Seagull Windows Printer Drivers
Technical Details
Table of Contents
Topics covered on this page:
The Difference Between a Printer Driver and a Label
Program
Some people, especially those newer to Windows, are a bit hazy about the
difference between a Windows printer driver and a Windows program. Users
converting over from DOS software programs may be particularly perplexed, since
these DOS programs usually have the printer support built right into them. In
contrast, a true Windows program does not contain built-in printer
support and does not output data specific to any one brand of printer. Instead,
true Windows programs output a single "universal" language that a separate
Windows printer driver then converts into the commands for the corresponding
printer. This means that any true Windows program can talk to any printer
for which there is a Windows printer driver.
Functionality When Used with Standard Windows
Programs
Seagull's printer drivers for thermal label printers work with all Windows
programs that we know of, including all word processors, spreadsheets,
databases, and graphics programs. When using a Seagull printer driver, Windows
programs will be able to output the same type of graphic images and TrueType
fonts on the thermal printer that they can print on laser printers. Any fonts
built into the printer can also be printed. However, access to some of the
printer's "intelligent" functions may only be available when using BarTender.
General Bar Code Capabilities
When Used with Standard Programs
When used with general purpose Windows programs, our drivers give the "Font" or
"Type Specs" option of your programs access to most of the bar codes built into
your label printer. This is the fastest way to output bar codes using your
thermal printer. However, you will not necessarily have access to every single
bar code symbology supported by the printer, or certain options, such as
whether or not to use check digits. The drivers will also work with TrueType
bar code fonts, although these will print as bitmaps and can therefore reduce
performance. Also, if your program is one of the many that can import graphics,
you can bring in a bar code exported from another program (such as BarTender).
Capabilities When Used with BarTender
When BarTender is used with a Seagull thermal printer driver, you will have
access to just about every bar code built into the printer, as well as various
advanced bar code options that may not necessarily be available when the driver
is used with another program. BarTender will also give you access to your
printers' built-in serialization capabilities, as well as the ability to
automatically separate print jobs into changing and non-changing portions. Both
of these capabilities can have significant performance benefits when printing
certain label jobs. (See below for more information.)
Identical Versus Changing Labels
Any program used with Seagull´s drivers can access the printers' multiple
copies commands. Therefore, regardless of the amount of graphics being printed,
once the first label has printed out, all subsequent identical labels will
print at the printer's full speed. However, Windows programs other than
BarTender do not have access to the printers' automatic incrementing or
partial image storage capabilities. Therefore, if the labels are not identical
from label to label, these programs will have to resend the entire contents
of each label. In contrast, BarTender will only need to output the parts of the
label that change from label to label. Depending on the complexity of the label
and your type of communications port, this can significantly reduce the amount
of information sent to the printer and therefore significantly increase label
printing speed.
Details on Text Font Capabilities
When you select the type specs or font menu in any Windows program, you will
have access to all fonts built into your printer, as well as any Windows
TrueType fonts currently installed in Windows. The printer's fonts can always
be printed very rapidly. However, TrueType fonts are transmitted to the printer
as bitmaps. For some printers, we take advantage of the ability of the printer
to store and reuse TrueType fonts, so you only pay a performance penalty when
the fonts are first downloaded. On other printers, however, we have to resend
TrueType as graphics each time they are used. In this case, if your document
uses a lot of TrueType fonts and any data changes from label to label,
your printing performance will be reduced when using a general purpose Windows
program. This can be compounded by the use of a serial port.
Printing Performance and Serial Ports
(The performance warnings discussed here apply to traditional serial ports and
not the new "USB" style serial ports.)
In the following situations, overall performance will not be reduced by the use
of a serial port:
-
When using a general purpose Windows program or
BarTender and outputting only your printer's built-in text or bar codes.
-
When printing graphics or Windows TrueType fonts on identical labels. (Your first
label will print more slowly, depending on the complexity of the image, but
the rest of the labels will print out at the printer's full speed.)
In the following situations, printing performance can be significantly reduced
if you don't use a parallel port instead of a serial port:
-
When text is specified as Windows TrueType and the text will be changing from
label to label (using any program).
-
When using a program other than BarTender to print labels containing any
TrueType or graphics images (such as logos or pictures) where the labels will
not be identical from label to label.
Graphics Data and Printer Memory
Most label printers include enough memory to allow the printing of graphics and
TrueType text on at least medium size labels. (If you don't need to print
graphics images or Windows TrueType fonts, your printer's factory-standard
memory will suffice, unless your labels are unusually large.) However, when
printing larger graphic images or large amounts of Windows TrueType text, some
printers may require additional memory.
Since the Datamax Prodigy Plus comes factory-equipped with zero graphics
memory, it requires the addition of a memory expansion module in order to print
bitmap graphics of any kind (including TrueType fonts). All other Datamax
printers come equipped with at least some graphics memory.