Printers
Management of all printers controlled by the merchantCENTRAL Print Service. Each printer is addressed through its own ECIService instance.
Opening the Page
- Via search: Print Service Printers
- Via the Print Service Dashboard → Printers
Printer List
Fields (List View)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | Unique short code for the printer (e.g., LABEL-01, ZPL-WAREHOUSE). Used as reference in routing rules and print jobs |
| Description | Descriptive name of the printer (e.g., "Zebra ZD420 Warehouse 1") |
| Status | Current connection status: Online, Offline, or Error |
| Print Method | Print method: PDF (via Windows print driver) or ZPL (direct print to Zebra thermal printer) |
| Is Default | Marks the default printer (only one can be default) |
| Enabled | Whether the printer is active and may be used for print jobs |
| Last Status Check | Timestamp of the last connectivity check |
Actions (List)
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Test Connection | Tests connectivity to the selected printer via the ECIService |
| Test All | Tests all enabled printers and updates their status |
| New | Creates a new printer entry |
Printer Card
General
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Code | Unique short code (mandatory, not editable after creation) |
| Description | Description of the printer |
| Enabled | Enables or disables the printer for print jobs |
| Is Default | Marks this printer as the default printer. Only one at a time is possible |
| Status | Current connection status (read-only, updated by test) |
| Last Status Check | Timestamp of the last status check (read-only) |
Connection
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Service URL | URL of the ECIService instance controlling this printer (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:5115) |
| Printer Name | Name of the Windows printer (for PDF method) or display name (for ZPL). Must match the name configured in the ECIService |
| Print Method | PDF: Label is sent as a PDF file to the Windows print driver. ZPL: Label is sent as ZPL code directly to the Zebra printer (TCP/IP) |
| ZPL Port | TCP port for ZPL communication with the Zebra printer (default: 9100). Only relevant when Print Method = ZPL |
PDF vs. ZPL
PDF: For all Windows-compatible printers (laser, inkjet, thermal printers with Windows drivers). Label quality depends on the driver. ZPL: For Zebra thermal printers with TCP/IP direct connection. Highest print quality and speed, no driver dependency.
Fallback
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Fallback Printer Code | Backup printer that is automatically used when this printer is offline. Must point to another enabled printer. Empty = no fallback |
Circular Fallbacks
Avoid circular fallback chains (Printer A → B → A). The Print Service detects cycles and aborts with an error message.
Actions (Card)
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Test Connection | Tests connectivity to this printer via the ECIService /printers endpoint |
| Get Capabilities | Queries the ECIService capabilities (supported print methods, version) |
| Test ZPL | Sends a ZPL test print to the configured printer (only for Print Method = ZPL) |
Setting Up a New Printer
- Install ECIService: Ensure an ECIService instance is running on the network that can control the desired printer
- Create new printer: In the printer list → New → Enter code and description
- Configure connection: Enter the ECIService instance Service URL, select Printer Name and Print Method
- Test connection: Run Test Connection — status must show "Online"
- Enable: Set the Enabled field
- Optionally set as default: If this should be the default printer
Multiple ECIService Instances
Each printer can have its own ECIService URL. This allows printers at different locations to be controlled via separate ECIService instances (e.g., Warehouse 1 + Warehouse 2 each with their own ECIService installation).