quality_recticel/recticel_print_service/INSTALLATION_GUIDE.md

Recticel Direct Print Service - Installation Guide

🎯 Overview

This service enables direct printing from web browsers to thermal label printers (Epson TM-T20, Citizen CTS-310, etc.) without requiring PDF generation or manual printer dialogs.

🔧 Installation Steps

1. Build the C# Application

Requirements:

• Visual Studio 2019 or later
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later
• Windows 10/11

Build Steps:

1. Open RecticelPrintService.sln in Visual Studio
2. Restore NuGet packages (Newtonsoft.Json)
3. Build in Release mode
4. Copy the entire bin\Release folder to C:\RecticelPrintService\

2. Register the Custom Protocol

Option A: Double-click the registry file

1. Right-click recticel-print-protocol.reg
2. Select "Run as administrator"
3. Confirm the registry import

Option B: Manual registry import

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
2. Run: reg import "recticel-print-protocol.reg"

3. Install Printer Drivers

For Epson TM-T20:

• Download and install Epson TM-T20 drivers from Epson website
• Configure printer as "Epson TM-T20" in Windows

For Citizen CTS-310:

• Download and install Citizen CTS-310 drivers
• Configure printer as "Citizen CTS-310" in Windows

4. Configure Printer Settings

1. Open Windows "Printers & scanners"
2. Set paper size to 80mm x 110mm (or closest available)
3. Set print quality to 300 DPI for thermal printers
4. Disable margins (set to 0 if possible)

5. Test the Installation

1. Open your web browser
2. Navigate to the print module page
3. Select an order
4. Choose "Direct Print" option
5. Select your thermal printer
6. Click "Print Labels"

🖨️ Printer Configuration

Label Size Settings

• Width: 80mm
• Height: 110mm
• Margins: 0mm (all sides)
• Print Quality: 300 DPI

Thermal Printer Specific Settings

Epson TM-T20:

• Paper Type: Continuous label
• Print Speed: Normal
• Print Density: Adjust based on label stock

Citizen CTS-310:

• Media Type: Label
• Print Method: Thermal Transfer or Direct Thermal
• Print Speed: Medium

🔄 How It Works

1. Web Interface: User selects order and clicks "Direct Print"
2. Data Encoding: Order data is encoded as Base64 JSON
3. Custom Protocol: Browser calls recticel-print://printer/data
4. Service Activation: Windows launches RecticelPrintService.exe
5. Data Processing: Service decodes and formats label data
6. Direct Printing: Label is sent directly to the thermal printer
7. Status Update: Database is updated to mark order as printed

🚀 URL Format

recticel-print://[printer_name]/[base64_encoded_json]

Example:

recticel-print://Epson%20TM-T20/eyJvcmRlcl9pZCI6MTIzLCJjb21hbmRhX3Byb2R1Y3RpZSI6IkNQMDAwMDA3MTEifQ==

⚠️ Troubleshooting

Service Not Starting

1. Check if the service is installed in C:\RecticelPrintService\
2. Verify registry entries are correct
3. Run as Administrator if needed

Printer Not Found

1. Check printer name in Windows exactly matches selection
2. Ensure printer drivers are installed
3. Test print from Windows to verify printer works

Labels Not Printing

1. Verify paper size is set to 80x110mm
2. Check printer margins are set to 0
3. Ensure thermal paper is loaded correctly

Browser Security

• Some browsers may block custom protocols
• Add site to trusted sites if needed
• Chrome may show a confirmation dialog

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Custom Printer Names

Users can add custom printer names by selecting "Other Printer..." and entering the exact Windows printer name.

Multiple Label Quantities

The service automatically prints the quantity specified in the order, with sequential numbering (CP00000711-001, CP00000711-002, etc.).

Fallback to PDF

If direct printing fails, users can switch to "Generate PDF" mode for manual printing.

📞 Support

For technical support:

1. Check Windows Event Viewer for service errors
2. Verify printer connectivity and driver installation
3. Test with PDF generation mode as fallback
4. Contact IT support with specific error messages

🔒 Security Notes

• The service only processes label data from trusted sources
• Registry changes require Administrator privileges
• Service runs with current user permissions
• No network connections are made by the service