Node Thermal Printer

Node.js module for EPSON and STAR thermal printers command line printing.

Installation

$ npm install node-thermal-printer

Linux specific

Linux requires build-essentials

sudo apt-get install build-essential

Features

const ThermalPrinter = require("../node-thermal-printer").printer;
const PrinterTypes = require("../node-thermal-printer").types;

let printer = new ThermalPrinter({
  type: PrinterTypes.STAR,                                  // Printer type: 'star' or 'epson'
  interface: 'tcp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx',                       // Printer interface
  characterSet: 'SLOVENIA',                                 // Printer character set
  removeSpecialCharacters: false,                           // Removes special characters - default: false
  replaceSpecialCharacters: true,                           // Replaces special characters listed in config files - default: true
  extraSpecialCharacters:{ '£':163 },                       // Adds additional special characters to those listed in the config files
  lineCharacter: "-",                                       // Set character for lines - default: "-"
  options:{                                                 // Additional options
    timeout: 5000                                           // Connection timeout (ms) [applicable only for network printers] - default: 3000
  }
});

let isConnected = await printer.isPrinterConnected();       // Check if printer is connected, return bool of status
let execute = await printer.execute();                      // Executes all the commands. Returns success or throws error
let raw = await printer.raw(Buffer.from("Hello world"));    // Print instantly. Returns success or throws error
printer.print("Hello World");                               // Append text
printer.println("Hello World");                             // Append text with new line
printer.openCashDrawer();                                   // Kick the cash drawer
printer.cut();                                              // Cuts the paper (if printer only supports one mode use this)
printer.partialCut();                                       // Cuts the paper leaving a small bridge in middle (if printer supports multiple cut modes)
printer.beep();                                             // Sound internal beeper/buzzer (if available)
printer.upsideDown(true);                                   // Content is printed upside down (rotated 180 degrees)

printer.bold(true);                                         // Set text bold
printer.invert(true);                                       // Background/text color inversion
printer.underline(true);                                    // Underline text (1 dot thickness)
printer.underlineThick(true);                               // Underline text with thick line (2 dot thickness)
printer.drawLine();                                         // Draws a line
printer.newLine();                                          // Insers break line

printer.alignCenter();                                      // Align text to center
printer.alignLeft();                                        // Align text to left
printer.alignRight();                                       // Align text to right

printer.setTypeFontA();                                     // Set font type to A (default)
printer.setTypeFontB();                                     // Set font type to B

printer.setTextNormal();                                    // Set text to normal
printer.setTextDoubleHeight();                              // Set text to double height
printer.setTextDoubleWidth();                               // Set text to double width
printer.setTextQuadArea();                                  // Set text to quad area
printer.setTextSize(7,7);                                   // Set text height (0-7) and width (0-7)

printer.leftRight("Left", "Right");                         // Prints text left and right
printer.table(["One", "Two", "Three"]);                     // Prints table equaly
printer.tableCustom([                                       // Prints table with custom settings (text, align, width, bold)
  { text:"Left", align:"LEFT", width:0.5 },
  { text:"Center", align:"CENTER", width:0.25, bold:true },
  { text:"Right", align:"RIGHT", width:0.25 }
]);

printer.code128("Code128");                                 // Print code128 bar code
printer.printQR("QR CODE");                                 // Print QR code
await printer.printImage('./assets/olaii-logo-black.png');  // Print PNG image

print.clear();                                              // Clears printText value
print.getText();                                            // Returns printer buffer string value
print.getBuffer();                                          // Returns printer buffer
print.setBuffer(newBuffer);                                 // Set the printer buffer to a copy of newBuffer
print.getWidth();                                           // Get number of characters in one line

Interace options

Value	Descripton
tcp://192.168.0.99:9100	Network printer with port
printer:auto	Auto select raw system printer via Printer or Electron printer module
printer:My Printer Name	Select system printer by name via Printer or Electron printer module module
\\.\COM1	Print via local port or file

Example

const ThermalPrinter = require("../node-thermal-printer").printer;
const PrinterTypes = require("../node-thermal-printer").types;

let printer = new ThermalPrinter({
  type: PrinterTypes.EPSON,
  interface: 'tcp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx'
});

printer.alignCenter();
printer.println("Hello world");
await printer.printImage('./assets/olaii-logo-black.png')
printer.cut();

try {
  let execute = printer.execute()
  console.error("Print done!");
} catch (error) {
  console.log("Print failed:", error);
}

2D Barcode Examples

Example settings are the default when not specified.

printer.code128("Code128", {
    width: "LARGE",          // "SMALL", "MEDIUM", "LARGE",
    height: 80,              // 50 < x < 80
    text: 2                  // 1 - No text
                             // 2 - Text on bottom
                             // 3 - No text inline
                             // 4 - Text on bottom inline
});

printer.printQR("QR Code", {
    cellSize: 3,             // 1 - 8
    correction: 'M',         // L(7%), M(15%), Q(25%), H(30%)
    model: 2                 // 1 - Model 1
                             // 2 - Model 2 (standard)
                             // 3 - Micro QR
});

printer.pdf417("PDF417", {
    rowHeight: 3,            // 2 - 8
    width: 3,                // 2 - 8
    correction: 1,           // Ratio: 1 - 40
    truncated: false,        // boolean
    columns: 0               // 1 - 30, 0 auto
});

printer.maxiCode("MaxiCode", {
    mode: 4,                 // 2 - Formatted/structured Carrier Message (US)
                             // 3 - Formatted/structured Carrier Message (International)
                             // 4 - Unformatted data with Standard Error Correction.
                             // 5 - Unformatted data with Enhanced Error Correction.
                             // 6 - For programming hardware devices.
});

1D Barcode Example

var data = "GS1-128"     // Barcode data (string or buffer)
var type = 74            // Barcode type (See Reference)
var settings = {         // Optional Settings
  hriPos: 0,             // Human readable character 0 - 3 (none, top, bottom, both)
  hriFont: 0,            // Human readable character font
  width: 3,              // Barcode width
  height: 168            // Barcode height
}

printer.printBarcode(data, type, settings);

---

Epson Barcode Reference

#	Type	Possible Characters	Length of Data
65	UPC-A	0 - 9	11, 12
66	UPC-E	0 - 9	6 – 8, 11, 12
67	JAN13	0 - 9	12, 13
68	JAN8	0 - 9	7, 8
69	Code39	0 – 9, A – Z, SP, $, %, *, +, -, ., /	1 – 255
70	ITF (Interleaved 2 of 5)	0 – 9	2 – 254 (even number)
71	CODABAR (NW-7)	0 – 9, A – D, a – d, $, +, −, ., /, :	2 – 255
72	CODE93	00h – 7Fh	1 – 255
73	CODE128	00h – 7Fh	2 - 255
74	GS1-128	NUL – SP(7Fh)	2 – 255
75	GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional	0 – 9	13
76	GS1 DataBar Truncated	0 – 9	13
77	GS1 DataBar Limited	0 – 9	13
78	GS1 DataBar Expanded	0 – 9, A – D, a – d, SP, !, ", %, $, ', (, ), *, +, ,, -, ., /, :, ;, <, =, >, ?, _, {	2 - 255

---

STAR Barcode Reference

var data = "TEST"        // Barcode data (string or buffer)
var type = 7             // Barcode type (See Reference)
var settings = {         // Optional Settings
  characters: 1,         // Add characters (See Reference)
  mode: 3,               // Barcode mode (See Reference)
  height: 150,           // Barcode height (0≤ height ≤255)
}

printer.printBarcode(data, type, settings);

Type

#	Type
0	UPC-E
1	UPC-A
2	JAN/EAN8
3	JAN/EAN13
4	Code39
5	ITF
6	CODE128
7	CODE93
8	NW-7

Settings characters

#	Description
1	No added under-bar characters. Executes line feed after printing a bar code
2	Adds under-bar characters. Executes line feed after printing a bar code
3	No added under-bar characters. Does not execute line feed after printing a bar code
4	Adds under-bar characters. Does not execute line feed after printing a bar code

Settings mode

#	UPC-E, UPC-A, JAN/EAN8, JAN/EAN13, Code128, Code93	Code39, NW-7	ITF
1	Minimum module 2 dots	Narrow: Wide = 2:6 dots	Narrow: Wide = 2:5 dots
2	Minimum module 3 dots	Narrow: Wide = 3:9 dots	Narrow: Wide = 4:10 dots
3	Minimum module 4 dots	Narrow: Wide = 4:12 dots	Narrow: Wide = 6:15 dots
4		Narrow: Wide = 2:5 dots	Narrow: Wide = 2:4 dots
5		Narrow: Wide = 3:8 dots	Narrow: Wide = 4:8 dots
6		Narrow: Wide = 4:10 dots	Narrow: Wide = 6:12 dots
7		Narrow: Wide = 2:4 dots	Narrow: Wide = 2:6 dots
8		Narrow: Wide = 3:6 dots	Narrow: Wide = 3:9 dots
9		Narrow: Wide = 4:8 dots	Narrow: Wide = 4:12 dots

---

Usage Tips

characterSet may be configured with "raw", so no replacement is done at all.

Docs

• STAR: http://www.starmicronics.com/support/mannualfolder/starline_cm_rev1.15_en.pdf
• EPSON: https://reference.epson-biz.com/modules/ref_escpos/index.php

Tested printers:

• Star TSP700
• Rongta RP80US
• EPSON TM-T88V
• Posman BTP-R880NP (Type "epson")