set Print Parameter

This action allows you to fine tune the parameters that relate to the printer driver. These include parameters such as speed and darkness for label printers, or paper tray for laser printers.

Printer settings are applied to the current printout only and are not remembered during the upcoming event.

	Warning
Your parameters from Set Print Parameter action don't apply when you preview or reprint labels from your Control Center. You can avoid this by saving your print parameters (printer properties) in your label template or your printer driver. Printer properties may differ from driver to driver and also from printer to printer.

Warning

Your parameters from Set Print Parameter action don't apply when you preview or reprint labels from your Control Center.

You can avoid this by saving your print parameters (printer properties) in your label template or your printer driver. Printer properties may differ from driver to driver and also from printer to printer.

	Note
	If you use Set Printer action to change the printer name, make sure the Set Print Parameter action is used right after. Before you can apply the DEVMODE structure to the printer driver, first load the default driver settings. This is done by the Set Printer action. The DEVMODE is only compatible with the DEVMODE of the same printer driver.

About group identifies the selected action.

Name: allows you to define a custom action name. This makes actions easily recognizable on the solution's list of actions. By default, the action name is taken from its type.
Description: custom information about the action. Enter a description to explain the purpose and role of action in a solution.
Action type: read-only information about the selected action type.

Print Parameters group allows action fine tuning before printing.

Paper bin: name of the paper bin that contains the label media. This option is usually used with laser and ink jet printers with multiple paper bins. The provided name of the paper bin must match the name of the bin in the printer driver. Check the printer driver properties for more details.
Print speed: defines printing speed. This setting overrides the setting defined with label. The provided value must be in the range of accepted values.

Example 44. Example

The first printer model accepts a range of values from 0 to 30, while the second printer model accepts values from -15 to 15. For more information, see printer driver properties

Darkness: defines the darkness of the printed objects on the paper and overrides setting from the label. The provided value must be in range of accepted values.
Print offset X: applies horizontal offset. The label printout will be repositioned by the specified number of dots in the horizontal direction. Negative offset can be defined.
Print offset Y: applies vertical offset. The label printout will be repositioned by the specified number of dots in the vertical direction. Negative offset can be defined.

	Tip
	All print parameters can either be hard-coded or dynamically defined using an existing or a newly created variable.

Advanced group customizes the printer settings that are sent along with the print job.

Printer settings, such as printing speed, darkness, media type, offsets and similar, can be defined as follows:

Defined in a label
Recalled from a printer driver
Recalled from a printer at print time

The supported methods depend on the printer driver and its capabilities. Printing mode (recall settings from label or driver or printer) is configurable in the label design. You might need to apply these printer settings at print time – they can vary with each printout.

Example 45. Example

A single label should be printed using a variety of printers, but each printer requires slightly different parameters. The printers from various manufacturers don't use the same values to set the printing speed or temperature. Additionally, some printers require vertical or horizontal offset to print the label to the correct position. During the testing phase, you can determine the optimal settings for every printer you intend to use and apply them to a single label template just before printing. This action will apply the corresponding settings to each defined printer.

This action expects to receive the printer settings in a DEVMODE structure. This is a Windows standard data structure with information about initialization and environment of a printer.

Printer settings option applies custom printer settings. The following inputs are available:

Fixed-data Base64-encoded DEVMODE. In this case, provide the printer's DEVMODE encoded in Base64-encoded string directly into the edit field. If executed, the action converts the Base64-encoded data back into binary form.
Variable-data Base64-encoded DEVMODE. In this case, the selected data source must contain the Base64-encoded DEVMODE. Enable Data source and select the appropriate variable from the list. If executed, the action converts the Base64-encoded data back into the binary form.

Variable-data binary DEVMODE (available in Automation Builder). In this case, the selected variable must contain the DEVMODE in its native binary form. Enable Data source and select the appropriate variable from the list. If executed, the action uses the DEVMODE as-is, without any conversion.

	Note
	If the variable does not provide a binary DEVMODE, make sure that the selected variable is defined as a binary variable in the configuration.

	Note
	Make sure the Set Printer action is defined in front of this action.

Label settings overrides label properties defined in Label Properties in Designer. Use this option when you print your labels to a printer or media with different properties as defined in Label Properties in Designer. With this option you can:

Change your label dimensions (width and height).
Add or change label margins.
Disable cutter.
Disable batch printing.
Apply different stocks by changing Labels Across parameter (horizontal and vertical count, gaps, processing order).
Redefine Portrait or Landscape orientation.
Rotate labels by 180° degrees.

Automation applies Label settings at print time. Label settings parameters are not saved in your label templates. You can provide Label settings as an XML payload.

Sample Label settings XML

The sample below presents a structural view of the label settings and their attributes.

	Note
	Dimension units in XML correspond to your label design units (cm, in, mm, dot). You can change units in Designer if you go to Label Properties > Label Dimensions > Unit of measure.

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<LabelSettings>
    <Width>100</Width>
    <Height>30</Height>
    <Margin>
        <Left>2</Left>
        <Right>3</Right>
        <Top>4</Top>
        <Bottom>5</Bottom>
    </Margin>
    <LabelsAcross>
        <Horizontal>
            <Count>2</Count>
            <Gap>4</Gap>
        </Horizontal>
        <Vertical>
            <Count>3</Count>
            <Gap>5</Gap>
        </Vertical>
        <ProcessingOrder>HorizontalTopRight</ProcessingOrder>
    </LabelsAcross>
    <Orientation>Landscape</Orientation>
    <Rotated>true</Rotated>
    <DisableCutter/>
    <DisableBatchPrinting/>
    <PaperType>Roll or Sheet</PaperType>
    <PaperName>A5</PaperName>
</LabelSettings>

Label settings XML specification

This section contains a description of the XML file structure to define Label settings parameters and values.

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema attributeFormDefault="unqualified" elementFormDefault="qualified" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
  <xs:simpleType name="nonNegativeFloat">
    <xs:restriction base="xs:float">
      <xs:minInclusive value="0"/>
    </xs:restriction>
  </xs:simpleType>
  <xs:element name="LabelSettings">
    <xs:complexType>
      <xs:all>
        <xs:element name="DisableCutter" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
          <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence/>
          </xs:complexType>
        </xs:element>
        <xs:element name="DisableBatchPrinting" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
          <xs:complexType>
            <xs:sequence/>
          </xs:complexType>
        </xs:element>
        <xs:element name="Width" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
        <xs:element name="Height" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
        <xs:element name="Margin" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
          <xs:complexType>
            <xs:all>
              <xs:element name="Left" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
              <xs:element name="Right"  type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
              <xs:element name="Top"  type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
              <xs:element name="Bottom" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
            </xs:all>
          </xs:complexType>
        </xs:element>
        <xs:element name="LabelsAcross" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
          <xs:complexType>
            <xs:all>
              <xs:element name="Horizontal" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:complexType>
                  <xs:all>
                    <xs:element name="Count" type="xs:nonNegativeInteger" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
                    <xs:element name="Gap" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
                  </xs:all>
                </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
              <xs:element name="Vertical" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:complexType>
                  <xs:all>
                    <xs:element name="Count" type="xs:nonNegativeInteger" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
                    <xs:element name="Gap" type="nonNegativeFloat" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
                  </xs:all>
                </xs:complexType>
              </xs:element>
              <xs:element name="ProcessingOrder" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
                <xs:simpleType>
                  <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
                    <xs:enumeration value="HorizontalTopLeft"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="HorizontalTopRight"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="HorizontalBottomLeft"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="HorizontalBottomRight"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="VerticalTopLeft"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="VerticalTopRight"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="VerticalBottomLeft"/>
                    <xs:enumeration value="VerticalBottomRight"/>
                  </xs:restriction>
                </xs:simpleType>
              </xs:element>
            </xs:all>
          </xs:complexType>
        </xs:element>
        <xs:element name="Orientation" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1">
          <xs:simpleType>
            <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
              <xs:enumeration value="Portrait"/>
              <xs:enumeration value="Landscape"/>
            </xs:restriction>
          </xs:simpleType>
        </xs:element>
        <xs:element name="Rotated" type="xs:boolean" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1"/>
      </xs:all>
    </xs:complexType>
  </xs:element>
</xs:schema>

Action Execution and Error Handling

Each action can be set as a conditional action. Conditional actions only run when the defined conditions allow them to be run. To define these conditions, click Show execution and error handling options.

Execution options are:

Enabled: specifies if the action is enabled or disabled. Only enabled actions will execute. This functionality may be used while testing a form.
Condition: defines one-line programming expression that must provide a Boolean value (true or false). When the result of the expression is true, the action will execute. Condition offers a way to avoid executing actions every time.

Error handling options are:

Ignore failure: specifies whether an error should be ignored or not. With Ignore failure option enabled, the execution of actions continues even if the current action fails.

	Note
	Nested actions that depend on the current action do not execute in case of a failure. The execution of actions continues with the next action on the same level as the current action. The error is logged but does not break the execution of the action.

Example 46. Example

At the end of printing, you might want to send the status update to an external application using HTTP Request action. If the printing action fails, action processing stops. In order to execute the reporting even after the failed print action, the Print Label action must have the option Ignore failure enabled.

Save error to variable: allows you to select or create a variable to save the error to. The same cause of the error is also saved to internal variables ActionLastErrorId and ActionLastErrorDesc.