Vista - Printing issues with VB PowerPack V3 printer compatibility library

I'm redeveloping a VB6 program that prints a lot of labels using ZPL code on
a Zebra industrial label printer (uses ZPL for speed) and raw text to a dot
matrix tractor feed printer.

I have tried using the RawPrinterHelper class from MSDN
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=322091) that calls unmanaged API's but
I've had a few runtime crashes that have made me look for a managed code
equivelant, and could only find the VB powerpack Printer Compatibility
Library.

I have three problems with this library:
1) It's a lot slower than the RawPrinterHelper Class / VB6 printer object
(about 15 times slower)
2) Like the old VB6 printer object, it does something stupid with multiple
CRLF's and I need to put in far more CRLF's than I really need to space my
tractor feed forms correctly.
3) Every document I print shows a progress dialog - which constantly
interupts the user since the printing (hundreds of labels at a time) is done
on a background worker thread to keep the UI is fully functional.

I really need a managed code way of sending raw data to a printer, but fast,
and without progress dialogs.

Can anyone help me?