This guide is marked as DISCONTINUED — thermal printers and accessories are no longer carried by Adafruit, and some of the APIs and drivers referenced here are no longer available and/or compatible. Code will not be updated and guide feedback will not be reviewed. The information remains online because a few elements may be of use for anyone who still has this hardware, but will still need to DIY their own code.

The “Internet of Things” is the idea of pervasive connections between physical objects and the online world. These connected devices don’t just idly sit around waiting for commands or files…they’re active agents that anticipate your needs and can push or pull data from the internet.

Our Internet of Things Printer is a small, internet-connected thermal printer that can have a daily weather forecast ready before you head out in the morning, a puzzle to work on while riding the subway, provide a list of “tweets” relating to your interests…or any other task you can program!

This second version of the printer is built around the Raspberry Pi, a tiny computer that packs a wallop: more processing power, more RAM and the potent Linux operating system. The new kit has an easier time handling graphics and looks super tidy with its wireless networking: