Seed Labels

A CLI tool for generating and printing seed labels to Brother label printers.

Features

• Generate professional seed labels with name, variety, notes, and sowing information
• Print directly to Brother QL-series label printers over network
• Support for red ink printing on compatible models
• Customizable printer settings (IP, model, label size)
• Dry-run mode to preview labels before printing

Installation

1. Install the required dependencies:

pip install pillow
pip install git+https://github.com/BenDutton/brother_ql.git

2. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/BenDutton/seedlabels.git
cd seedlabels

Usage

Basic Usage

python seeds.py "Tomato" "Cherry Red"

With Notes and Sowing Information

python seeds.py "Lettuce" "Buttercrunch" --notes "Fast growing" --sow-start "Mar" --sow-end "Jul"

With Red Ink

python seeds.py "Basil" "Sweet Genovese" --red

Custom Printer IP

python seeds.py "Carrot" "Nantes" --printer-ip "192.168.1.100"

Dry Run (Save as Image)

python seeds.py "Pepper" "Jalapeño" --dry-run

Full Example

python seeds.py "Pepper" "Jalapeño" \
  --notes "Hot variety" \
  --sow-start "Feb" \
  --sow-end "Apr" \
  --month 3 \
  --year 2024 \
  --red \
  --printer-ip "192.168.1.232"

Command Line Arguments

Required Arguments

• name - Seed name (e.g., "Tomato")
• variety - Variety/colour (e.g., "Cherry Red")

Optional Arguments

• --notes - Additional notes about the seed
• --sow-start - Month to start sowing (e.g., "Mar", "March")
• --sow-end - Month to end sowing (e.g., "Jul", "July")
• --month - Month as 3-character abbreviation (e.g., "Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Nov", "Dec") for this seed entry
• --year - Year for this seed entry

Printer Configuration

• --printer-ip - IP address of Brother printer (default: 192.168.1.232)
• --model - Brother printer model (default: QL-810W)
• --label-size - Label size in mm (default: 62)
• --red - Use red ink for printing (flag)
• --dry-run - Generate label but don't print (save as image instead)

Supported Printers

This tool works with Brother QL-series label printers that support network printing, including:

• QL-810W
• QL-820NWB
• QL-720NW
• And other compatible models

Label Specifications

• Designed for 62mm x 29mm labels
• Resolution: 696 x 326 pixels
• Format: PNG
• Color: Black and white (with optional red for supported printers)

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• Pillow (PIL)
• brother_ql (from BenDutton fork)
• Brother QL-series label printer with network connectivity

License

MIT