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printer_config.md

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Zebra Printer Configuration

Bloom relies on zebra_day to administer the lab printer fleet and broker print requests. Please see the docs for that project for more information (including a parts list of printers, b/c scanners, label stock, etc). The following are an abbreviated set of instructions.

Printer Setup

  • From the venv you are running Bloom from, the zebra_day package should be pre-installed. To start the admin web interface, from your venv, run zday_start. This will start the admin web interface on port 8118 on the machine you are running Bloom from.

Detect Printers On Your Local Network

this MUST be done at least once when setting up a new bloom install && done again when adding new printers

  • zebra_day can scan the local network (barring firewal rules blocking this) and update the venv printer config file with detected printers. Open the Scan Network For Zebra Printers page @ http://localhost:8118/build_new_printers_config_json. You IP prefix should be auto detected, else enter the first three sections (ie 192.168.1). Enter a few character 'Lab Code' (only alphanumeric, no whitespace, etc.), this will be the code under which detected printers are added to the json config. The scan might take a few minutes to complete.

Printer Scan

  • The scan will return all detected printers. The Lab Code + Printer Name will uniquely identify each printer config. There are several label styles included with zebra_day, you may specify a label style with each print request. Make sure the label stock matches the label style. See zebra_day docs for more information on label styles. I will use the common 2x1in label style for the rest of this document. From the zebra_day admin web interface, you can print a test label to verify the printer is working.

  • The printers visible in the Scan Report will be the printers available in the bloom UI. NOTE- you may change names of the printers, see the zebra_day docs for more information.

Printer Test

Label Template Modification

  • see zebra_day docs for more information on label templates.

Printing From Bloom

  • Most objects in bloom have basic barcode printing enabled. You may customize the basic printing ( change what information is printed, how it's printed, the number printed). The default print behavior will print the EUID as a scannable barcode, the EUID as a human readable string, and if possible, the object user specified name (which may be '' if not specifically set).
  • Each user session will display the available printers for the lab code, as well as the default label styles. With each print request, these may be set.
  • Keep in mind, these interfaces are not optimized for production use. They demonstrate the finest level to which operations can be customized. Production interfaces will likely benefit from rolling up many of these fine steps.