Step 1: Select the Printer

This step selects the printer to be used for printing the newly created label. It also provides direct access to printer driver properties.

1. Select the printer from the dropdown list.

2. Use printer properties saved in: This setting allows you to define where does Loftware take the printer settings from while printing. There are two options available:

   • Printer Driver: When printing, Loftware takes the printer properties that you define in the printer driver. This means that all labels that share these settings print equally. E.g., if you change printing darkness in the printer driver dialog to 10, all labels print with darkness set to 10.

     This is the default setting. With this setting selected, the Printer properties button becomes disabled. Access your printer properties from Windows system dialogs.

   • Label: When printing, Loftware takes the printer properties that you save in the label. This means that the way how this label prints is independent from how you configure the printer driver. E.g., if you change the darkness for the label to 10, only this label prints with darkness set to 10.

     

     Read more about how to manage printer settings in Defining default printer settings for all users (including network users).

     Example for settings saved printer driver

     The ribbon in your printer is ending its life period. As a result, the quality of printed labels is decreasing. To enhance the quality before you receive a new ribbon, you must temporarily increase the printing darkness for all labels at once. Configure the darkness level in your printer driver and all your label print with increased darkness.

     Example for settings saved in the label

     If you are designing a label on a remote computer that currently does not have access to your designated label printer, you can still design your label, save the printer properties within your label, and take this label to the computer that can access your label printer. The saved printer settings make your label "portable".

   Use printer settings from the printer driver: select this option if you prefer printing using the printer driver settings.

   Note

   Specific printer models only allow you to set label dimensions using the printer driver dialog. Among these models are high resolution ink jet coding and marking systems. If you select such printer model for your label, Desktop Designer automatically detects it and only allows you to take the label settings from the printer driver. Label dimension settings in the Label Properties dialog are disabled in this case too.

   Use custom printer settings saved in the label: each label may have its own printer settings defined and saved by the user. Select this option to use the custom settings while printing.

3. Label setup wizard remembers the last selected printer. When creating another new label, the wizard will automatically select the printer that you selected for your last created label. If this printer is currently missing, your default printer is selected.

   • Always use the default printer: sets the default system printer to be used for the current print job.

   Product level info

   Double-sided printing option is available in Loftware Designer Pro and PowerForms Suite or higher.

   • Double-sided printing: enables double-sided printing for the new label.

   • Preview field: displays the label layout according to the currently set properties.