A CUPS driver for printing labels on the QL-570. This can also be used to directly drive the printer (see example below).
I had some issues with the driver from the vendor. I figured that I need to have some clue about what is going on in order to do something about that. I ended up writing a driver, oops.
As far as I understand, ptouch-driver is based on the reverse engineered
protocol. The rastertoql570 is based on the protocol specification (much)
later released by the vendor. The ptouch-driver is far more complete
with regards to the surroundings, methinks.
The files generated by Doxygen can be viewed here:
http://static.xenoworld.de/docs/rastertoql570
I use the printer mainly with 62mm continuous tape.
| media type | works |
|---|---|
| 62mm | ✔ |
| 29x90.3mm | ✗ ❶ |
❶ Tried this only briefly, the output was not as expected. I will investigate further, but I suppose that the problems are on the user side of things.
These work in principle, some of these are not yet configurable.
- Automatic cutting after each label
- Automatic cutting after every n labels
- 300dpi and 600dpi printing
Everything is a bit crude right now. First, you need GCC and the CUPS
development libraries (the package might be called cups-devel or something
similar). The driver needs the libraries cups and cupsimage. Run make
in the src/ directory.
After building the driver, you end up with a file rastertoql570 (in the
project's root directory), you have to put this file in the CUPS filters
directory, (e.g. /usr/lib/cups/filter/). After that you can just click
through the CUPS printer installation with your favourite tool or through the
interface at http://localhost:631/. When you reach the step to provide a
PPD-file, use the ppd-file.ppd in the project's root directory.
It should now be possible to print labels. Be aware that, regardless of the tool, you should create a custom document with the dimensions you want. If you use, for example, gLabels, create a 12.7mm by 62mm label and include some 1mm margins. If you want to print smaller labels, try with a 6.35mm x 62mm label, but remember to set the resolution to 600DPI in that case.
This assumes that, if you connect the printer to your computer via USB, some
magic configures it as a printer and provides you with a device such as
/dev/usb/lp0. On two of my machines that ‘just worked’™. Given the right
permissions you can simply open this file and write to it.
Printing a couple of black lines is as simple as this:
#include "ql570.h"
int main()
{
FILE *device = fopen("/dev/usb/lp0", "wb");
ql_status status = {0};
ql_print_info print_info = { .raster_number[0] = 150 };
uint8_t buffer[90];
ql_init(false, device);
ql_status_request(device);
ql_status_read(&status, device);
ql_page_start(&print_info, device);
ql_set_extended_options(true, false, device);
for (int i = 0; i < 150; i++) {
memset(buffer, i % 5 == 0 ? 0xFF : 0x00, 90);
buffer[0] = 0x00;
buffer[1] = 0x00;
ql_raster(90, buffer, device);
}
ql_raster_end(90, device);
ql_page_end(true, device);
fclose(device);
}
The fully commented example can be found in src/examples/minimal.c.
If you need some quick and dirty way to print something meaningful on a label, use GIMP to create a 720x150 pixel image and export it later as XBM. These are simple C files, the structure is pretty self-explanatory.
TODO: Provide example for this, include how to mirror the images...
- Tell the vendor about unclear or wrong information in the specification.
- Test with other media types.
- Try to support other printers in the QL series.
- Maybe use CMake.
- Improve overview document.
- There are a couple of nanosleep-calls and the 100ms or so waiting time are completely arbitrary.
- Currently arguments to the program are ignored. Ideally a help should be printed, and some parameters should be used.
- Handle SIGTERM.
- Walk through TODOs in the code.
- Improve documentation with regards to optional features.
- Show some care for endianess.
- Improve the PPD-file, this hasn't received much love.