User Manual

Print Operations

Stand Alone Printing

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

Stand Alone Printing

Your printer can be configured to work without being attached to a computer. The printer has

the ability to automatically run a single label form. One or more downloaded label forms can

be accessed and run with a terminal or wedge device or a Zebra KDU (keyboard display unit)

to call a label form. These methods allow the developer to incorporate data input devices, such

as scanners or weight scales, to the printer via the serial port.

Label formats can be developed and stored in the printer to support labels that have:

• No data entry required and print when the Feed button is pressed.

• No data entry required and print when a label is removed from the printer’s optional label

dispenser.

• One or more data variables to be entered via the terminal or wedge device. The label will

print after the last variable data field has been input.

• One or more label formats that are called by scanning bar codes containing programming

to run a label form.

• Label forms designed to work as a process chain with each label including a bar code

containing the programming to run the next label in the process sequence.

The EPL programming language supports a special label forms that will automatically run

after a power cycle or reset. EPL looks for a label form named AUTOFR. The EPL AUTOFR

form runs until it is disabled. AUTOFR form must be deleted from the printer followed by a

reset or a power cycle to completely remove the file.

Both printer programming languages support special label forms that will automatically run

after a power cycle or reset. The ZPL looks for a file named AUTOEXEC.ZPL and EPL

looks for a label form named AUTOFR. If both files are loaded in the 2824 Plus printer, then

only the AUTOEXEC.ZPL will run. The EPL AUTOFR form runs until it is disabled. Both

files must be deleted from the printer followed by a reset or a power cycle to completely

remove the files.

The 2824 Plus printer can source up to 750mA through the serial port’s 5 volt line; see

Appendix A for more information on the printer’s serial port interface.

Sending Files to the Printer

Graphics, fonts and programming files can be sent to the printer from the Microsoft Windows

operating systems by using the Zebra Setup Utilities, ZebraNet™ Bridge or Zebra Firmware

(and File) Downloader both found on the user's CD or at

www.zebra.com. These methods are

common for both programming languages and the 2824 Plus printers.

Note • The 2824 Plus EPL AUTOFR command can only be disabled with NULL character

(00 hex or ASCII 0). The 2824 Plus printer will ignore the other character that normally

disables the AUTOFR form operation in EPL printers, the XOFF character (13 hex or

ASCII 19).