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I did something similar with a receipt printer. a thermal usb receipt printer is like $75 dollars and easily controlled by python. Super easy to print out imag
by hansonkd 2y ago
I did something similar with a receipt printer.
a thermal usb receipt printer is like $75 dollars and easily controlled by python. Super easy to print out images and QR codes. and the autocut functionality makes it easy to segment messages. Additionally the receipt printer is nice because you can activate the bell inside as an additional "notification" and has an extra control for a cash drawer that I am thinking of hooking into to control a light or something.
I had it set up for emails and every morning it would print off my calendar.
I think the interface works well especially if you pair it with a physical control like buttons or NFC reader. That way you can issue "commands" and get output. Like I had one NFC card to make it print my calendar, one for unread emails, etc.
I have some more features I want to add to it. Its very fun way to cut down on screen time, but ironically i have spent more screen time coding with it and setting it up then it probably has saved me. lol.
- ustad 2y agoWhats the printer you have? I’ve been thinking of getting one and did not know about the notification and external feature you mention.
- hansonkd 2y agoI have a Rongta RP331. The thing I wish it could do different is that when printing a single line, the autocutter hides it, so you have to line feed about 5 times until the line you printed is visible. If i did it different, maybe i would try to find a printer that is able to do reverse line feed so I can "peek" at a single line and then not waste paper. but i think those are about 3-4 times more expensive.
- PaulHoule 2y agoThere are a lot of cheap Chinese dot matrix printers. As an American if you search by mm size you will find those, if you search by inches you will find more reputable (and culturally sensitive) brands. I bought two Chinese printers, one burned up pretty quick when I was testing it but I might have been printing too much black. The other is fine I think but really I am not so motivated to make thermal prints when I have a good quality inkjet. (My best thermal print was a small Lusamine https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1821741 https://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1821741 which demonstrates how Nintendo official art is designed to render on cheap screens like the Nintendo 3DS)
- mtoohig 2y agoPlease share some of your code, I would like to see and get a feel for some personal ideas.
- hansonkd 2y agoI am currently working on an "input" interface to scan resposnes that I write from my typewriter and am planning on releasing a github repo on it when im done. conveniently you can type directly on the receipt printer if the response is short. Right now all my credentials are hardcoded so i can't push out what I have without some cleanup, but I can point you to some of the libraries: python-escpos and nfcpy were what I used for the bulk of it.
- Instantnoodl 2y agoI use Thermal Printer for a different use-case (TTRPG stuff). Feel free to check it out :) https://github.com/BigJk/snd https://github.com/BigJk/snd
- jabroni_salad 2y agowow I love this. I like using spellcards but havent had a good solution for items... might need to buy a receipt printer now.
- autoexec 2y agoReceipt printers are fun but take care not to buy toxic paper https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/the-health-risk-of-bpa-in-receipts/index.htm https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/the-health-...
- gzalo 2y agoI wonder if it's feasible to make diy Thermal paper using lemon juice, like the old "invisible ink experiment"
- desdenova 2y agoShould be easy enough to test if you have a thermal printer. Just spread lemon juice on paper, wait for it to dry, and try printing on it.
- amelius 2y agoDoes this warning also hold for thermal label printers? I have this one: https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews-niimbot-d110 https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews-niimbot-d110
- autoexec 2y agoYes, but it looks like you can get tape for it that is BPA/BPS free.
- kevin_thibedeau 2y agoBrother P-touch uses thermal transfer where pigment is bonded to a substrate rather than a chemical phase change and is safe.
- kragen 2y agoAssuming BPA is what you're worried about (it's not "toxic" by the usual definitions but still something you may want to avoid) there isn't another mainstream option.
- aschmelyun 2y agoReceipt printers are a blast! I had a project from a couple years ago printing out GitHub tickets using a similar setup to what I have for this dot matrix printer.
- AStonesThrow 2y agoWhatever vendor(s) decided that the restaurant industry needed to switch over to thermal printers, I hope Cory Doctorow has a chat with them. "Let's just tape this thermal receipt to your to-go container, and ... refund? What do you mean refund?"
- bombcar 2y agoThermal printers are cheaper because you only have to buy paper, no ribbon or ink. However, thermal receipt printers at restaurants seem to be among the cheapest ones around - you can get thermal printers that result in receipts that withstand decent temperatures (but, obviously, not all). Many shipping labels are printed by direct thermal printers and those labels stand up quite well. Check Zebra for examples.
- nik282000 2y agoGreat minds. My thermal printer spits out the weather every morning and if any important devices fall off my network it prints a notification.
- meling 2y agoLast paragraph made me laugh At least you did something cool with your screen time!