In certain scenarios, we need a label printout with item description and barcode. This you can do by coding in printer’s language in SAPScript. Due to the complexity in writing SAPscript for printer language we can use a third party software to overcome the limitation. To obtain the above said print requirements we need to do the following process below.
Design the label using a software (eg: Label Gallery Software) on a Windows-based PC computer. In this software define prompted variable fields on the label. During print process these fields will be filled with the data from SAP R/3 system. Make sure they are defined as prompt variables, not database variables, function variables etc.
When you have designed the label, you need to export it to a properly formatted text file that is readable by the SAP R/3 system. This is the ITF file. The location of the exported ITF file will be displayed on the screen.
If you have variable elements on the label, you will need to link them to appropriate variable from the SAP R/3 system. A dialog box with the list of label variable will open. Select each of the variables listed and provide the name of the SAP variable you want to link to it.
The result of the export process is a file formatted in the SAPscript ITF format. The file name is identical to that of your label and the file extension is .ITF.
When you have the ITF file with label description ready, you must upload it to your SAP system and make it available for printing. Use the standard text editor (Transaction SO10) to upload the print file to SAPscript. However, SO10 is only used here as "temporary storage" for the print file before you insert the print file into a form window.
Create a new standard text with any name. In the text editor load the created print file (.ITF file) with the function "Text->Upload" and select "ASCII" as a format. Store the ITF print file as a standard text.
To print the label, you must adjust the SAPscript form by using the SAPscript form maintenance (Transaction SE71).
• The MAIN window must extend over the entire page format (for example,
DINA4). There may be no upper and left border between MAIN and the
border of the page.
• You should delete all the windows except for the MAIN . If not deleted, then these windows should at least not contain any more data to be output (you may need to deactivate texts).
• The MAIN window should only contain a text element that includes the label file that you just created.
• The name of this text element depends on the application program used by R/3. You can add the label file into this text element by copying the entire text from SO10 into the form window.
Generally, a special device type (a variant of the device type ASCIIPRI) must be used for the correct printout of the layout set on a label printer. The device type ASCIIPRI can normally be used for the basic test of procedure with other label printers.
As the last step, an output device (printer) must be set up in the R/3 with Transaction SPAD. The special device type or ASCIIPRI is assigned to this output device (printer). The application program must now use this output device to print the labels. The label printer connects itself to the R/3 via one of the standard available connection types in
SAP R/3.