escpos-php

ESC/POS Print Driver for PHP

This project implements a subset of Epson’s ESC/POS protocol for thermal receipt printers. It allows you to generate and print receipts with basic formatting, cutting, and barcodes on a compatible printer.

The library was developed to add drop-in support for receipt printing to any PHP app, including web-based point-of-sale (POS) applications.

Compatibility

Interfaces and operating systems

This driver is known to work with the following OS/interface combinations:

	Linux	Mac	Windows
Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB	Yes	Not tested	Yes
USB-serial	Yes	Yes	Yes
Serial	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parallel	Yes	Not tested	Yes
SMB shared	Yes	No	Yes
CUPS hosted	Yes	Yes	No

Printers

Many thermal receipt printers support ESC/POS to some degree. This driver has been known to work with:

• 3nStar RPT-008
• Approx APPPOS80AM
• AURES ODP-333
• AURES ODP-500
• Bematech-4200-TH
• Bematech LR2000E
• Birch PRP-085III
• Bixolon SRP-350III
• Bixolon SRP-350Plus
• Black Copper BC-85AC
• CHD TH-305N
• Citizen CBM1000-II
• Citizen CT-S310II
• Dapper-Geyi Q583P
• Daruma DR800
• DR-MP200 (manufacturer unknown)
• EPOS TEP 220M
• Elgin i9
• Epson EU-T332C
• Epson FX-890 (requires feedForm() to release paper).
• Epson TM-T20
• Epson TM-T20II
• Epson TM-T70
• Epson TM-T70II
• Epson TM-T81
• Epson TM-T82II
• Epson TM-T88II
• Epson TM-T88III
• Epson TM-T88IV
• Epson TM-T88V
• Epson TM-U220
• Epson TM-U295 (requires release() to release slip).
• Epson TM-U590 and TM-U590P
• Equal (EQ-IT-001) POS-58
• Everycom EC-58
• Excelvan HOP-E200
• Excelvan HOP-E58
• Excelvan HOP-E801
• Gainscha GP-2120TF
• Gainscha GP-5890x (Also marketed as EC Line 5890x)
• Gainscha GP-U80300I (Also marketed as gprinter GP-U80300I)
• gprinter GP-U80160I
• HOIN HOP-H58
• Ithaca iTherm 28
• Hasar HTP 250
• Metapace T-1
• Metapace T-25
• Nexa PX700
• Nyear NP100
• OKI RT322
• OKI 80 Plus III
• Orient BTP-R580
• P-822D
• P85A-401 (make unknown)
• Partner Tech RP320
• POSLIGNE ODP200H-III-G
• QPOS Q58M
• Rongta RP326US
• Rongta RP58-U
• Rongta RP80USE
• SAM4S GIANT-100DB
• Senor TP-100
• Sewoo SLK-TS400
• SEYPOS PRP-96
• SEYPOS PRP-300 (Also marketed as TYSSO PRP-300)
• SNBC BTP-R880NPIII
• Solux SX-TP-88300
• Sicar POS-80
• Silicon SP-201 / RP80USE
• SPRT SP-POS88V
• Star BSC10
• Star TSP100 ECO
• Star TSP100III FuturePRNT
• Star TSP-650
• Star TUP-592
• TVS RP45 Shoppe
• Venus V248T
• Xeumior SM-8330
• Xprinter F-900
• Xprinter XP-365B
• Xprinter XP-58 Series
• Xprinter XP-80C
• Xprinter XP-90
• XPrinter XP-Q20011
• Xprinter XP-Q800
• Zjiang NT-58H
• Zjiang ZJ-5870
• Zjiang ZJ-5890 (Also sold as POS-5890 by many vendors; ZJ-5890K, ZJ-5890T also work).
• Zjiang ZJ-8220 (Also marketed as Excelvan ZJ-8220)
• Zjiang ZJ-8250

If you use any other printer with this code, please let us know so that it can be added to the list.

Basic usage

Include the library

Composer

This library is designed for use with the composer PHP dependency manager. Simply add the mike42/escpos-php package to get started:

composer require mike42/escpos-php

If you haven’t used composer before, you can read about it at getcomposer.org.

Requirements

This project has few hard dependencies:

• PHP 8.2 or newer.
• json extension, used to load bundled printer definitions (see documentation)
• intl extension, used for character encoding (see documentation)
• zlib extension, used for de-compressing bundled resources (see documentation).

It is also suggested that you install either imagick or gd, as these will be used to speed up image processing if present. The gfx-php library will otherwise be used as a fallback.

The ‘Hello World’ receipt

To make use of this driver, your server (where PHP is installed) must be able to communicate with your printer. Start by generating a simple receipt and sending it to your printer using the command-line.

<?php
/* Call this file 'hello-world.php' */
require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
use Mike42\Escpos\PrintConnectors\FilePrintConnector;
use Mike42\Escpos\Printer;
$connector = new FilePrintConnector("php://stdout");
$printer = new Printer($connector);
$printer -> text("Hello World!\n");
$printer -> cut();
$printer -> close();

Some examples are below for common interfaces.

Communicate with a printer with an Ethernet interface using netcat:

php hello-world.php | nc 10.x.x.x. 9100

A USB local printer connected with usblp on Linux has a device file (Includes USB-parallel interfaces):

php hello-world.php > /dev/usb/lp0

A computer installed into the local cups server is accessed through lp or lpr:

php hello-world.php > foo.txt
lpr -o raw -H localhost -P printer foo.txt

A local or networked printer on a Windows computer is mapped in to a file, and generally requires you to share the printer first:

php hello-world.php > foo.txt
net use LPT1 \\server\printer
copy foo.txt LPT1
del foo.txt

If you have troubles at this point, then you should consult your OS and printer system documentation to try to find a working print command.

Using a PrintConnector

To print receipts from PHP, use the most applicable PrintConnector for your setup. The connector simply provides the plumbing to get data to the printer.

For example, a NetworkPrintConnector accepts an IP address and port:

use Mike42\Escpos\PrintConnectors\NetworkPrintConnector;
use Mike42\Escpos\Printer;
$connector = new NetworkPrintConnector("10.x.x.x", 9100);
$printer = new Printer($connector);
try {
    // ... Print stuff
} finally {
    $printer -> close();
}

While a serial printer might use:

use Mike42\Escpos\PrintConnectors\FilePrintConnector;
use Mike42\Escpos\Printer;
$connector = new FilePrintConnector("/dev/ttyS0");
$printer = new Printer($connector);

For each OS/interface combination that’s supported, there are examples in the compatibility section of how a PrintConnector would be constructed. If you can’t get a PrintConnector to work, then be sure to include the working print command in your issue.

Using a CapabilityProfile

Support for commands and code pages varies between printer vendors and models. By default, the driver will accept UTF-8, and output commands that are suitable for Epson TM-series printers.

When trying out a new brand of printer, it’s a good idea to use the “simple” CapabilityProfile, which instructs the driver to avoid the use of advanced features (generally simpler image handling, ASCII-only text).

use Mike42\Escpos\PrintConnectors\WindowsPrintConnector;
use Mike42\Escpos\CapabilityProfile;
$profile = CapabilityProfile::load("simple");
$connector = new WindowsPrintConnector("smb://computer/printer");
$printer = new Printer($connector, $profile);

As another example, Star-branded printers use different commands:

use Mike42\Escpos\PrintConnectors\WindowsPrintConnector;
use Mike42\Escpos\CapabilityProfile;
$profile = CapabilityProfile::load("SP2000")
$connector = new WindowsPrintConnector("smb://computer/printer");
$printer = new Printer($connector, $profile);

For a list of available profiles, or to have support for your printer improved, please see the upstream receipt-print-hq/escpos-printer-db project.

Tips & examples

On Linux, your printer device file will be somewhere like /dev/lp0 (parallel), /dev/usb/lp1 (USB), /dev/ttyUSB0 (USB-Serial), /dev/ttyS0 (serial).

On Windows, the device files will be along the lines of LPT1 (parallel) or COM1 (serial). Use the WindowsPrintConnector to tap into system printing on Windows (eg. Windows USB, SMB or Windows LPT) - this submits print jobs via a queue rather than communicating directly with the printer.

A complete real-world receipt can be found in the code of Auth in ReceiptPrinter.php. It includes justification, boldness, and a barcode.

Other examples are located in the example/ directory.

Available methods

__construct(PrintConnector $connector, CapabilityProfile $profile)

Construct new print object.

Parameters:

• PrintConnector $connector: The PrintConnector to send data to.
• CapabilityProfile $profile Supported features of this printer. If not set, the “default” CapabilityProfile will be used, which is suitable for Epson printers.

See example/interface/ for ways to open connections for different platforms and interfaces.

barcode($content, $type)

Print a barcode.

Parameters:

• string $content: The information to encode.
• int $type: The barcode standard to output. If not specified, Printer::BARCODE_CODE39 will be used.

Currently supported barcode standards are (depending on your printer):

• BARCODE_UPCA
• BARCODE_UPCE
• BARCODE_JAN13
• BARCODE_JAN8
• BARCODE_CODE39
• BARCODE_ITF
• BARCODE_CODABAR

Note that some barcode standards can only encode numbers, so attempting to print non-numeric codes with them may result in strange behaviour.

bitImage(EscposImage $image, $size)

See graphics() below.

cut($mode, $lines)

Cut the paper.

Parameters:

• int $mode: Cut mode, either Printer::CUT_FULL or Printer::CUT_PARTIAL. If not specified, Printer::CUT_FULL will be used.
• int $lines: Number of lines to feed before cutting. If not specified, 3 will be used.

feed($lines)

Print and feed line / Print and feed n lines.

Parameters:

• int $lines: Number of lines to feed

feedForm()

Some printers require a form feed to release the paper. On most printers, this command is only useful in page mode, which is not implemented in this driver.

feedReverse($lines)

Print and reverse feed n lines.

Parameters:

• int $lines: number of lines to feed. If not specified, 1 line will be fed.

graphics(EscposImage $image, $size)

Print an image to the printer.

Parameters:

• EscposImage $img: The image to print.
• int $size: Output size modifier for the image.

Size modifiers are:

• IMG_DEFAULT (leave image at original size)
• IMG_DOUBLE_WIDTH
• IMG_DOUBLE_HEIGHT

A minimal example:

<?php
$img = EscposImage::load("logo.png");
$printer -> graphics($img);

See the example/ folder for detailed examples.

The function bitImage() takes the same parameters, and can be used if your printer doesn’t support the newer graphics commands. As an additional fallback, the bitImageColumnFormat() function is also provided.

initialize()

Initialize printer. This resets formatting back to the defaults.

pdf417Code($content, $width, $heightMultiplier, $dataColumnCount, $ec, $options)

Print a two-dimensional data code using the PDF417 standard.

Parameters:

• string $content: Text or numbers to store in the code
• number $width: Width of a module (pixel) in the printed code. Default is 3 dots.
• number $heightMultiplier: Multiplier for height of a module. Default is 3 times the width.
• number $dataColumnCount: Number of data columns to use. 0 (default) is to auto-calculate. Smaller numbers will result in a narrower code, making larger pixel sizes possible. Larger numbers require smaller pixel sizes.
• real $ec: Error correction ratio, from 0.01 to 4.00. Default is 0.10 (10%).
• number $options: Standard code Printer::PDF417_STANDARD with start/end bars, or truncated code Printer::PDF417_TRUNCATED with start bars only.

pulse($pin, $on_ms, $off_ms)

Generate a pulse, for opening a cash drawer if one is connected. The default settings (0, 120, 240) should open an Epson drawer.

Parameters:

• int $pin: 0 or 1, for pin 2 or pin 5 kick-out connector respectively.
• int $on_ms: pulse ON time, in milliseconds.
• int $off_ms: pulse OFF time, in milliseconds.

qrCode($content, $ec, $size, $model)

Print the given data as a QR code on the printer.

• string $content: The content of the code. Numeric data will be more efficiently compacted.
• int $ec Error-correction level to use. One of Printer::QR_ECLEVEL_L (default), Printer::QR_ECLEVEL_M, Printer::QR_ECLEVEL_Q or Printer::QR_ECLEVEL_H. Higher error correction results in a less compact code.
• int $size: Pixel size to use. Must be 1-16 (default 3)
• int $model: QR code model to use. Must be one of Printer::QR_MODEL_1, Printer::QR_MODEL_2 (default) or Printer::QR_MICRO (not supported by all printers).

selectPrintMode($mode)

Select print mode(s).

Parameters:

• int $mode: The mode to use. Default is Printer::MODE_FONT_A, with no special formatting. This has a similar effect to running initialize().

Several MODE_* constants can be OR’d together passed to this function’s $mode argument. The valid modes are:

• MODE_FONT_A
• MODE_FONT_B
• MODE_EMPHASIZED
• MODE_DOUBLE_HEIGHT
• MODE_DOUBLE_WIDTH
• MODE_UNDERLINE

setBarcodeHeight($height)

Set barcode height.

Parameters:

• int $height: Height in dots. If not specified, 8 will be used.

setBarcodeWidth($width)

Set barcode bar width.

Parameters:

• int $width: Bar width in dots. If not specified, 3 will be used. Values above 6 appear to have no effect.

setColor($color)

Select print color - on printers that support multiple colors.

Parameters:

• int $color: Color to use. Must be either Printer::COLOR_1 (default), or Printer::COLOR_2

setDoubleStrike($on)

Turn double-strike mode on/off.

Parameters:

• boolean $on: true for double strike, false for no double strike.

setEmphasis($on)

Turn emphasized mode on/off.

Parameters:

• boolean $on: true for emphasis, false for no emphasis.

setFont($font)

Select font. Most printers have two fonts (Fonts A and B), and some have a third (Font C).

Parameters:

• int $font: The font to use. Must be either Printer::FONT_A, Printer::FONT_B, or Printer::FONT_C.

setJustification($justification)

Select justification.

Parameters:

• int $justification: One of Printer::JUSTIFY_LEFT, Printer::JUSTIFY_CENTER, or Printer::JUSTIFY_RIGHT.

setLineSpacing($height)

Set the height of the line.

Some printers will allow you to overlap lines with a smaller line feed.

Parameters:

• int $height: The height of each line, in dots. If not set, the printer will reset to its default line spacing.

setPrintLeftMargin($margin)

Set print area left margin. Reset to default with Printer::initialize().

Parameters:

• int $margin: The left margin to set on to the print area, in dots.

setPrintWidth($width)

Set print area width. This can be used to add a right margin to the print area. Reset to default with Printer::initialize().

Parameters:

• int $width: The width of the page print area, in dots.

setReverseColors($on)

Set black/white reverse mode on or off. In this mode, text is printed white on a black background.

Parameters:

• boolean $on: True to enable, false to disable.

setTextSize($widthMultiplier, $heightMultiplier)

Set the size of text, as a multiple of the normal size.

Parameters:

• int $widthMultiplier: Multiple of the regular height to use (range 1 - 8).
• int $heightMultiplier: Multiple of the regular height to use (range 1 - 8).

setUnderline($underline)

Set underline for printed text.

Parameters:

• int $underline: Either true/false, or one of Printer::UNDERLINE_NONE, Printer::UNDERLINE_SINGLE or Printer::UNDERLINE_DOUBLE. Defaults to Printer::UNDERLINE_SINGLE.

text($str)

Add text to the buffer. Text should either be followed by a line-break, or feed() should be called after this.

Parameters:

• string $str: The string to print.

Further notes

Posts I’ve written up for people who are learning how to use receipt printers:

• What is ESC/POS, and how do I use it?, which documents the output of example/demo.php.
• Setting up an Epson receipt printer
• Getting a USB receipt printer working on Linux

Development

This code is MIT licensed, and you are encouraged to contribute any modifications back to the project.

For development, it’s suggested that you load imagick, gd and Xdebug PHP extensions.

The tests are executed via GitHub actions on PHP 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5. Older versions of PHP are not supported in the current release.

Fetch a copy of this code and load dependencies with composer:

git clone https://github.com/mike42/escpos-php
cd escpos-php/
composer install

Execute unit tests via phpunit:

php vendor/bin/phpunit --coverage-text

Or with coverage:

XDEBUG_MODE=coverage php vendor/bin/phpunit --coverage-text

This project uses the PSR-2 standard, which can be checked via PHP_CodeSniffer:

php vendor/bin/phpcs --standard=psr2 src/ -n

The developer docs are not currently maintained, but were built with doxygen. Re-build them to check for documentation warnings:

make -C doc clean && make -C doc

Pull requests and bug reports welcome.