README.md

escprinter

Simple Java class to allow printing to Epson ESC/P and ESC/P2 matrix printers. See below for the different ways to use it. You can also try to compile and run MatrixMain.java to test these features

private static void classicUse(String printerName)
{
	EscPrinter escp = new EscPrinter(printerName, false);
	if (escp.initialize())
	{
	    escp.select15CPI(); //15 characters per inch printing
	    escp.advanceVertical(5); //go down 5cm
	    escp.setAbsoluteHorizontalPosition(5); //5cm to the right
	    escp.bold(true);
	    escp.print("Let's print some matrix text ;)");
	    escp.bold(false);
	    escp.advanceVertical(1);
	    escp.setAbsoluteHorizontalPosition(5); //back to 5cm on horizontal axis
	    escp.print("Very simple and easy!");
	    escp.formFeed(); //eject paper

	    if (!System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase().equalsIgnoreCase("win")) //if you don't need to support cross platform, adapt the code
	        escp.print();

	    escp.close(); //close stream
	}
	else
	{
	    System.out.println("could not find speicifed printer");
	}
}
	
	
private static void printAnExistingFile(String printerName, String filename) 
{
 	EscPrinter escp = new EscPrinter(printerName, false);
	if (escp.initialize())
	{
	    escp.printFile(filename);
	}
	else
	{
	    System.out.println("could not find speicifed printer");
	}
}

public static void main(String[] args) 
{
	// These lines of code are examples of using on a linux or Windows computer
	// Be careful : The printers you're trying to access must be registered on your computer,
	// it is not possible to access to a remote printer
	        
	//static method to check if a printer named "Generic-ESC-P-Dot-Matrix" is available
	if (EscPrinter.printerExists("Generic-ESC-P-Dot-Matrix"))
	    System.out.println("this printer is available !");
	else
	    System.out.println("could not find the specified printer");
	    
	//static method to find all 2D print services available (like a service for the printer you are searching)
	for (PrintService service : EscPrinter.printServices())
	    System.out.println("found a print service named : " + service.getName());
	
	//the simple and fast way provided by Giovanni, but with Linux compatibility (where you cannot access like this : "\\computername\printername")
	classicUse("Generic-ESC-P-Dot-Matrix"); //for Linux
	//classicUse("\\computername\printername"); //for Windows
	
	//another way to use the API with an exisiting file (mime-type: octet-stream) containing ESC-P or ESCP-2 sequences
	printAnExistingFile("Generic-ESC-P-Dot-Matrix", "/home/user/Documents/escp2.txt"); //for Linux (a file with ESC-P or ESC-P2 format)
	//printAnExistingFile("\\computername\printername", "C:/escp2.txt"); //for Windows (a file with ESC-P or ESC-P2 format)                   
}