adaptronic_label-printer/old_code/README.md

Adaptronic Label Printer

Thermal label printing application with customizable SVG templates for 35mm x 25mm labels.

Features

• 🎨 Customizable Layouts - SVG template system for flexible label design
• 📄 High-Quality PDFs - 1200 DPI output with automatic backup
• 🖨️ Silent Printing - SumatraPDF integration for automatic printing
• 📊 Variable Support - Dynamic text replacement ({Article}, {NrArt}, {Serial})
• 💾 Automatic Backup - All labels saved to pdf_backup/ with timestamps
• 🔍 File Monitoring - Watches check.txt for automatic label generation

Quick Start

Install Dependencies

# Activate virtual environment
venv\Scripts\activate

# Install requirements
pip install -r requirements_gui.txt

Run the Application

python label_printer_gui.py

Label Specifications

• Size: 35mm × 25mm (landscape)
• Format: Thermal labels (Citizen CTS-310, Zebra ZD420/ZD421)
• Template: conf/label_template.svg
• Data Format: Semicolon-separated (COMANDA;NR_ART;SERIAL)

File Structure

adaptronic_label-printer/
├── label_printer_gui.py       # Main GUI application
├── print_label.py              # Printing logic
├── print_label_pdf.py          # PDF generation with SVG support
├── requirements_gui.txt        # Dependencies
├── conf/
│   ├── label_template.svg      # Customizable label layout
│   └── app.conf                # Application settings
├── pdf_backup/                 # Auto-saved label PDFs
├── logs/                       # Print logs
└── old_code/                   # Legacy scripts (archived)

Customizing Labels

Edit conf/label_template.svg to change the layout. Use these variables:

• {Article} - Article/Command number
• {NrArt} - Article number
• {Serial} - Serial number

After editing the SVG, labels will automatically use the new layout.

Printing

Silent Printing (Recommended)

Labels print automatically using SumatraPDF. No dialogs or manual steps required.

SumatraPDF Locations Checked:

1. Bundled with exe (for deployments)
2. SumatraPDF/ folder in project directory
3. System installations (C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\)

PDF Printer Testing

Select "Microsoft Print to PDF" or similar PDF printer to test label generation without physical printing.

Printer Configuration

For thermal printers, configure in Windows Printer Preferences:

• Media Type: LABELS (enables gap sensor)
• Paper Size: 35mm x 25mm or Custom
• Orientation: Landscape
• Darkness: 10-15 (medium)
• Speed: Medium (4-6 in/sec)

Dependencies

Core:

• reportlab - PDF generation
• svglib - SVG to PDF conversion
• cairosvg - Alternative SVG renderer
• watchdog - File monitoring

GUI:

• kivy - Cross-platform interface

Optional:

• pywin32 - Windows printer enumeration
• pycups - Linux printing support

Troubleshooting

Labels Print on Continuous Roll

Cause: Printer Media Type set to "Continuous" instead of "LABELS"
Fix: Change to "LABELS" in printer preferences

Dotted or Pixelated Text

Cause: Low darkness setting or draft mode
Fix: Increase darkness to 12-15, ensure quality mode enabled

PDF Not Printing Automatically

Cause: SumatraPDF not found
Fix: Install SumatraPDF or place in project folder

Technical Details

PDF Generation

• Resolution: 1200 DPI
• Compression: None (maximum quality)
• Font Size: 8pt (optimized for 35mm labels)
• Format: ReportLab with SVG embedding

Print Workflow

1. Monitor C:\Users\Public\Documents\check.txt for changes
2. Parse semicolon-separated data
3. Replace variables in SVG template
4. Convert to high-quality PDF (35mm × 25mm)
5. Auto-save to pdf_backup/
6. Silent print via SumatraPDF

Building Executable

python build_exe.py

Output: dist/LabelPrinter.exe

Support

• Tested on Windows 10/11
• Compatible with Citizen CTS-310, Zebra ZD420/ZD421
• Based on proven label printer architecture

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Status: Production Ready ✅
Last Updated: February 2026