What Causes Extended Mode on a Printer?

Description

Overview of when and why extended mode is caused on Printers

Information

Thermal printers have capabilities to print information that changes in limited fashion without needing all of the label data to be sent again. This allows the printer to print very quickly because the amount of information sent to the printer is reduced. This mode is called "native mode" and can speed up label printing. "Extended mode" is a printing mode where the printer requires all of the information contained on a label to be sent each time a label prints. Extended mode will have more of an impact on print speed when using true type fonts and images.
The delay between labels, Native or Extended, is based primarily on the printer's ability to buffer the data in conjunction with the volume of data being sent to the printer. Reducing the volume of data by using Native fonts (not True Type) and reducing or eliminating graphics will result in faster print speeds.
Extended mode (as just mentioned) is caused because the printer needs the information sent to it repeatedly. Causes can include but are not limited to:

• Using any form of incremental data (including Serial fields) with any one of the following: True Type Fonts in that field, Layouts, and Formulas that reference that field.
• Formulas with check digits or Data identifiers
• Date / Time fields
• Alpha-Numeric incrementing fields
• Repeating usage of the *labelformat and *printlabel commands in pas files.
• Script Datasource

• Detailed Printer Status