Printing to a local client printer in a Vision client

Ignition
1

Hi I have a non networked Zebra printer that is connected to a local PC that I will be running a vision client on.
I want to know how I could send the print command to the printer through the client directly to the computers default printer.

I have searched the forum and found many posts on sending via IP address - but not specific to a local printer connected to the PC running the vision client.

Thanks

2

You should be able to use system.print.createPrintJob() to configure a print job to the printer.

https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/system.print.createPrintJob

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3

I you want to send ZPL directly, you will need to open the local port for the printer (as if a file) instead of a socket like the network examples. If the client is on Windows, you will need to drill into the printer settings to get the port name.

4

Ok I have had a look at the client PC and the Local printer settings shows port as USB001
could you assist with an example script for opening the network port name and sending to the printer?

please see my script currently setup for a network printer below

from java.net import Socket
from java.io import DataOutputStream

RollNum = event.source.parent.getComponent('Roll_No_Numeric Text Field').intValue
width = event.source.parent.getComponent('Width_Numeric Text Field').floatValue
Supplier = event.source.parent.getComponent('Supplier_Dropdown').selectedStringValue
SupplierRoll = event.source.parent.getComponent('Supplier_Piece_No_Text Field').text
PurchaseOrder = event.source.parent.getComponent('POText Field').text
Length = event.source.parent.getComponent('Length_Numeric Text Field').floatValue
Fabric = event.source.parent.getComponent('Dropdown').selectedStringValue
SupplierPiece = event.source.parent.getComponent('Supplier_Piece_No_Text Field').text

strMessage100 ="^XA"
StrMessage110 ="^CF0,90"
StrMessage111 ="^FO35,50^FD%s^FS" % Fabric
strMessage112 ="^CF0,50"
StrMessage113 ="^FO30,125^FDWIDTH:%s ^FS" % width
StrMessage114 ="^BY04,1,165"
StrMessage115 = "^CF0,50"
StrMessage116 = "^FO30,180^BC^FD%s^FS" % RollNum
StrMessage117 = "^FO30,600^FDSUPPLIER:%s ^FS" % Supplier
StrMessage118 = "^FO30,700^FDPURCHASE ORDER: %s ^FS" % PurchaseOrder
StrMessage119 = "^FO30,800^FDLENGTH:%s ^FS" % Length
StrMessage120 = "^FO30,500^FDSUPPLIER PIECE : %s ^FS" %SupplierPiece
StrMessage121 = "^XZ"



strOut = strMessage100+StrMessage110+StrMessage111+strMessage112+StrMessage113+StrMessage114+StrMessage115+StrMessage116+StrMessage117+StrMessage118+StrMessage119+StrMessage120+StrMessage121
  
  
printerIP='172.016.007.133'
port=9100
 
try:
  # Open Socket Connection
  clientSocket=Socket(printerIP,port)
  #Open data output stream
  outToPrinter=DataOutputStream(clientSocket.getOutputStream())
  #Send Data to Printer
  outToPrinter.write(strOut)
  #close data stream and socket
  outToPrinter.close();
  clientSocket.close();
except IOError:
  print "Error"

type or paste code here

5

You have exhausted my knowledge of Windows printers. (Because I avoid Windows like the plague.)

3 Likes
6

I had this done up yesterday, but then got yanked to go to to one of our sister plants. :roll_eyes:

I prefer looking up the printer by name, because somehow, somewhere, someone will add another printer and make it the default.

from javax.print import DocFlavor, SimpleDoc, PrintServiceLookup
from java.io import ByteArrayInputStream

# Get all available printers
printServices = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(None, None)

# Initialize print service variable
printService = None

# Check for specific printer name
for service in printServices:
	if service.name == 'Label Printer': # Replace with your own printer name.
		printService = service

# Send message if the printer exists
if printService is not None:
	fgPartNum = '4CJ9196WA65'
	serialNum = 74889000
	strMessage = '^XA^BY3,3,167^FT040,280,^B3N,N,,N,N^FDS{sn}^FS^FT0060,080^A0N,40,45^FDS{sn}    {pn}^FS^PQ1,0,0,N^XZ'.format(sn=serialNum, pn=fgPartNum)
	
	# Create an input stream
	messageStream = ByteArrayInputStream(strMessage)
	flavor = DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.AUTOSENSE
	doc = SimpleDoc(messageStream, flavor, None)
	
	job = printService.createPrintJob()
	job.print(doc, None)
	messageStream.close()
	
else:
	print 'Printer Not Found'
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7

@batman01793, I had forgotten to mention (though you probably alread know) is that the printer driver needs to be the Generic/Text Only one.