~DU - Download Unbounded Unicode TrueType Font

Overview

The ~DU command is designed for downloading large international TrueType fonts that have more than 256 printable characters. These fonts are supported as "Large TrueType Fonts" and provide extensive Unicode character support for international applications. This command enables the printer to work with complex character sets such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other languages with large character inventories.

Syntax

~DUf,s,DATA

Parameters

• f = Font name with destination
  • Format: d:FONTNAME where d is the device
  • R: = RAM Memory (volatile)
  • B: = Memory Card (non-volatile)
  • Font name: max 8 alphanumeric characters
  • Default: NO NAME (command ignored)
• s = Font size in bytes
  • Value: Number of bytes required for Zebra format
  • Typically 80,000+ bytes for large fonts
  • Default: NO VALUE (command ignored)
• DATA = ASCII hex string
  • Format: String of 2-digit hex values (1 byte = 2 hex digits)
  • Total hex digits must match Font Size parameter
  • Default: NO VALUE (command ignored)

Description

• Downloads large international TrueType fonts to printer
• Supports fonts with more than 256 printable characters
• Enables full Unicode character support
• Ideal for CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) languages
• Requires ZTools for Windows to convert fonts
• Supports both RAM and Memory Card storage
• May require accompanying encoding tables (~DE)

Usage Notes

• All parameters must be provided (f, s, DATA) or command is ignored
• Designed for fonts with more than 256 characters (unbounded)
• Cannot be used with Field Block (^FB) command
• ZTools for Windows MUST be used to convert fonts
• The hex data size MUST exactly match Font Size parameter
• Missing any parameter causes silent failure
• Font name limited to 8 characters maximum
• Requires significant memory (often 80,000+ bytes)

Example - Japanese Kanji Font

~DUR:KANJI,86753,60CA017B0CE7........

(Where DATA contains 86,753 two-digit hex values)

Example - Chinese Simplified Font

~DUB:CHINESE,125000,A1B2C3D4E5F6........

(Where DATA contains 125,000 two-digit hex values)

Storage Options

Supported Languages

• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• Japanese Hiragana/Katakana/Kanji
• Korean Hangul
• Other large Unicode character sets

Memory Requirements

• Typical size: 80,000 - 200,000+ bytes
• Larger than standard TrueType fonts
• Requires adequate printer memory
• Consider using Memory Card (B:) for large fonts

Encoding Tables

Large Unicode fonts often require accompanying encoding tables downloaded with ~DE command to convert character encodings (e.g., JIS, Shift-JIS) to Unicode.

Limitations

• Field Block (^FB) Limitation: Cannot be used with Field Block command
• Manual Creation: Not possible - requires ZTools
• Data Integrity: Not checked by printer - corrupted fonts cause unpredictable results

Related Commands

• ~DB - Download Bitmapped Font
• ~DS - Download Scalable Font
• ~DT - Download TrueType Font (limited to 256 chars)
• ~DE - Download Encoding Table (for character encoding)
• ^A - Scalable/Bitmapped Font (select font for use)
• ^CW - Font Identifier
• ^CF - Change Alphanumeric Default Font

See Also

• Download TrueType Font (~DT)
• Download Encoding Table (~DE)
• Download Bitmapped Font (~DB)
• Scalable/Bitmapped Font (^A)