BarTender Editions Summary
BarTender is available in four editions that address a wide range of features and user requirements. This general overview is followed by a more detailed Features and Editions Comparison Chart.
Printer Licensing: Both "Automation" editions allow unlimited network users. With these editions, licensing is based on the maximum number of printers used by BarTender on the network.
Enterprise Automation
Our most powerful edition. Includes all of the label design, printing, software integration, and data sourcing features of the Automation edition, plus advanced server functions for centralized printing, security and administration. Includes BarTender Web Print Server to print labels from any browser. Contains our mostadvanced integration features, including TCP/IP triggers, SAP AII, Oracle XML, XML transforms, and XML scripting. Includes full functionality for all of the Companion Applications, including Librarian and logging to centralized databases. Tracks printer parts inventory and in-printer media usage.
Automation
Includes - All of BarTender's most powerful label design features. Numeroussoftware integration tools, such as ActiveX Automation, enterprise messaging and Seagull's Commander utility for cross-platform integration. All the data sourcing of Professional, plus support for SAP IDocs. Includes all of the Companion Applicationsexcept for Librarian, but not all of the features. Logging to local databases only. Includes all available RFID design and encoding capabilities.
Omits - Does not offer the enhanced server functions, advanced integration (such as XML and SAP AII), and web printing capabilities of Enterprise Automation (see above). No Librarian. Excludes some Companion Application features. No logging to centralized databases. No inventory control of printer supplies.
PC Licensing: The Professional and Basic editions are licensed based on the number of PCs used.
Professional
Includes - All of BarTender's most powerful label design features. Data access for network databases (using OLE DB and ODBC), as well as spreadsheets and text files. Includes two of the Companion Applications: Batch Maker and Print Station.
Omits - No control from within other software. (No ActiveX, Commander or command lines.) No SAP or XML support. No job logging or e-mailed error alerts. Cannot export printer code templates. Excludes all features omitted from the Automation edition. No Printer Maestro. Does not include many of the Companion Applications.
Basic
Includes – The most frequently used label design features. Includes all text, graphics, bar code, and most serializing capabilities. Useful for keyboard and scanner-supplied label data only. Print Station is the only included Companion Application.
Omits – No access to external data. No password protection of label formats, no VB Script customization, no string concatenation, and only limited text filtering. No custom-base serialization. Excludes all features omitted from Professional, plus noBatch Maker.
Features and Editions Comparison Chart
The following chart compares the features available in each of the four editions of the BarTender Application Suite.
Edition heading abbreviations:
| EA |
= Enterprise Automation |
| A |
= Automation |
| P |
= Professional |
| B |
= Basic |
Grid characters used:
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Feature is fully supported |
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Partially supported |
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Supports shareable centralized databases |
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Supports local databases only |
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Supports all printers and print jobs on the network |
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Works for local and network printers (and print jobs) that have drivers installed on the local PC |
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Only supported using RFID fonts and not BarTender's fully-featured, native RFID objects |
Current feature comparison mode:
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| EDITIONS: |
EA |
A |
P |
B |
| Basic serialization: Numeric (base 10), alphabetic (base 26), and concatenated numeric and alphabetic sequences with increment / decrement by any interval |
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| Advanced serialization: Alphanumeric (base 36), hexadecimal (base 16), and custom base serialization |
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| Separate rollover / rollunder and value reset options |
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| Preserve or expand field length when rolling over |
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| Design print-time data entry forms for keyboard and bar code scanner data |
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| Data from weighing scales supported by data entry forms |
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| Microsoft OLE DB and ODBC support, including drivers for: Access, AS/400, Btrieve, dBase, Excel, Informix, Interbase, MySQL, Oracle database, Pervasive.SQL, PostgreSQL, Progress, SQL Server, Sybase, and more |
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| Read Excel files |
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| Read ASCII & Unicode text files (quote & comma, fixed width, and user-defined delimitation) |
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| SAP-certified interface to AII (Auto ID Infrastructure) XML documents |
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| Read data from SAP IDocs |
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| Oracle-certified interface to XML label requests |
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| Drag and drop data linking |
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| Versatile multiple-table data access |
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| Import variable graphics from databases |
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| Data query wizard and custom SQL assistant |
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| Individual record-picking at print time |
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Full-system Unicode support (field names, files,
servers, printers, etc.) |
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| Visual Basic scripting for custom data processing |
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| Visual Basic scripting for document open, close, save, and print-time events |
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| User-definable min and max field lengths |
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| Use and/or exclude select portions of database fields |
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| Customizable data-entry filters and error checking |
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| Custom configure the handling of individual messages and alerts |
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| Multiple sub-fields (sub-strings) concatenated per label object |
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| Source data with keyboard, time and date (from PC or printer) |
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| Easy entry of special and "unprintable" control characters |
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| Shareable data fields |
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| Any label size |
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| Any number of label rows and columns per sheet |
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| Automatic computation of label size from number of rows and columns |
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| Database of thousands of name brand label sizes |
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| Rectangular label outline |
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| Circular and elliptical label outline |
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| Security Center manages user permissions and encrypts label formats |
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| Security Center supports electronic signatures and logs permission requests |
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| Lock down individual label formats with passwords |
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| Lock down BarTender into a password-protected "print-only" mode |
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| History Explorer audits past label jobs and other events |
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| Include label images when logging BarTender print jobs |
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| Log revision number and change descriptions into the document file |
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| Librarian manages label format publishing, revision tracking, and rollback within a secure database |
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| True WYSIWYG label design |
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| Programmatically modify label objects during print jobs |
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| Design labels up to 128 inches (3.25 m) long and/or wide (subject to limits of printer and driver) |
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"New Label" wizard ensures proper label setup and
optimizes performance |
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| Two-sided design |
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| Drag and drop creation of all objects, including lines, boxes, ellipses, and graphic images |
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| To simplify conversion from legacy systems, import and lighten photographs of old labels for use as design templates |
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| Unlimited undo / redo command |
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| Resize and reposition objects using a choice of methods: Mouse, arrow keys, typed in values |
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| Functions for automatic alignment of multiple objects |
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| One-tenth degree rotation of lines, boxes, text, and graphics |
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| "Move to Front" and "Send to Back" |
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| Group and Ungroup multiple objects |
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| Live database view in objects in label design area |
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| Export bar codes and labels for use in other programs |
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| Full color support for all label objects |
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| Combine multiple label objects into reusable components |
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| Library of "ready-to-print" label formats |
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Thumbnail previews of saved label formats, viewable
both in BarTender and Windows explorer |
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| Metric and US measurements |
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| SAP Certified for AII |
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| Read data from SAP IDocs |
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| Oracle certified for WMS and MSCA |
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| Oracle XML integration using a TCP/IP socket |
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| Supports IBM WebSphere Sensor Events |
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| Commander processes file, e-mail and serial port triggers |
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| Enhanced version of Commander supports TCP/IP triggers and data transmission |
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| Commander optimized to receive, launch, and monitor new print jobs without waiting for existing jobs to finish |
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| Commander can return XML status response as a file or through a TCP/IP port |
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| Detailed print job status available to other programs using ActiveX |
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| .NET SDK to control one BarTender at a time. (C# & VB.NET examples included) |
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| .NET SDK to control multiple instances of BarTender at once |
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| .NET SDK for BarTender System Database allows automated review and reprinting of past label jobs |
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| .NET SDK for Librarian allows automated file add, remove, rename, check in and out, etc. |
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| ASP.NET sample application for customizable web browser printing |
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| Automated conversion of different XML formats using XSL style sheets |
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| BarTender XML Command Scripts speed up automation and simplify remote control |
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| Commander. (Controls BarTender in response to triggers from other programs) |
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| Security Center. (Provides security features for other applications in the suite, such as user permissions and format encryption) |
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| Printer Maestro. (Administers to printers and print queues on the network) |
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| Librarian. (Controls access, manages workflow, and tracks revisions to label formats and other documents within a secure database) |
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| History Explorer. (Views the logs stored in the BarTender System Database) |
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| Reprint Console. (Reprints previously printed labels) |
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| Print Station. (Provides a simple "single-click" interface for selecting and printing label formats) |
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| Batch Maker. (Defines and prints "batches" of multiple label formats) |
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| Full-featured native RFID objects |
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| Basic RFID support only, using printer fonts |
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Encode EPC Gen2, EPC Class 1, ISO 18000-6b, ISO 15693, Tag-It,
I-CODE, TagSys, My-d, and Picotag tag types |
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| Supports DoD, Wal-Mart, and other EPC data formats, including SGTIN, SSCC, GIAI, GID, GRAI, SGLN |
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| Support for many single and double-byte codepages, including Asian languages, UTF-8 and UTF-16 |
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| Able to duplicate either the text or hexadecimal representation of the RFID data in text and bar code form |
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| Supports optional write protection |
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| Segment and Start Block support, including writing to multiple blocks |
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| Able to configure printer's RFID options (e.g., Transponder Offset and Maximum Retries) |
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| Display antenna, chip, and substrate on label. Select predefined or specify custom antenna bitmaps |
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| Draw lines, circles, ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles and filled rectangles |
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| Import more than 70 graphic formats, including BMP, DCX, DIB, DXF, EPS, GIF, IMG, JPG, PCX, PNG, TGA, TIF, WMF, WPG, and more |
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| TWAIN and WIA support for image scanners and cameras |
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| Basic image processing: Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, sharpness, smoothing, cropping and more |
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| Industry-specific graphic symbol font libraries |
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| Linked graphics allow changes to external graphics without having to edit label formats |
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| Specify background images and colors to appear "behind" label designs |
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| Licensed based on the number of printers used |
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| Licensed based on the number of PCs used |
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| Free phone and e-mail technical support for properly-registered users |
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| HTML-based context-sensitive help |
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| User interface translated into 20+ languages |
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| Numerous 1 and 2 dimensional symbologies |
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| Extensive library of industry-standard bar code formats |
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| Option to display start / stop characters |
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| Variable and unlimited width and height |
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| Minimum width limited only by printer resolution |
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| GS1 (formerly UCC/EAN) Application Identifier Data Source Wizard |
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| Automatic check digit capability |
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| Sequentially numbered bar codes |
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| Place "human readable" text anywhere in relation to bar codes |
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| Customizable "human readable" character template |
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| Independently suppress or display characters from different sub-fields |
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| Optimized for high-volume label requests from numerous network users to one or more servers |
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| Browser-based network and internet printing |
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| Windows Cluster Server supported |
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| Reprint Console lets you search for and replace lost and damaged labels |
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| Configure security, spooler and other selected driver settings for multiple printers at once. |
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| Printer Maestro displays status of all Windows print jobs in one window |
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| Printer Maestro tracks printer media usage and inventory of printer parts. Generates custom alerts. |
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| Log printer events for Windows print jobs other than just those from BarTender |
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| Specify custom alerts for printer events and low inventory levels |
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| Versatile font support: TrueType, Adobe, PostScript, downloadable, and built-in printer fonts |
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| On-screen text editing and sizing |
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| Powerful Rich Text formatting using on-screen WYSIWYG editor |
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| Stretch text horizontally or vertically |
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| Automatic on-the-fly resizing of text to fit within predefined height and width |
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| Basic Paragraph Formatting: Multiple paragraph alignment methods and line spacing control |
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| Advanced Paragraph Formatting: Paragraph indenting and inter-paragraph spacing |
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| Arc and circular text |
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| User-definable tab stops |
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| White-on-black text printing (specified with a single mouse click) |
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| Support for RTF, HTML, and XAML |
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| More than 2,400 industrial label printers supported |
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| True Windows drivers, can be used by other programs |
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| Seagull drivers with status monitor display printer status in the standard Windows spooler |
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| Two-sided ("duplex") printing |
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| Batch Maker defines and prints "batches" of multiple label formats |
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| Print Station supports "single-click" label selection and printing |
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| Export printer code templates to XML enabled printers |
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| Advanced on-screen print preview |
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| Advanced cutter control |
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| Set starting position on pages of partially used labels |
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Supports printer-based bar codes, serial numbers,
time, date, and copies |
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| Speed optimization reuses repeating data instead of resending it |
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| Local and network printer support |
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| Label copy count controllable from keyboard and database |
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| Can be run as "background" application |
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| Control from other programs using ActiveX |
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| Control from other programs using command lines |
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| Commander Integration Utility: senses incoming data, then starts print jobs and logs results |
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| Specify label formats and data sources from within other programs |
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| Automated printer selection |
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| Log to file: Errors and events |
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| Log to database: Errors and events, plus BarTender print job details |
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| Custom error, event and status e-mails |
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| Export printer code templates for SAPscript-ITF, keypads, printers that accept XML, and more |
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