OSP Projects

Fulfillment – Daily Changelog – October 18, 2025

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Daily Changelog – October 18, 2025

4×6 Packing Slip Improvements for Thermal Printing

Overview

Completely redesigned the 4×6 packing slip layout to improve readability on thermal printers, making them landscape-oriented with larger, bolder text and better visual structure.

Changes Made

1. Layout Orientation

  • Changed from portrait to landscape: Updated page dimensions from 4in × 6in to 6in × 4in
  • Added UPS label bleed area: Added 0.5″ right margin to prevent printing over UPS shipping labels

2. Typography Improvements

  • Increased base font size: From 11px to 14px for better readability
  • Enhanced header fonts: Title and order numbers increased to 16px with 800 font weight
  • Improved address text: From 9px to 12px with 800 font weight for labels
  • Bolder customer names: Increased to 15px with 700 font weight
  • Larger item text: Increased to 16px with 800 font weight for quantities
  • Enhanced footer: Increased to 13px with 600 font weight

3. Visual Structure (ShippingEasy-style Layout)

  • Side-by-side addresses: “From:” and “To:” sections now positioned horizontally with clear separation
  • Added visual borders: Thick black lines (2px) around address and item sections for better definition
  • Improved spacing: Increased margins and line height (1.3) for better readability

4. Raffle Message Optimization

  • Shortened disclaimer text: Reduced from long paragraph to concise message:
  • Before: “Each sticker represents an entry to win the 2026 Mama Tried Show Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Giveaway Bike. The profits from this giveaway help us create a better Mama Tried experience. We really appreciate all the support, without you all we are nothing!! Let’s do this! Buy as many stickers as you want. Buy so many that you can cover your garage refrigerator in giveaway bike stickers. There is no limit to how many stickers you can buy. Good-Luck! Your order number is your ticket entry.”
  • After: “Each sticker represents an entry to win the 2026 Mama Tried Show Harley-Davidson Low Rider S Giveaway Bike. Your order number is your ticket entry.”
  • Increased disclaimer font size: From 11px to 13px for better thermal printer readability

5. Database Updates

  • Updated production database: Modified raffle_packing_message field in mama_tried_products table for product ID 3215
  • Updated local database: Synchronized local development database with production changes

Technical Details

Files Modified

  • src/app/api/orders/labels-4x6/route.ts – Main packing slip generation API
  • src/app/api/orders/labels-4x6/debug/route.ts – Debug route for browser preview
  • src/components/batches/raffle-4x6-labels-button.tsx – Button component (reverted to use debug route)

Database Changes

  • Updated mama_tried_products.raffle_packing_message for 2026 Mama Tried Giveaway Bike Entry product
  • Both production (Heroku) and local (Docker) databases updated

Impact

  • Improved thermal printer output: Larger, bolder text is much more readable on thermal printers
  • Better space utilization: Landscape orientation provides more horizontal space for content
  • Professional appearance: Side-by-side addresses with clear borders match industry standards
  • Reduced printing issues: 0.5″ right margin prevents overlap with UPS shipping labels
  • Enhanced user experience: Shorter, clearer raffle message reduces visual clutter

Testing

  • Verified changes work in both browser preview (debug route) and PDF generation (main route)
  • Confirmed database updates resolve message length issues
  • Tested landscape orientation and improved typography on thermal printer output

Notes

  • The challenge was that raffle messages were stored in the database, not just in code defaults
  • Required updating both production and local databases to see changes
  • Debug route and main route needed to be kept in sync for consistent behavior

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