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Same Barcode Prints at Different Sizes on Two Printers

Target Audience: Advance User, IT Manager
Article #: 12896

Summary

A user reported a problem where the same barcode prints at different sizes on two printers. The barcode coming off one printer is wider than the one output by the second printer. Attempting to adjust the mil size of the label is complicated because the size can only be doubled instead of being given a specific length.

Situation and Symptoms

  • One printer outputs a label at a different size than the same label coming out of a different printer.
  • Attempting to edit the size of the barcode in CODESOFT so that they print at the same width is unsuccessful.

Explanation

Different brands and models of printers will have their own default mil size. This is built into the print driver. Depending on the settings in CODESOFT, the default mil size will also determine the size of the barcode. It can only be increased by doubling or the size, rather than a specific dimension.

For example, the SATO print driver has a default mil size of 3.3 as seen in the first image. Meanwhile, the Datamax print driver, as shown in the second image, has a default mil size of 5. The SATO X-dimension can only be changed to 6.6 while the Datamax can only be doubled to 10. Neither of these new values would produce labels which are the same size as that output from the other.

Screenshot of SATO printer properties showing X-dimension of 3.3mil
Screenshot of Datamax printer properties showing X-dimension of 5mil.

Solution

Assuming that the 5mil size is acceptable, then the user will need to adjust the output on the SATO printer.

  1. Click on the gear icon above the X-dimension
  1. Set the X-dimension to at least double. However, it should not be more than double the X-dimension of the second printer. For this example, doubling SATO’s 3.3 takes the mil setting to 6.6. Going to 13.2 would be bigger than doubling Datamax’s minimum mil of 5 to 10.

The result will be that the SATO will output its label at the 6.6 mil size while the Datamax will remain at the 5.0 mil size.

Additional Comments

Issue discovered by Bill Sikorski.

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Author

Ben Podesta

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