Send Generated PDFs to PrintNode

PrintNode can accept the PDF produced by SheetsToLabels and send it to a printer connected to a PrintNode client. Use this only after the template, paper preset, printer scale, margins, and physical stock have been tested manually.

Recommended flow

Source record becomes Ready
→ SheetsToLabels generates the PDF
→ workflow converts the PDF binary to base64
→ workflow creates a PrintNode print job
→ source record is marked Printed

Call the PrintNode print-jobs endpoint with credentials stored separately from the SheetsToLabels API key. The core job body is:

{
  "printerId": 123456,
  "title": "Labels for order 1042",
  "contentType": "pdf_base64",
  "content": "<base64 PDF data>",
  "source": "SheetsToLabels automation"
}

In Make, pass the HTTP response data through its base64 function before mapping it to content. In n8n, convert binary property data to base64 before the PrintNode HTTP request. Use PrintNode Basic authentication as required by its API and never put its API key in the JSON body.

Prevent duplicate printing

SheetsToLabels idempotency prevents a PDF generation retry from consuming Credits twice, but it cannot determine whether a physical printer already printed the previous job. Store the PrintNode job ID and use a separate print status in the source system:

1. Create the PDF with a stable Idempotency-Key.
2. Before creating a print job, verify that the source has no PrintNode job ID.
3. Create the print job once and immediately write its ID back.
4. Retry uncertain print jobs only after checking PrintNode's job status.

Keep a manual approval step until calibration and duplicate protection have been verified with inexpensive test stock. Start an API trial for the PDF-generation portion; printing requires a separate PrintNode account.