Overview

Lexmark ^TM Forms and Bar Code Card lets you print industry-standard bar codes. The card provides custom device types for printing with SAPScript in SAP R/3 application and generates bar codes algorithmically in PCL 5 or PostScript emulations.

With PCL 5 emulation, a printer with an installed card is the functional equivalent of HP BarCodes and More font set. It is also a compatible alternative to an HP LaserJet with HP BarDIMM Pro version 3.3a, including the FREESCAPE alternate escape code (AEC) feature.

You can specify bar codes for printing in PCL 5 emulation using the following techniques:

• Standard PCL 5 emulation font selection commands (used in the HP BarDIMM Pro products)

• Special Lexmark-advanced PCL 5 emulation commands for bar codes

A printer with an installed Forms and Bar Code Card includes support for the following:

• Improved PDF font handling

• Built-in 256MB flash partition

• Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

• Embedding text with selectable positioning

• Data format verification with error reporting

• Sending merged output through fax or e-mail

• Independently scalable bar heights and widths

• Creating electronic forms to be merged with data

• OCR-A and OCR-B as bitmap and scalable fonts

• Better handling of SAP RDI variables with hyphens and underscores

• Basic pie chart and horizontal, vertical, stacked, or unstacked bar graph functionality

• Automatic bar code data compression, checksum calculation, and character placement when required

• Storing and printing forms from an optional flash drive or from an optional or a standard printer hard disk

The CD that comes with Forms and Bar Code Card contains the following:

• Visual Bar Code Designer

• Demonstration and test files

• End User License Agreement

• A Readme file that contains download information, requirements, and installation instructions

Human-readable text (HRT)

One-dimensional symbologies

HRT can be specified with bar codes. The specific text can be centered on the bar code automatically. The text can also be scaled based on the width and height of the bar code and the method of embedding.

There are six available fonts for most HRT. For more information, see the ^Esc (s#H command in the PCL 5 emulation escape sequences .

Two-dimensional symbologies

Because two-dimensional bar codes can encode thousands of characters, HRT interpretation of the data may not be practical. If descriptive text is printed with the symbol, then any character size and font available may be selected. The text may be printed anywhere near the symbol and must not interfere with the bar code symbol or its quiet zones.

Cursor positioning

Cursor positioning is set as follows when printing with Forms and Bar Code Card:

• From the current cursor position, bar code printing begins at the lower-left corner of the left bar.

• The cursor is at the lower-right corner of the right bar when printing is complete.

Compressed data formats

Forms and Bar Code Card accepts data for symbologies regardless of format. Incoming data is analyzed to determine whether it is compressed. If necessary, compression is automatically performed before printing the bar code.

Checksum calculation

Some bar code symbologies define checksum characters as a requirement of the data format. In this case, Forms and Bar Code Card performs the checksum calculation and automatically places the characters according to the symbology specifications. Fixed-length data formats can be sent with or without checksum characters.

Visual Bar Code Designer

Use the program found in the CD to build PCL 5 emulation, PostScript emulation, or hexadecimal command strings for use in SAP or other applications.

HP BarDIMM compatibility intercept

Forms and Bar Code Card meets the function of the HP BarDIMM Pro version 3.3a option.

SAP support

When used in PCL 5 emulation mode, SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has built-in support for functions provided by Forms and Bar Code Card. The following is a list of supported device types:

• LEXT622

• LEXW820

• ZLXFORM2

Lexmark-specific PCL 5 emulation command descriptions

Support of bar code functionality requires Lexmark-unique PCL 5 emulation definitions that provide access to the functionality. ^Esc &x#W and ^Esc &y#W are implemented.

Bar code descriptor— ^ESC &x#W (descriptor data)

Use the escape sequence to describe the bar code to print and the parameter settings required to build the bar code. The first two bytes of this command designate the symbology and are required. The remaining bytes are interpreted accordingly, based on the symbology, and are optional. If the optional bytes are not sent, then the settings are set to appropriate defaults. Each symbology has its own defined descriptor header. The # symbol represents the number of bytes of descriptor data.

Transferring bar code data— ^ESC &y#W (bar code data)

Use this command to transfer a raw block of bar code data to be encoded according to the specifications in the last valid Bar Code Descriptor command received. If no valid descriptor is sent, then this command is ignored and the data is flushed. The # symbol represents the number of bytes of descriptor data.

Compatibility safeguard

These commands, if sent to an HP printer, are flushed, and nothing prints. Future HP PCL 5 enhancement could use the two escape sequences that have been selected. This forces future Lexmark PCL 5 emulations to use the HP versions of these commands and to ignore them in a bar code context.

To avoid this conflict, use the Lexmark PCL 5 emulation enhancement switch. Setting this switch allows future Lexmark PCL 5 emulations to decide how to interpret the new escape sequences. The switch is a GL/2 command.

Supported bar codes

One-dimensional bar codes

• Australia Post 4-State bar code (37-CUST, 52-FF-MET, and 67-FF-MET)

• UK Royal Mail 4-State Customer Code (RM4SCC)

• Codabar (USD-4, NW-7, Monarch, and Code 2 of 7)

• Codabar with mod16 check digit

• Code 128 autoswitch

• Code 128 (A, B, and C)

• Code 3 of 9

• Code 3 of 9 with check digit

• Code 3 of 9 extended

• Code 3 of 9 extended with check digit

• Code 3 of 9 space encoding

• Code 3 of 9 space encoding with check digit

• Code 93

• Code 93 extended

• Danish PTT 3 of 9

• Dutch Post 4-State bar code

• EAN-128

• EAN/JAN-8

• EAN/JAN-8 with 2-digit supplemental

• EAN/JAN-8 with 5-digit supplemental

• EAN/JAN-13

• EAN/JAN-13 with 2-digit supplemental

• EAN/JAN-13 with 5-digit supplemental

• French Postal 3 of 9 A/R

• German Postal 2 of 5 (Leitcode and Identicode)

• HIBC 39/128

• Interleaved 2 of 5

• Interleaved 2 of 5 with check digit

• Industrial 2 of 5

• Industrial 2 of 5 with check digit

• Intelligent Mail bar code

• ISBN

• ISBN+5

• ISSN

• ISSN+2

• ISSN+5

• ITF-14

• Japan Post 4-State bar code

• Matrix 2 of 5

• Matrix 2 of 5 with check digit

• MSI

• MSI with mod10 check digit

• MSI with mod10 and mod10 check digit

• MSI with mod11 and mod10 check digit

• Singapore Post 4-State bar code

• Swiss Post

• UCC-128

• UPC-A

• UPC-A + 2

• UPC-A + 5

• UPC-E

• UPC-E + 2

• UPC-E + 5

• USPS PLANET

• USPS Expanded POSTNET

• USPS Facing Identification Mark (FIM)

• USPS POSTNET 5-digit ZIP code

• USPS POSTNET 9-digit ZIP with 4 code

• USPS POSTNET 11-digit Delivery Point Code

• USPS sack label, 8-digit 2 of 5

• USPS tray label, 10-digit 2 of 5

• USPS Zebra code

Two-dimensional bar codes

• Codablock F

• Data Matrix

• MaxiCode

• MicroPDF417

• PDF417

• QR Code

• RSS-14 Expanded

• RSS-14 Limited

• RSS-14 Stacked

• RSS-14 standard

• RSS-14 Truncated

• Swiss QR Code

Composite bar codes

• EAN-8

• EAN/JAN-8 with 2-digit supplemental

• EAN/JAN-8 with 5-digit supplemental

• EAN-13

• EAN/JAN-13 with 2-digit supplemental

• EAN/JAN-13 with 5-digit supplemental

• RSS-14 Expanded

• RSS-14 Limited

• RSS-14 Stacked

• RSS-14 Truncated

• UCC-128

• UPC-A

• UPC-A with 2-digit supplemental

• UPC-A with 5-digit supplemental

• UPC-E

• UPC-E with 2-digit supplemental

• UPC-E with 5-digit supplemental

Font-based bar codes

The bar codes are supported only for PCL 5 emulation.

• Code 128 bitmap regular

• Code 128 bitmap wide

• Code 128 scalable narrow

• Code 128 scalable regular

• Code 128 scalable wide

• Code 3 of 9 bitmap

• Code 3 of 9 quarter inch regular

• Code 3 of 9 scalable half inch interval

• Code 3 of 9 scalable one inch regular

• Code 3 of 9 slim regular

• Code 3 of 9 small low regular

• Code 3 of 9 small medium regular

• Code 3 of 9 small high regular

• Code 3 of 9 wide regular

• Interleaved 2 of 5 bitmap

• Interleaved 2 of 5 scalable regular

• Interleaved 2 of 5 scalable thin

• OCR-A

• OCR-B digits regular

• UPC half

• UPC half narrow

• UPC tall

• UPC tall narrow

• UPC tall thin

Supported fonts in the option card

Scalable fonts

• Architext CMC7

• CMC7

• Electrical symbols

• Euro and other currency symbols

• Manufacturing symbols

• MICR

• OCR-A

• OCR-B

• OCR-B in Bubbles

• Roman Pillar

• Roman Pillar5

• Roman Pillar Bold

• Roman Pillar Bold Italic

• Roman Pillar Italic

Bitmap fonts

• Code 3 of 9 (4.69)

• Code 3 of 9 (8.11)

• Line Draw

• OCR-A

• OCR-B

• UPC 10mil

• UPC 13mil