Skip to main content

4 Best PHP Printer Libraries

Are you looking for a library to help you with printing documents in PHP? If so, you’re in luck! There are lots of great options available, and this list will help you choose the best one for your needs. Each of these libraries has its own strengths, so be sure to pick the one that fits your project requirements.

escpos-php

If you need to print receipts with basic formatting, cutting, and barcodes in your PHP app, this is the library for you.

escpos-php is a lightweight library for generating ESC/POS printer commands. ESC/POS is a command set developed by Epson for use with its thermal and impact printers. The advantage of using ESC/POS commands is that they are simple to generate and easy to understand. 

This makes it easy to add drop-in support for receipt printing to any PHP app – including web-based point-of-sale (POS) applications. Best of all, the library is open-source and free to use.

<?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("Print this line!\n");
$printer -> cut();
$printer -> close();

posprint

With posprint, you’ll have an easy time printing receipts, tickets, and other thermal printouts. It works by sending RAW commands to the printer – so no need for specific drivers. And it’s built based on Esc/Pos commands that are available for printers from various manufacturers.

The list of manufacturers currently included is EPSON (TM-T20), DARUMA (DR700), BEMATECH (MP-4200 TH), ELGIN (VOX), STAR (BSC-10), SWEDA (SI-300), DIEBOLD (TSP143MD/MU). However, not all models from these brands will work due to the availability of features offered by their own firmware.

$filename = "/tmp/epson.prn";
$connector = new Posprint\Connector\File($filename);
$printer = new Posprint\Printers\Epson($connector);
$printer->initialize();
$printer->setBold();
$printer->text("Hello World !!");
$printer->setBold();
$printer->lineFeed(2);
$printer->setAlign("C");
$printer->text("CENTRAL");
$printer->lineFeed(2);
$printer->cut();
$printer->send();

escpos

ESC/POS is a library for PHP that allows you to generate buffer commands for thermal printers. This can be useful for printing any documents via a thermal printer. The library supports various printer models and interfaces, including USB, Serial, and networked printers. ESC/POS also includes support for generating barcodes and images. You can find more information about ESC/POS on the project’s website.

use Thermal\Printer;
use Thermal\Connection\Buffer;
use Thermal\Model;

$model = new Model('MP-4200 TH');
$connection = new Buffer();
$printer = new Printer($model, $connection);
$printer->setColumns(56);
$printer->write('Simple Text *** ');
$printer->writeln('Bold Text', Printer::STYLE_BOLD);
$printer->writeln('Double height', Printer::STYLE_DOUBLE_HEIGHT | Printer::STYLE_BOLD, Printer::ALIGN_CENTER);
$printer->qrcode('qrcode text');
$printer->feed(2);
$printer->buzzer();
$printer->cutter();
$printer->drawer(Printer::DRAWER_1);
echo $connection->getBuffer();

PhpAidc LabelPrinter

PhpAidc LabelPrinter is a handy library that can help you create and print labels on a variety of printers. The library supports printer languages such as Direct Protocol, Fingerprint, TSPL/TSPL2 (Honeywell, Intermec, TSC), allowing you to easily print labels on a variety of devices. Moreover, the library is also compatible with TCP/IP, making it easy to connect to and print from a variety of devices.

use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Enum\Unit;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Enum\Anchor;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Enum\Charset;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Printer;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Label\Label;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Label\Element;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\CompilerFactory;
use PhpAidc\LabelPrinter\Connector\NetworkConnector;

$label = Label::create(Unit::MM(), 43, 25)
    ->charset(Charset::UTF8())
    ->add(Element::textBlock(168, 95, 'Hello!', 'Univers', 8)->box(338, 100, 0)->anchor(Anchor::CENTER()))
    ->add(Element::barcode(10, 10, '123456', 'CODE93')->height(60))
;

(new Printer(new NetworkConnector('192.168.x.x'), CompilerFactory::tspl()))->print($label);

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies.