7

I sent a couple zpl files to the printer to test it and it worked fine.

After that I was receiving base64 encoded zpl data from UPS and creating a file and sending it to the printer via a Java applet, and now any zpl commands or files I send to it are doing nothing.

I put it in diagnostic dump mode, sent some commands, then hit feed and it just printed a list of the commands it was sent.. so they're going through at least, but it won't print them.

It prints other data fine, for instance when sending an image to it.

Kyro
  • 627
  • 2
  • 6
  • 14

4 Answers4

12

You have to print EPL code to a LP2844 printer. It does not respond to ZPL code.

andyknas
  • 1,939
  • 2
  • 15
  • 29
  • 1
    Thanks, I finally found out from Zebra support, but everything I found on it seemed to suggest that it supported both EPL and ZPL. And at first I couldn't get it to respond to even EPL hello world code... but finally cleared it up. – Kyro Jan 02 '12 at 16:29
  • 1
    FWIW, printers like the ZP-450 do support both EPL and ZPL code. Well worth the $225 for the increased speed, print quality and compatibility. – andyknas Jan 04 '12 at 13:46
  • 1
    Some of the Zebra printers support both EPL and ZPL, BUT! you have to choose one of them and flash the appropriate firmware. Well, maybe only S4M is like that. I would stick to ZPL - because no need to change the firmware. – drzymala Oct 15 '12 at 01:57
  • 1
    Zp450 interprets both at the same time. No need to flash for one or the other. – andyknas Oct 15 '12 at 12:14
  • 3
    Literally thought I've been doing something wrong till I came across this post, + 100 interweb points tyvm. – Bryan Jan 17 '14 at 20:35
  • Lots of incorrect information out there on the net so I am glad I ran across this post. My printer it seems only does EPL (and with ConnectShip only seems to support software EPL, which is basically a bitmap printed via EPL). At least now I know why it did nothing when I sent it ZPL :) – Kendall Bennett Jan 31 '17 at 17:27
3

My recent research seems to indicate the the LP-2844 and TLP-2844 are EPL only and the LP-2844Z and TLP-2844Z support ZPL. The non-Z versions, which were originally called the Eltron LP-2844, also have very little RAM.

Bluby
  • 321
  • 2
  • 6
  • 2
    If you flip over a eltron/zebra printer there is a square box on the back that says EPL or ZPL. For best quality, use ZPL code on a ZPL printer. – andyknas Jan 18 '14 at 16:38
  • Sure enough, flipped over my printer and it says just EPL on the bottom! It is not clear from what I found via Google that there are in fact LP-2844 and LP-2844-Z printers.... – Kendall Bennett Jan 31 '17 at 17:27
1

I would like to add to the other answers that the LP2844 model specifically only seems to respond to EPL2 code, not EPL1, on a Linux system that I've been debugging. Other answers don't seem to distinguish between these two types of EPLs, but otherwise seem to be correct in the model and language matches.

tlake29
  • 121
  • 2
  • 5
0

andyknas and Bluby's answers are correct, adding an official Zebra documentation source that explicitly calls out the LP 2844 as EPL only and LP 2844-Z as ZPL only.

Table copy-pasted here: enter image description here

justintUu43r2
  • 1
  • 1
    Explain more on why this is an answer. – 0xInfection Feb 13 '19 at 04:48
  • Perhaps it would have worked better as a comment. I came across this question trying to determine whether LP2844 and LP2844-Z were EPL only, ZPL only, or both. I noticed that both answers primarily addressed this, but I did not want to take someone's word on it that they "researched" it or "found out from Zebra support". I felt that it would be useful for my own reference and for others to have a relevant Zebra documentation source explicitly stating the EPL/ZPL compatibility of these printers. I do not care if this stays as an answer by itself, but I do think it is useful information. – justintUu43r2 Feb 19 '19 at 19:54
  • Also, I thought I couldn't comment until just now given the following [here](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/252133/50-reputation-points-to-make-comments), [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/214173/why-do-i-need-50-reputation-to-comment-what-can-i-do-instead), and [here](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/214173/why-do-i-need-50-reputation-to-comment-what-can-i-do-instead). – justintUu43r2 Feb 19 '19 at 19:56