>I will check that out, being able to control and configure the printers is a functionality my client might be interested in adding. He's already going to an all-Zebra solution (he was using HP JetDirects to network attach the printers, now he is buying Zebra's print server) just to avoid headaches, because a lot of these printers are located in plants all over the country. Anything to replace the current method of fixing printers by cross shipping.

We use a minimal workstation running NT 4 Workstation as a print server where the printer is not attached locally, with drivers for NT, 2K and Win9x installed; it's a little more expensive to set up, but it guarentees that the correct drivers are loaded on each station sharing a given label printer. We've had mixed results using the LinkSys and NetGear print servers with the share controlled by a Win2K DC to distribute drivers; the LinkSys is a real PITA.

> Luckily this is one of the 'good' clients, if I mention that we can add even more functionality he won't insist it be included in the original scope.
> All their production printers are 6000 series, he lent me a 4000 to test with because he doesn't feel the 4000 is suitable for the rigors of high volume production. All use thin film ribbons, he doesn't print any direct thermal labels.

Good for him. The 4000 is capable of production use, but I'd limit the media slew rate to 2IPS, about half of the claimed rate. You might get away with a higher slew rate if the print density is light; we actually run the 6000 at 3IPS rather than the rated 6IPS for problem-free barcode generation at 200DPI with thin-film. This configuration has passed -every- compliance and acceptance test we've submitted samples to business partners assuming the label stock and ribbon were aligned properly in the printer - not a tough task.

>
>>Exactly; the Zebra drivers and fonts are a real pleasure to work with; I've had outstanding results with both the 4000 and 6000 series printers. We did determine that, for printing in volume, the use of a thin-film ribbon gives a more consistent result than the directr thermal printing, especially in environments which vary widely in humidity and temperature. We use them to produce Code 39, UPC-A and EAN-13B compliant labels with no special effort beyond the definition of some custom paper sizes for our barcoded forms under Windows - not a function of VFP, but of the Windows Printer Setup dialog. The alternative to defining custom paper sizes is to bypass the GDI entirely and assume full responsibility for sending the necessary control codes to the printer, which we've also done, using my DIRPRTCLASS (available for download in the Files section) to write directly to the spooler without engaging the GDI.