ESC/POS Commands Reference

Comprehensive reference for standard ESC/POS thermal printer commands.

Overview

ESC/POS is an Epson standard for controlling thermal receipt printers. This library implements the most commonly used commands compatible with a wide range of thermal printers.

Import:

typescript

import * as ESCPOS from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

Control Characters

Basic control codes used in ESC/POS commands.

Constant	Hex	Decimal	Description
`HT`	`0x09`	9	Horizontal Tab
`LF`	`0x0A`	10	Line Feed
`FF`	`0x0C`	12	Form Feed
`CR`	`0x0D`	13	Carriage Return
`DLE`	`0x10`	16	Data Link Escape
`CAN`	`0x18`	24	Cancel
`ESC`	`0x1B`	27	Escape
`FS`	`0x1C`	28	File Separator
`GS`	`0x1D`	29	Group Separator

Initialization

INIT

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x40] or ESC @

Description: Resets the printer to its default state. Clears print buffer, resets formatting, and restores default settings.

Returns: number[] - [0x1B, 0x40]

Example:

typescript

import { INIT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Reset printer to defaults
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(INIT));

Notes: Always send this command at the beginning of a print job to ensure consistent state.

Text Alignment

ALIGN_LEFT

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x61, 0x00] or ESC a 0

Description: Sets text alignment to left justified.

Example:

typescript

import { ALIGN_LEFT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ALIGN_LEFT));
generator.addText('Left aligned text');

ALIGN_CENTER

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x61, 0x01] or ESC a 1

Description: Sets text alignment to center justified.

Example:

typescript

import { ALIGN_CENTER } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ALIGN_CENTER));
generator.addText('Centered text');

ALIGN_RIGHT

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x61, 0x02] or ESC a 2

Description: Sets text alignment to right justified.

Example:

typescript

import { ALIGN_RIGHT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ALIGN_RIGHT));
generator.addText('Right aligned text');

Text Emphasis

BOLD_ON / BOLD_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x45, n] or ESC E n

Description: Turns bold (emphasized) mode on or off.

Constant	n	Effect
`BOLD_ON`	`0x01`	Enable bold
`BOLD_OFF`	`0x00`	Disable bold

Example:

typescript

import { BOLD_ON, BOLD_OFF } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(BOLD_ON));
generator.addText('Bold text');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(BOLD_OFF));
generator.addText('Normal text');

UNDERLINE_ON / UNDERLINE_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x2D, n] or ESC - n

Description: Turns underline mode on or off.

Constant	n	Effect
`UNDERLINE_OFF`	`0x00`	Disable underline
`UNDERLINE_ON`	`0x01`	1-dot underline
`UNDERLINE_1DOT`	`0x01`	1-dot underline
`UNDERLINE_2DOT`	`0x02`	2-dot underline

Example:

typescript

import { UNDERLINE_ON, UNDERLINE_OFF, UNDERLINE_2DOT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(UNDERLINE_ON));
generator.addText('Underlined text');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(UNDERLINE_2DOT));
generator.addText('Thick underline');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(UNDERLINE_OFF));

DOUBLE_STRIKE_ON / DOUBLE_STRIKE_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x47, n] or ESC G n

Description: Turns double-strike mode on or off. Double-strike prints each line twice for darker output.

Example:

typescript

import { DOUBLE_STRIKE_ON, DOUBLE_STRIKE_OFF } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(DOUBLE_STRIKE_ON));
generator.addText('Double-strike text');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(DOUBLE_STRIKE_OFF));

Character Sizing & Fonts

calculateCharacterSize()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x21, n] or ESC ! n

Description: Sets character size and style using the ESC ! command. This is the recommended method for character sizing as it has better printer compatibility than GS !.

typescript

function calculateCharacterSize(
  width: number,
  height: number,
  bold?: boolean
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`width`	`number`	1-2	Width multiplier
`height`	`number`	1-2	Height multiplier
`bold`	`boolean`	-	Enable bold emphasis

Returns: number[] - [ESC, 0x21, n] where n encodes size and style

Bit Layout of n:

Bit 0: Font selection (0=Font A, 1=Font B)
Bit 3: Bold/emphasis
Bit 4: Double-height
Bit 5: Double-width
Bit 7: Underline

Example:

typescript

import { calculateCharacterSize } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Normal size
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(calculateCharacterSize(1, 1)));
generator.addText('Normal');

// Double width
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(calculateCharacterSize(2, 1)));
generator.addText('Wide');

// Double height
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(calculateCharacterSize(1, 2)));
generator.addText('Tall');

// Double size + bold
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(calculateCharacterSize(2, 2, true)));
generator.addText('Large Bold');

Notes:

Uses Font B (9x17 dots) by default for better character fit on 48-char receipts
Maximum size is 2x2 with ESC ! command
For larger sizes (up to 8x8), use selectCharacterSize() with GS ! command

selectCharacterSize()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x21, n] or GS ! n

Description: Select character size with larger multipliers (1-8x).

typescript

function selectCharacterSize(
  widthMultiplier: number,
  heightMultiplier: number
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`widthMultiplier`	`number`	1-8	Width multiplier
`heightMultiplier`	`number`	1-8	Height multiplier

Example:

typescript

import { selectCharacterSize } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// 4x normal size
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(selectCharacterSize(4, 4)));
generator.addText('HUGE');

// Reset to normal
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(selectCharacterSize(1, 1)));

Notes: Not all printers support GS ! command. Use calculateCharacterSize() for better compatibility.

selectFont()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x4D, n] or ESC M n

Description: Select character font.

typescript

enum CharacterFont {
  FONT_A = 0,  // 12x24 dots (default)
  FONT_B = 1,  // 9x17 dots (narrower)
  FONT_C = 2   // Printer dependent
}

function selectFont(font: CharacterFont): number[]

Example:

typescript

import { selectFont, CharacterFont } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Use narrow font for more characters per line
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(selectFont(CharacterFont.FONT_B)));
generator.addText('Narrow font text');

ROTATE_90_ON / ROTATE_90_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x56, n] or ESC V n

Description: Enable/disable 90-degree clockwise rotation.

Example:

typescript

import { ROTATE_90_ON, ROTATE_90_OFF } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ROTATE_90_ON));
generator.addText('Rotated text');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ROTATE_90_OFF));

UPSIDE_DOWN_ON / UPSIDE_DOWN_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x7B, n] or ESC { n

Description: Enable/disable upside-down printing.

Example:

typescript

import { UPSIDE_DOWN_ON, UPSIDE_DOWN_OFF } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(UPSIDE_DOWN_ON));
generator.addText('Upside down');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(UPSIDE_DOWN_OFF));

REVERSE_PRINT_ON / REVERSE_PRINT_OFF

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x42, n] or GS B n

Description: Enable/disable white-on-black reverse printing.

Example:

typescript

import { REVERSE_PRINT_ON, REVERSE_PRINT_OFF } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(REVERSE_PRINT_ON));
generator.addText('Inverted colors');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(REVERSE_PRINT_OFF));

Line Spacing & Paper Control

setLineSpacing()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x33, n] or ESC 3 n

Description: Set line spacing in dots.

typescript

function setLineSpacing(dots: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`dots`	`number`	18-255	Line spacing in dots

Notes: Minimum enforced is 18 dots for consistency with ESC/Bematech protocol.

Example:

typescript

import { setLineSpacing, LINE_SPACING_DEFAULT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Compact spacing
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setLineSpacing(18)));

// Normal spacing (30 dots)
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(LINE_SPACING_DEFAULT));

// Wide spacing
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setLineSpacing(50)));

LINE_FEED

Byte Sequence: [0x0A] or LF

Description: Advances paper by one line.

feedLines()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x64, n] or ESC d n

Description: Print buffer contents and feed paper by n lines.

typescript

function feedLines(lines: number): number[]

Example:

typescript

import { feedLines } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addText('Text here');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(feedLines(3))); // Feed 3 lines

printAndFeed()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x4A, n] or ESC J n

Description: Print and feed paper by n dots.

typescript

function printAndFeed(dots: number): number[]

printAndReverseFeed()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x4B, n] or ESC K n

Description: Print and reverse feed paper by n dots.

typescript

function printAndReverseFeed(dots: number): number[]

Paper Cutting

CUT_FULL / CUT_PARTIAL

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x56, m] or GS V m

Description: Cut paper.

Constant	m	Effect
`CUT_FULL`	`0x00`	Full cut (complete separation)
`CUT_PARTIAL`	`0x01`	Partial cut (leaves connection)

Alternative commands:

Constant	Sequence	Description
`CUT_FULL_ESC`	`[ESC, 0x69]`	Full cut via ESC i
`CUT_PARTIAL_ESC`	`[ESC, 0x6D]`	Partial cut via ESC m

cutWithFeed()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x56, 0x41, n] or GS V A n

Description: Feed paper by n lines then perform full cut.

typescript

function cutWithFeed(lines: number): number[]

cutAndFeedFull() / cutAndFeedPartial()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x56, m, n] or GS V m n

Description: Feed paper by n dots then cut.

typescript

function cutAndFeedFull(dots: number): number[]
function cutAndFeedPartial(dots: number): number[]

Example:

typescript

import { cutAndFeedFull, cutAndFeedPartial } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Feed 30 dots and full cut
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(cutAndFeedFull(30)));

// Feed 50 dots and partial cut
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(cutAndFeedPartial(50)));

Character Encoding & Code Pages

Code Page Constants

Constant	Value	Description
`CODEPAGE_CP437`	`[ESC, 0x74, 0x00]`	USA
`CODEPAGE_CP860`	`[ESC, 0x74, 0x03]`	Portuguese
`CODEPAGE_WPC1252`	`[ESC, 0x74, 0x10]`	Windows Latin-1

setCodePage()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x74, n] or ESC t n

Description: Select character code table.

typescript

enum CodePage {
  CP437 = 0,   // USA, Standard Europe
  CP850 = 2,   // Multilingual
  CP860 = 3,   // Portuguese
  CP863 = 4,   // Canadian-French
  CP865 = 5,   // Nordic
  // ... more
}

function setCodePage(page: CodePage): number[]

selectInternationalCharset()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x52, n] or ESC R n

Description: Select international character set for special characters.

typescript

enum InternationalCharset {
  USA = 0,
  FRANCE = 1,
  GERMANY = 2,
  UK = 3,
  DENMARK_I = 4,
  SWEDEN = 5,
  ITALY = 6,
  SPAIN_I = 7,
  JAPAN = 8,
  NORWAY = 9,
  DENMARK_II = 10,
  SPAIN_II = 11,
  LATIN_AMERICA = 12,
  KOREA = 13
}

function selectInternationalCharset(charset: InternationalCharset): number[]

encodeText()

Description: Convert text to CP860 byte array for thermal printers.

typescript

function encodeText(text: string): number[]

Example:

typescript

import { encodeText, setCodePage, CodePage } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Set Portuguese code page
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setCodePage(CodePage.CP860)));

// Encode Portuguese text
const bytes = encodeText('Café, Ação, São Paulo');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(bytes));

Text Position & Layout

setAbsolutePosition()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x24, nL, nH] or ESC $ nL nH

Description: Set absolute horizontal print position.

typescript

function setAbsolutePosition(position: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`position`	`number`	Position = (nH × 256 + nL) × motion unit

setRelativePosition()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x5C, nL, nH] or ESC \ nL nH

Description: Set relative horizontal print position. Supports negative values.

typescript

function setRelativePosition(position: number): number[]

setCharacterSpacing()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x20, n] or ESC SP n

Description: Set right-side character spacing.

typescript

function setCharacterSpacing(dots: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`dots`	`number`	0-255	Spacing in dots

setTabPositions()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x44, n1, ..., nk, 0x00] or ESC D n1...nk NUL

Description: Set horizontal tab positions.

typescript

function setTabPositions(positions: number[]): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`positions`	`number[]`	1-255 each, up to 32	Tab positions in ascending order

Example:

typescript

import { setTabPositions, CLEAR_TABS, HT } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Set tabs at columns 10, 25, 40
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setTabPositions([10, 25, 40])));
generator.addText('Col1');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from([HT])); // Tab to position 10
generator.addText('Col2');
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from([HT])); // Tab to position 25
generator.addText('Col3');

// Clear all tabs
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(CLEAR_TABS));

Graphics - Bit Images

BitImageMode Enum

typescript

enum BitImageMode {
  MODE_8_SINGLE = 0,   // 8-dot single-density (67 DPI)
  MODE_8_DOUBLE = 1,   // 8-dot double-density (100 DPI)
  MODE_24_SINGLE = 32, // 24-dot single-density (203 DPI)
  MODE_24_DOUBLE = 33  // 24-dot double-density (203 DPI)
}

printBitImage()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x2A, m, nL, nH, d1...dk] or ESC * m nL nH data

Description: Print bit image.

typescript

function printBitImage(
  mode: BitImageMode,
  width: number,
  data: number[]
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`mode`	`BitImageMode`	Image mode/density
`width`	`number`	Number of data columns
`data`	`number[]`	Bit image data

Graphics - Raster Images

generateRasterImage()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x76, 0x30, m, xL, xH, yL, yH, d1...dk] or GS v 0

Description: Print raster bitmap image.

typescript

function generateRasterImage(
  imageData: number[],
  width: number,
  height: number
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`imageData`	`number[]`	Monochrome bitmap (1 bit per pixel, 1=black)
`width`	`number`	Image width in pixels
`height`	`number`	Image height in pixels

Example:

typescript

import { generateRasterImage } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Generate image command from bitmap data
const imageBytes = generateRasterImage(bitmapData, 384, 100);
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(imageBytes));

Graphics - Downloaded Bit Images

defineDownloadedBitImage()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x2A, x, y, d1...dk] or GS * x y data

Description: Define a bit image in volatile memory for later printing.

typescript

function defineDownloadedBitImage(
  x: number,
  y: number,
  data: number[]
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`x`	`number`	1-255	Horizontal bytes (x × 8 dots)
`y`	`number`	1-48	Vertical bytes (y × 8 dots)
`data`	`number[]`	-	Bit image data

printDownloadedBitImage()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x2F, m] or GS / m

Description: Print the previously defined downloaded bit image.

typescript

enum DownloadedImageMode {
  NORMAL = 0,        // 100% × 100%
  DOUBLE_WIDTH = 1,  // 200% × 100%
  DOUBLE_HEIGHT = 2, // 100% × 200%
  QUADRUPLE = 3      // 200% × 200%
}

function printDownloadedBitImage(mode: DownloadedImageMode): number[]

Graphics - NV (Non-Volatile) Bit Images

defineNVBitImage()

Byte Sequence: [FS, 0x71, n, ...] or FS q n

Description: Define bit images in non-volatile memory.

typescript

function defineNVBitImage(
  images: Array<{ width: number; height: number; data: number[] }>
): number[]

printNVBitImage()

Byte Sequence: [FS, 0x70, n, m] or FS p n m

Description: Print NV bit image.

typescript

function printNVBitImage(
  imageNumber: number,
  mode: DownloadedImageMode
): number[]

QR Codes

generateQRCode()

Description: Generate complete QR code command sequence.

typescript

function generateQRCode(data: string, size?: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`data`	`string`	-	QR code data (URL or text)
`size`	`number`	6	Module size (1-16)

Returns: Complete QR code command sequence including:

Model selection (Model 2)
Size setting
Error correction (M = 15%)
Data storage
Print command

Example:

typescript

import { generateQRCode, ALIGN_CENTER } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(ALIGN_CENTER));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(generateQRCode('https://example.com', 8)));

Barcodes - Configuration

setBarcodeHRI()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x48, n] or GS H n

Description: Set HRI (Human Readable Interpretation) position.

typescript

enum BarcodeHRIPosition {
  NOT_PRINTED = 0,
  ABOVE = 1,
  BELOW = 2,
  BOTH = 3
}

function setBarcodeHRI(position: BarcodeHRIPosition): number[]

setBarcodeFont()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x66, n] or GS f n

Description: Set font for HRI characters.

typescript

function setBarcodeFont(fontB: boolean): number[]

setBarcodeHeight()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x68, n] or GS h n

Description: Set barcode height in dots.

typescript

function setBarcodeHeight(height: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
`height`	`number`	1-255	162	Height in dots

setBarcodeWidth()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x77, n] or GS w n

Description: Set barcode module width.

typescript

function setBarcodeWidth(width: number): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
`width`	`number`	2-6	3	Module width in dots

Barcodes - Printing

BarcodeType Enum

typescript

enum BarcodeType {
  UPC_A = 0,    // UPC-A (11-12 digits)
  UPC_E = 1,    // UPC-E (6-8 digits)
  EAN13 = 2,    // EAN-13 (12-13 digits)
  EAN8 = 3,     // EAN-8 (7-8 digits)
  CODE39 = 4,   // CODE39 (variable length)
  ITF = 5,      // ITF (even digit count)
  CODABAR = 6,  // CODABAR (variable)
  CODE93 = 72,  // CODE93 (all ASCII)
  CODE128 = 73  // CODE128 (all ASCII)
}

printBarcodeUPCA()

Description: Print UPC-A barcode.

typescript

function printBarcodeUPCA(data: string): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`data`	`string`	11-12 digits

Example:

typescript

import {
  setBarcodeHRI,
  setBarcodeHeight,
  printBarcodeUPCA,
  BarcodeHRIPosition
} from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setBarcodeHRI(BarcodeHRIPosition.BELOW)));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setBarcodeHeight(100)));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(printBarcodeUPCA('01234567890')));

printBarcodeEAN13()

Description: Print EAN-13 barcode.

typescript

function printBarcodeEAN13(data: string): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`data`	`string`	12-13 digits

printBarcodeEAN8()

Description: Print EAN-8 barcode.

typescript

function printBarcodeEAN8(data: string): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`data`	`string`	7-8 digits

printBarcodeCODE39()

Description: Print CODE39 barcode.

typescript

function printBarcodeCODE39(data: string): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`data`	`string`	0-9, A-Z, space, $%+-./

printBarcodeCODE128()

Description: Print CODE128 barcode.

typescript

function printBarcodeCODE128(data: string): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`data`	`string`	All ASCII (0-127)

Example:

typescript

import {
  setBarcodeHRI,
  setBarcodeHeight,
  setBarcodeWidth,
  printBarcodeCODE128,
  BarcodeHRIPosition
} from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setBarcodeHRI(BarcodeHRIPosition.BELOW)));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setBarcodeHeight(80)));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(setBarcodeWidth(3)));
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(printBarcodeCODE128('ABC-12345')));

PDF417 (2D Barcode)

generatePDF417()

Description: Generate complete PDF417 barcode command sequence.

typescript

function generatePDF417(
  data: string,
  options?: {
    columns?: number;
    rows?: number;
    width?: number;
    rowHeight?: number;
    errorCorrection?: number;
  }
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Range	Description
`columns`	`number`	0, 1-30	Number of columns (0=auto)
`rows`	`number`	0, 3-90	Number of rows (0=auto)
`width`	`number`	2-8	Module width in dots
`rowHeight`	`number`	2-8	Row height in dots
`errorCorrection`	`number`	0-8	Error correction level

Example:

typescript

import { generatePDF417 } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

const pdf417 = generatePDF417('Hello World', {
  columns: 3,
  width: 3,
  rowHeight: 3,
  errorCorrection: 2
});
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(pdf417));

Individual PDF417 Commands

Function	Description
`setPDF417Columns(columns)`	Set number of columns
`setPDF417Rows(rows)`	Set number of rows
`setPDF417Width(width)`	Set module width
`setPDF417RowHeight(height)`	Set row height
`setPDF417ErrorCorrection(level)`	Set error correction level
`storePDF417Data(data)`	Store PDF417 data
`printPDF417()`	Print the stored PDF417

Peripheral Control

generatePulse()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x70, m, t1, t2] or ESC p m t1 t2

Description: Generate pulse to open cash drawer.

typescript

function generatePulse(
  connector: 0 | 1,
  onTime: number,
  offTime: number
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`connector`	`0 \| 1`	0=pin 2, 1=pin 5
`onTime`	`number`	ON time (units of 100ms)
`offTime`	`number`	OFF time (units of 100ms)

Example:

typescript

import { generatePulse } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Open cash drawer: 200ms pulse on pin 2
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(generatePulse(0, 2, 2)));

selectPeripheral()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x3D, n] or ESC = n

Description: Enable/disable peripheral device communication.

typescript

function selectPeripheral(enabled: boolean): number[]

Panel Button Control

Function	Description
`enablePanelButtons()`	Enable front panel buttons
`disablePanelButtons()`	Disable front panel buttons

Paper Sensor Control

Function	Description
`selectPaperSensorOutput(mask)`	Select paper sensors for paper-end signals
`selectPaperSensorStop(mask)`	Select paper sensors to stop printing

Status & Information

Real-Time Status

typescript

function transmitRealtimeStatus(n: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4): number[]

n	Status Type
1	Printer status
2	Offline status
3	Error status
4	Paper roll sensor status

realtimeRequest()

typescript

function realtimeRequest(n: 1 | 2): number[]

n	Action
1	Recover from error
2	Clear buffer

Automatic Status Back (ASB)

typescript

function enableASB(statusBits: number): number[]
function disableASB(): number[]

Printer ID

typescript

enum PrinterIDType {
  PRINTER_MODEL = 1,
  TYPE_ID = 2,
  ROM_VERSION = 65,
  FONT_TYPE = 66,
  MANUFACTURER = 67
}

function requestPrinterID(type: PrinterIDType): number[]

Status Types

typescript

enum StatusType {
  PAPER_SENSOR = 1,
  DRAWER_SENSOR = 2,
  INK_SENSOR = 4,
  PAPER_ROLL_SENSOR = 18
}

function requestStatus(type: StatusType): number[]

Margins & Print Area

setLeftMargin()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x4C, nL, nH] or GS L nL nH

Description: Set left margin.

typescript

function setLeftMargin(dots: number): number[]

setPrintingAreaWidth()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x57, nL, nH] or GS W nL nH

Description: Set printing area width.

typescript

function setPrintingAreaWidth(dots: number): number[]

Macros

START_MACRO / END_MACRO

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x3A] or GS :

Description: Start/end macro definition.

executeMacro()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x5E, r, t, m] or GS ^ r t m

Description: Execute a defined macro.

typescript

function executeMacro(
  repeatCount: number,
  waitTime: number,
  mode: 0 | 1
): number[]

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`repeatCount`	`number`	Number of times to execute (0-255)
`waitTime`	`number`	Wait between executions (units of 100ms)
`mode`	`0 \| 1`	Execution mode

Example:

typescript

import { START_MACRO, END_MACRO, executeMacro } from '@thermal-print/escpos/commands/escpos';

// Define macro
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(START_MACRO));
generator.addText('Repeated text');
generator.addNewline();
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(END_MACRO));

// Execute macro 5 times with 500ms delay
generator.addRawCommand(Buffer.from(executeMacro(5, 5, 0)));

Miscellaneous

UNIDIRECTIONAL_ON / UNIDIRECTIONAL_OFF

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x55, n] or ESC U n

Description: Enable/disable unidirectional printing for higher quality.

CANCEL

Byte Sequence: [0x18] or CAN

Description: Cancel print data in page mode.

executeTestPrint()

Byte Sequence: [ESC, 0x28, 0x41, ...] or ESC ( A

Description: Execute test print pattern.

typescript

function executeTestPrint(
  pattern: number,
  mode: number,
  repeat: number
): number[]

Character Effects (Advanced)

setCharacterColor()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x28, 0x4E, ...]

Description: Set character color (for color-capable printers).

typescript

function setCharacterColor(color: 1 | 2): number[]

setCharacterSmoothing()

Byte Sequence: [GS, 0x28, 0x4E, ...]

Description: Enable/disable character smoothing.

typescript

function setCharacterSmoothing(enabled: boolean): number[]

ESC/POS Commands Reference ​

Overview ​

Control Characters ​

Initialization ​

INIT ​

Text Alignment ​

ALIGN_LEFT ​

ALIGN_CENTER ​

ALIGN_RIGHT ​

Text Emphasis ​

BOLD_ON / BOLD_OFF ​

UNDERLINE_ON / UNDERLINE_OFF ​

DOUBLE_STRIKE_ON / DOUBLE_STRIKE_OFF ​

Character Sizing & Fonts ​

calculateCharacterSize() ​

selectCharacterSize() ​

selectFont() ​

ROTATE_90_ON / ROTATE_90_OFF ​

UPSIDE_DOWN_ON / UPSIDE_DOWN_OFF ​

REVERSE_PRINT_ON / REVERSE_PRINT_OFF ​

Line Spacing & Paper Control ​

setLineSpacing() ​

LINE_FEED ​

feedLines() ​

printAndFeed() ​

printAndReverseFeed() ​

Paper Cutting ​

CUT_FULL / CUT_PARTIAL ​

cutWithFeed() ​

cutAndFeedFull() / cutAndFeedPartial() ​

Character Encoding & Code Pages ​

Code Page Constants ​

setCodePage() ​

selectInternationalCharset() ​

encodeText() ​

Text Position & Layout ​

setAbsolutePosition() ​

setRelativePosition() ​

setCharacterSpacing() ​

setTabPositions() ​

Graphics - Bit Images ​

BitImageMode Enum ​

printBitImage() ​

Graphics - Raster Images ​

generateRasterImage() ​

Graphics - Downloaded Bit Images ​

defineDownloadedBitImage() ​

printDownloadedBitImage() ​

Graphics - NV (Non-Volatile) Bit Images ​

defineNVBitImage() ​

printNVBitImage() ​

QR Codes ​

generateQRCode() ​

Barcodes - Configuration ​

setBarcodeHRI() ​

setBarcodeFont() ​

setBarcodeHeight() ​

setBarcodeWidth() ​

Barcodes - Printing ​

BarcodeType Enum ​

printBarcodeUPCA() ​

printBarcodeEAN13() ​

printBarcodeEAN8() ​

printBarcodeCODE39() ​

printBarcodeCODE128() ​

PDF417 (2D Barcode) ​

generatePDF417() ​

Individual PDF417 Commands ​

Peripheral Control ​

generatePulse() ​

selectPeripheral() ​

Panel Button Control ​

Paper Sensor Control ​

Status & Information ​

Real-Time Status ​

realtimeRequest() ​

Automatic Status Back (ASB) ​

Printer ID ​

Status Types ​

Margins & Print Area ​

ESC/POS Commands Reference

Overview

Control Characters

Initialization

INIT

Text Alignment

ALIGN_LEFT

ALIGN_CENTER

ALIGN_RIGHT

Text Emphasis

BOLD_ON / BOLD_OFF

UNDERLINE_ON / UNDERLINE_OFF

DOUBLE_STRIKE_ON / DOUBLE_STRIKE_OFF

Character Sizing & Fonts

calculateCharacterSize()

selectCharacterSize()

selectFont()

ROTATE_90_ON / ROTATE_90_OFF

UPSIDE_DOWN_ON / UPSIDE_DOWN_OFF

REVERSE_PRINT_ON / REVERSE_PRINT_OFF

Line Spacing & Paper Control

setLineSpacing()

LINE_FEED

feedLines()

printAndFeed()

printAndReverseFeed()

Paper Cutting

CUT_FULL / CUT_PARTIAL

cutWithFeed()

cutAndFeedFull() / cutAndFeedPartial()

Character Encoding & Code Pages

Code Page Constants

setCodePage()

selectInternationalCharset()

encodeText()

Text Position & Layout

setAbsolutePosition()

setRelativePosition()

setCharacterSpacing()

setTabPositions()

Graphics - Bit Images

BitImageMode Enum

printBitImage()

Graphics - Raster Images

generateRasterImage()

Graphics - Downloaded Bit Images

defineDownloadedBitImage()

printDownloadedBitImage()

Graphics - NV (Non-Volatile) Bit Images

defineNVBitImage()

printNVBitImage()

QR Codes

generateQRCode()

Barcodes - Configuration

setBarcodeHRI()

setBarcodeFont()

setBarcodeHeight()

setBarcodeWidth()

Barcodes - Printing

BarcodeType Enum

printBarcodeUPCA()

printBarcodeEAN13()

printBarcodeEAN8()

printBarcodeCODE39()

printBarcodeCODE128()

PDF417 (2D Barcode)

generatePDF417()

Individual PDF417 Commands

Peripheral Control

generatePulse()

selectPeripheral()

Panel Button Control

Paper Sensor Control

Status & Information

Real-Time Status

realtimeRequest()

Automatic Status Back (ASB)

Printer ID

Status Types

Margins & Print Area