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Raspberry Pi Zero Prints Giant Pictures with Thermal Receipt Printer

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Hardware

It’s no secret that thermal receipt printers can print much more than receipts, but this Raspberry Pi project, created by a maker known as -PJFry- on Reddit, has taken the idea to a new extreme. With the help of a Raspberry Pi Zero, they’ve coded an application to print huge, poster-sized images (opens in new tab) one strip at a time on their thermal printer.

Inspiration for this project came from similar online projects where users print large-scale images using regular printers or thermal printers like the one used in this project. In this case, however, -PJFry- coded the project application from scratch to work on the Pi Zero. It works by taking an image and breaking it into pieces that fit across the width of the receipt printer and printing it one strip at a time. Then, these strips can be lined up to create a full-sized image.

It is the only microelectronics project we can find that -PJFry- has shared, but it’s clear they have a great understanding of our favorite SBC to craft something this creative from scratch. According to -PJFry-, the project wasn’t created for efficiency but more for fun as a proof of concept. The result is exciting and provides an artistic take on the Raspberry Pi’s potential.

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