AnyWare Tags & Labels

You can use the AnyWare Tags & Labels feature to create tags and labels for items, bins, special orders and other purposes. This feature requires a supported label printer (either a Zebra or a DYMO label printer). Since Android™ platform devices may not support printing on their own, the app prints label using a printer configured on your application server. Until a printer has been configured on the server matching the label printer assigned to the station your device uses (designated in the AnyWare settings), you cannot use this option. If you have not yet configured a label printer for use with your designated station, please read the Label Printer Configuration topic before you continue.

Creating Tags and Labels

When you choose the Tags & Labels option, the Label Selection box displays.

Label Selection Types

Before specifying items, choose a type of label (Bin Labels, Price Tags, or Special Order).

  • Bin Labels
    Typically, these labels are used to affix a description to a bin or shelf. The default size for this label is 1" x 3". Bin labels often contain barcodes, but this is optional.

  • Price Tags
    Typically, these labels are added to products or packaging when possible. These are usually the smallest label (1" x 2") and due to their smaller size, and may or may not include a barcode.
    A number of different barcode sizes are provided for use with different label sizes.
    Note: Scanner devices may have more issues attempting to scan smaller bar codes, however.

  • Special Order
    This type of label is intended for associating a product or pallet of materials with a specific customer's order. This is the largest label (3" x 4").
    Although this label is named "special order," you can use it for any items associated with a customer's order including stocked materials.
    For this reason, you can also use this label for delivery staging purposes and not just to identify special orders.

Form Type

Typically, the Form Type (Template) displays based on the Label Selection Type you make. Only those templates designed for the selected label type display.
The Form templates are designed in the Tags and Label Designer utility in the application.

Label Size

Then you choose the label size (or choose Sensor to auto detect) based on the Label Selection Type you chose in the beginning.
Choose the Sensor option only if your printer is equipped with the media sensor option; otherwise, it's important to specify the proper size.

Although each tag and label type is designed to print on a specific size label, the default size is not necessarily the one you have to choose.

Additionally, selection of a label type doesn't set the size explicitly. Size selections are provided because some printer models cannot automatically sense the label size and will not print properly unless the label size is explicitly set.

The three label sizes are 1" x 2", 1" x 3", and 3" x 4" (vertical x horizontal) and labels are printed horizontally.

Changing the label size does not affect how large the label's printed area will be based on your label type. For example, a price tag printed on a 3" x 4" label will still be printed using just a 1" x 2" area. Conversely, selecting a smaller label type for a larger label format, won't result in smaller print to fit. The largest label is the Special Order label, and the smallest is the Price Tag.

After you have chosen these required options, click OK to move on to Order Item Entry.
Choose Cancel to return to the menu.

Order/Item Entry

You use the upper area of the form to enter or modify the text of the items or orders you want to print labels for.
The form changes somewhat based upon your selection because special order labels require customer order selection whereas the other two types do not.

Tags & Labels Order Entry

The Count determines the number of labels that are printed. You can scan both items and order document barcodes (using the Scan option from the menu).

Importing Items by Group/Section or Location

You can also use the Import option to select items by Group/Section or Location Code. Keep in mind that copying large quantities of items may pose issues, due to the possibility of losing a wireless connection. We recommend that you process smaller batches to minimize the possibility of losing work. You can repeat the import process and use either or both options.

Import Name and Location Options by Group/Section and Location Code Menu

To select an item by Group/Section, choose the Grp/Sect (Group-Section) option to display a list of expandable groups. Tap on the arrow with the circle to expand a group and view the sections. Select a section to import the items assigned to that group and section. Import only one per group and section at a time.

Group/Section List

To select an item by Location, choose the Location option to display the Location dialog box. You can specify up to 3 locations and choose whether any or all locations you specify are to be matched against.

  • Choosing Contains Any brings in items that belong to any location you have specified, but not necessarily be assigned to all the locations.

  • Choosing Contains All only imports items that are each assigned to every location you have specified

Once you’re ready to add an item or order and item to the grid area (bottom area), either tap the A (Add) button next to the grid or long press in the grid area and choose Add from the menu that appears.

The data grid shows any previously entered items or orders. Only those items (or orders) listed in the data grid that have a count greater than zero will print a label when you select Process. The data grid scrolls left and right as well as up and down when necessary (and depending upon the display size of your chosen device).

Processing/Printing Tags & Labels

After you have entered, imported, and added all of the orders (or order-items), choose Process from the menu.

Processing requires that you choose a printer (the default will be the label printer designated for the station that your AnyWare app is assigned to).

If you encounter printing issues, it’s important to understand that all printing is managed by a server, not your Android device.

Print jobs are queued and processed by the application's print services. If you are not printing to a wireless Zebra brand printer, you may need to adjust or add a different label template (wireless and standard network printers can align labels differently). Printing to other brands of label printers is not currently supported from the AnyWare app.

Configuring your Label Printer

Tags and Labels require a specialty label printer. You must first install a generic text printer driver on your application server for the specialty printer (this should be the server where the application services are installed). Hosted or SAAS (Software as a Service) users may have to contact ECI Support to do this. The generic print driver is directed to print to the specialty printer’s IP address (must be a supported Zebra brand label printer, typically a wireless printer is used with the AnyWare app). DYMO printers use a PC's USB connection and don't support custom label designs, so you cannot use these printers with AnyWare.

After you install the generic print driver, go to the application and define the specific printer you want to associate with the generic printer driver on the server. You add this printer in the Devices Maintenance form (from the Main Menu, choose Maintenance > Database > Devices).

Note: For a new printer that you have not set up before, wait for the daily processing (between business days). The printer will be available in the AnyWare app on the next business day.