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Version: 5.5

Windows Printer Plug-in

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Attention: Windows printers are not supported in Docker.

With the printer plug-in, you can compile document templates in OPC Router that are dynamically filled with values at runtime and output to a printer installed on the local computer or an available network printer. The following steps are necessary:

  • Create the document template in the plug-in configuration
  • Select the printer and fill the template variables with values in the connection project planning

Creating the document template​

  1. Open the Windows printer plug-in in the "Print Templates" area under the "Plug-ins" menu
  2. Select "Add document template" or double-click on an existing entry to change a template.
  3. Assign a name to the print template.
  4. Create the template using the integrated designer (see section "Designer").
  5. Close the editor using the "Close Window" button in the window title bar. Confirm the save prompt.

The document template is now available for projecting a connection.

Interactive Printers​

OPC Router runs as a Windows service in the background of the server around the clock. Interaction with users is not intended. This means that printers that require user input (e.g., PDF output, XPS output with "Save as..." dialog) cannot be used: In this case, a user would have to make the appropriate entries for each print job initiated by the router.

Depending on the Windows version, printer status indicators (ink/toner level) also respond differently when addressed by a service. Therefore, test your project carefully. If necessary, allow interaction between the service and the desktop in the service management to enable user input. This is expressly recommended for testing purposes only, not for productive use:

  1. Open the service management via "Control Panel – Administration – Services."
  2. Open the OPCRouterService by double-clicking.
  3. On the "Log On" tab, activate the "Allow data exchange between service and desktop" property.
  4. Confirm with "OK."
  5. Restart the service.

If you are testing your label design here, e.g., with Windows XPS Writer, do not save the XPS file in the suggested directory, but select one directly on the root (e.g., C:\LabelTest) to avoid access problems.