Printers and printer languages
Label Station prints to a label printer already installed on your computer. What matters is the language the printer speaks. You pick it in the Calibration card in Setup, under Printer language.
The three languages
Section titled “The three languages”| Language | For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TSPL | TSC, MFLABEL and many Munbyn printers | Tested on real printers. Label Station talks to the printer directly. |
| ZPL | Zebra, Rollo and compatible printers | Not yet tested on a real Zebra. Label Station talks to the printer directly. |
| Windows driver (Mac driver on a Mac) | DYMO LabelWriter, Brother QL and anything with an installed driver | Label Station draws the label through the printer’s own driver at exactly the size in Setup. |
The product page lists DYMO LabelWriter, Brother QL, Rollo and Jadens through their Windows or Mac driver, and any TSPL or ZPL thermal printer such as MFLABEL directly.
How to choose
Section titled “How to choose”- Look at the printer’s manual or box for the words TSPL or ZPL. If it names one, pick that language.
- If it is a DYMO or a Brother QL, pick Windows driver (Mac driver on a Mac).
- Click Print test label. If it comes out as a page of plain text, the language is wrong. Try another.
The status line under Queue tells you when a printer needs a specific language. A DYMO or Brother QL printer, for example, prints blank labels unless the language is the driver one.
Windows and Mac differences
Section titled “Windows and Mac differences”- On Windows, the driver language uses the Windows print system, and Open printer settings opens Printing Preferences.
- On a Mac, the driver language uses the Mac’s own printer system, and Open printer settings opens Printers & Scanners in System Settings. A DYMO LabelWriter needs DYMO’s Mac driver (it comes with DYMO Connect for Desktop from dymo.com). A Brother QL needs Brother’s Mac driver.
- On a Mac, TSPL and ZPL labels also go through the Mac’s printing system, so the printer has to be added to the Mac first.
- With the driver language, darkness, speed and the gap between labels come from the printer’s own driver. Those fields are not shown in Calibration.
More than one printer
Section titled “More than one printer”Click + Add printer in Setup to add another printer with its own label size and settings. A Prints on list then appears beside Auctions, Buy It Now, Giveaways and Bundle box labels, so each kind of sale can go to its own printer.
Where to next
Section titled “Where to next”Still stuck, or is something on this page wrong? Get in touch and Andy will sort it out. Label Station is made by Mood Swings Design. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Whatnot.