Support for StarPRNT (e.g. mc-Print 2/3)?

[chrisv2]

I have:

• searched open and closed issues for duplicates

Bug description

When using a Star mcPrint 2 or 3, the printer won't cut, but instead print a V. That is because as laid down in the StarPRNT spec these printers use <ESC> d x for cutting instead of <GS> V x (see page 45 of the linked document). They also use <ESC> <GS> t x for codepage selection (instead of <ESC> t x).

Unfortunately both of those commands are hardcoded in python-escpos and there is no way to override that via capabilities.

I'm principally interested to work on this, but wanted to ask first if

a.) you consider this to be inside the scope of this project and
b.) if so, what would be the best way to implement it?

Basically one would need to override _CUT_PAPER and CODEPAGE_CHANGE, therefore it would be necessary to mark the printer (possibly in the profile) to support StarPRNT instead of regular ESCPOS. There is a starCommands flag in the profiles but it doesn't seem to be used anywhere?

Device info

Printer: Star mcPrint 3
python-escpos version: HEAD
python version: 3.8
operating system: Ubuntu

[yujingr]

Try sending binary data to the printer instead of cut command; it's in the docs, but you may have to find which binary command corresponds to what you are looking for.

Alternatively, try using the StarTSPImage library; I am not sure if the model is applicable, but it worked on my TSP100/TSP143 printers.
`import StarTSPImage
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
import socket
import time

image = Image.new('RGB', (500, 500), color='White')
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
draw.ellipse((0, 0, 500, 500), fill='Black')
draw.ellipse((10, 10, 490, 490), fill='White')

raster = StarTSPImage.imageFileToRaster('a.png', cut=True)
raster = StarTSPImage.imageToRaster(image, cut=True)

host = "192.168.12.241"
host = "10.1.10.113"
port = 9100
mysocket = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET,socket.SOCK_STREAM)

mysocket.connect((host, port))
mysocket.send(raster)

mysocket.close()

time.sleep(2)`

[AChangXD]

For those wondering on what raw command it is to cut, you can do:
printer._raw(b'\x1b' + b'd' + b'\x00')