Cloud trigger printing, also known as server-based proxy printing, allows your cloud applications to communicate with server-based proxies (LoftwareAutomation), which process and print to local print queues available on your servers. No firewall modification is necessary to allow data from your cloud applications to pass to LoftwareAutomation. You send your data to APIs in Loftware Cloud, which forward your data to LoftwareAutomation securely using Azure Service Bus.

BENEFITS

REQUIREMENTS

Cloud trigger integrates Loftware Cloud with your existing cloud-based business systems so you can print labels on your local printers. Modern IoT printers communicate directly with the cloud, but legacy printers do not. To print labels on legacy printers, install our on-premise integration system with your printers.

Cloud-based business systems do not communicate with on-premise software and devices. Firewalls protect your local networks from unsolicited requests from the internet.

Your cloud-based business systems produce outputs you send to our Loftware cloud-hosted Cloud trigger APIs (proxies). Our APIs relay outputs to your on-premise LoftwareAutomation for processing using secure Azure Service Bus messages (Microsoft cloud messaging service). You send messages as HTTPS requests using GET or POST methods.

	Note
	Structures of payloads you send to APIs must match your LoftwareAutomation configurations. You can configure Automation to adapt to standard XML/JSON messages your cloud system can already generate.

Your on-premise integration system merges label templates from Loftware Cloud DMS (Document Management System) with data received from your cloud business systems to print labels on your local printers.

Cloud Trigger transparently and securely integrates your local label printing with applications that communicate over the open internet located on different networks than your printers.

Workflow:

You make Loftware APIs print requests to:

https://labelcloudapi.onnicelabel.com/Trigger/v1/CloudTrigger/{triggerId}

You provide:

The integration system processes the label data you provide and prints your labels. You can choose data input formats including CSV, XML, JSON, etc. You must create matching Automation trigger configurations to parse and process data you send into the trigger.

This integration pack example sends JSON messages to Loftware Cloud APIs:

https://labelcloudapi.onnicelabel.com/api/CloudTrigger/Api-CloudIntegrationDemo-Print

Sample outbound JSON message:

{
    "FilePath": "/folder/label.nlbl",
    "FileVersion": "",
    "Quantity": "1",
    "Printer": "",
    "PreviewFormat": "PNG",
    "Variables": [
        {
            "Product_name": "Syringe",
            "GTIN": "00311234567901",
            "LOT": "ABC123",
            "BestBefore": "10.05.22",
            "SSCC": "03831234560000001",
            "Count": "10"
        }
    ]
}

This JSON message tells LoftwareAutomation to:

This example of LoftwareAutomation configuration works with JSON. However, you can create custom LoftwareAutomation configurations for your specific situation. Custom configurations adapt to your existing application data structures.

For more information about configuring and running integration samples, read Appendix A: Integration bundle.

For more information about API definitions, read Appendix B: Cloud trigger API.

IoT printing with Cloud APIs, also known as direct printing, allows your cloud applications to print directly to your cloud-enabled printers. IoT printing with Cloud APIs does not require any local Loftware footprint or any locally installed Loftware software (like LoftwareAutomation or printer drivers).

BENEFITS

REQUIREMENTS

Cloud printers are smart label printers that connect to our Loftware Cloud print service and receive print jobs. Cloud printing lets you print from any applications or devices to cloud-connected printers, regardless of printer locations. Cloud printing also eliminates the need for printer drivers. Your Cloud Print service creates and delivers print jobs to your target printers via the cloud.

The diagram above shows cloud printing architecture. Printers register and connect to our Loftware Cloud print service. When you submit print requests, your cloud service merges label templates from DMS with your received data to create matching print jobs (for example, ZPL for Zebra printers, SBPL for SATO printers, etc.). Your cloud service delivers your print jobs over the internet to requested printers.

Cloud Print APIs become available when you enable the Cloud Print add-on for your Loftware Cloud subscription. Cloud Print APIs expose multiple HTTP REST methods for print integration. To use these methods, register your cloud-enabled printers in Loftware Cloud so they are visible to the service.

For example, the GET method “Printers” retrieves a list of all your registered printers and their live statuses. The POST method “Print” prints your selected labels from DMS to your cloud printers with your cloud application data.

You can provide API payloads as JSON or as XML data.

APIs process your provided label data and print your labels. Your labels always load from DMS.

You make Loftware API Print requests to:

https://labelcloudapi.onnicelabel.com/Print/v1/Print/{printerName}

You provide:

Your JSON payloads can look like this:

  {
            "FilePath": "/folder/GS1-128.nlbl",
            "FileVersion": "",
            "Quantity": 1,
            "Variables": [
                {
                    "Product_name": "Syringe",
                    "GTIN": "00311234567901",
                    "LOT": "ABC123",
                    "BestBefore": "10.05.22",
                    "SSCC": "03831234560000001",
                    "Count": "10"
                },
            ],
            "PrinterSettings": ""
        }

For more information about API definitions, visit our Developer Portal.

For more information about Loftware Cloud printer registration and Developer Portal integration, read Cloud Printers.

With thin client printing, also known as client-based proxy printing, your cloud applications communicate with local proxies (LoftwareWeb Clients), which process and print labels to local print queues available on your computers.

BENEFITS

REQUIREMENTS

Your cloud-based business systems invoke your LoftwareWeb Client, which runs your custom label-printing Web application. You invoke your Web application from cloud applications via URI requests with label data provided in your query strings. Your Web application uses your locally installed printer drivers to print your business system data on your labels.

You create custom Web application user interfaces in LoftwareDesigner and run your custom Web applications as PowerForms solutions. The sample Web application user interface we include in your integration pack is minimal and only contains printer selection options.

LoftwareWeb Client registers custom URI schemes on your computer. URI technology allows cloud-based applications to start desktop applications and send them data.

In the following example, your Web application allows you to select default label printers. You can customize application user interfaces with features you need, including label preview displays.

Cloud-based systems call with URI methods like this:

nicelabelwebclient10:?server=https://<account>.onnicelabel.com/print&openMode=2&application=<applicationame>&variable=Var1=123&variable=Var2=ABC

You provide:

For more information, read Adjusting Web Printing.

For more information about your integration sample, read Appendix A: Integration bundle.

SSH File Transfer Protocols (SFTP) provide secure file transfer capabilities. Your cloud applications use SFTP to drop files over the internet. Connections between clients and FTP servers are encrypted so passwords and other sensitive information can be securely transferred over the network.

Loftware Automation is configured to monitor folders, while SFTP stores delivered files. FTP file drop location must be mounted locally and presented to Automation Service as a file share disk drive, mounted via file system. Automation Service user must have granted privileges to access this FTP destination location.

When files arrive, Loftware Automation picks them up for processing.

BENEFITS

REQUIREMENTS

When your business systems share local networks with Loftware integration systems, you have additional integration options for delivering label printing data to Loftware.

LoftwareAutomation accepts data the following ways: