Hey everyone, I’m working on a project where I need to print stuff directly from a web page. Is this even possible? I’m trying to create a system where users can click a button and it’ll instantly print out a short receipt with a number on it, like ‘5678’ or something.
I’m not sure if browsers can talk to printers like that. If it is doable, what kind of printer would work best for quick, small printouts? I want it to be super fast so customers don’t have to wait around.
Has anyone done something like this before? Any tips or advice would be awesome. Thanks a bunch!
While direct printer control from a browser is limited due to security constraints, there are workarounds to achieve your goal. One approach is to use a combination of client-side and server-side technologies. On the client side, you can use JavaScript to trigger a print request and format the content. On the server side, you can generate a print-ready document (like a PDF) and send it to a local print service.
For rapid, small printouts, thermal printers are indeed an excellent choice. They’re fast, quiet, and don’t require ink. You might want to explore receipt printers commonly used in point-of-sale systems. These can be controlled through local software that communicates with your web application.
Consider implementing a print server or a dedicated print application that runs locally and interfaces with your web app. This setup can provide the speed and reliability you’re looking for in your receipt printing system.
hey there, ClimbingMonkey! browser-printer control is limited for security. but u could try using window.print() to open the print dialog. for fast receipts, thermal printers are awesome. maybe look into a server-side solution that generates PDFs and sends em to a local print service? good luck with ur project!
Ooh, that sounds like a tricky project! 
Have u looked into browser-based printing APIs? I think some might let you do basic stuff, but controlling a printer directly might be tough. what about using a local app that talks to the website AND the printer? That could work! curious to hear what others think about this…