ticketmax
Print markdown files to a thermal receipt printer. Write a .md file with standard markdown and ticketmax renders it on any ESC/POS printer over TCP, USB, or serial.
Setup
Set PRINTER_ADDR to your printer's address:
# TCP:
export PRINTER_ADDR=192.168.1.100:9100
# USB:
export PRINTER_ADDR=/dev/usb/lp0
# Serial:
export PRINTER_ADDR=/dev/ttyUSB0
Usage
# Print a markdown file
ticketmax report.md
# Pipe from stdin
echo "# Hello World" | ticketmax -
# Check printer connectivity
ticketmax -status
# Print a test receipt
ticketmax -test
Flags
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
-addr | 127.0.0.1:9100 | Printer host:port or device path (env: PRINTER_ADDR) |
-baud | 9600 | Baud rate for serial connections |
-timeout | 5s | Network connection timeout |
-width | 46 | Paper width in characters (1–120) |
-spacing | 20 | Line spacing in printer units (0–255) |
-test | Print test receipt and exit | |
-status | Check connectivity and exit |
Markdown Syntax
| Markdown | Printer Output |
|---|---|
# Heading | Bold, double-size, centered |
## Heading | Bold, double-width, centered |
### Heading | Bold |
**bold text** | Bold line |
<u>text</u> | Underlined line |
--- | Separator line |
| A | B | | Two columns (right-aligned values) |
| A | B | C | | Three columns |
 | Print image (PNG, JPEG, GIF) |
```qr | QR code block |
<!-- cut --> | Cut paper |
<!-- beep --> | Buzzer (1 beep) |
<!-- beep N --> | Buzzer (N beeps) |
Example
To print a report, write markdown to a temp file and pipe it to ticketmax:
cat <<'EOF' > /tmp/report.md
# Morning Report
## Sales
| Item | Revenue |
| --- | --- |
| Widget A | $1,234 |
| Gadget B | $567 |
---
**Low stock: Widget A (3 units)**
```qr
https://dashboard.example.com
EOF
ticketmax /tmp/report.md
Or pipe directly from stdin:
```bash
echo "# Alert\n\n**Server down at $(date)**\n\n<!-- beep 3 -->" | ticketmax -