Options to print label with barcode?

Question

Hello

I bought an entry-level Brother label printer, and I need to print this type of label from Delphi:

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3557/delphiclothlabel2.jpg

(The barcode was simply created using the free 3of9 TTY font, although some VCL components are available to create a barcode directly.)

I read that the standard way is to use Rave Reports, but it looks like a pretty big tool and I've never used it before.

Before I go ahead and spend time learning Rave Reports, I'd like to ask experience Delphi developers whether there aren't easier ways to do this. For instace, what about creating some image on-the-fly and send this to the printer?

Thank you.

Answer 1

If you have the barcode available as an image, you can just print it using the Printer object in unit Printers.

uses
  Printers;
...
Printer.BeginDoc;
try
  Printer.Canvas.Draw (PosX, PosY, FBarcodeBitmap);
finally
  Printer.EndDoc;
end;

If you just want to print the barcode, this might be easier than get yourself used to Rave Reports.

Answer 2

Common barcodes contains CRC, so "barcode font" is not working. You have to use some reporting engine or create barcode by hand using some Barcode Component.

Answer 3

You can use the standard TRichEdit component. It have the Print method. Simply:

  rich1.Print('title');

Regards.

Answer 4

While you certainly could render your canvas in code and then shove it off to the printer, I think that you will find value in using a reporting tool. We have used QuickReports for years to generate our barcode labels with great success.

The biggest value that I see of a reporting tool over rendering to a canvas in code is the WYSIWYG aspect of the reporting tool. You will be able to much of your layout and tweaking on screen at design-time.

Answer 5

Thanks for the input. I'll start with QuickReports to see if it works OK for this and do some tests with the 3of9 font to see how it goes. I wonder how the label printer manages to know if the label is right where it's supposed to be so that the printing always starts right, though.

Answer 6

I use Fast Reports to print my barcodes. it has built in barcode support which makes it pretty easy to use.