bella

KO | EN

gitlite — search

#javascript #python #hacktoberfest #react #ai #typescript #llm #go #golang #android #machine-learning #rust #deep-learning #linux

(★ 36)

Bella renders text to graphics and prints it on a label maker using IPP/CUPS.

bella Latest Version Download

Download Latest Version (.zip)

// repository documentation

Was this content helpful?

★ 0 (0 ratings)

# Bella -- label printer software

![`bel   la`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tv42/bella/master/bella.png)

Bella renders text to graphics and prints it on a label maker using IPP/CUPS.

It was created for use with a [Dymo LabelManager PnP](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00464E5P2/), but other continuous-tape printers might work too.
If you have a different brand/model printer, let us know how to get it working!

**Current status: just getting started on the project.**

```
bella-png >bella.png 'bel   la'
lp -d label -o landscape bella.png
```

## Roadmap

- command-line printing
- web interface, especially for mobile client use
- submit print jobs via IPP?
- limit label maximum width (mm or inch), to e.g. fit on drawer front
- maybe embed images?
- maybe embed QR codes?

## Supported outputs and tapes

We currently assume the output needs to be 64 pixels tall.
This matches the printable area of a 1/2-inch Dymo D1 tape.

### Dymo D1 tape widths

| Tape size (inch) | Tape size (mm, approx) | Printable area (mm) | Printable area (pixels) |
|------------------|------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------|
| 1/2              | 12                     | 9                   | 64                      |
| 3/8              | 9                      | ?                   | ?                       |
| 1/4              | 6                      | ?                   | ?                       |

## Setting up CUPS for Dymo (on Debian/Ubuntu)

See https://www.baitando.com/it/2017/12/12/install-dymo-labelwriter-on-headless-linux

```
sudo apt-get install printer-driver-dymo

# for me, the above didn't include the PPD file for some reason; get it from the SDK
wget http://download.dymo.com/dymo/Software/Download%20Drivers/Linux/Download/dymo-cups-drivers-1.4.0.tar.gz
tar xzf dymo-cups-drivers-1.4.0.tar.gz
sudo cp dymo-cups-drivers-1.4.0.5/ppd/lmpnp.ppd /usr/share/cups/model/

# find your device serial number in lsusb, it's a 14-digit number
lsusb -d 0922:1002 -v
lpadmin -p label -v 'usb://DYMO/LabelManager%20PnP?serial=REPLACE_SERIAL_HERE' -P /usr/share/cups/model/lmpnp.ppd
cupsenable label

# test it
convert -size 300x64 canvas:white -font 'Times-Roman' -pointsize 64 -fill black -draw 'text 0,64 "label maker"' label.png
lp -d label -o landscape label.png
```

## Open questions

### How many levels of gray can a Dymo print?

We're currently using 8-bit grayscale. Is there any point in using 16-bit?

### Automatic cutting

Do label printers with automatic cutting need something special?
Right now we just print it out, cutting is end user problem (and the Dymo LabelManager PnP has a manual cutter); this means if you print multiple labels in a row, you lose the use of the built-in cutter and need scissors.
You can configure the Dymo LabelManager PnP to pause after each label, to leave you time to cut, but I haven't tested if it actually waits for user action or not.

## Anti-goals

- Fixed size pre-cut labels. We'd rather get the continuous tape style labels working *great*, and that means letting the length of the printout be whatever it is.
- Generating PDF. The printer driver will just rasterize it anyway, so we can simply submit a bitmap. The size isn't an issue here.

## Alternatives

- You could use the Windows and macOS software that came with the label maker.
- You could make bitmaps with ImageMagick: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/138804/how-to-transform-a-text-file-into-a-picture

## Resources

- You'll need the Dymo SDK to get the `PPD` file: https://www.dymo.com/en-US/dymo-label-sdk-cups-linux-p (that page is horribly broken, but the "Download" link works).
  Announcement at <https://developers.dymo.com/2012/02/21/announcing-dymo-labelwriterlabelmanager-sdk-1-4-0-for-linux/>.
  Fluffy landing page at <https://www.dymo.com/en-US/online-support/online-support-sdk>.
  Unofficial mirrors at https://github.com/matthiasbock/dymo-cups-drivers and https://github.com/Kyle-Falconer/DYMO-SDK-for-Linux and https://github.com/xcross/dymo-cups-drivers

### Random related things, not endorsing just cataloging

- https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2016/183/Perl-Producing-Labels
- The HID device and USB mode switch stuff seems to be handled fine by `printer-driver-dymo` these days, you no longer need the reverse-engineered `dymoprint`:
  https://sbronner.com/dymoprint.html
  https://github.com/computerlyrik/dymoprint
  https://randomfoo.net/2018/07/09/printing-with-a-dymo-labelmanager-pnp-on-linux
  or this alternate implementation https://github.com/Firedrake/dymo-labelmanager
- https://glabels.org/ or https://github.com/jimevins/glabels-qt seems more for pre-cut stickers ([mostly](https://github.com/jimevins/glabels-qt/commit/467ca9fc624e07442d45b0214f2cccb4919004a4))
- https://kwagjj.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/dymo-linux-command-line/ talks more about gLabels and its batch mode, which I do not wish to use.
- Something in C# https://github.com/ChaliceAriel/LabelManager
- Something in Python https://github.com/richardbarlow/hacky-dymo-label-gen
- dymoprint wrapper https://github.com/matrach/iot-labeler that seems to contain no actual code

bella

bella Latest Version Download

Today's picks

Was this content helpful?

Recent Feedback

bella

bella Latest Version Download

Today's picks

Was this content helpful?

Recent Feedback

Download README