How do I set up a Zebra printer on an NIC connection?

• Tip: This procedure should only be performed by an IT professional.

Use this procedure if you are connecting Zebra printer to two or more workstations via an NIC (Network Interface Card) connection. Release 5.6.4 and higher supports Zebra printers to print labels and reports (e.g., bin labels, receipt labels, control labels, parts transfers, reports).

Step 1.  Connect the printer to the network. (Refer to Zebra documentation.)

Step 2.  Share the printer.

a. From the Start menu, click Control Panel.

b. Double-click the Printers and Faxes icon, right-click the applicable printer, and then select Properties from the shortcut menu.

c. In the printer window, click the Sharing tab.  

d. Click the Shared As checkbox, type LABELS in the Share name field, and click OK.

Step 3.   Log in as an administrative user to create a new printer device/queue.

a. Go to System Management -> Setup -> Printers ->  Printer Devices/Queues.

b. On the Printer Devices/Queues tab, click the Prepare For Insert button .
The screen fields become available for input.

c. Type or select the following options in each field:

1. • Printer ID:  user defined

   • Description:  user defined

   • Printer type: select applicable printer type

   • Label or standard: auto-populates when you select the printer type

   • Device/queue name:  \\MACHINE_NAME\LABELS
     Note:  MACHINE_NAME is the name of the PC from which the printer is being shared.

d. Select the Send output to client station checkbox.

e. Leave the For messages only checkbox blank.

f. Click the Process button to update the database.

Step 4.   Repeat step 3 for each label printer that you are defining.

Step 5.   Add the new printer device/queue to all users who will be printing to the label printer:

a. Go to System Management -> Setup -> Access Rights ->  Users.

b. On the Printers tab, filter and retrieve the user IDs to whom you want to grant label printing privileges.

c. On the Printers tab, assign the printer (or printers) that you defined in step 3 to the applicable user IDs, and then click the Process button to update the database.

Step 6. Test the printer using the PR:BIN LABELS screen.

• Tip: Use the BIN LABEL PRINTER to print bin labels and the Bin Labels report from the Bin Labels screen. Use the RECEIPT LABEL PRINTER to print parts labels from the Quick Orders and Receipts screens, for example.