Layout Commands
This section describes all commands that affect the layout of text in terms of spacing and margins. These are advanced features that are not commonly by most users.
Right Side Character Spacing - $1B $20 
Sets the right-side character spacing to [n × (horizontal or vertical motion unit)].
- Format:
Hex $1B $20 n
ASCII ESC SP n
Decimal 27 32 n- Notes:
Settings that exceed the printable area are ignored.
The maximum right side character spacing is 255/204 inches.
The horizontal (perpendicular to paper feed) motion unit is used.
The horizontal and vertical motion units are specified by Motion Units. Changing the horizontal or vertical motion unit does not affect the current right-side character spacing.
Right-Side character spacing is effective until it is changed, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
When underline mode is turned on, the right side character spacing is underlined.
In standard mode, right side character spacing has no effect when characters are rotated 90° or 270°.
- Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255- Default:
0- Related:
- Example:
None
Line Spacing - $1B $33
Sets the line spacing to [n (vertical or horizontal motion unit)] in inches
- Format:
Hex $1B $33 n
ASCII ESC 3 n
Decimal 27 51 n- Notes:
This command sets the line spacing in standard mode.
The vertical and horizontal motion units are specified by Motion Units.
Changing the vertical or horizontal motion units does not affect the current line spacing.
If the calculation results in a fraction, the decimal portion will be ignored.
The vertical motion unit is used.
Minimum line spacing = 0.00492 inches (0.125mm)
Maximum line spacing = 4 inches (101.6mm)
Line spacing is effective until it is changed by another command, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
0 ≤ n ≤ 255- Default:
34 (1/6"), n is base 10- Related:
- Example:
None
Select 1/6 Inch Line Spacing - $1B $32
Sets the line spacing to 1/6 an inch
- Format:
Hex $1B $32
ASCII ESC 2
Decimal 27 50- Notes:
This command sets the line spacing in standard mode.
Line spacing is effective until it is changed by another command, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
None- Default:
None- Related:
- Example:
None
Select 1/8 Inch Line Spacing - $1B $30
Sets the line spacing to 1/8 an inch
- Format:
Hex $1B $30
ASCII ESC 0
Decimal 27 48- Notes:
This command sets the line spacing in standard mode.
Line spacing is effective until it is changed by another command, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
None- Default:
None- Related:
- Example:
None
Select Justification - $1B $61 
Select justification mode
- Format:
Hex $1B $61 n
ASCII ESC a n
Decimal 27 97 n- Notes:
This command is enabled only when processed at the beginning of a line. (When the current line is empty)
This command applies the justification within the area set by Left Margin and Print Area Width
This command will justify all data in the printing area such as characters, graphics, bit images, barcode and space area set by Horizontal Tab, Absolute and Relative print positions.
Settings of this command are effective until the Initialize command is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
When n=0 or 48, left justification is enabled
When n=1 or 49, center justification is enabled
When n=2 or 50, right justification is enabled
- Range:
n=0,1,2,48,49,50- Default:
0- Related:
- Example:
—
Left Margin - $1D $4C
Set left margin
- Format:
Hex $1D $4C nL nH
ASCII GS L nL nH
Decimal 27 76 nL nH- Notes:
In standard mode, sets the left margin to [(nL + (nH × 256)) × (horizontal motion unit)] from the left edge of the printable area. Uses Two Byte Number Definitions.
This command is enabled only when processed at the beginning of a line. (When the current line is empty)
This command applies the justification within the area set by Left Margin and Print Area Width
This command will justify all data in the printing area such as characters, graphics, bit images, bar code and space area set by Horizontal Tab, Absolute and Relative print positions.
Settings of this command are effective until Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
0 ≤ nL, nH ≥ 255, 0 ≤ (nL + (nH × 256))≤ 65535- Default:
nL = 0, nH =0- Related:
- Example:
None
Motion Units - $1D $50
Set horizontal and vertical motion units
- Format:
Hex $1D $50 x y
ASCII GS P x y
Decimal 29 80 x y- Notes:
Sets the horizontal and vertical motion units to approximately 25.4/x mm {1/x”} and approximately 25.4/y mm {1/y”}, respectively.
When x = 0, the default value of the horizontal motion unit is used.
When y = 0, the default value of the vertical motion unit is used.
When x > 204, the default value of the horizontal motion unit is used.
When y > 204, the default value of the vertical motion unit is used.
The horizontal direction is perpendicular to the paper feed direction and the vertical direction is the paper feed direction.
The horizontal and vertical motion units indicate the minimum pitch used for calculating the values of related commands
In standard mode, the following commands use x or y.
Commands using x: Left Margin, Print Area Width
Commands using y
If the result is a decimal number, the decimal is ignored.
This command does not affect the previously defined values for settings that use the horizontal or vertical motion units.
Settings of this command are effective until it is changed, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
0 ≤ x, y ≤ 204- Default:
x = 204, y = 204- Related:
- Example:
None
Print Area Width - $1D $57
Set print area width
- Format:
Hex $1D $57 nL nH
ASCII GS W nL nH
Decimal 29 87 nL nH- Notes:
In standard mode, sets the print area width to [(nL + (nH × 256)) × (horizontal motion unit)] from the right edge of the left margin. See Two-byte Numbers
This command is only executed when the printer is in a New Line State
If the setting exceeds the printable area, the print area width is automatically set to the maximum value of the printable area.
If the [left margin + print area width] is greater than the printable area, the print area will be truncated automatically to [printable area - left margin]. If the left margin is changed, the print area width will also change until there is room to fit the specified print area width.
If the print area width equals 0, then the print area width is automatically set to the maximum value of the printable area.
The horizontal (perpendicular to paper feed direction) motion unit is used to set print area width.
The horizontal and vertical motion units are specified by Motion Units. Changing the horizontal or vertical motion unit does not affect the current print area width.
Settings of this command are effective until it is changed, Initialize is executed, the printer is reset, or the power is turned off.
- Range:
0 ≤ nL, nH ≥ 255, 0 ≤ (nL + (nH × 256))≤ 65535- Default:
nL = 64, nH = 2- Related:
- Example:
Select Page Mode - $1B $4C
Select page mode and set the vertical length (parallel with paper feed direction) of the print area
- Format:
Hex $1B $4C n
ASCII ESC L n
Decimal 27 76 n- Notes:
Select page mode and set the print area to (n × print area width)
n is limited to a range between 8mm and 156mm
This command is only executed when the printer is in a New Line State
If the print length is outside of acceptable range, the print length will be set to 156mm.
The printer will reset to standard mode after a print command is executed.
When data sent for printing exceeds the print area, the printer will automatically reset to standard mode and continue printing.
- Range:
8 ≤ n ≤ 156- Default:
n = 156- Related:
- Example:
Select Standard Mode - $1B $53
Select standard mode.
- Format:
Hex $1B $53
ASCII ESC S
Decimal 27 83- Notes:
Only executed when printer is in a New Line State
Only executed when printer is in a Page Mode
Will print whatever is in the print buffer in Page mode prior to switching to standard mode.
- Related:
- Example:
None