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Widely used for designing and printing industrial labels containing bar codes, text, graphics, and RFID tags, the highlight of the new release is the introduction of an Enterprise Print Server edition.
Built around the core functionality of the RFID Enterprise edition, Print Server adds centralised print management functions and web based printing technology that Seagull claims is not available elsewhere. According to Seagull, these new capabilities give network users the ability to submit and launch label print jobs from almost any computer regardless of operating system.
As it has been nearly five years since we last announced a release of this magnitude, I am delighted to be able to offer such a significant upgrade, said Jeremy Seigel, Seagull Scientifics founder and CEO. Although some of the new features merely represent further improvements to existing label printing technology, some enhancements, such as the ability to print labels from within any web browser, really represent breakthroughs within our industry.
Centralised print management functions
The new centralised print management functions in the Enterprise Print Server edition are based on enhanced automation, integration, load handling, and job management capabilities. This enables users to specify, launch and route numerous label jobs using one copy of BarTender running on a single label printing server. However, because licensing for Seagulls Enterprise editions is based on the number of printers used by BarTender (rather than the number of computers), users can install BarTender on as many networked servers and workstations as required.
Select and launch print jobs using a web browser
The new Print Server edition introduces expanded control options for both manual label printing and automated printing from within other software. Manual print options now include the WAN and Internet-based label request functionality offered by the new BarTender Web Print Server. Using any web browser, users select their desired label formats from the displayed list of thumbnail previews. Print-time data prompts designed in BarTender are automatically converted into HTML and transmitted to the web client for data fill-in at print-time.
TCP/IP socket connectivity
The new automated method of controlling BarTender is provided by TCP/IP socket connectivity. Software developers and integrators can develop code in other programs to establish a remote socket connection, transmit label data, and automatically launch BarTender print jobs. Because TCP/IP communication is supported by numerous operating systems, it does not matter if users are running applications on AS/400, Linux, UNIX, AIX, or Windows (etc.).
Other new BarTender features
Seagull Scientific claims to be the only label software company making label printer drivers that fully support the Windows Print Spooler. This includes new capabilities for the display of ribbon, label, ready and other status information. Seagull maintains that this gives BarTender a usability advantage over other label software because users can view and manage print jobs using the standard Windows Print Manager that they are already familiar with, instead of having to use a proprietary print manager.
Other new features available in BarTender 8.0 include:
- RFID Gen 2 write-protection security features.
- Expanded options for reading XML print requests from Oracles WMS and MSCA applications.
- Direct reading by BarTender of XML script.
- XSL style sheet support for automatic conversion from any XML format into the form readable by BarTender.
- New drop-down and scroll box lists options in the BarTender forms designer allow creation of more sophisticated pop-up prompt windows for print-time data-entry.
- Support for import of dozens of additional graphic format types, including GIF. Improved support for CMYK-encoded JPEG graphics.
Downloadable Trial Edition available
A working Trial Edition is available for free download from Seagulls web site:
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