Font Controlling Commands¶

This section describes all commands that affect how and which font is rendered.

Initialize - `$1B $40` ¶

Clears the data in the print buffer and resets the printer modes to the modes that were in effect when the power was turned on.

Format:
Hex       $1B $40

ASCII     ESC @

Decimal   27 64

Range:
None

Default:
None

Notes:

Print buffer is cleared

Data buffer contents are preserved

NV graphics (NV bit image) information is maintained.

User NV memory data is maintained.

Related:
None

Example:
None

Select Print Mode - `$1B $21` ¶

Quick-select a variety of print control options such as font type and effects.
Format:
Hex       $1B $21 n

ASCII     ESC !   n

Decimal   27 33 n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
None

Notes:

See table for the appropriate value of n.

The baseline for characters of different vertical scalars will be the same

Underline exceptions

Does not underline 90°/270° rotation

Does not underline horizontal tabs

Underline thickness is specified by Underline Mode

This command resets the left and right margins

Left margin set by Left Margin

Right margin set by Print Area Width

For each of the underline, italic, bold modes:

These can be issued by their respective ESC commands or this command

The last received command is the effective command.

BIT State HEX DECIMAL Function

0 Disabled 00 0 Select character font A

Enabled 01 1 Select character font B

1 – – – Reserved

2 – – – Reserved

3 Disabled 00 0 Disable emphasis (bold) mode

Enabled 08 8 Enabled emphasis (bold) mode

4 Disabled 00 0 Disable double-height mode

Enabled 10 16 Enable double-height mode

5 Disabled 00 0 Disable double-width mode

Enabled 20 32 Enable double-width mode

6 Disabled 00 0 Disable italic mode

Enabled 40 64 Enable italic mode

7 Disabled 00 0 Disable underline mode

Enabled 80 128 Enable underline mode

Related:
None
Example:
write("\x1b\x21\x01")          # Select Font B
write("\x1b\x21\x11")          # Select double-height mode
write("This is font B, double-height")
print()
>>> This is font B, double-height
write("\x1b\x21\x00")          # Select Font A and disable double-height
write("This is font A")
print()
>>> This is font A"

Underline Mode - `$1B $2D` ¶

Turns underline mode on or off, based on the following values of n:

n = 0, 48 Turns off underline mode

n = 1, 49 Turns on underline mode (1-dot thick)

n = 2, 50 Turns on underline mode (2-dot thick)
Format:
Hex       $1B $2D n

ASCII     ESC -   n

Decimal   27 45 n

Range:
0 n ≤ 2, 48 ≤ n ≤ 50

Default:
0

Notes:

Invalid n values will be ignored. The existing underline and underline thickness settings will be maintained.

90° Rotation characters will not be underlined

Black/White Reverse characters will not be underlined.

Tab characters are not underlined when this mode is enabled.

Disabled or enabling this mode takes is applied immediately. The following data will be underlined.

Default underline thickness is 1 dot.

Character size does not affect underline thickness.

Thickness moves downward from the natural top of the character.

Select Print Mode Can also be used for this setting. The last received command is the effective one.

Related:
None
Example:
write("\x1b\x2d\x01")          # Enable underline
write("This is underlined")
print()
>>> __This text is underlined__
write("\x1b\x2d\x00")          # Disable underline
write("This is not underlined")
print()
>>> This is not underlined

Italics Mode - `$1B $34` ¶

Turns italics mode on or off, based on the following values of n:

n = 0, 48 Turns off italics mode

n = 1, 49 Turns on italics mode
Format:
Hex       $1B $34 n

ASCII     ESC 4   n

Decimal   27 52 n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 1, 48 ≤ n ≤ 49

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

This effect is applied immediately

Select Print Mode can also be used for these settings. The last received command is the effective one.

Related:
None
Example:
write("\x1b\x34\x01")              # Enable italics
write("This is italic")
print()
>>> This is italic
write("\x1b\x34\x00")              # Disable italics
write("This is not italic")
print()
>>> This is not italic

Emphasis Mode - `$1B $45` ¶

Turns emphasis mode on or off, based on the LSB of n:

n = 0, Turns off emphasis mode

n = 1, Turns on emphasis mode
Format:
Hex       $1B $45 n

ASCII     ESC E   n

Decimal   27 69 n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

This effect is applied immediately

Only the LSB of n is inspected

Select Print Mode can also be used for this settings. The last received command is the effective one.

Related:
None
Example:
write("\x1b\x45\x01")              # Enable emphasis
write("This is bold")
print()
>>> This is bold
write("\x1b\x45\x00")              # Disable itemphasisalics
write("This is not bold")
print()
>>> This is not bold

Select Character Font - `$1B $4D` ¶

Selects character font based on n.

Set n DESCRIPTION

A 0,48 Select Font A

B 1,49 Select Font B

Format:
Hex       $1B $4D n

ASCII     ESC M   n

Decimal   27 77 n

Range:
n = 0, 1, 48, 49

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Toggles between Font A and Font B

Font A (12w 24h)

Font B (9w 17h)

Scales the current font depending on CPI Mode

Mode 1: Font A width * 0.33, Font B width * 2

Mode 2: Font A width * 2 , Font B width * 4

Mode 3: Font A width * 4 , Font B width * 2

Related:
None

Example:
None

Select Font A - `$1B $50` ¶

Selects Font A Stored in the printer.

Format:
Hex       $1B $50

ASCII     ESC @

Decimal   27 80

Range:
None

Default:
None

Notes:

Set character font to type A. (12w 24h)

Related:
None

Example:
None

Select Font C - `$1B $54` ¶

Selects Font C Stored in the printer.

Format:
Hex       $1B $54

ASCII     ESC P

Decimal   27 84

Range:
None

Default:
None

Notes:

Set character font to type C. (24w 48h)

Related:
None

Example:
None

Select Font D - `$1B $55` ¶

Selects Font D Stored in the printer.

Format:
Hex       $1B $55

ASCII     ESC T

Decimal   27 85

Range:
None

Default:
None

Notes:

Set character font to type D. (16w 24h)

Related:
None

Example:
None

90° Rotation - `$1B $56` ¶

Turns 90° rotation on or off, based on n

n = 0, 48 Turns off rotation

n = 1, 49 Turns on rotation

Format:
Hex       $1B $56 n

ASCII     ESC V   n

Decimal   27 86 n

Range:
n = 0, 1, 48, 49

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Invalid n values will be ignored

90° Rotation characters will be underlined in the vertical direction.

Tip

Double-width and Double-height commands in 90° Rotation will enlarge the opposite dimension when this mode is enabled. i.e. width and height scalars are swapped

Related: None

Example: None

Select Character Code Page - `$1B $74` ¶

Select character code page based on n

Format:
Hex       $1B $74 n

ASCII     ESC t   n

Decimal   27 116 n

Range:
See n Table Below

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Reserved values of n should not be used in your application

Names with an asterisk (*) may require updated firmware

n Font Code Page

0
Default

USA ASCII + Cyrillic

2 Reserved

3 CP437 (Spanish)

4 Reserved

5 Reserved

17 CP808 (Cyrillic)

18 Georgian Mkhedruli*

19 Reserved

255 Reserved

Related:
None

Example:
None

Upside-down Mode - `$1B $7B` ¶

Turn upside-down print mode on/off

When the LSB of n is 0, upside-down print mode is turned off.

When the LSB of n is 1, upside-down print mode is turned on.

Format:
Hex       $1B $7B n

ASCII     ESC {   n

Decimal   27 123 n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

This command is enabled only when processed at the beginning of the line.

When upside-down print mode is turned on, the printer prints all characters rotated 180° from right to left.

Upside-down print mode is effective for all data except for the following:

Raster bit image from Raster Image

Upside-down print mode is effective until any of the following occur:

It is explicitly disabled by settings LSB of n to 0

Initialize is executed

Printer is reset

Power is turned off

Tip

The line printing order is not reversed. Therefore, care should be taken when considering the order of the data transmitted.

Related: None

Example:

Set CPI Mode - `$1B $C1` ¶

Selects the active CPI mode.

n CPI Mode

0,48 Font A = 11 cpi Font B = 15 cpi

1,49 Font A = 15 cpi Font B = 20 cpi

2,50 Font A = 20 cpi Font B = 15 cpi

Format:
Hex       $1B $C1 n

ASCII     ESC Á   n

Decimal   27 193 n

Range:
n= 0, 1, 2, 48, 49, 50

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

CPI is characters per inch

The higher the CPI, the smaller the font

Related:
Select Print Mode

Example:
None

Select Codepage - `$1C $7D $26` ¶

Used to select any installed codepage as the active codepage. Using Two Byte Number Definitions, send the integer number of the codepage. For example, if codepage 437 is desired, then send the integer 437.
Format:
Hex       $1C $7D $26 xL xH

ASCII     FS    }   & xL xH

Decimal   28 125 36 xL xH

Range:
0 ≤ xL + (xH * 256) ≤ 65535

Default:
Default codepage is set with PC tools

Notes:

Codepage = (xL + (xH * 256))

If the codepage sent to the printer is not installed, the currently active codepage will not change.

See Two Byte Numbers section for more information on two byte number definitions.

Related:
Select Codepage

Example Select Codapge 437:
write('\x1c\x7d\x26\xb5\x01')   #  Select codepage 437
Example Select Codapge 1252:
write('\x1c\x7d\x26\xe4\x04')   #  Select codepage 1252

Select Character Size - `$1D $21` ¶

Select character width and height according to the bits of n.

Bits 0 to 3 : select character height (see table 2)

Bits 4 to 7 : select character width (see table 1)

Table 1 - Width

HEX DECIMAL Width

0 0 1 (normal)

10 16 2 (2x width)

20 32 3 (3x width)

30 48 4 (4x width)

40 64 5 (5x width)

50 80 6 (6x width)

60 96 7 (7x width)

70 112 8 (8x width)

Table 2 - Height

HEX DECIMAL Height

0 0 1 (normal)

1 1 2 (2x height)

2 2 3 (3x height)

3 3 4 (4x height)

4 4 5 (5x height)

5 5 6 (6x height)

6 6 7 (7x height)

7 7 8 (8x height)

Format:
Hex       $1D $21 n

ASCII     GS   !   n

Decimal   29 33   n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Invalid n values are ignored, the current character size is maintained.

Characters on the same line sized to different heights will be aligned to the topline.

Width is expanded to the right.

In standard mode, the character is enlarged in the paper feed direction when double-height mode is selected, and it is enlarged perpendicular to the paper feed direction when double-width mode is selected. However, when character orientation changes in 90° clockwise rotation mode, the relationship between double-height and double-width is reversed.

Select Print Mode Can also be used for this setting. The last received command is the effective one.

Related:
Select Print Mode

Example:
None

Reverse Print Mode - `$1D $42` ¶

Turn white/black reverse printing (inverted) mode on/off based on the LSB of n - LSB Set: reverse enabled - LSB Clear: reverse disabled

Format:
Hex       $1D $42 n

ASCII     GS   B   n

Decimal   29 66   n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Only the LSB of n is inspected.

This does not affect images, barcodes, or user defined images.

This has a higher priority than underline.

Underline will stay enabled but not be applied if this setting is enabled.

Related:
None

Example:
None

Select Double-strike mode - `$1B $47` ¶

Turns double-strike mode on or off depending on the LSB of n. - LSB Set: double-strike mode is turned on - LSB Clear: double-strike mode is turned off

Format:
Hex       $1B $47 n

ASCII     ESC G   n

Decimal   27 71   n

Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255

Default:
n=0, n is base 10

Notes:

Only the LSB of n is inspected.

This does not affect images, barcodes, or user defined images.

Related:
None

Example:
None

Font Controlling Commands¶

Initialize - $1B $40 ¶

Select Print Mode - $1B $21 ¶

Underline Mode - $1B $2D ¶

Italics Mode - $1B $34 ¶

Emphasis Mode - $1B $45 ¶

Select Character Font - $1B $4D ¶

Select Font A - $1B $50 ¶

Select Font C - $1B $54 ¶

Select Font D - $1B $55 ¶

90° Rotation - $1B $56 ¶

Select Character Code Page - $1B $74 ¶

Upside-down Mode - $1B $7B ¶

Set CPI Mode - $1B $C1 ¶

Select Codepage - $1C $7D $26 ¶

Select Character Size - $1D $21 ¶

Reverse Print Mode - $1D $42 ¶

Select Double-strike mode - $1B $47 ¶

Initialize - `$1B $40` ¶

Select Print Mode - `$1B $21` ¶

Underline Mode - `$1B $2D` ¶

Italics Mode - `$1B $34` ¶

Emphasis Mode - `$1B $45` ¶

Select Character Font - `$1B $4D` ¶

Select Font A - `$1B $50` ¶

Select Font C - `$1B $54` ¶

Select Font D - `$1B $55` ¶

90° Rotation - `$1B $56` ¶

Select Character Code Page - `$1B $74` ¶

Upside-down Mode - `$1B $7B` ¶

Set CPI Mode - `$1B $C1` ¶

Select Codepage - `$1C $7D $26` ¶

Select Character Size - `$1D $21` ¶

Reverse Print Mode - `$1D $42` ¶

Select Double-strike mode - `$1B $47` ¶