Specifications

Table Of Contents
^SP
Start Print
Description: The ^SP command allows a label to start printing at a specified point
before the entire label has been completely formatted. On extremely complex labels,
this command can increase the overall throughput of the print.
The command works as follows.
You specify the dot row at which the ^SP command is to take affect. This then
creates a label “segment.” Once the ^SP command is processed, all information in
that segment will be printed. During the printing process, all of the commands after
the ^SP will continue to be received and processed by the printer.
If the segment after the ^SP command (or the remainder of the label) is ready for
printing, media motion does not stop. If the next segment is not ready, the printer
will stop mid-label and wait for the next segment to be completed. Precise
positioning of the ^SP command requires a trial-and-error process, as it depends
primarily on print speed and label complexity.
The ^SP command can be effectively used to determine the worst possible print
quality. You can determine if using the ^SP command is appropriate for the
particular application by using the following procedure.
If you send the label format up to the first ^SP command and then wait for printing
to stop before sending the next segment, the printed label will be a sample of the
worst possible print quality. It will also drop any field that is out of order.
If the procedure above is used, the end of the label format must be:
^SP#^FS
Format: ^SPa
Parameters:
a = dot row to start printing
Accepted Values: 0 to 32000
Default Value: 0
ZPL II Programming Guide Volume One: Command Reference for X.10
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