^FW
Field OrientationPreview: partialTurns every following field a quarter, half or three-quarter turn, so a template can be rotated without touching each command.
Syntax
^FWa,bParameters
| Parameter | Description and accepted values | If omitted |
|---|---|---|
| a | Rotation applied to fields that do not state their own.N normal, R 90°, I 180°, B 270° | N |
| b | Default justification, on firmware V60.14.x and later.0 left, 1 right, 2 auto | Last justification |
How it works
^FW sets the orientation that ^A and every bar code command use when their own `o` parameter is left out. It is how a label meant for a portrait roll is printed on a landscape one, and how a side-mounted address block is written without repeating the rotation on every line.
A field that names its own orientation wins: with ^FWR in force, ^A0N still prints normally. That makes ^FW a default rather than an override, and it is why a template can turn everything and then exempt one field.
Commands that have no orientation parameter are untouched. ^GB and ^GF stay exactly where and how they are, so a rotated template still needs its boxes and graphics repositioned by hand.
Rotation is clockwise, and it never moves a field to the other side of its origin: ^FO keeps holding the upper-left corner of the field, measured after the turn.
Example
^XA
^FWR
^FO60,40^A0,35,35^FDTurned^FS
^FO220,40^A0N,35,35^FDNormal^FS
^XZRendering…
How the preview on this site handles it
The orientation is applied, and so is the rule that a field's own parameter takes precedence. The justification parameter b is not, and neither is the printer's habit of keeping ^FW in force between labels — the preview starts every format at N.
Common mistakes
- Expecting ^FW to rotate the whole label. It rotates fields about their own origins; the coordinates stay where they are, so a rotated design usually needs new ^FO values too.
- Expecting ^GB to follow. Boxes and graphics have no orientation parameter and stay upright.
- Assuming a field with an explicit orientation still inherits from ^FW. ^A0N under ^FWR prints normally, which is easy to read as ^FW being ignored.