Printing reciepts with thermal printer in java

Question

I have to print receipts through a thermal printer using Java. I have done everything. My program takes the data from the database and converts in one string using special

Answer 1

I found this:

Java Pos Thermal Printer Example

It worked for me. No need for external libraries.

import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Printable;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import javax.print.Doc;
import javax.print.DocFlavor;
import javax.print.DocPrintJob;
import javax.print.PrintService;
import javax.print.PrintServiceLookup;
import javax.print.SimpleDoc;
import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;

public class PrinterService implements Printable {

    public List<String> getPrinters(){

        DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.AUTOSENSE;
        PrintRequestAttributeSet pras = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

        PrintService printServices[] = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(
                flavor, pras);

        List<String> printerList = new ArrayList<String>();
        for(PrintService printerService: printServices){
            printerList.add( printerService.getName());
        }

        return printerList;
    }

    @Override
    public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat pf, int page)
            throws PrinterException {
        if (page > 0) { /* We have only one page, and 'page' is zero-based */
            return NO_SUCH_PAGE;
        }

        /*
         * User (0,0) is typically outside the imageable area, so we must
         * translate by the X and Y values in the PageFormat to avoid clipping
         */
        Graphics2D g2d = (Graphics2D) g;
        g2d.translate(pf.getImageableX(), pf.getImageableY());
        /* Now we perform our rendering */

        g.setFont(new Font("Roman", 0, 8));
        g.drawString("Hello world !", 0, 10);

        return PAGE_EXISTS;
    }

    public void printString(String printerName, String text) {

        // find the printService of name printerName
        DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.AUTOSENSE;
        PrintRequestAttributeSet pras = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

        PrintService printService[] = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(
                flavor, pras);
        PrintService service = findPrintService(printerName, printService);

        DocPrintJob job = service.createPrintJob();

        try {

            byte[] bytes;

            // important for umlaut chars
            bytes = text.getBytes("CP437");

            Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(bytes, flavor, null);


            job.print(doc, null);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            // TODO Auto-generated catch block
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

    }

    public void printBytes(String printerName, byte[] bytes) {

        DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.AUTOSENSE;
        PrintRequestAttributeSet pras = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

        PrintService printService[] = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(
                flavor, pras);
        PrintService service = findPrintService(printerName, printService);

        DocPrintJob job = service.createPrintJob();

        try {

            Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(bytes, flavor, null);

            job.print(doc, null);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    private PrintService findPrintService(String printerName,
            PrintService[] services) {
        for (PrintService service : services) {
            if (service.getName().equalsIgnoreCase(printerName)) {
                return service;
            }
        }

        return null;
    }
}

And the main class:

public class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        PrinterService printerService = new PrinterService();

        System.out.println(printerService.getPrinters());

        //print some stuff. Change the printer name to your thermal printer name.
        printerService.printString("EPSON-TM-T20II", "\n\n testing testing 1 2 3eeeee \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n");

        // cut that paper!
        byte[] cutP = new byte[] { 0x1d, 'V', 1 };

        printerService.printBytes("EPSON-TM-T20II", cutP);

    }

}

Answer 2

hmmm,,, i think you should use the ESC/POS commands for your printer, read the printer tech manual for Epson TM - T81. I had similar problems with TM-U220D and i wrote a class for it. This might not help as the printers are different, anyways am attaching it as a reference :

//------------------------
//-- PrinterOptions.java
//------------------------

public class PrinterOptions {
    String commandSet = "";

    public String initialize() {
        final byte[] Init = {27, 64};
        commandSet += new String(Init);
        return new String(Init);
    }

    public String chooseFont(int Options) {
        String s = "";
        final byte[] ChooseFontA = {27, 77, 0};
        final byte[] ChooseFontB = {27, 77, 1};
        final byte[] ChooseFontC = {27, 77, 48};
        final byte[] ChooseFontD = {27, 77, 49};

        switch(Options) {
            case 1:
            s = new String(ChooseFontA);
            break;

            case 2:
            s = new String(ChooseFontB);
            break;

            case 3:
            s = new String(ChooseFontC);
            break;

            case 4:
            s = new String(ChooseFontD);
            break;

            default:
            s = new String(ChooseFontB);
        }
        commandSet += s;
        return new String(s);
    }

    public String feedBack(byte lines) {
        final byte[] Feed = {27,101,lines};
        String s = new String(Feed);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String feed(byte lines) {
        final byte[] Feed = {27,100,lines};
        String s = new String(Feed);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String alignLeft() {
        final byte[] AlignLeft = {27, 97,48};
        String s = new String(AlignLeft);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String alignCenter() {
        final byte[] AlignCenter = {27, 97,49};
        String s = new String(AlignCenter);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String alignRight() {
        final byte[] AlignRight = {27, 97,50};
        String s = new String(AlignRight);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String newLine() {
        final  byte[] LF = {10};
        String s = new String(LF);
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
   }

   public String reverseColorMode(boolean enabled) {
        final byte[] ReverseModeColorOn = {29, 66, 1};
        final byte[] ReverseModeColorOff = {29, 66, 0};

        String s = "";
        if(enabled)
            s = new String(ReverseModeColorOn);
        else
            s = new String(ReverseModeColorOff);

        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    } 

    public String doubleStrik(boolean enabled) {
        final byte[] DoubleStrikeModeOn = {27, 71, 1};
        final byte[] DoubleStrikeModeOff = {27, 71, 0};

        String s="";
        if(enabled)
            s = new String(DoubleStrikeModeOn);
        else
            s = new String(DoubleStrikeModeOff);

        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    } 

    public String doubleHeight(boolean enabled) {
        final byte[] DoubleHeight = {27, 33, 17};
        final byte[] UnDoubleHeight={27, 33, 0};

        String s = "";
        if(enabled)
            s = new String(DoubleHeight);
        else
            s = new String(UnDoubleHeight);

        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String emphasized(boolean enabled) {
        final byte[] EmphasizedOff={27 ,0};
        final byte[] EmphasizedOn={27 ,1};

        String s="";
        if(enabled)
            s = new String(EmphasizedOn);
        else
            s = new String(EmphasizedOff);

        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    } 

    public String underLine(int Options) {
        final byte[] UnderLine2Dot = {27, 45, 50};
        final byte[] UnderLine1Dot = {27, 45, 49};
        final byte[] NoUnderLine = {27, 45, 48};

        String s = "";
        switch(Options) {
            case 0:
            s = new String(NoUnderLine);
            break;

            case 1:
            s = new String(UnderLine1Dot);
            break;

            default:
            s = new String(UnderLine2Dot);
        }
        commandSet += s;
        return new String(s);
    }

    public String color(int Options) {
        final byte[] ColorRed = {27, 114, 49};
        final byte[] ColorBlack = {27, 114, 48};

        String s = "";
        switch(Options) {
            case 0:
            s = new String(ColorBlack);
            break;

            case 1:
            s = new String(ColorRed);
            break;

            default:
            s = new String(ColorBlack);
        }
        commandSet += s;
        return s;
    }

    public String finit() {
        final byte[] FeedAndCut = {29, 'V', 66, 0};

        String s = new String(FeedAndCut);

        final byte[] DrawerKick={27,70,0,60,120};   
        s += new String(DrawerKick);

        commandSet+=s;
        return s;
    }

    public String addLineSeperator() {
        String lineSpace = "----------------------------------------";
        commandSet += lineSpace;
        return lineSpace;
    }

    public void resetAll() {
        commandSet = "";
    }

    public void setText(String s) {
        commandSet+=s;
    }

    public String finalCommandSet() {
        return commandSet;
    }
}

feedPrinter() -- method

private static boolean feedPrinter(byte[] b) {
    try {       
        AttributeSet attrSet = new HashPrintServiceAttributeSet(new PrinterName("EPSON TM-U220 ReceiptE4", null)); //EPSON TM-U220 ReceiptE4

        DocPrintJob job = PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(null, attrSet)[0].createPrintJob();       
        //PrintServiceLookup.lookupDefaultPrintService().createPrintJob();  

        DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.AUTOSENSE;
        Doc doc = new SimpleDoc(b, flavor, null);
        PrintJobWatcher pjDone = new PrintJobWatcher(job);

        job.print(doc, null);
        pjDone.waitForDone();
        System.out.println("Done !");
    } catch (javax.print.PrintException pex) {
        System.out.println("Printer Error " + pex.getMessage());
        return false;
    } catch(Exception e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        return false;
    }
    return true;
}

Now Prepare a bill :)

PrinterOptions p=new PrinterOptions();

p.resetAll();
p.initialize();
p.feedBack((byte)2);
p.color(0);
p.alignCenter();
p.setText("The Dum Dum Name");
p.newLine();
p.setText("Restaurant Dining");
p.newLine();
p.addLineSeperator();
p.setText("Bling Bling");
p.newLine();
p.addLineSeperator();
p.newLine();

p.alignLeft();
p.setText("POD No \t: 2001 \tTable \t: E511");
p.newLine();              

p.setText("Res Date \t: " +  "01/01/1801 22:59");

p.newLine();
p.setText("Session \t: Evening Session");
p.newLine();
p.setText("Staff \t: Bum Dale");
p.newLine();
p.addLineSeperator();
p.newLine();
p.alignCenter();
p.setText(" - Some Items - ");
p.newLine();
p.alignLeft();
p.addLineSeperator();

p.newLine();

p.setText("No \tItem\t\tUnit\tQty");
p.newLine();
p.addLineSeperator();
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");
p.setText("1" + "\t" + "Aliens Everywhere" + "\t" +  "Rats" + "\t" + "500");

p.addLineSeperator();
p.feed((byte)3);
p.finit();

feedPrinter(p.finalCommandSet().getBytes());