Has anyone seen code that can print mailing labels (like Avery 6231) from a browser.
printing mailing labels
I actually wrote the code for printing stuff to avery labels last week. My code is on a server which is firewalled so I don't have access to the code anymore, but mostly it's alot of trial and error until you get it right.
Basically, there's no way to avoid having to make the user lower their page margins in their browser because the default margins are halfway into the first label (and there's no way to control this from within the code.)
Secondly, explore the end-table-on page-break stuff.
I found this needed. I don't remember the syntax now though.
Hope it helps.
- Harlan
Yes, numbing trial and error was what I wanted to avoid. What pt values did you use when you did it?
I got page-break working and I can set the margins manually in the browser. I thought the MeadCo ScriptX was an interesting tool for setting margins inside the browser.
I am guessing CSS-positioning would be the clean solution...which I might yet have to learn.
In my searching I have not found anything about this subject, let alone sample code. It is an obvious piece for any office suite application. The whole Avery line could probably be supported with a simple table of values.
3 months later
Hi
I think i have a same difficulty as yours
I want to print some labels on zebra printer(Used for printing of labels).The printer will be connected to the serial port of the client machine.
How can i do this through a browser
Can you give me some sample code for the same
waiting for ur reply at ur earliest
Regards
Girish Mohite
5 days later
I used 8.5x11 label paper (3 labels wide by 10 labels high). I had to learn how to position the labels with DIVs, change IE's margins around, and make page breaks every 10 labels. With the page up, I just used IE's print command. It was trial an error and I can put that code here tonight when I get home.
I'm guessing the Zebra printer you're dealing with prints labels from a roll one label at a time. Does anything get printed at all or are you having a positioning problem?
a month later
This is what I came up with for mailing labels for the school. It works great with IE 5 although I did adjust IE's vertical and horizontal margins to their minimums. I also did some tweaking to get the columns right. I wish I had documented how I got the CSS definition for <DIV> to do page breaks; can't remember offhand.
function ShowLabels(){
global $tblStudent, $tblClass;
$qryMailingList = "SELECT " .
$tblStudent.".FirstName," .
$tblStudent.".LastName," .
$tblStudent.".Address," .
$tblStudent.".City," .
$tblStudent.".State," .
$tblStudent.".Zip," .
$tblStudent.".StudentId," .
$tblClass .".ClassId," .
$tblClass .".StudentId" .
" FROM " . $tblClass . "," . $tblStudent .
" ORDER BY " . $tblStudent . ".LastName";
$colPerPage = 3;
$rowPerPage = 10;
$labPerPage = $colPerPage * $rowPerPage;
//Avery label dimensions. Assume 0.25 inch left margin, the smallest IE5 can do
$vertPitch = 72 * 1;
$horzPitch = 72 * 2.80; //2.75
$lostMargin= 4; //72 * .06
$divWidth = $horzPitch * $colPerPage;
//column position for each label
$col0 = 0;
$col1 = $horzPitch - $lostMargin;
$col2 = $col1 + $horzPitch;
$colX = array ($col0, $col1, $col2);
echo ("\n");
echo ("<head>\n");
echo ("<style type=\"text/css\">\n");
echo ("div {height: $vertPitch pt; width: $divWidth pt; margin-left: 0pt}\n");
echo ("p {position: absolute; width:$horzPitch pt}\n");
echo ("</style>\n");
echo ("</head>\n");
echo ("<body>\n");
$result = mysql_query ($qryMailingList);
$numLabels = mysql_num_rows($result);
while ($numLabels > 0){
$numRows = ceil ($numLabels / $colPerPage);
$numRows = ($numRows < $rowPerPage) ? $numRows : $rowPerPage;
for ($row=0; $row < $numRows; $row++){
echo ("<div>\n");
for ($col=0; $col<3; $col++){
$row_array = mysql_fetch_row ($result);
if ($numLabels > 0){
echo ("<p style=\"left= $colX[$col] pt;\">");
echo ("$row_array[0] $row_array[1]<br>\n");
echo ("$row_array[2]<br>\n");
echo ("$row_array[3], $row_array[4] $row_array[5]</p>\n");
}
$numLabels--;
}
echo ("</div>\n");
}
}
echo ("</font>\n");
echo ("</body>\n");
echo ("\n");}
6 months later
I don't think printing mailing labels from a browser is the way to do it, because of the user preferences, the differences between browsers and versions.
I am looking into generating pdf's with either php or fop (a java apache project, see http://xml.apache.org/fop/ ).
However, I 'm not as far as a solution yet.
Greetings, pieterr
A PDF would be a great way to go. Let me know if you get something working.
a month later
I am current working on doing this in a PDF.. I will post the working code segment.. if i do not find an easier alternative before hand
18 days later
Hi all!
I began working on this problem around December 2000 and I searched all around for examples, but couldn't find any. Here's what I did. If you use it, please let me know and also keep comments as they are.
The function listed below is part of a membership database system I programmed for my church. It allows church staff to create mail merged letters and mailing labels from the database and create a PDF file, which can be printed predictably from any browser.
Hope this helps.
God bless!
Truman
P.S. I want to be able to program a function where users can select from a list of Avery preset labels and also choose which label on the page to start printing from (like if the page of labels was already partially used). But the following function just assumes you're using a new sheet of labels. If anyone does program that function, please let me know. I'd like to apply it to my application.
<?php
/*
The Ascribe Community Portal System
June 28, 2001
by Truman Leung <tru@hawaiitown.net>
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
"Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock.
His works are perfect and all His ways are just."
... praise Jesus Christ!
baptism/letters.n.labels.php
*/include_once("include/consolidate.by.location.php");
function CreateLettersLabels($sessionId, $letterMarginTopInInches='1.9', $letterMarginLeftInInches='1', $letterMarginRightInInches='1.4', $letterMarginBottomInInches='.75', $letterFontFace='Times-Roman', $letterFontFaceItalic='Times-Italic', $letterFontSize='11.5', $labelHeighInInches='1.00', $labelWidthInInches='2.63', $numLabelsAcross='3', $numLabelsDown='10', $labelMargin='16', $fontSize='10.5', $fontFace='Helvetica') {
$pageHeightInInches = 11;
$pageWidthInInches = 8.5;
$pdffilename = "baptism.letters.n.labels.$sessionId.pdf";
$pixelsPerInch = 72;
$paragraphIndent = $pixelsPerInch/2;// PROCESS GENERATE LETTERS
$db = new NHdb_DB_Sql;
$db2 = new NHdb_DB_Sql;// GET LETTER TEXT
$db->query("select quote1, quote2, body from letter where id='13'");
$db->next_record();
$quote1_original = $db->f("quote1");
$quote2_original = $db->f("quote2");
$body_original = $db->f("body");// TODAY'S DATE
$todayMonth = date("F");
$todayDay = ereg_replace("^0", "", date("d"));
$todayYear = date("Y");
$today = $todayMonth." ".$todayDay.", ".$todayYear;// GET RECIPIENTS
$db->query("select masterdemographics.MemberID, LName, FName, MI FROM masterdemographics, baptismregistration WHERE EGR <> 'Yes' and nomail <> 'Yes' AND baptismregistration.MemberID=masterdemographics.MemberID AND sessionId='$sessionId' order by LName");
## run all records into an array
$numMembers = $db->nf();
$fieldNames = "MemberID, LName, FName, MI";
$fieldName = explode(", ", $fieldNames);
$memberCounter=0;
$z = 12378910458723;
// get members names
while ($db->next_record()) {
reset($fieldName);
while(list($key,$val)=each($fieldName)) {
$member[$memberCounter][$val] = $db->f($val);
}
$memberCounter++;
}
// get addresses
reset($member);
while(list($memberCounter,$val)=each($member)) {
$db->query("select address, address2, city, state, zip, locationId from location, memberlocationmap where MemberId='" . $val["MemberID"] . "' and locationId=location.id and type2='mailing'");
if ($db->nf() == 0)
$db->query("select address, address2, city, state, zip, locationId from location, memberlocationmap where MemberId='" . $val["MemberID"] . "' and locationId=location.id and type2='street'");
if ($db->nf() > 0) {
$db->next_record();
$member[$memberCounter]["address"] = $db->f("address");
$member[$memberCounter]["address2"] = $db->f("address2");
$member[$memberCounter]["city"] = $db->f("city");
$member[$memberCounter]["state"] = $db->f("state");
$member[$memberCounter]["zip"] = $db->f("zip");
$member[$memberCounter]["locationId"] = $db->f("locationId");
} else {
$member[$memberCounter]["address"] = "No address on record";
$member[$memberCounter]["locationId"] = $z;
$z++;
}
}
$location = ConsolidateByLocation($member);
$numLetters = count($location);
## GENERATE LABELS LINE BY LINE
## that is, run label information into an two-dimensional array called $letterAddress
$labelCounter = 0;
reset($location);
while(list($pageNumber,$row_location)=each($location)) {
$lineCounter = 0;
$n=0;
while(list($key2,$thisnameline)=each($row_location["nameLines"])) {
$label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] = $thisnameline;
// if the nameline is greater than 29 characters long, split into two lines
if (strlen($label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter]) > 29) {
$parts = explode(" ", $label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter]);
$namelineCounter = 0;
while (list ($key, $val) = each ($parts)) {
$nameline[$namelineCounter] .= $val." ";
if (strlen($nameline[$namelineCounter])>29) {
$label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] = trim($nameline[$namelineCounter]);
$lineCounter++;
$namelineCounter++;
$nameline[$namelineCounter] = " ";
}
}
} else {
$lineCounter++;
}
if ($namelineCounter > 0 && trim($nameline[$namelineCounter])<>"") {
$label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] = trim($nameline[$namelineCounter]);
$lineCounter++;
}
if ($nameline) unset($nameline);
// if there are too many names, advance to the next label
if ($n==2 or $n==6 or $n==10) {
$labelCounter++;
$lineCounter = 0;
}
$n++;
}
if ($row_location["address2"]) {
$label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] .= $row_location["address2"];
$lineCounter++;
}
if ($row_location["address"]) {
$label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] .= $row_location["address"];
$lineCounter++;
}
if ($row_location["city"]) $label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] .= $row_location["city"]." ";
if ($row_location["state"]) $label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] .= $row_location["state"]." ";
if ($row_location["zip"]) $label[$labelCounter][$lineCounter] .= $row_location["zip"];
$labelCounter++;
}
// CALCULATION OF LABEL SETTINGS
$pageHeight = $pageHeightInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$pageWidth = $pageWidthInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$labelHeight = $labelHeighInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$labelWidth = $labelWidthInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$numLabels = count($label);
$numLabelsOnLastPage = $numLabels % ($numLabelsAcross*$numLabelsDown);
$leftRightMargin = ($pageWidth - ($numLabelsAcross * $labelWidth)) / 2;
$topBottomMargin = ($pageHeight - ($numLabelsDown * $labelHeight)) / 2;
$lineHeight = $fontSize + 2;
$startX = $leftRightMargin + $labelMargin;
$startY = $pageHeight - $topBottomMargin - $labelMargin - $lineHeight;
$printWidth = $labelWidth-$labelMargin*2;
if ( ($numLabelsAcross*$numLabelsDown) > $numLabels) {
$numPages = 1;
} elseif ($numLabelsOnLastPage == 0) {
$numPages = ($numLabels-$numLabelsOnLastPage)/($numLabelsAcross*$numLabelsDown);
} else {
$numPages = ($numLabels-$numLabelsOnLastPage)/($numLabelsAcross*$numLabelsDown)+1;
}
// CALCULATIONS OF LETTER SETTINGS
$letterMarginTop = $letterMarginTopInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$letterMarginLeft = $letterMarginLeftInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$letterMarginRight = $letterMarginRightInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$letterMarginBottom = $letterMarginBottomInInches * $pixelsPerInch;
$startLetterX = $letterMarginLeft;
$startLetterY = $pageHeight - $letterMarginTop - $letterLineHeight;
$letterLineHeight = $letterFontSize + 2.5;
$letterWidth = $pageWidth - $letterMarginLeft - $letterMarginRight;
$letterMiddleX = $startLetterX + ($letterWidth / 2);
// OPEN THE FILE
$fp = fopen($pdffilename, "w");
// OPEN THE PDF STREAM
$pdf = pdf_open($fp);
pdf_set_info($pdf, "Author", "New Hope Membership Application");
pdf_set_info($pdf, "Title", "Letters re Bulletin Tabs and Mailing Labels for Avery 5960 White Laser Labels");
pdf_set_info($pdf, "Creator", "Truman Leung");// pdf_set_info($pdf, "Subject", "Mailing Labels");
// RUN THE LETTERS INTO THE PDF FILE
// CYCLE THROUGH PAGES
reset($location);
while(list($pageNumber,$row_location)=each($location)) {
// START NEW PAGE
pdf_begin_page($pdf, $pageWidth, $pageHeight);
pdf_add_outline($pdf, "Letter to ". $row_location["nameLines"][0]);
pdf_set_value($pdf, "textrendering", 0);
// DETERMINE THE START HEIGHT BASED ON LETTER LENGTH
$x = $startLetterX;
$y = $startLetterY;
$total_length = strlen($body_original) + strlen($quote1_original) + strlen($quote2_original);
if ($total_length < 1400) {
$y -= $letterLineHeight * (10-($total_length/100));
$letterFontSize='12';
$letterLineHeight = 14.5;
} else {
$letterFontSize='10.8';
$letterLineHeight = 13;
}
pdf_set_font($pdf, $letterFontFace, $letterFontSize , "host");
$widthOfToday = pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $today);
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $today, $x, $y);
// RESET X TO LEFT MARGIN AND INCREMENT DOWN TWO LINES
$x = $startLetterX;
$y -= $letterLineHeight * 2;
// PRINT ADDRESSEE INFO
while(list($key2,$nameline)=each($row_location["nameLines"])) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $nameline, $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
}
// PRINT OUT THE ADDRESS
if ($tab[$i]["address2"]) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $row_location["address2"], $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
}
if ($row_location["address"]) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $row_location["address"], $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
}
if ($row_location["city"]) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $row_location["city"]." ", $x, $y);
$x += pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $row_location["city"]." ");
}
if ($row_location["state"]) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $row_location["state"]." ", $x, $y);
$x += pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $row_location["state"]." ");
}
if ($row_location["zip"]){
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $row_location["zip"], $x, $y);
$x += pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $row_location["zip"]);
}
// RESET X TO LEFT MARGIN AND INCREMENT DOWN TWO LINES
$x = $startLetterX;
$y -= $letterLineHeight * 2;
// PRINT THE SALUTATION LINE
$salutation = "Dear " . $row_location["salutation"] . ",";
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $salutation, $x, $y);
// INCREMENT DOWN TWO LINES
$y -= $letterLineHeight * 2;
// PRINT QUOTE #1
pdf_set_font($pdf, $letterFontFaceItalic, $letterFontSize , "host");
// divide up the quote equally among the number of lines
$quote1 = $quote1_original;
$lengthWhole = pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $quote1);
$numLines = $lengthWhole / $letterWidth;
$numLines = explode(".", $numLines);
$numLines = $numLines[0] + 1;
// make a little bigger than exact, else last word won't print
$lineWidth = ($lengthWhole/$numLines) + 10;
$quote1 = explode(" ", $quote1);
$numQuote1Words = count($quote1);
$w=-1;
if ($numQuote1Words > 1) {
for ($z=0;$z<$numQuote1Words;$z++) {
$lineThisWord .= $quote1[$z]." ";
$linePrevWord .= $quote1[$w]." ";
$w++;
// IF "THIS" IS TOO LONG, THEN PRINT "PREV"
if (pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $lineThisWord) > $lineWidth) {
// FIND THE X FOR THE CENTERED QUOTE LINE (MINUS PREV WORD)
$x = $letterMiddleX - ((pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $linePrevWord)) / 2);
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $linePrevWord, $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
$lineThisWord = $quote1[$z]." ";
}
// IF WE ARE ON THE LAST WORD, THEN PRINT "THIS"
if ($z == ($numQuote1Words-1)) {
$x = $letterMiddleX - ((pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $lineThisWord)) / 2);
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $lineThisWord, $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
unset($lineThisWord);
}
}
// RESET X TO LEFT MARGIN AND INCREMENT
$x = $startLetterX;
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
}
// PRINT BODY OF LETTER
pdf_set_font($pdf, $letterFontFace, $letterFontSize , "host");
// RUN LETTER INTO PARAGRAPH ARRAY
$paragraph = explode("<br>", $body_original);
$numParagraphs = count($paragraph);
// LOOP THROUGH PARAGRAPH ARRAY
for ($p=0;$p<$numParagraphs;$p++) {
$paragraphText = explode(" ", $paragraph[$p]);
$numWords = count($paragraphText);
$w=-1;
$lineCounter=1;
if ($numWords > 0) {
for ($z=0;$z<$numWords;$z++) {
if (ereg("^<", $paragraphText[$z]) and ereg(">$", $paragraphText[$z])) {
$command = ereg_replace("^<", "", $paragraphText[$z]);
$command = ereg_replace(">$", "", $command);
} else {
$lineThisWord .= $paragraphText[$z]." ";
}
$linePrevWord .= $paragraphText[$w]." ";
$w++;
// IF "THIS" IS TOO LONG, THEN PRINT "PREV"
if (pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $lineThisWord) > $letterWidth) {
if ($lineCounter == 1 && $numWords > 8) $x += $paragraphIndent;
pdf_show_xy($pdf, trim($linePrevWord), $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
$lineCounter++;
$x = $startLetterX;
$lineThisWord = $paragraphText[$z]." ";
}
// IF WE ARE ON THE LAST WORD, THEN PRINT "THIS"
if ($z == ($numWords-1)) {
if ($lineCounter == 1 && $numWords > 8) $x += $paragraphIndent;
pdf_show_xy($pdf, trim($lineThisWord), $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
unset($lineThisWord);
$lineCounter++;
$x = $startLetterX;
}
}
// if the array element is empty then increment half-line
} else {
$y -= 5;
}
} // END LOOP THROUGH PARGRAPHS
// PRINT QUOTE #2
pdf_set_font($pdf, $letterFontFaceItalic, $letterFontSize, "host");
// divide up the quote equally among the number of lines
$quote2 = $quote2_original;
if ($paragraph && $quote2) {
// INCREMENT
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
}
$lengthWhole = pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $quote2);
$numLines = $lengthWhole / $letterWidth;
$numLines = explode(".", $numLines);
$numLines = $numLines[0] + 1;
// make a little bigger than exact, else last word won't print
$lineWidth = ($lengthWhole/$numLines) + 15;
$quote2 = explode(" ", $quote2);
$numQuote2Words = count($quote2);
$w=-1;
if ($numQuote2Words > 1) {
for ($z=0;$z<$numQuote2Words;$z++) {
$lineThisWord .= $quote2[$z]." ";
$linePrevWord .= $quote2[$w]." ";
$w++;
// IF "THIS" IS TOO LONG, THEN PRINT "PREV"
if (pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $lineThisWord) > $lineWidth) {
// FIND THE X FOR THE CENTERED QUOTE LINE (MINUS PREV WORD)
$x = $letterMiddleX - ((pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $linePrevWord)) / 2);
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $linePrevWord, $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
$lineThisWord = $quote2[$z]." ";
}
// IF WE ARE ON THE LAST WORD, THEN PRINT "THIS"
if ($z == ($numQuote2Words-1)) {
$x = $letterMiddleX - ((pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $lineThisWord)) / 2);
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $lineThisWord, $x, $y);
$y -= $letterLineHeight;
unset($linePrevWord);
unset($lineThisWord);
}
}
}
pdf_end_page($pdf);
}
// RUN THE MAILING LABELS INTO THE PDF FILE
$labelCounter=0;
// CYCLE THROUGH PAGES
for ($i=0; $i<$numPages; $i++) {
pdf_begin_page($pdf, $pageWidth, $pageHeight);
pdf_add_outline($pdf, "Labels - pg ".($i+1));
pdf_set_value($pdf, "textrendering", 0);
// if it's the last page
if ($i==($numPages-1)) $lastPageLabelCounter = 0;
// CYCLE THROUGH ROWS
for ($j=0; $j<$numLabelsDown; $j++) {
$y = $startY - ($labelHeight*$j);
// CYCLE THROUGH COLUMNS WITHIN A ROW
for ($k=0; $k<$numLabelsAcross; $k++) {
if ($i==($numPages-1)) $lastPageLabelCounter++;
$x = $startX + ($labelWidth*$k);
if ($k==2) $x += 12;
// Check whether the line fits within the width of the label
pdf_set_font($pdf, $fontFace, $fontSize , "host");
$tempFontSize = $fontSize;
$numLines = count($label[$labelCounter]);
for ($l=0;$l<$numLines;$l++) {
if (pdf_stringwidth($pdf, $label[$labelCounter][$l]) > $printWidth) {
// if too wide, reduce the font size
$tempFontSize -= 2;
}
}
pdf_set_font($pdf, $fontFace, $tempFontSize , "host");
// WRITE LABEL LINES
for ($l=0;$l<$numLines;$l++) {
if ($label[$labelCounter][$l]) {
pdf_show_xy($pdf, $label[$labelCounter][$l], $x, ($y - $lineHeight*$l));
}
}
$labelCounter++;
unset($tempFontSize);
// IF ITS THE LAST LABEL, FINISH PAGE
if ($lastPageLabelCounter && $lastPageLabelCounter == $numLabelsOnLastPage) {
break;
}
}
if ($lastPageLabelCounter && $lastPageLabelCounter == $numLabelsOnLastPage) {
break;
}
}
pdf_end_page($pdf);
}
pdf_close($pdf);
fclose($fp);
return $pdffilename;}
?>