Batch Label Printing from Quick Label

Enterprise Printing Platform
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The EPP portals, ‘Print > Quick Label’ page offers the ability to test Label Template designs and generate labels with simple variable inputs OR generating bulk label outputs.

The default, ‘Data Entry’ method presents input fields mapped to variables implemented on the opened Label Template, allowing testing with various data values very easily. The initial values of the input fields are controlled by each Data Dictionary variables defined ‘Default Value’.

Another powerful feature of the Quick Label page is the ‘Print Job’ method, which can utilize pre-defined order of variables (TxData mappings) to be able to process a series of labels using delimited list files, like a csv. Users are able to upload a csv structured file with most any type of delimiter (comma, tilde, hyphen, carat, etc).

Setting Up for Batch Printing

Creating TxData Mappings

The TxData field defines the format type and variable strings that are passed to the Label Formatter. Most customers will utilize the ‘Delimited’ File Format option.

With the ‘Delimited’ File Format option, select the fields from the Data List that will be used to create the concatenated string of the TxData. You may want to review the intended Label Template design(s) before creating the TxData Mapping concat string, to confirm which variables are needed for a print request to the intended label(s).

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Notes:

  • When a data dictionary is used by multiple label templates, it may help to name TxData records after the label templates they support for alignment with variables required. e.g. “TxData.ReceiptLabel”, “TxData.PackingSlip”, “BinLabel”, etc.
  • Using the ‘Print > Quick Label’ pages Data Entry method is a good way to quickly confirm which variables are needed for a label and building a Delimited TxData Mapping.
  • The variables that make up the concatenated string will dictate the exact order in which the data/columns must be organized in, for each line of the batch/Merge File to be used.

Creating the Batch/Merge File

It can be helpful to accumulate the required data into an Excel sheet or similar program and organize the columns of data to match the concat formula made for the intended TxData Mapping; see the previous section, ‘Creating TxData Mappings’.

Excel and other programs often allow exporting to a CSV file, and may also allow specifying the delimiting character used during export.

CSV Example: test-csv-data.dat

974137,Popcorn Popper,Aisle 14
132456,Yellow Cake Mix,Aisle 9
152557,Chocolate Cake Mix,Aisle 9
463242,Cherry Soda,Aisle 3 - Front End Cap
104201,Blue Towel,Aisle 18
104203,Purple Towel,Aisle 18
104207,Red Towel,Aisle 18

If the variable data may contain commas, then it is best to substitute the delimiter with a character that will not be present in the data. The tilde character is usually a safe choice and the default option in EPP.

Tilde Example: test-tilde-data.dat

974137~Popcorn Popper~Aisle 14
132456~Cake Mix, Yellow~Aisle 9
152557~Cake Mix, Chocolate~Aisle 9
463242~Cherry Soda~Aisle 3 - Front End Cap
104201~Towel, Blue~Aisle 18
104203~Towel, Purple~Aisle 18
104207~Towel, Red~Aisle 18

Notes:

  • If the exported csv/batch file includes a headers line, that line will be treated like a data line if not removed from the file.

  • The file extensions must be either .uld or .dat, but there can be different reasons to consider which file extension is used. The EPP server will automatically purge .uld files that are more than 24 hours old, but .dat files will remain until manually removed.

Initiating the Batch Printing

If doing this for the first time, then it would be recommended to use a small batch file of a few records, before trying a large batch file of dozens, hundreds, or event thousands. If the data is not mapped in the correct order or some other issue is encountered with the labels, then adjustments can be made before committing a large bulk job.

  1. Navigate to the EPP ‘Print > Quick Label’ page.
  2. Open the Label Template you want to use.
  3. Select the ‘Print Job’ option.
  4. Change the ‘Data Record’ selection to a TxData mapping that has the fields required for the label template.
  5. (Optional) Click ‘Upload File’, if wanting to add a new merge file option.
    • Select and upload a data file like created in previous section, ‘Creating the Batch/Merge File’.
  6. Select the intended ‘Merge File’ / data file.
    • An uploaded merge file will not be automatically selected. It must still be selected after being uploaded.
  7. Set the ‘Delimiter’ as implemented in the selected/uploaded merge file.
  8. Select the destination ‘Printer’ option.
  9. Set the number of ‘Copies’ you wish to print.
  10. Select ‘Print’

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Note:

  • The Merge File list contains all .uld and .dat files currently residing in the ‘../DSIPrint/data’ directory. The EPP system will automatically purge all .uld and .pcl files, older than 24 hours; which means that .dat files should stay until manually removed but .uld files uploaded through Quick Label will only last up to 24 hours.

Resource Examples

Every EPP install should have a Sample.ldd Data Dictionary and ‘#Samples\Sample’ Label Template which have a TxData example. We have also attached some other samples to use for reference below, when implementing TxData records and delimited batch files.

TxDataSample.ldd (1.6 KB)

BinLabel.Generic.lbl (700 Bytes)

BinLabel.Zebra.lbl (697 Bytes)

csv_BinLabel_test.dat (226 Bytes)

tilde_BinLabel_test.dat (231 Bytes)