How to print multicolumn labels in Zebra ZPL-EPL printers with VB.NET or C# by using ThermalLabel SDK for .NET

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Product ThermalLabel SDK for .NET Published 04/08/2011 Updated 04/18/2018

Requirements

  Neodynamic ThermalLabel SDK 8.0+
  Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1+
  Microsoft Visual Studio 2017+
  Any Zebra Thermal Printer supporting ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) or EPL (Eltron Programming Language)

Most Thermal Printers do not provide a built-in mechanism for printing on media roll featuring more than one single label per row (a.k.a. multi-column printing support). To bypass this limitation, ThermalLabel SDK provides this feature out-of-the-box allowing you to print any number of labels per row!

In this guide, you will learn how to print barcodes and texts on a media roll containing two labels per row and using in this case a "Counters" scenario but you can use the same approach in data binding as well.

The multicolumn label layout we'll be using in this guide is shown in the following figure. The media roll features 2 labels per row. Each label is 50mm x 30mm and the horizontal and vertical gaps between labels is 3mm each.

Follow these steps:

• Download and install latest version of Neodynamic ThermalLabel SDK for .NET
• Open Visual Studio and create a Windows Forms application.
• Add a reference to Neodynamic.SDK.ThermalLabel.dll and Neodynamic.SDK.ThermalLabel.WindowsPrinting.dll assemblies.
• Add a button control onto the form and paste the following code in the click event handler of the button:
  
  

  VB

  
  'Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to MM and label size
  Dim tLabel As New ThermalLabel(UnitType.Mm, 50, 0)
  'Set the number of labels per row
  tLabel.LabelsPerRow = 2
  'Set the horiz gap between labels
  tLabel.LabelsHorizontalGapLength = 3
   
  'Define a TextItem object
  Dim txt As New TextItem(5, 5, "Decreasing 50")
  'set Counter...
  txt.CounterStep = -1
   
  'Define a BarcodeItem object
  Dim bc As New BarcodeItem(5, 15, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, "ABC01")
  'Set bars' width and height...
  bc.BarWidth = 0.4
  bc.BarHeight = 10
  'set Counter...
  bc.CounterStep = 1
  bc.CounterUseLeadingZeros = True
   
  'Add items to ThermalLabel object...
  tLabel.Items.Add(txt)
  tLabel.Items.Add(bc)
   
  'Create a WindowsPrintJob object
  Using pj As New WindowsPrintJob()
      pj.PrinterSettings = New PrinterSettings()
      'Thermal Printer is connected through USB
      pj.PrinterSettings.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB
      'Set Thermal Printer resolution
      pj.PrinterSettings.Dpi = 203
      'Set Thermal Printer language
      pj.PrinterSettings.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL
      'Set Thermal Printer name 
      pj.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = "Zebra  GK420t"
      'Set Copies to 10!!!
      pj.Copies = 10
      'Print ThermalLabel object...
      pj.Print(tLabel)    
  End Using
  
                      

  C#

  
  //Define a ThermalLabel object and set unit to MM and label size
  ThermalLabel tLabel = new ThermalLabel(UnitType.Mm, 50, 0);
  //Set the number of labels per row
  tLabel.LabelsPerRow = 2;
  //Set the horiz gap between labels
  tLabel.LabelsHorizontalGapLength = 3;
  //Define a TextItem object
  TextItem txt = new TextItem(5, 5, "Decreasing 50");
  //set Counter...
  txt.CounterStep = -1;
  //Define a BarcodeItem object
  BarcodeItem bc = new BarcodeItem(5, 15, BarcodeSymbology.Code128, "ABC01");
  //Set bars' width and height...
  bc.BarWidth = 0.4;
  bc.BarHeight = 10;
  //set Counter...
  bc.CounterStep = 1;
  bc.CounterUseLeadingZeros = true;
  //Add items to ThermalLabel object...
  tLabel.Items.Add(txt);
  tLabel.Items.Add(bc);
  //Create a WindowsPrintJob object
  using (WindowsPrintJob pj = new WindowsPrintJob())
  {
      pj.PrinterSettings = new PrinterSettings();
      //Thermal Printer is connected through USB
      pj.PrinterSettings.Communication.CommunicationType = CommunicationType.USB;
      //Set Thermal Printer resolution
      pj.PrinterSettings.Dpi = 203;
      //Set Thermal Printer language 
      pj.PrinterSettings.ProgrammingLanguage = ProgrammingLanguage.ZPL;
      //Set Thermal Printer name 
      pj.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = "Zebra  GK420t";
      //Set Copies to 10!!!
      pj.Copies = 10;
      //Print ThermalLabel object...
      pj.Print(tLabel);   
  }
                      

• Run the sample Windows Forms application and test it. The output printing should look like the following.