Case study · 2026
Automated Packaging Artwork Generator
Sixty products no longer meant manually building sixty sets of packaging labels.
- Node.js
- PDF generation
- Shopify product data
- Barcode generation
- Discipline
- PDF automation · Barcodes · Supplier operations
- Year
- 2026
- Engagement
- Fixed scope
- Status
- Live
01Context
- Generate multiple sticker layouts automatically per product.
- Populate them from existing product and packaging data.
- Export a complete purchase order as one PDF.
Every Weldaad product can require multiple packaging labels containing different quantities, EAN codes, product information, and artwork.
Producing these manually duplicated information that already existed in Shopify and the supplier portal, while increasing the risk of labeling mistakes.
HeapByte built an automated artwork generator using the portal as the source of truth.
02What was in the way
- 01
Multiple label types
Each sticker has different dimensions, quantities, barcode source, and layout requirements.
- 02
Product imagery
Weldaad needed to choose which Shopify product image becomes the packaging thumbnail and reuse that choice later.
- 03
Large exports
Generating dozens of image-heavy PDF pages in one request introduced timeout and performance constraints.
03Architecture
What we built, and what we deliberately left alone.
- 01
Dynamic sticker templates
Each label type has an independent layout populated from shared product data.
- 02
Persistent artwork thumbnail
A preferred product image is saved and reused for later purchase orders.
- 03
Order-level PDF generation
Every product page is assembled into one downloadable document for the complete purchase order.
Delivery
- Layout prototyping
- Data mapping
- PDF generation
- Performance optimization
- Additional sticker support
04Outcome
- Sticker designs
- 4 types
- Large-order test
- 60+ products
- Manual entry
- Eliminated
- Export
- 1 click
Product, inner, carton, and additional packaging format
PDF generation optimized for substantial purchase orders
Existing portal data populates artwork
One combined PDF generated per purchase order
05Engineering notes
- Barcode mapping
- Each sticker draws from the appropriate item, inner-box, or outer-carton EAN field.
- Quantity rules
- Sticker quantity comes from packaging data rather than purchase-order quantity where required.
- Thumbnail persistence
- Selected artwork imagery survives into future orders so staff do not repeat the same selection.
- Export optimization
- Generation logic was adjusted after testing large purchase orders that initially exceeded practical request duration.
What we took from it
- 01Artwork automation works only when underlying product data is standardized.
- 02Thumbnail selection is product data, not merely a presentation choice.
- 03PDF workloads need separate performance thinking from ordinary web requests.
- 04Design approval before implementation prevents expensive layout rework.
Disciplines applied
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