A few days ago I made a thread about wanting to use a reciept printer to print e-books. Now I got one and wanted to share the results with you.
I got me a refurbished but older type for cheap. So I had to force win7 to accept non-certified drivers after Linux CUPS didn't want to work (but should be after I tweak a bit more). It uses 80mm (3.14 Inch) Rolls.
I'm lucky I didn't choose the smaller 57mm version because that would suck, however 80mm is surprisingly just enough.
I can choose "fit to page" in printing PDFs and hit just about the border of still being readable. If it's not some wierd font, I basically can print as it is (even including pictures).
I think unless it's interpreted as pictures you could replace the font and tweak it here and there to improve it.
Now, if you'd buy a newer product with >=300 dots resolution you'd probably wouldn't even have to tweak.
If you're okay with your printed Book being sligthly bigger than you're regular coffee mug this certainly is an option.
(Started a new book database so I can't post pics right now since that pc is busy but if the thread is still a live in and hour, I'll also post a pic or two with the result.)
here's a little challenge for that printer. print out that book /lit/ wrote, the legacy of totalitarianism in a tundra. seems like a good way to break the thing in
Ayden Ward
This
Connor White
Almost 500 pages. I think it might even with on one Roll, however I currently only have one roll that came with the printer. (I didn't want to pre-order more in case it sucks)
How about I'll print a few pages of "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) later on? It certainly is a good read and doesn't lose to /lit/ one bit in quality.
Ayden Gomez
what about a single chapter of Subspace emissary's world conquest. any chapter. at all? you cant go wrong with autism-fic's like that one
yeah that's the one. the longest work of "literature" in english, if memory serves.
Cameron Brown
Do the lit book which was 50% filled with nigger, also please post that legendary screencap I lost it
Joshua Jackson
alternatively, how about some of that book that ulillia wrote, The Legend of the 10 Elemental Masters. that's another good one since you can find a free pdf preview of it.
Aaron Wilson
I hope you're only intending the 'books' as a disposable item - thermal print doesn't last.
Jaxon Carter
>A few days ago I made a thread anyone got the thread id?
Jose Turner
bump for potential
Samuel Bennett
I'm okay with that.
Tyler Rogers
Can you switch to landscape? And max out the font size? I want a side scroller adventure tale (that I don’t need a magnifying glass to read)
Justin Lewis
no probs then, it'd be pretty interesting for something to read on the train and then recycle when done.
Lucas Howard
>landscape Yes, the option is there but I have no Idea what will happen if I choose this. Will it use the entire roll or dice it in pages?
>font size Now you just want me to waste my single roll. I try one word in max font in landscape for you because I'm also interessted what it will look like, but that's it.
Are you doing this as a curio or do you really find this more enjoyable to read than an e-ink kindle (or an iPad for that matter)?
Mason Bell
And that's the first page. As you can see it's still readable, ugly but readable.
Also, it seem I have some problems with simple flow text. Instead of printing like in the picture it seems to always get the wrong page format. the text will start center to right and then cut off.
I'll have to look into that later, however converting files to pdf and then print works fine.
ah right, for more detail on lenght. it's about 120cm (47 Inches) and 80mm in witdh (3.14 Inches)
Oliver Allen
use a bitmap font, since it's clearly only printing in 1bpp
Tyler Myers
Well, I don't have to worry about battery life, don't have to carry the extra weight and the paper folded probably even fit's in my walled. In the I just want to read on paper. I'm read screens all day, you see.
Cooper Ward
right, I'll remember that for my next print.
Brody Moore
np, make sure you're not scaling the document either, if you scale a bitmap font, it may look similar or even worse then before
Elijah Martinez
Can you print this thread? That would be interesting user
Dylan Jones
>I just want to read on paper. I'm read screens all day, you see. do you know how eink displays work? there's really no difference between reading on them and paper >don't have to worry about battery life eink displays only need power to change the contents, so devices using them use very little power they can literally go /weeks/ without charging with typical use
Nicholas Moore
can it print PDFs with lots of math formulas?
Ian James
you should be most concerned about the nasty chemicals in the paper tape that thing uses. BPA, baby! You'll be growin' breasts in no time.
Oliver Hill
It should be able to print anything a regular printer can, it will just be black and white only and most likely a lower resolution.
Isaac Collins
Stop shilling your kindles Amazon, nobody cares
Camden Murphy
>I got me a refurbished but older type for cheap. So I had to force win7 to accept non-certified drivers after Linux CUPS didn't want to work I am sure there are drivers for this, since Linux is quite often used in POS, just tell the model.
>vimeo.com/254731063 yeah, that how it looks like pretty much. Thanks to the video title I probably think that's the solution to the flow text problem as windows 7 probably uses utf or something instead of codepage something... just a therory, though.
Yikes. While it's great that you can print a fuckton of books because your only real limit is how much thermal paper you have, they will fade pretty quickly. Not to mention being ruined by just about any source of heat. This seems like a neat idea if you want to print a book just long enough to read it and if the process could be automated, it would make for an interesting library concept where someone checks out a book, it's printed for them, and then basically deteriorates not long after. No more late fees, etc.
That's good enough for me. I'll take care to not read it at noon summer sun. However, I've had thermal printer printed grocieries reciepts that looked even after a year perfectly fine. There are also, I think, reciepts for collector items still in good shape that with certain collectors. How long will it truly last, we'll see. I don't expect much but woundn't be sad if it can hold on for a few years.
Juan Nguyen
How about you go fuck yourself, mate? Non-autistic normies do lurk this board. It's not some super secret club.
Bentley Brooks
My sides
Evan Fisher
Is this like the ultimate shtf printer?
Noah Barnes
was it inbreeding?
Charles Mitchell
What was the actual model of printer? I was thinking about getting a receipt printer for shits and gigs as well as a label printer for lewd graffiti.
James Russell
Depends on how much thermal paper you have after shtf
Gavin Turner
Neat project, OP. Keep posting updates if you can
Luis Butler
That's a great American work in the making. It absolutely must be published.
