thermatext/README.md

# thermatext

fancy name, QL-570 text formater

using the Brother QL family with support for linux.  
label printer controled by [brother-ql](https://brother-ql.net/index.html) project  

### TODO
  - use as printer 
    - works, but cant detect the length of text, will output a set (page?) length
  - fix missing font defentions 
    - fail to take into account letter width
  - set output image size as spec 
  ```
  Name      Printable px   Description
  62        696            (62mm endless)
  ```
  - telegram bot (!)

## Permissions
```bash
echo 'SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="04f9", ATTRS{idProduct}=="2028", MODE="0777"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/52-QL-BROTHER.rules

#reload udev rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger
```

## CLI
`sudo brother_ql -b pyusb --model QL-570 -p usb://0x04f9:0x2028/000M12345678 print -l 62 logo.png`
## python
python tries to detect letter width and maximise it to fit the label printer constraints (62mm width)  
`python thermatext.py "label to print"`

## inkscape
[gptgist](https://gist.github.com/5shekel/98cc4898a1a8c7a5a1b305acc01d4326)  

inskcape user extension path  
`/home/${USER}/.config/inkscape/extensions`

symbolic link the dir fro here to the inkscape extension
`ln -s /home/${USER}/yair/thermatext/inkscape /home/${USER}/.config/inkscape/extensions/thermatext`  
then check  
```bash
find ~/.config/inkscape/ -type l
```

## using ql_brother web UI
(brother_ql_web](https://github.com/pklaus/brother_ql_web.git) has a web GUI and an restAPI(!)
```bash
git clone https://github.com/pklaus/brother_ql_web.git
cd brother_ql_web
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate; 
pip install -r requirements.txt
./brother_ql_web.py 
```