Page 282 - ZPL II Programming Guide

262 ZPL Commands
^SP

^SP

Start Print

Description The ^SP command allows a label to start printing at a specified point before
the entire label has been completely formatted. On extremely complex labels, this command
can increase the overall throughput of the print.

The command works as follows: Specify the dot row at which the ^SP command is to begin.
This creates a label segment. Once the ^SP command is processed, all information in that
segment prints. During the printing process, all of the commands after the ^SP continue to be
received and processed by the printer.

If the segment after the ^SP command (or the remainder of the label) is ready for printing,
media motion does not stop. If the next segment is not ready, the printer stops mid-label and
wait for the next segment to be completed. Precise positioning of the ^SP command requires a
trial-and-error process, as it depends primarily on print speed and label complexity.

The ^SP command can be effectively used to determine the worst possible print quality. You
can determine whether using the ^SP command is appropriate for the particular application by
using this procedure.

If you send the label format up to the first ^SP command and then wait for printing to stop
before sending the next segment, the printed label is a sample of the worst possible print
quality. It drops any field that is out of order.

If the procedure above is used, the end of the label format must be:
^SP#^FS

Format ^SPa
This table identifies the parameters for this format:

Parameters Details

a = dot row to start Accepted Values: 0 to 32000
printing Default Value: 0

45541L-004 Rev. A ZPL II Programming Guide 9/15/06