Spooler: automatic printing at the right moment, without manual work
Connect your WMS, point of sale or webshop to Spooler and print packing slips, shipping labels and receipts the moment the trigger fires. That way you process a hundred orders as flawlessly as ten.
What is Spooler?
Spooler is the print robot of Afosto: a cloud based print service that receives print jobs through API, webhook or email and forwards them straight to the right printer at the right location. You do not have to open a document, select a printer or press a button. Spooler does that automatically the moment an action takes place in your order process.
Why does Spooler exist? Because manual printing is a hidden cost. During a Black Friday peak of 400 orders per hour, every click per print means a chain of delays, mistakes and stress. Spooler removes that step from your team's workflow entirely.
Spooler is not a standalone print tool. It is an integral part of the Afosto platform: it reads order status, WMS events and point of sale actions, and turns them into print jobs automatically, without any separate software.
What Spooler does that standalone print tools cannot
Trigger based printing
Set per print type which event activates the print: order picked, payment received, return registered. Spooler responds within seconds of the trigger, even with simultaneous orders.
Multiple printers, one overview
Manage printers spread across warehouse, store and back office from a single dashboard. Send each print type to the right printer in the right department, without manual rerouting.
Shipping labels through your carrier
Connect your shipping platform (PostNL, DHL, DPD) and let Spooler print the right label the moment the shipment is ready, including the correct format for your label printer.
Receipt straight from POS
When a sale is completed in the Afosto point of sale, Spooler prints the receipt automatically. No action from the employee needed, not even during busy store hours.
Fallback through email
No direct API connection possible for a specific workflow? Spooler also accepts print jobs through email, so your existing systems can still send along.
How does Spooler work in your order process?
Spooler works as a listening post between your business software and your printers. As soon as a preset action takes place, Spooler sends the right document job to the right printer. This works in three ways:
- Webhook trigger: an event in Afosto WMS or OMS (such as 'order picked') automatically activates a print job.
- Direct API call: your own integration or an external application sends a print job straight to the Spooler API.
- Email message: for systems without API access, an email to a fixed address sets the print job in motion.
Which documents does Spooler print?
Spooler supports all common documents in an ecommerce and retail environment:
- Packing slips print automatically the moment an order is picked in the WMS
- Shipping labels the right label per carrier, at the right moment
- Invoices included in the package or straight to the bookkeeping
- Receipts right when the POS transaction is completed
- Return labels when a return is registered in the system
Who is Spooler for?
Spooler is built for ecommerce retailers and physical stores that process several dozen to hundreds of orders a day. You get the most out of it when:
- You have multiple printers across one or more locations
- You work with a WMS or OMS (such as Afosto Order Management) that generates events
- You want employees to do nothing to get the right document on the right printer
- You do not want to risk mistakes from manual printing during peak moments (Black Friday, sales, launches)
Spooler as part of an integrated platform
What sets Spooler apart from standalone print tools is the direct integration with the rest of Afosto. Order status, location information, shipping connections and point of sale transactions are already present in the platform. Spooler reads this data without extra configuration. That means no duplicate data sources, no sync problems and no manual intervention for process connections.
Spooler in practice
Fewer actions per order, more output per hour
needed from your employee to print a packing slip, label or receipt
webhook, API call or email, pick what fits your stack
packing slip, shipping label, invoice and receipt from one system
for all printers spread across warehouse, point of sale and back office
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Spooler
Practical answers about setup, connections and use, also for teams that still print manually today.
What does Spooler cost?
Spooler is available as part of Afosto. You can try the platform for free with an account, without a credit card. The final price depends on your plan and usage. See the current prices on the pricing page or book a demo for a tailored proposal.
How quickly is Spooler operational after installation?
Spooler is a cloud service that you activate from your Afosto account. You add a printer, set triggers per document type and Spooler is ready. For standard WMS and POS connections within Afosto, no extra development is needed. An external API connection does require a small integration, depending on your current stack.
Which printers work with Spooler?
Spooler works with most network printers and USB printers connected to a workstation. Label printers (such as Zebra and DYMO) are widely used for shipping labels; thermal receipt printers for receipts. Spooler communicates through the Spooler desktop client that you install on the relevant computer.
Can I connect Spooler to my existing webshop or shipping software?
Yes. Spooler works through webhook or API, so you can trigger it from almost any application that can send HTTP requests. Shipping software such as SendCloud, MyParcel or direct PostNL/DHL connections combine well. Spooler does not have to be the only print source, it can run alongside existing processes.
What happens when the printer is offline or a job fails?
Spooler logs every print job with a status. If a printer is offline, the job is held in the queue and offered again as soon as the printer is available. You can view failed jobs and restart them manually from the dashboard.
Does Spooler also work if I do not use the full Afosto platform?
Spooler is primarily designed as part of the Afosto ecosystem and benefits most from direct integration with WMS, OMS and POS. Through the API, however, you can also drive Spooler from external systems. Get in touch or book a demo to discuss how Spooler fits your specific situation.
Take manual printing out of your process for good
Spooler prints packing slips, labels and receipts automatically the moment it needs to happen, without your employees having to do anything. Try it for free or see how it fits your operation.