Print Subscriptions
Print subscriptions print BC reports automatically after certain postings or after a shipping label has been created – without manual intervention. For example, when a sales shipment is posted, the delivery note can be printed automatically on the warehouse printer.
Opening the Page
- Via search: Print Subscriptions
- Via the Dashboard → Print Subscriptions
- Via the Print Service Settings (action menu of the part → Navigate) → Print Subscriptions
Activation
Print subscriptions only take effect if the Print Subscriptions Enabled field is set in the Print Service Settings and the module is switched on in merchantCENTRAL.
How It Works
Posting in BC (e.g. sales shipment)
↓
Print Service checks: are there enabled print subscriptions for this event?
↓ yes
Print job is queued (status "Pending Render"), background task scheduled
↓
Seconds after the posting: the task renders the report as PDF
↓
Print job "Queued" → printed right away via MC.PrintService
The report is deliberately not rendered during the posting: a posting only writes the print job and schedules a background task that starts seconds after the commit. If the posting fails, the task is dropped as well. This way, an error while rendering or printing can never affect the posting. The print queue's job queue entry (every 5 minutes) is the safety net for jobs no task reached; when needed, Process Queue on the Dashboard starts the same run at once.
Each print subscription defines:
- which event triggers the print,
- which report is printed,
- on which printer, and
- how many copies.
Print Subscriptions List
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Entry No. | Sequential number |
| Description | Descriptive name (e.g. "Delivery note warehouse 1") |
| Trigger Event | The event that triggers the print (see below) |
| Report ID | Object ID of the BC report to print |
| Report Name | Name of the report (filled automatically) |
| Printer Code | Target printer (PDF printers only). Empty = routing rules, then the default printer |
| Copies | Number of copies (1–99, default 1) |
| Location Code Filter | Optional: the subscription only applies to documents of this location |
| Enabled | Whether the subscription is active. New subscriptions are enabled |
Create new subscriptions with New; the Print Subscription Card opens.
Print Subscription Card
| Group | Field | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General | Description | Free-text name |
| Enabled | Enables/disables the subscription | |
| Trigger | Trigger Event | The triggering event |
| Location Code Filter | Optional: only for documents of this location | |
| Report | Report ID | Report object ID; the lookup lets you search all reports |
| Report Name | Filled after selecting the Report ID | |
| Printer | Printer Code | Target printer; PDF printers only (empty = routing rules, then the default printer) |
| Copies | Number of copies | |
| Use Routing Rules | The routing rules choose the printer instead of the Printer Code – see below |
Reports are printed as PDF
The Print Service always renders reports as PDF. The Printer Code therefore only accepts printers with the print method PDF, and the routing rules pick only PDF printers for a report as well.
Choosing the printer through routing rules
With Use Routing Rules set, or an empty Printer Code, the printer is chosen when the print queue renders the report:
- The enabled routing rules are checked by priority. For a report only rules without a shipping agent filter apply. A rule's Location Code Filter is matched against the location of the document (column Location for the filter below).
- The rule's printer must be enabled, print PDF and be reachable (or its fallback printer). Otherwise the next matching rule is checked.
- If no rule applies, the default printer prints – with the same checks.
- If no printer qualifies, the print job fails with the reason.
Available Trigger Events
| Trigger Event | Fires after … | Location for the filter | Typical report |
|---|---|---|---|
| After Post Sales Shipment | posting a sales shipment | location of the shipment (header, otherwise the common line location) | Delivery note |
| After Post Sales Invoice | posting a sales invoice | location of the invoice (header, otherwise the common line location) | Invoice |
| After Post Sales Credit Memo | posting a sales credit memo | location of the credit memo (header, otherwise the common line location) | Credit memo |
| After Post Warehouse Shipment | posting a warehouse shipment | location of the warehouse shipment (header) | Warehouse shipment |
| After Post Transfer Shipment | posting the shipment of a transfer order | transfer-from location (header) | Transfer shipment |
| After Post Purchase Receipt | posting a purchase receipt from a purchase order | location of the receipt (header, otherwise the common line location) | Purchase receipt |
| After Create Shipment Label | creating a shipping label in merchantCENTRAL | – (no location) | custom report based on the shipping label |
The value Manual is not triggered by any event.
Location from header or lines
Many orders keep the location only on their lines. If the header of a posted shipment, invoice, credit memo or purchase receipt has no location, the one location all lines with a location share counts instead; lines without a location (e.g. G/L accounts, resources, comments) do not count. If the lines have different locations, the document has none – a subscription with a Location Code Filter then does not fire. Warehouse shipments and transfer shipments always use the location from the header.
The shipping label itself
The shipping label itself is printed by auto-print (field Auto-Print Enabled in the Print Service Settings). A subscription with After Create Shipment Label additionally prints a report for the label. Since no location is known here, such a subscription only fires with an empty Location Code Filter.
Configuration Examples
Scenario 1: Print the delivery note automatically
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | Print delivery note automatically |
| Trigger Event | After Post Sales Shipment |
| Report ID | 208 (Sales - Shipment) |
| Printer Code | PDF-OFFICE |
| Copies | 2 |
Scenario 2: Delivery note for one warehouse only
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | Delivery note warehouse 1 |
| Trigger Event | After Post Warehouse Shipment |
| Location Code Filter | WH-1 |
| Report ID | (warehouse shipment or custom report) |
| Printer Code | PDF-WH1 |
| Copies | 1 |
Scenario 3: Invoice for accounting
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | Invoice accounting |
| Trigger Event | After Post Sales Invoice |
| Report ID | 206 (Sales - Invoice) |
| Printer Code | PDF-ACCOUNTING |
| Copies | 1 |
Notes
Multiple subscriptions per event
Several subscriptions can exist for the same event – e.g. the delivery note on the office printer and a second report on the warehouse printer. All of them fire.
Report must print without input
The report is rendered without a request page for exactly the posted document. Only choose reports that do not require mandatory input on the request page.
Disable instead of delete
If a subscription is temporarily not needed, clear Enabled instead of deleting it. This way the configuration is preserved.