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Last active July 12, 2023 15:17
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print image files to thermal printer ESC-POS on stdout
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# esc-pos-image.py - print image files given as command line arguments
# to simple ESC-POS image on stdout
# scruss - 2014-07-26 - WTFPL (srsly)
# - 2021-01-09 (made python3 compatible - tvm Carko!)
# if you want a proper CUPS driver for a 58mm thermal printer
# that uses this command set, go here:
# https://github.com/klirichek/zj-58
import sys
from PIL import Image
import PIL.ImageOps
import struct
# give usage and exit if no arguments
if (len(sys.argv) == 1):
print('Usage:', sys.argv[0],
'image1 image2 ... [ > printer_device ]')
exit(1)
# print all of the images!
for i in sys.argv[1:]:
im = Image.open(i)
# if image is not 1-bit, convert it
if (im.mode != '1'):
im = im.convert('1')
# if image width is not a multiple of 8 pixels, fix that
if (im.size[0] % 8):
im2 = Image.new('1', (im.size[0] + 8 - im.size[0] % 8,
im.size[1]), 'white')
im2.paste(im, (0, 0))
im = im2
# Invert image, via greyscale for compatibility
# (no, I don't know why I need to do this)
im = PIL.ImageOps.invert(im.convert('L'))
# ... and now convert back to single bit
im = im.convert('1')
# output header (GS v 0 \000), width, height, image data
sys.stdout.buffer.write(b''.join((bytearray(b'\x1d\x76\x30\x00'),
struct.pack('2B', int(im.size[0] / 8) % 256,
int(im.size[0] / (8 * 256))),
struct.pack('2B', im.size[1] % 256,
int(im.size[1] / 256)),
im.tobytes())))
@scruss
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scruss commented Nov 5, 2014

explanation here: Notes on mini-printers and Linux … but these days, you probably want to use the klirichek/zj-58 driver.

@sloev
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sloev commented Jan 22, 2015

what license is this?
thanx for wonderfull software. saved me a headache on a home photobooth :-)

@scruss
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scruss commented Jun 10, 2015

This is the licence: WTFPL.

@Hritik14
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Hritik14 commented Dec 2, 2020

Very lovely! Worked like nothing has ever have before in blueooth.

@scruss
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scruss commented Dec 5, 2020

Very lovely! Worked like nothing has ever have before in bluetooth.

Glad you like it! One day I'll update it to Python 3, but the bytes vs utf8 bit seems like work

@Carko
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Carko commented Jan 9, 2021

I made some changes to make it work with Pyton 3: https://gist.github.com/Carko/1507260d13eaa3e7cea6cecb713caca0

@scruss
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scruss commented Jan 10, 2021

Much appreciated, Carko!

@abhigkar
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It really worked for me. I have used here.
Thanks!!!

@scruss
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scruss commented Jul 12, 2023

It really worked for me. I have used here. Thanks!!!

That's really neat! I saw those little printers and wondered how well they would work.

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