title: How to print (barcode) labels from a Ruby on Rails Application?
body: <p>My first application I have developed in RoR is for some Kiosk Touchscreen PCs used in our stock. When the stock worker picked up some material he enters the quantity in a Form.<br>
  Now I want to print a label containing: customer name, material description, quantity, and a barcode on our Zebra printer.<br>
  How would I do that from a Ruby on Rails Application ?<br></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>Sending directly the control chars needed for ZPL (Zebra Printer Language) from the controller ? ( not very comfortable )</p></li>
  <li><p>Create a view in HTML send it to the client, and the client has to print it. ( not very confortable and error prone, as the stock worker has to do additional steps, may choose the wrong printer or maybe don't print the label at all )</p></li>
  <li><p>Create a pdf document from the controller and send it to the printer from the server ( oh, no the printer does not understand pdf, so I have to control a pdf reader to do the printing ?? That wouldn't be very fast as it will send the label as a graphic image to the printer</p></li>
  <li><p>Create a gem which will hide all the logic needed for printing ? ( Are there any gems which already do this ? )</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I would appreciate every comment.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>
  
  <p>Klaus</p>