README: core functionality, device&Py2 support
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## brother\_ql ##
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## brother\_ql
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A Python package to control Brother QL label printers.
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This package basically replaces the driver because it implements
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the raster language of those printers.
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It implements the raster language of those printers and allows you to send instruction files to your printer.
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In more details, the following is possible with this package:
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Here is a list of printers claimed to be supported:
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* Create raster language files for the Brother label printers.
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These binary files contain the instructions for the printer and can be created from image files or programmatically in your own Python script.
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* Analyze files containing raster instructions.
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A tool that interprets all the instructions, writes out information about all of them, and creates PNG images of the printouts to be expected.
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* Print raster instruction files with your Brother label printer via different backends:
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* pyusb (works cross-platform)
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* network (works cross-platform for WiFi/Ethernet-enabled printers)
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* linux\_kernel (works on Linux only; uses the /dev/usb/lp0 device handles)
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QL-500, QL-550, QL-560, QL-570, QL-580N, QL-650TD, QL-700, QL-710W, QL-720NW, QL-1050, and QL-1060N.
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The following printers are claimed to be supported (✓ means verified by the author or by contributors):
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### Installation ###
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* QL-500 (✓), QL-550, QL-560, QL-570, QL-580N, QL-650TD, QL-700 (✓), QL-710W (✓), QL-720NW, QL-1050, and QL-1060N.
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### Installation
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pip install https://github.com/pklaus/brother_ql/archive/master.zip
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@@ -16,9 +25,11 @@ Upgrade to the latest version using:
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pip install --upgrade https://github.com/pklaus/brother_ql/archive/master.zip
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### Usage ###
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This package was mainly created for use with Python 3. The essential functionality will also work with Python 2, though: The creation of label files.
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#### Create ####
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### Usage
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#### Create
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You can create a new instruction file to be sent to the printer with
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the `brother_ql_create` tool:
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brother_ql_create --help
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Currently, the `brother_ql_create` tool is still lacking quite some important features like:
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* setting the media to something different than 62mm endless labels
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* using the 600dpi mode
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Please open an issue on Github if you want the tool to support more use cases.
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State what you want to be supported and what the command call could look like.
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#### Analyse ####
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#### Analyse
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To analyse a binary file containing Brother QL Raster instructions and
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create an image of what would be printed:
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This tool also has the `--help` option.
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#### Printing ####
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(This specific tool doesn't work on Python 2.)
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#### Print
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Once you have a Brother QL instruction file, you can send it to the printer like this:
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@@ -65,7 +79,7 @@ You can also use the tool `brother_ql_print` to send the instructions to your pr
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# or (requires PyUSB: `pip install pyusb`)
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brother_ql_print 720x151_monochrome.bin usb://0x04f9:0x2015
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#### Debugging
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#### Debug
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If your printer has problems printing the instructions file, it may blink its LED (green or red) depending on the model. This can have many reasons, eg.:
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