Using Dymo LabelWriter from Delphi

[Cherns 0]

(I hope that this is the right section)

 

Some years ago, I wrote a nice Delphi program that operated a Dymo LabelWriter for printing convention badges. It used a Delphi Type Library to connect to Dymo Label Software. Unfortunately, all that old source is lost.

 

Since then, Dymo has changed its app (now Dymo Connect) and no longer has samples using Delphi, and Delphi has (apparently) changed the way it creates and  uses Type Libraries.

 

Can anyone give me a quick crib on how to connect Delphi to Dymo label printing? Or at least a hint? Many thanks.

[Hans J. Ellingsgaard 21]

Can't you design the badge in a report designer, like Fast Report, and print directly to the printer driver?

[Angus Robertson 577]

I've got a twin Dymo label writer, and still use the v8 label software, I have a setup file dated 2014 (113M) if you want to install the old version. 

 

But never tried to use it from Delphi, not aware type libraries have changed, that sort of stuff tends to be stagnant in terms of development. 

 

Hardly use the Dymo now, was excellent for printing postage stamps in the UK, but that service ceased years ago, as did using the post in general.

 

Angus

 

[Cherns 0]

Thank you, Hans and Angus, for your replies.

 

My program put up a convention-specific form, printed the label (which was created in Dymo Form Designer--the API transfers data from the calling program to the label by field name), and recorded the interaction, keeping a running tally. ("Convention-specific" means, for instance, that some choices are constrained in combo lists, "Badge Name" is copied from "Member Name" with the ability to change it if the member wishes, stuff like that.) The idea was to make everything easier for the registration staff, who will be working under pressure.

 

I believe that I do have the old Dymo SDK. There was some business about using Delphi on one of the files there to create a Delphi Type Library which can then be used in a Delphi program. I forget just where I learned that Delphi has changed how this works, and I don't know how big this change was.

 

I do have the current Dymo SDK. There used to be a Dymo Developers Forum where I once got useful advice, but it seems to be no longer in operation. The previous SDK had a set of Delphi samples, but unfortunately the current one does not. I can certainly experiment with the current stuff, but I had hoped to get a bit of a headstart here.  I will try to investigate and adapt some of the current-SDK stuff.

 

Interesting idea about using an all-Delphi solution to print directly to the printer, Hans--I'll try to investigate that. One of my aims was to distribute the program, allowing future users the freedom to design (using Dymo Form Designer) their own labels in various shapes and sizes, without having to build them into the Delphi program (or have the label size and shape parameters entered separately, which would be additional complication that the Dymo SDK provides for the developer.)

 

I'm retired, and had put all this stuff on the shelf for quite a while; I only resumed active Delphi development recently. (Thank you Embarcadero, for the Community Edition!). I know that there used to be a number of Delphi fora/communities, but it seems as if this is the primary one now. Are there any others that would be worth trying?

 

Many thanks. --Howard

Edited October 7, 2023 by Cherns
adding a bit more detail

[Diego Muñoz 5]

Some problem here. Now I print directly, like any other printer, without worry about Dymo etc. Try to print from Ms Word!! Design the measures of 'the page' (same measures than the label) and print. If you can print manually from MsWord, you can from Delphi 🙂

 

[Cherns 0]

Thanks, Diego. If I can't find a Delphi/Dymo solution, I may have to do something like that.

[Die Holländer 49]

I just finished a small project using a billing receipt printer (like a Dymo printer but with long paper) with

also the possibility to export the output to a PDF file. I have used the HTMLViewer component that
has a print capability and in combination with the Synopse PDF exporter it is easy to export the output

to PDF because SynPDF is also working with TMeta canvas, like the HTMLViewer.

The nice thing is that with the HTMLViewer you can format a nice output using HTML in your

Delphi code. Send you HTML string to the canvas of the HTMLViewer and print it.

In my case the customer maybe want to get the receipt with email, so I export the output to PDF

and attach it to an e-mail.

 

HTMLViewer 

Synopse SynPDF