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I'm getting started to develop Web to Print system.

My main concern is which client-side techology should I use:

  • jQuery/CSS
  • Flex/ActionScript
  • or something else?

For now, idea is that user/customer choose

  1. Product eg: Business card
  2. Attributes: Dimensions,Paper type, ... etc
  3. Template or blank
  4. Adjust product (editor)
  5. Preview & order

Output should be PDF 300dpi.

My main issue is: adding/adjusting text in editor. (font size, font family...).

Because application should be cross browser. And I think that 10px Arial can't be the same in Firefox 5 and IE 8.

It must be pixel perfect in every browser. If somebody order $100 of business cards, and text is different that he/she saw when ordering - that is a big problem.

So, Flash platform should be the answer. But, as I see it's dying technology, 2012 is here - HTML5 is replacing Flash rapidly.

I hope that you understand me, so every guideline or few smart words would be very appreciating.

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4  
Use the one that gives you the right solution now. Flash isn't going to stop working tomorrow, so if it's something you know and will work, use it. – ChrisF♦ Dec 1 '11 at 9:40
Note that you should always decouple your code as much as possible from any chosen solution in order to make it easier to switch later. Create your own API for it if at all possible. – user1249 Dec 1 '11 at 11:52
2  
You won't get pixel-perfect either way. To be sure, you can give the customers a downloadable PDF preview before finalizing the order. – tdammers Dec 1 '11 at 11:52
1  
Making this really work properly and perfectly across all browsers and platforms is going to be an epic undertaking of fiddly conditional pixel-pushing. I don't know Flash (and I have the same aesthetic objections to it you do), and I'd probably be tempted to learn it just for this, if it could promise me a reliable PDF export of my design. – Dan Ray Dec 1 '11 at 13:20
Who voted to close this question? It couldn't be more appropriate for this site. – Jim G. Apr 5 '12 at 11:43

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

HTML editors aren't precise enough, and the browser printing functionality is fundamentally broken if you want control over pagination and margins. Forget about directly editing in HTML and printing from the browser.

Flash is precise enough, but also has limited printer control. It will probably be sufficient for your needs, but it also might not be.

If you don't want to use plugins, look at SVG or Canvas, and render the output from that to PDF server-side when you want to print. SVG would be my bet, because it has ready-made editors out there.

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In "web to print" the printing is done on the server side, and likely not from a browser. – Kris Van Bael May 6 at 5:23
up vote -1 down vote

HTML5 can't replace flash. It is jquery which may replace flash.

if you need "adding/adjusting text in editor. (font size, font family...)."

For an editor.

use tinymice editor developed using javascript.

Using jquery/css as client side technology, is good choice.

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