User guide

Chapter 3: Printer setup

Barcode printing with the Generic Text driver

You can generate the POSTNET, PLANET, and Intelligent Mail barcodes in

Label Toolbox with the Generic Text driver by using the barcode objects. You can

also print the POSTNET and PLANET barcodes with printer escape objects.

POSTNET and PLANET

barcode widths

If you want to use the POSTNET or PLANET barcode objects, you need to

determine the width of the barcode in characters, and enter this information into

the appropriate parameters within the POSTNET or PLANET section of the

Modify Printer window. To do this, follow the steps below.

Set up your design file

and printer

1. In the Design File Preview window, select Testing POSTNET width.ltd or

Testing PLANET width.ltd design file, and click Edit.

2. Choose Tools > Printer Setup, select your Generic Text printer, and click

Modify.

3. Select Settings, and enter the necessary information for your printer, if you

haven’t already done so.

4. Select POSTNET or PLANET, and enter the Start and Stop codes for the

barcode. Your printer's documentation should provide this information.

5. Click OK, and click Close.

6. Choose File > Design Settings, and choose your Generic Text printer from

the drop-down list. Click OK.

Save your design file, and

assign it to your job file

1. Choose File > Save As to save your design file with a different name. This

design file should only be used to determine barcode length; it should not be

used for production purposes.

2. Choose File > Exit.

3. In the Design File Preview window, click Select to assign this design file to

your job file.

4. In Label Studio, verify your job, and then choose File > Run Job. You will

only need to print one label. In the Print Options window, enter your print

range of 1 to 1 and click OK.

Your output should look similar to this:

Count the number of

characters, and enter the

data

1. Using the top row of numbers as a guide, count how many spaces

(characters) the barcode bars occupy. In the example given above, the

number of spaces for the 5-digit barcode is 16.

2. After you have determined the number of characters for your 5-, 9-, and 11-

digit POSTNET barcodes or 11- and 13-digit PLANET barcodes, follow the

steps in “Use the barcode objects” on page 43. Be sure to use the design file

that you want for production purposes, not the sample design files.