Print barcodes with Laserjet Pro M402dn

[chapman_samuel_]

Hello,

I am trying to print barcodes from an SAP system however I am getting a string of numbers instead. Is it possible to print barcodes from this printer?

Edit: The printer seems to print the numbers for the barcode, just not the barcode itself.

[dansdaduk]

As far as I'm aware , none of the LaserJet printer range includes any bar-code fonts in the (fairly) standard set of internal printer-resident fonts.

So in order to print barcodes, one of the following techniques is used:

• The application converts the bar-code data into a raster-image representation of the bar-code, and (in conjunction with a suitable printer driver) includes a printer-format raster image equivalent in the generated print job.
• The application / printer driver dynamically constructs and downloads a printer-format soft font equivalent of the donor (TrueType?) font referenced by the source application / document.
• The application / printer driver assumes that a suitable third-party font will be available on the printer, in a form (appropriate to the model) such as an add-on DIMM.

I know next to nothing about SAP, so I have no idea which of these techniques your SAP system might be (attempting to) use.

[SHThompson]

I believe some of the newer models even support a font Solution on USB which likely plugs into an internal USB slot on the formatter.

[dansdaduk]

>> ... a font Solution on USB which likely plugs into an internal USB slot on the formatter ...

I'm retired now, so don't have access to current printer models, but I suspect that this is the latest iteration of potential 'add-on' hardware containing fonts, etc., which started with SIMM cards, then DIMMs, with some models perhaps supporting Compact Flash or SD-card units. 

[chapman_samuel_]

I've had a good look around and it seems like these add-ons aren't available for the M402dn...

So I've kind of given up looking now

[dansdaduk]

>> ...  these add-ons aren't available for the M402dn...

But perhaps SAP makes use of one of the other techniques (i.e. it does not assume use of external hardware add-on font repositories)?

It may be worth investigating what advice sites such as as IDAutomation (I have no connection with them!) can provide.

... and bear in mind that 'encoding transformations' (apart from those for the very simple symbologies such as Code 39) may be quite complicated, so transformation routines to match certain commercially-available fonts could save a lot of hassle. 

[SHThompson]

This might be where you look but I think this would be the place to check if you haven't already

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/solutions/business-solutions/printingsolutions/ljfonts/overview.html

There is a solution listed for an M401 and since the M402 is fairly new they might not have updated the list. The M401 solution is on a DIMM.

[Bonzer5]

Sorry I didn't notice this when you posted originally. If you are still looking for a solution for this, TypeHaus makes an external module that will enable this printer to work with typical SAP implementations for Barcodes.