Increasing Throughput; What Is An Image Band; How The Image Bands Command Works - Intermec EasyCoder 4420 User Manual

EasyCoder 4420/4440 Bar Code Label Printer User's Manual

Increasing Throughput

To print labels as quickly as possible, you must adjust the print speed in conjunction
with the number of image bands (one image band equals 1 inch of label). The print
speed and image band settings determine the rate at which the printer processes the
images of the labels. This rate in turn affects the throughput of the entire printing
process.
The printer begins imaging the label as soon as it receives the command to select a
format. Since the printer starts imaging the label so early, the chance that the imaging
process will be unable to keep up with the print speed decreases and throughput
improves. However, if the number of image bands is too low, the imaging process is
unable to keep up with the print speed. In this case, the printer stops printing and starts
again at the lowest print speed with the maximum number of image bands. If the image
band command is set too high, the printer spends more time than necessary imaging and
slows down label production.

What Is an Image Band?

Image bands are a section of memory where a picture of a label format is drawn. This
drawing process is known as imaging. Once the picture is imaged, the printer loads the
picture from the image bands to the printhead for printing. Each image band is equal to
1 inch of length of the label format. The number of image bands you use may be less
than the length of the label you are printing. The number of image bands (in inches)
does not have to equal the length of the label since the printer recycles the image bands.
Once the contents of an image band have been printed, it may be reused to image the
next section of the label.
Keep in mind that the more complex the label, the longer it will take to image each
section, thus requiring a slower print speed. To use a higher print speed, use more
image bands to allow more of the imaging process to complete before printing begins.

How the Image Bands Command Works

The image bands command controls the amount of memory allotted to the imaging
process. When you increase the image band adjustment to a higher number, you add
more buffers to the imaging memory. By doing this, more of the label format is imaged
before printing begins.
The minimum number of required image bands is dependent upon the print speed and
the complexity of the label. Labels that contain numerous fields with different rotations,
graphics, or combinations of these formatting options may require a higher number of
image bands.
To set the number of image bands, use PrintSet or the IPL command. For help, see the
PrintSet online help or the IPL Programming Reference Manual.
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