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.

Basic usage

A "hello world" receipt can be generated easily (Call this hello-world.php):

<?php
require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . "/Escpos.php");
$printer = new Escpos();
$printer -> text("Hello World!\n");
$printer -> cut();
$printer -> close();

This would be printed as:

# Networked printer
php hello-world.php | nc 10.x.x.x. 9100
# Local printer
php hello-world.php > /dev/...
# Windows local printer
php hello-world.php > foo.txt
net use LPT1 \\server\printer
copy foo.txt LPT1
del foo.txt

From your web app, you could pass the output directly to a socket if your printer is networked:

<?php
require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . "/Escpos.php");
$connector = new NetworkPrintConnector("10.x.x.x", 9100);
$printer = new Escpos($connector);
$printer -> text("Hello World!\n");
$printer -> cut();
$printer -> close();

Or to a local printer:

<?php
require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . "/Escpos.php");
$connector = new FilePrintConnector("/dev/ttyS0");
$printer = new Escpos($connector);
$printer -> text("Hello World!\n");
$printer -> cut();
$printer -> close();

Basic workflow

The library should be initialised with a PrintConnector, which will pass on the data to your printer. Use the table under "Compatibility", or the examples below to choose the appropriate connector for your platform & interface. If no connector is specified, then standard output is used.

When you have finished using the print object, call close() to finalize any data transfers.

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.

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

Printers

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

EPOS TEP 220M
Epson TM-T88III
Epson TM-T88IV
Epson TM-T70
Epson TM-T82II
Epson TM-T20
Epson TM-T70II
Epson TM-U220
Epson FX-890 (requires feedForm() to release paper).
Okipos 80 Plus III
P-822D
SEYPOS PRP-300 (Also marketed as TYSSO PRP-300)
Star TSP-650
Star TUP-592
Xprinter XP-Q800
Zijang NT-58H
Zijang ZJ-5870
Zijang ZJ-5890T (Marketed as POS 5890T)

If you use any other printer with this code, please let me know so I can add it to the list.

Available methods

__construct(PrintConnector $connector, AbstractCapabilityProfile $profile)

Construct new print object.

Parameters:

PrintConnector $connector: The PrintConnector to send data to. If not set, output is sent to standard output.
AbstractCapabilityProfile $profile Supported features of this printer. If not set, the DefaultCapabilityProfile 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, Escpos::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 Escpos::CUT_FULL or Escpos::CUT_PARTIAL. If not specified, Escpos::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 = new EscposImage("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.

initialize()

Initialize printer. This resets formatting back to the defaults.

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 Escpos::QR_ECLEVEL_L (default), Escpos::QR_ECLEVEL_M, Escpos::QR_ECLEVEL_Q or Escpos::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 Escpos::QR_MODEL_1, Escpos::QR_MODEL_2 (default) or Escpos::QR_MICRO (not supported by all printers).

selectPrintMode($mode)

Select print mode(s).

Parameters:

int $mode: The mode to use. Default is Escpos::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.

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 Escpos::FONT_A, Escpos::FONT_B, or Escpos::FONT_C.

setJustification($justification)

Select justification.

Parameters:

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

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 Escpos::UNDERLINE_NONE, Escpos::UNDERLINE_SINGLE or Escpos::UNDERLINE_DOUBLE. Defaults to Escpos::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 test.php.
Setting up an Epson receipt printer
Getting a USB receipt printer working on Linux

Other versions

Some forks of this project have been developed by others for specific use cases. Improvements from the following projects have been incorporated into escpos-php:

Vendor documentation

Epson notes that not all of its printers support all ESC/POS features, and includes a table in their documentation:

FAQ about ESC/POS from Epson

Note that many printers produced by other vendors use the same standard, and are compatible by varying degrees.