ZebraDesigner Essentials And Professional Software User Guide
- June 13, 2024
- ZEBRA
Table of Contents
ZebraDesigner Essentials & Professional Version 3
Release Notes
Editions
ZebraDesigner Essentials
ZebraDesigner Essentials is the basic edition offering design and printing of
graphics and text or barcodes using fixed or variable data from keyboard
input, date/time or counter data sources.
ZebraDesigner Professional
ZebraDesigner Professional includes additional features such as support for
database connectivity, printing and encoding RFID labels, simple VB scripting
and field concatenation. The purchase of a license is necessary to enable
these additional features. No dongle (hardware key) is needed.
The Professional edition can be evaluated for 30 days with no restrictions.
System Requirements
- 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 10 desktop editions, Windows 11 desktop editions, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022 operating systems.
- CPU: Intel or compatible x86 family processor.
- Memory: 2 GB or more RAM.
- Hard drive: 1 GB of available disk space.
- Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.7.2
- Display: 1366 × 768 or higher resolution monitor.
- ZDesigner printer drivers.
- Remote Desktop Services and Virtual Machines are not supported.
Installation
Setup
ZebraDesigner Essentials and Professional editions will be installed as a
single product and will run at the Essentials level after the initial
installation. Within the application, you may start a 30-day trial of the
Professional edition.
Printer Drivers
The ZebraDesigner label design application requires the ZDesigner Windows
driver to communicate with your printer. You can access the ZDesigner Windows
driver for your printer by navigating to your printer support page from
www.zebra.com/support.
Zebra recommends using the version 8.x ZDesigner driver for printers running
LinkOS.
The version 5.x driver can be used for legacy printers and where the CPCL or
EPL command language is required.
Licensing
Licensing in ZebraDesigner Professional version 3 is controlled by the use of
a license key number. A license key number can be entered after the software
has been installed. (Note: ZebraDesigner Pro V2.x license keys cannot be used
in ZebraDesigner Professional version 3)
Supported Printers
Zebra printer models in the v8.x and v5.x ZDesigner drivers are supported.
For specific model support, see the readme files contained in the v8 and v5
ZDesigner driver distributions available at
www.zebra.com/support
Tips & Advice
- When printing a QR code using ZPL there are 2 mandatory switch fields that must be formatted in the ^FD field data. In some scenarios it’s not possible to encode data in a QR code because of the need for the switch fields in the ^FD command. An example of this would be trying to read and encode the RFID TID field in to a QR code.
Differences between ZebraDesigner V2.5 and V3.0
-
The following barcode types are no longer available in V3. When opening labels created in V2, these barcode objects will be removed from the label.
- Royal Mail
- Australia Post 4-state
- Code128 Pharmacy
- Code-32
- Kix
- Pharmacode
- All Postnet barcodes
- Codablock F
- GridMatrix
-
The Addon 2 and Addon 5 GS1 barcode options in V2 are represented as Bookland in V3.
-
Object linking and embedding (OLE) label design objects are no longer available. When opening labels created in V2 with such objects, the user will be warned in an “open document report” and the object(s) will be removed from the label.
-
When opening a label created in V2 containing a PDF-417 2D barcode, the aspect ratio is adjusted to a value of at least 1.5 in order to ensure standard compliance. After designing a PDF-417 barcode with value for the rows and columns set to 0, V3 can display the barcode with a slightly different size or ratio. The data itself remains encoded correctly but you should ensure the barcode still fits on the label. Barcode placement can be verified using the label preview function.
-
When opening a label created in V2 containing a DataMatrix barcode, the ECC 000-140 level is automatically set to 200. ECC 200 is the latest version of DataMatrix barcode and uses Reed-Solomon codes for error correction and symbol erasure recovery.
-
V3 includes an optimized calculation of font point sizes. In certain cases, this might cause a Text object to display a font slightly differently when compared to V2. For example, font height might differ by 1 pixel.
-
The Rectangle object now has uniform thickness setting. In V2, you could define different values for horizontal and vertical thickness. In V3, the Rectangle object has a single uniform thickness setting. When opening a label created in V2 containing a Rectangle object, the horizontal thickness is applied.
-
Custom check digit algorithms are no longer available. The custom check digit functionality from V2 (the definition of check digit algorithms and the action to execute the algorithm) cannot be used in V3. The alternative is to code a custom check digit algorithm using VBScript. This applies to the Professional edition.
-
The ‘Label linked to stock’ option in the V2 label setup wizard is no longer supported (or necessary) as there is no stock editing functionality in V3.
-
Currency conversion and rounding in the Keyboard Input option is no longer supported. A warning of this is displayed when opening a V2 label design.
-
Support for downloaded graphics in the printer memory card is no longer supported. When opening a label created in V2 that used a downloaded graphic, the following behaviour will occur: If the graphic is embedded in the label file, it will be loaded and printed in V3 as normal.
If the graphic is not embedded in the label file but does exist in its original path, it will be loaded in V3 otherwise the user shall be warned in an “open document report” the graphic cannot be found. -
V2 had a global option to embed all graphics files in the lbl file. In V3, for each individual graphic you can choose to embed the graphic in the label or not. This gives a more granular control and the default settings creates smaller label files by default.
-
ZebraDesigner Pro V2.x license key numbers cannot be used in ZebraDesigner Professional V3.
-
In V2 you could link fields regardless of whether it had a fixed or variable value. In V3 you can only link to an object if it has a “variable” data source (variable keyboard input, current date/time, counter etc). V2 labels containing linked fields to fixed data objects will open and print in V3. If the V2 label needs modifying, the fixed data fields willl need to be changed to a variable data source before they can be linked.
-
When opening a label designed in V2 that used a custom font for barcode human readable text, the barcode will be printed as a graphic in v3 instead of using the printer’s internal barcode. This is because ZebraDesigner v3 doesn’t support using internal printer barcodes and a custom font for barcode human readable text in the same field. To use the printer’s internal barcode, uncheck the “Custom Font” option in the Barcode > Human Readable properties and then set “Always use printer element” in the Barcode > General properties. If necessary, turn off the human readable in the barcode properties and print the human readable data using a separate field with custom font.
-
V2 had a “clear values after print” option that would reset a counter value after printing a label batch. To reset the counter value after printing a batch in V3, it’s necessary to manually re-enter the start value.
Change Log
| Release Date | Version | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2024 | 3.2.2.649 | • The licensing related library files have been |
updated.
• Corrected the contact information in the application and help system for
Zebra Technical Support.
• GS1 General Specifications Standard updated to Release 24.
30 Sep 2022| 3.2.2.629| • A security vulnerability has been addressed in the
installer.
20 Jan 2022| 3.2.2.611| • The application now requires .NET Framework 4.7.2 as
Microsoft have announced .NET Framework 4.5.x and
4.6.x will reach end of support in April 2022. In line with this change, the
application is no longer being tested or supported on Windows 7, Windows 8.x
and Server 2012 versions.
• Users are now prompted to use the computer counter if the RFID content data
source is a counter.
• Corrected an issue where a “This document was created using a higher product
level” message was displayed
when opening certain labels designed in version 2.5.x.
• Corrected an issue where any characters could be entered for the stored
template name which may have resulted in an error being displayed. Only
characters the printer supports can now be entered for the template name.
• Improved the information displayed on the “Database provider not found”
dialog.
• Corrected an issue where the initial counter value could not be changed from
numeric to all when opening a label designed in version 2.5.x
• The EULA has been updated.
1 Oct 2021| 3.2.1.577| • Updated the licensing components for compatibility
with Windows 11.
24 Nov 2020| 3.2.1.570| • Enhanced the licensing system so an activated
license works for different users that login to a single computer.
∘ For existing installations, the license must be deactivated and re-activated
for it to work for all users. It’s recommended to deactivate the license prior
to upgrading ZebraDesigner 3.
• Added the “Remember the last used value” dynamic value option for counter
fields. When enabled, this will save the last used counter value in a .dvv
file so future sessions will start with that value.
• When uninstalling the product, the user will now be prompted to deactivate
the license first if it’s active.
• Corrected an issue where objects could not be selected after setting the
output language of a date field to an Asian language.
• Corrected an issue where a “Value is invalid” error was displayed when a
text field connected to excel database field used to be of decimal type but
was later changed to string type.
• Corrected an issue that generated a “This document was created using a
higher product level.” when opening a label where a variable keyboard input
data source had been assigned to an RFID data field.
• Added an “RTL printing” option under Text > Style > Effects to allow Arabic
numerals to be displayed correctly when using non internal printer fonts such
as TrueType fonts. This option is not supported when using Zebra internal
printer fonts.
20 Jan 2020| 3.2.0.544| • In the RFID Tag dialog, the “Print RFID data fields
as internal text or barcode objects” option has been removed as it’s no longer
required to enable this option.
• The RFID tag sources are now always visible in the list of data sources.
• RFID serialization is now supported (^RU command).
• When creating a new label, the default font will now be an internal printer
font instead of Arial.
• Corrected an issue where the following issue message may be displayed when
attempting to print. “There was no endpoint listening at
net.pipe://localhost/ScriptingService43732
that could accept the message”
• The “Use asterisk” option has been added for the Code 39 barcode.
• Improved the description of the offline license activation and de-activation
process in the appropriate dialogs.
• It should no longer be possible to start the 30-day Trial if the product is
running on a virtual machine.
• When using the STORE function, the user shall now be warned if text objects
are using True Type fonts. Text objects must use internal printer fonts when
using the STORE function.
• The license related computer ID is now shown in both the Essentials and
Professional About dialogs.
• A VB Script editor has been added.
• The licensing dll components have been updated.
• Initial counter values can now be any ASCII character.
• Corrected an issue where an error occurred if a database field was selected
for a GS1-128 application identifier value.
• GS1 July 2019 specification updates are included.
• Code 32 barcode (Italian Pharmacode) has been added.
• The Content Mask feature is now available when printing barcodes as a
graphic.
• Usability improvements.
• The Professional edition should now run if Hyper-V technologies are enabled
on the computer.
Advance Notice:
Microsoft has announced here that support
for Windows 7 is ending on January 14, 2020. Zebra intends to remove Windows 7
support for this product in a future release.
7 may 2019| 3.0.0.277| • Initial release of the v3.x platform.
Technical Support
Worldwide Technical Support is available through your Reseller, or at:
https://supportcommunity.zebra.com/s/contactsupport
Zebra Technologies Corporation
Corporate & International Headquarters 3 Overlook Point
Lincolnshire, Illinois 60069 USA
Phone: +1 847 913 2259
Fax: +1 847 913 2578
Software Updates
ZebraDesigner Essentials and Professional can be updated and modified to take advantage of new developments. Updates will be available on our web site: https://www.zebra.com/zdpro
©2024 Zebra Technologies Corporation and/or its affiliates.
All rights reserved.