Font Controlling Commands

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

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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

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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"

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

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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

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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 Codapge 437:

write('\x1c\x7d\x26\xb5\x01')   #  Select codepage 437

Example Codapge 1252:

write('\x1c\x7d\x26\xe4\x04')   #  Select codepage 1252

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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

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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

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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