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 |
|---|---|
| Transport Mode | How print jobs reach this printer: Direct Push (straight to the Service URL, requires a fixed public IP), Relay (Azure Queue) (BC pushes to a queue in the customer's own Azure) or Poll (Azure Queue) (the Function polls BC, BC stays passive). Controls which of the following fields are visible. For Poll, the Azure connection is configured centrally in Setup - the printer then only needs a printer name + print method |
| Service URL | (Direct Push only) HTTPS URL of the MC.PrintService instance controlling this printer (e.g., https://print.example.com; locally http://localhost:5050) |
| API Key | (Direct Push only) Key for remote access (DrillDown), stored encrypted in the Credential Store |
| Relay Function URL | (Relay only) Base URL of the Azure Function App in the customer's Azure (e.g. https://mcpsrelay-func-....azurewebsites.net). Must use https:// |
| Relay Function Key | (Relay only) Azure Function key (DrillDown) that BC sends as X-Functions-Key when enqueuing; stored encrypted in the Credential Store |
| Printer Name | Name of the Windows printer (for PDF method) or the Zebra printer's IP address (for ZPL). For PDF, the name must exactly match the Windows printer name |
| 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.
Direct Push vs. Relay
Direct Push is the default (fixed public IP + port forwarding). Relay is for customers without a fixed IP: BC pushes to a queue in the customer's own Azure, and MC.PrintService runs in agent mode with an outbound connection only. Step-by-step setup: Print Service – Setup, Part C.
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).