Print Queue

The print queue is the heart of production. It organizes all orders on a visual Kanban board and also provides detailed control over each print job — including printer assignment, job start, and job completion tracking.

Prerequisites

• An active Operator or Owner account in DTFPro
• Logged into the admin panel
• Orders with validated payment

Step by Step

1. Access the Print Queue

In the top menu, click Print Queue. The Kanban board will appear with columns representing each stage of production.

2. Understanding the Kanban Columns

The Kanban board has the following columns, from left to right:

Column	Description
Paid	Orders with confirmed payment, ready to start
Awaiting Review	Orders pending file pre-check (if enabled)
Changes Requested	Orders returned to the client for corrections
In Production	Orders currently being printed
In Finishing	Post-print: cutting, pressing, folding
Ready	Finished, awaiting pickup or shipment
Delivered	Order delivered to the client

Each column displays a counter in the upper right corner showing the number of orders at that stage.

3. Viewing Order Cards

Each card on the Kanban board displays:

• Order number — e.g., #PH-0042
• Client name — who placed the order
• Total value — order value in R$
• Assigned printer — shown on the card if already assigned

4. Filtering the Queue by Printer

To view only the orders assigned to a specific printer:

1. At the top of the queue, find the Printer filter
2. Select the desired printer from the dropdown menu
3. The Kanban board updates to show only orders assigned to that printer

This is useful when each operator is responsible for a specific machine.

5. Advancing Orders by Drag and Drop

The fastest way to update an order's status is to drag the card to another column:

1. Click and hold the order card you want to move
2. Drag the card to the destination column — the card becomes transparent while dragging, indicating it is in motion
3. The destination column becomes highlighted with a colored border when you drag a card over it
4. Release the card in the desired column
5. The order status updates automatically and a confirmation message appears

Main production flow:

Paid → In Production → In Finishing → Ready → Delivered

6. Advancing Status via Button

If you prefer not to use drag and drop, each card has an advance button (→) that moves the order to the next stage in the flow:

1. Find the order in the current column
2. Click the button labeled → [Next Stage] (e.g., → In Production, → In Finishing)
3. The order moves automatically to the next column

The advance button only appears when a next stage is available. Orders in the Delivered column have no advance button.

7. Advancing All Orders in a Column

When a column has two or more orders, an Advance All button appears in the column header. Click it to move all orders in that column to the next stage at once.

This is useful when you have finished an entire batch of printing and want to mark all orders as completed in one action.

---

Managing Print Jobs

Beyond the Kanban board, the print queue offers granular control over each print job — the smallest unit of work: a specific item from an order being printed on a specific printer.

8. Viewing Queue Statistics

At the top of the queue screen, you will find a statistics panel showing:

Indicator	What it shows
Total in Queue	Total number of jobs waiting to be printed
Printing Now	Jobs currently with "Printing" status
Completed Today	Jobs finished on the current day

These numbers help assess production capacity and the pace of the current shift.

9. Creating a Print Job

To register that an order item will be printed on a specific printer:

1. In the print queue, find the desired order (in the In Production column)
2. Click the order card to open its details
3. Click Create Print Job
4. Select the Order item to be printed
5. Select the Printer that will do the work
6. Confirm by clicking Create Job

The job will appear in the selected printer's queue with Waiting status.

10. Starting a Print Job

When you are ready to begin printing:

1. Find the job in the queue (filter by printer if needed)
2. Click Start Printing
3. The job status changes to Printing
4. The printer is automatically marked as in production

11. Completing a Print Job

After finishing printing an item:

1. Find the job with Printing status
2. Click Complete Printing
3. The job status changes to Completed
4. The system records the completion time automatically

12. Viewing Completed Jobs for Today

To review all jobs completed today:

1. In the print queue, enable the Include Today's Completed filter
2. Jobs finished today appear in the list with their completion time

13. Viewing the Job Ticket

The job ticket is a sheet with all the information needed to print an order:

1. Open the order card in the queue
2. Click Job Ticket or View Ticket
3. The ticket shows:
   • Order number (#PH-XXXX)
   • Client name
   • Service and specifications
   • Quantity and meterage of each item
   • File(s) to print
   • Assigned printer
   • Special notes

The job ticket can be printed to physically accompany the order on the production line.

---

Status Flow

The complete flow of an order through the Kanban board follows this order:

Paid → In Production → In Finishing → Ready → Delivered

If file pre-check is enabled in your print shop, an order may pass through additional stages before entering production:

Paid → Awaiting Review → In Production → In Finishing → Ready → Delivered

If file corrections are needed:

Awaiting Review → Changes Requested → Awaiting Review → In Production

Tips

• Use drag and drop to move orders quickly — it is the most agile way to operate the Kanban board
• The advance button (→) is a practical alternative when you prefer clicking over dragging
• Process orders in the order they arrive (first in, first out) to maintain fair deadlines
• Check the queue at the start and end of each shift to ensure a smooth handover
• Use the Advance All button when you have finished an entire batch of printing
• Create print jobs to track exactly which item was printed on which machine and at what time

Common Issues

"I cannot drag the order"

Make sure to click and hold the card for at least one second before dragging. The card should become transparent to indicate it is in drag mode.

"The destination column does not highlight"

The column only highlights when you drag the card to a different column from its current one. You cannot drop a card back onto the same column it is already in.

"I cannot move the order to the next column"

Check whether all items in the order have passed pre-check (if enabled). Orders with items still pending approval may not allow a status change.

"No printers appear when creating a job"

Verify that there are printers registered with Available status. The print shop owner manages equipment registration under Equipment.

"The 'Advance All' button is not showing"

The button only appears when there are two or more orders in the same column. For columns with only one order, use the individual advance button.

"Two operators moved the same order at the same time"

The system accepts the most recent update. Coordinate with your team to avoid conflicts — the last action takes precedence.