Printing barcode labels
One label carrying the name, price, barcode and any attributes, designed once and printed a thousand times on any printer. This article covers the template, the designer, the print screen and the PDF and ZPL options.
The idea in a minute
A label template is a real-size design in millimetres: where the name goes, where the price goes, where the barcode goes. From the same template you get a PDF for any printer or a ZPL file for Zebra and compatible printers. The Print labels screen collects items and quantities and prints.
Creating a template
- Open Settings, then Print templates and press Barcode label template. The template starts at 50×30 mm with name, price and barcode.
- Set width and height in millimetres to your actual label size (read it off the roll), and Zebra resolution 203 or 300 dpi as in your printer's specs (it does not affect PDF).
- Add elements from the buttons: name, price, barcode, SKU, free text, any attribute, line, box.
- Drag an element to move it, drag its corner handle to resize, or type exact numbers in the right panel (position from the top-left corner).
- For text: font size, bold, alignment, and an insert-variable menu that adds
{{name}},{{price_with_currency}},{{attr.color}}and more inside the text. - For the barcode: type "auto" picks EAN when the number is valid and Code 128 otherwise, plus an option to show the digits underneath.
- Pick Preview with a real item to see the label with your own data, and press Preview PDF before saving.
An A4 sheet instead of a roll
Enable "A4 sheet (label grid)" and set margins and gaps as on the adhesive label paper you bought; columns and rows are computed automatically. The sheet prints on any laser or inkjet printer.
Printing
- Open Items, then Print labels, or the "Print label" button inside an item, or "Print labels" above the items list.
- Choose the template and the price list (or keep the default sale price).
- Search for items and add them, then set the number of labels per item. An item without a barcode is flagged in red: generate one first from Generating internal barcodes.
- Print PDF opens the file in a new tab; print it from the browser and pick your printer. Or ZPL downloads a
labels.zplfile to send to the Zebra.
Which printer?
| Printer | File | How to print |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary laser or inkjet | PDF with the A4 sheet | From the browser like any document, on adhesive label paper |
| Label printer with a Windows driver (Xprinter, TSC, Godex…) | PDF (one page per label) | From the browser, choose the printer; set the paper size in the driver to the label size once |
| Zebra and ZPL-compatible printers | ZPL | Send the file with Zebra Setup Utilities, or copy it to the printer over the network or USB |
In ZPL the barcode is sent with the printer's native commands so scanning is crisp, while Arabic text is drawn on the server with the same font and sent as an image, because Zebra's built-in fonts cannot print Arabic. The result matches the preview.
Blank or clipped label on a Zebra?
Check that the resolution in the template matches the printer (203 or 300) and that the label size in the template is the roll size. Then print a single label first. If the barcode comes out cut at the side, reduce its width in the template; an unnecessarily wide box forces the printer to shrink the modules.
Template examples
- Supermarket shelf 50×30: bold name on top, large price in the middle, barcode with digits below.
- Clothing hang tag 40×60: name, then model, colour and size from attributes, then the barcode, price at the bottom.
- Jewellery 22×12: a small EAN-8 without digits, and the SKU in a 5 pt font.
Templates are managed with the rest of the print templates: duplicate, set as default, deactivate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Zebra printer?
No. Any ordinary printer prints an A4 sheet of adhesive labels, and any label printer with a driver on the computer prints the PDF with one page per label. ZPL is an extra option for Zebra owners.
Which price list does the label use?
The one you choose on the print screen, or the default sale price if you choose none. Changing the list re-reads the prices for the items added.
Can a label be printed for an item without a barcode?
It prints, but without a barcode. Better generate one first with the "Generate barcode" button in the item.
Can I send ZPL straight to the printer from the browser?
Not yet; it downloads as a file that you send with the printer's utility. Direct sending from the cashier app is planned.