Task Printer

A receipt printer app for printing individual tasks on receipt paper. Simple, fast task printing with large, readable text perfect for physical task tracking!

Features

• �️ Print individual tasks in large, bold text
• ✂️ Auto text-wrapping for long task names (fits 80mm receipt paper)
• 🔌 Persistent printer connection - print multiple tasks without reconnecting
• 🎨 Clean, modern web interface
• 💻 Command line interface for quick printing
• 🖨️ Support for Munbyn ITPP047 thermal receipt printer
• 🔄 Mock mode when printer not available

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Run the application:

   npm start

3. Open in browser: Navigate to http://localhost:3000

Usage

Web Interface

• Enter a task name in the input field
• Click Print or press Enter to print immediately
• Tasks are printed in large, bold text centered on the receipt
• Perfect for creating physical task cards to track your progress

Command Line Interface

For quick printing from the terminal:

# Print a single task
tprint "Buy groceries"

# Print multiple tasks (each as separate slips)
tprint "Buy groceries" "Walk the dog" "Finish report"

Printing

Features:

• Text automatically wraps if task names are too long (max 16 characters per line in large text)
• Printer stays connected between prints - no need to reconnect
• Each task prints as its own tearable slip

Connecting Your Munbyn ITPP047 Printer

The app is configured for the Munbyn ITPP047 thermal receipt printer. To connect:

1. Connect your printer via USB and power it on

2. Find your printer's USB IDs:

   ./find-printer.sh

   Or manually:

   system_profiler SPUSBDataType | grep -B 3 -A 10 -i "printer"

   Look for:

   • USB Vendor ID: 0x0483 (or similar)
   • USB Product ID: 0x5743 (or similar)

3. Update printer IDs if needed in server/printer/printer.js:

   const vendorId = 0x0483;  // Your vendor ID
   const productId = 0x5743; // Your product ID

4. Restart the server:

   npm start

The server will automatically attempt to connect to the printer on startup. If successful, you'll see:

✓ Printer connected successfully!

If it fails, the app continues in mock mode (console output only) so you can still test the functionality.

Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js + Express
• CLI: Node.js with ES modules
• Printer: Munbyn ITPP047 (80mm thermal receipt printer)
• Printer Protocol: ESC/POS via USB
• USB Communication: node-usb library
• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3

Project Structure

task-printer/
├── tprint.js              # CLI script
├── server/
│   ├── index.js           # Express server
│   ├── routes/
│   │   └── tasks.js       # Print API endpoint
│   └── printer/
│       └── printer.js     # Printer service
├── public/
│   ├── index.html         # UI
│   ├── styles.css         # Styling
│   └── app.js             # Frontend JavaScript
├── bin/
│   └── tprint-simple      # Alternative CLI wrapper
├── package.json
└── README.md

API Endpoints

• POST /api/print - Print a task by name

Receipt Printer Specifications

• Model: Munbyn ITPP047
• Paper width: 80mm (79.5±0.5mm)
• Print speed: 200mm/sec
• Protocol: ESC/POS
• Connection: USB
• Text capacity: 16 characters per line in double-width mode (large text)
• Auto-wrapping: Yes - long task names automatically wrap to multiple lines

Future Enhancements

• Multiple printer profiles
• Custom print templates and fonts
• QR code generation for digital task tracking
• Print history and statistics
• Batch printing from files
• Integration with task management apps

Development

Run in development mode with auto-restart:

npm run dev

License

ISC