Printing in Java to Label Printer

I am having trouble printing to a label printer. The code below prints 4 “labels” on one (Picture of Label Attached).

The code below prints to a brother QL-500 label printer. It prints onto 3.5″ by 1.1″ labels.

It would also be great if someone could help me better understand the code.

import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.Printable;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;
import java.text.DateFormat;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Locale;
import javax.print.PrintService;



public class DYMOLabelPrintConnector implements Printable {

public static final String PRINTERNAME = "DYMO LabelWriter 400";


public static final boolean PRINTMENU = false;

public static void main(String[] args) {
PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();
Paper paper = new Paper();

final double widthPaper = (1.2 * 72);
final double heightPaper = (1.5 * 72);

paper.setSize(widthPaper, heightPaper);
paper.setImageableArea(0, 0, widthPaper, heightPaper);

pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

pageFormat.setOrientation(PageFormat.LANDSCAPE);

if (PRINTMENU) {
  if (printerJob.printDialog()) {
    printerJob.setPrintable(new DYMOLabelPrintConnector(), pageFormat); 

    try {
      printerJob.print();
    } catch (PrinterException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }
} else {
  PrintService[] printService = PrinterJob.lookupPrintServices();

  for (int i = 0; i < printService.length; i++) {
    System.out.println(printService[i].getName());

    if (printService[i].getName().compareTo(PRINTERNAME) == 0) {
      try {
        printerJob.setPrintService(printService[i]);
        printerJob.setPrintable(new DYMOLabelPrintConnector(), pageFormat); 
        printerJob.print();
      } catch (PrinterException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
      }
    }
  }
}

System.exit(0);
 }

  public String getValue(final int elementOnLabel, final int labelCounter) {
  String value = "";

switch (elementOnLabel) {
case 0:
  // what ever you want to have in this line
  value = "SetupX";

  break;

case 1:
    // what ever you want to have in this line
  value = "fiehnlab.ucd";

  break;

case 2:
    // what ever you want to have in this line
  value = "id: " + labelCounter;

  break;

case 3:
    // what ever you want to have in this line
  // TODO - add DB connection
  value = "label:" + elementOnLabel;

  break;

case 4:
    // what ever you want to have in this line
  value = DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.SHORT, Locale.US).format(new Date());

  break;

default:
  break;
}

return value;
}


public int print(Graphics graphics, PageFormat pageFormat, int pageIndex)
throws PrinterException {
System.out.println("printing page: " + pageIndex);

   if (pageIndex < getPageNumbers()) {
    Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D) graphics;

  // g.translate(pageFormat.getImageableX(), pageFormat.getImageableY());
  g.translate(20, 10);

  String value = "";
  pageIndex = pageIndex + 1;

  // specific for four circular labels per page
  for (int x = 0; x < 80; x = x + 50) {
    for (int y = 0; y < 80; y = y + 36) {
      int posOnPage = 4; // BottomRight, TopRight, BottomLeft, TopLeft 

      if (x > 0) {
        posOnPage = posOnPage - 2;
      }

      if (y > 0) {
        posOnPage = posOnPage - 1;
      }

      // current counter for the label.
      int id = (posOnPage - 1) + ((pageIndex - 1) * 4);

      // setupx
      g.setFont(new Font(g.getFont().getFontName(), g.getFont().getStyle(), 3));
      value = this.getValue(0, id);
      g.drawString("      " + value, x, y);

      // fiehnlab
      g.setFont(new Font(g.getFont().getFontName(), g.getFont().getStyle(), 3));
      value = this.getValue(1, id);
      g.drawString("    " + value, x, y + 4);

      // ID
      g.setFont(new Font(g.getFont().getFontName(), Font.BOLD, 7));
      value = this.getValue(2, id);
      g.drawString("" + value, x, y + 10);

      // label
      g.setFont(new Font(g.getFont().getFontName(), g.getFont().getStyle(), 5));
      value = this.getValue(3, id);
      g.drawString(" " + value, x, y + 16);

      // date
      g.setFont(new Font(g.getFont().getFontName(), Font.PLAIN, 3));
      value = this.getValue(4, id);
      g.drawString("      " + value, x, y + 20);
    }
  }

  return PAGE_EXISTS;
} else {
  return NO_SUCH_PAGE;
}
}

public int getPageNumbers() {
return 5;
 }
 }

enter code here

Here is What it Prints:

Answer

Wow, I can’t tell you how much I love printing in Java, when it works, it’s great…

.

public class PrinterTest {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        PrinterJob pj = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        if (pj.printDialog()) {
            PageFormat pf = pj.defaultPage();
            Paper paper = pf.getPaper();    
            double width = fromCMToPPI(3.5);
            double height = fromCMToPPI(8.8);    
            paper.setSize(width, height);
            paper.setImageableArea(
                            fromCMToPPI(0.25), 
                            fromCMToPPI(0.5), 
                            width - fromCMToPPI(0.35), 
                            height - fromCMToPPI(1));                
            System.out.println("Before- " + dump(paper));    
            pf.setOrientation(PageFormat.PORTRAIT);
            pf.setPaper(paper);    
            System.out.println("After- " + dump(paper));
            System.out.println("After- " + dump(pf));                
            dump(pf);    
            PageFormat validatePage = pj.validatePage(pf);
            System.out.println("Valid- " + dump(validatePage));                
            //Book book = new Book();
            //book.append(new MyPrintable(), pf);
            //pj.setPageable(book);    
            pj.setPrintable(new MyPrintable(), pf);
            try {
                pj.print();
            } catch (PrinterException ex) {
                ex.printStackTrace();
            }    
        }    
    }

    protected static double fromCMToPPI(double cm) {            
        return toPPI(cm * 0.393700787);            
    }

    protected static double toPPI(double inch) {            
        return inch * 72d;            
    }

    protected static String dump(Paper paper) {            
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(64);
        sb.append(paper.getWidth()).append("x").append(paper.getHeight())
           .append("/").append(paper.getImageableX()).append("x").
           append(paper.getImageableY()).append(" - ").append(paper
       .getImageableWidth()).append("x").append(paper.getImageableHeight());            
        return sb.toString();            
    }

    protected static String dump(PageFormat pf) {    
        Paper paper = pf.getPaper();            
        return dump(paper);    
    }

    public static class MyPrintable implements Printable {

        @Override
        public int print(Graphics graphics, PageFormat pageFormat, 
            int pageIndex) throws PrinterException {    
            System.out.println(pageIndex);                
            int result = NO_SUCH_PAGE;    
            if (pageIndex < 2) {                    
                Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) graphics;                    
                System.out.println("[Print] " + dump(pageFormat));                    
                double width = pageFormat.getImageableWidth();
                double height = pageFormat.getImageableHeight();    
                g2d.translate((int) pageFormat.getImageableX(), 
                    (int) pageFormat.getImageableY());                    
                g2d.draw(new Rectangle2D.Double(1, 1, width - 1, height - 1));                    
                FontMetrics fm = g2d.getFontMetrics();
                g2d.drawString("0x0", 0, fm.getAscent());    
                result = PAGE_EXISTS;    
            }    
            return result;    
        }
    }
}

I’m aware of a number of inconsistencies with the PrintDialog doing werid and wonderful things if you try and specify Paper sizes and margins, but honestly, that’s a question for another day.

The code I’ve posted was capable for printing two labels one after the other without issue on my Dymo LabelWriter 400 Turbo

UPDATED Should also mention, I think you were basically missing PageFormat.setPaper

UPDATED with Barbaque BarCode

Print from file example…

Barcode b = BarcodeFactory.createCode128("Hello");
b.setResolution(72);

File f = new File("mybarcode.png");
// Let the barcode image handler do the hard work
BarcodeImageHandler.savePNG(b, f);

.
.
.

public static class PrintFromFile implements Printable {

    @Override
    public int print(Graphics graphics, PageFormat pageFormat, int pageIndex) throws PrinterException {

        int result = NO_SUCH_PAGE;
        if (pageIndex == 0) {

            graphics.translate((int)pageFormat.getImageableX(), (int)pageFormat.getImageableY());

            result = PAGE_EXISTS;

            try {

                // You may want to rescale the image to better fit the label??
                BufferedImage read = ImageIO.read(new File("mybarcode.png"));
                graphics.drawImage(read, 0, 0, null);

            } catch (IOException ex) {

                ex.printStackTrace();

            }

        }

        return result;

    }

}

Printing direct to the Graphics context

Barcode b = BarcodeFactory.createCode128("Hello");
b.setResolution(72);

.
.
.

public static class PrintToGraphics implements Printable {

    private Barcode b;

    private PrintToGraphics(Barcode b) {

        this.b = b;

    }

    @Override
    public int print(Graphics graphics, PageFormat pageFormat, int pageIndex) throws PrinterException {

        int result = NO_SUCH_PAGE;
        if (pageIndex == 0) {

            result = PAGE_EXISTS;

            int x = (int)pageFormat.getImageableX();
            int y = (int)pageFormat.getImageableY();

            int width = (int)pageFormat.getImageableWidth();
            int height = (int)pageFormat.getImageableHeight();

            graphics.translate(x, y);
            try {
                b.draw((Graphics2D)graphics, 0, 0);
            } catch (OutputException ex) {

                ex.printStackTrace();

            }

        }

        return result;

    }

}

Last but not least, directly from the “examples” directory of the download

public class PrintingExample
{

    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        try
        {
            Barcode b = BarcodeFactory.createCode128("Hello");
            PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
            job.setPrintable(b);
            if (job.printDialog())
            {
                job.print();
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

    }

}