Simple Windows Desktop App for Batch Printing Courier Labels
Budget: $250 – $750 NZD
**Project Overview:**
We need a lightweight Windows desktop application that automates the printing of multiple shipping labels in one go. The goal is to significantly reduce the time spent manually opening and printing each label. The application should be able to:
1. **Load a ZIP file** containing multiple shipments.
2. **Identify each shipment’s label** (PDF or ZPL format) and any associated commercial invoice.
3. **Automatically route** PDF labels to a standard A4 printer and ZPL labels to a thermal printer.
4. **Handle multiple courier types** (e.g., DHL, UPS, FedEx, NZ Post, Australia Post) in a flexible, maintainable way.
We’d like a straightforward user interface that allows us to select the ZIP file, see a list of the labels, and print them with a single click. The application can be built in .NET (C# or VB.NET) or a similarly easy-to-deploy Windows technology.
---
**Key Features / Requirements:**
1. **Simple UI**:
- Button to load/select ZIP file.
- Display the list of extracted files (labels + invoices).
- “Print All” or “Print Selected” functionality.
2. **Courier & Format Detection**:
- The app should recognize which courier a label belongs to (e.g., from file naming conventions).
- Distinguish between PDF labels (for A4 printer) and ZPL labels (for thermal printer).
3. **Printer Selection**:
- Provide a way to configure or select which printer is used for each label type.
- Ideally, store these printer preferences so they don’t need to be set each time.
4. **Batch Printing Logic**:
- The app should handle printing multiple labels at once, routing them correctly.
- Include a progress indicator or basic status messages (e.g., “Printing label 1 of 10…”).
5. **Future Extensibility**:
- Couriers may be added or removed in the future. Please structure the application so we can add new courier logic with minimal effort.
6. **Deployment**:
- Must run on Windows 10 or newer.
- A simple installer or standalone folder with necessary files is fine.
---
**Deliverables:**
- Source code and compiled application.
- Documentation or brief notes on how to add new courier handling in the future.
- Any dependencies or third-party libraries clearly noted.
---
**Why It’s a Simple Project:**
- The core functionality is just extracting files from a ZIP, determining the file type, and sending them to a printer.
- No complex data processing or database interaction is required.
- Minimal UI—just a window to load files, list them, and print.
---
**Ideal Developer:**
- Strong experience with .NET desktop development (WinForms or WPF) or a similarly straightforward Windows-based framework.
- Familiarity with printing in Windows environments (especially handling PDF vs ZPL).
- Able to deliver a clean, well-documented solution on time.
---
**Budget & Timeline:**
- **Budget**: We expect this to be a small/medium-sized project; please submit your best estimate.
- **Timeline**: We’d like to have a working prototype within a couple of weeks.
---
**How to Apply:**
- Provide a brief summary of your experience with similar .NET (or Windows desktop) projects.
- Let us know your estimated timeline and cost.
- Share any relevant portfolio items or GitHub repositories.
We look forward to working with a talented developer who can create this simple, time-saving application!
We need a lightweight Windows desktop application that automates the printing of multiple shipping labels in one go. The goal is to significantly reduce the time spent manually opening and printing each label. The application should be able to:
1. **Load a ZIP file** containing multiple shipments.
2. **Identify each shipment’s label** (PDF or ZPL format) and any associated commercial invoice.
3. **Automatically route** PDF labels to a standard A4 printer and ZPL labels to a thermal printer.
4. **Handle multiple courier types** (e.g., DHL, UPS, FedEx, NZ Post, Australia Post) in a flexible, maintainable way.
We’d like a straightforward user interface that allows us to select the ZIP file, see a list of the labels, and print them with a single click. The application can be built in .NET (C# or VB.NET) or a similarly easy-to-deploy Windows technology.
---
**Key Features / Requirements:**
1. **Simple UI**:
- Button to load/select ZIP file.
- Display the list of extracted files (labels + invoices).
- “Print All” or “Print Selected” functionality.
2. **Courier & Format Detection**:
- The app should recognize which courier a label belongs to (e.g., from file naming conventions).
- Distinguish between PDF labels (for A4 printer) and ZPL labels (for thermal printer).
3. **Printer Selection**:
- Provide a way to configure or select which printer is used for each label type.
- Ideally, store these printer preferences so they don’t need to be set each time.
4. **Batch Printing Logic**:
- The app should handle printing multiple labels at once, routing them correctly.
- Include a progress indicator or basic status messages (e.g., “Printing label 1 of 10…”).
5. **Future Extensibility**:
- Couriers may be added or removed in the future. Please structure the application so we can add new courier logic with minimal effort.
6. **Deployment**:
- Must run on Windows 10 or newer.
- A simple installer or standalone folder with necessary files is fine.
---
**Deliverables:**
- Source code and compiled application.
- Documentation or brief notes on how to add new courier handling in the future.
- Any dependencies or third-party libraries clearly noted.
---
**Why It’s a Simple Project:**
- The core functionality is just extracting files from a ZIP, determining the file type, and sending them to a printer.
- No complex data processing or database interaction is required.
- Minimal UI—just a window to load files, list them, and print.
---
**Ideal Developer:**
- Strong experience with .NET desktop development (WinForms or WPF) or a similarly straightforward Windows-based framework.
- Familiarity with printing in Windows environments (especially handling PDF vs ZPL).
- Able to deliver a clean, well-documented solution on time.
---
**Budget & Timeline:**
- **Budget**: We expect this to be a small/medium-sized project; please submit your best estimate.
- **Timeline**: We’d like to have a working prototype within a couple of weeks.
---
**How to Apply:**
- Provide a brief summary of your experience with similar .NET (or Windows desktop) projects.
- Let us know your estimated timeline and cost.
- Share any relevant portfolio items or GitHub repositories.
We look forward to working with a talented developer who can create this simple, time-saving application!