Print to a receipt

Create a form in visual basic and add a Button and a PrintDocument controls from the tool
box.
Add the following declaration below Public Class Form1 line
Dim TextToPrint As String = ""

Add the following form load event code. Change the printer name to your printer name. To
find your printer name simply go to Control Panel, Devices and Printers, then find your
printer:

Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles

MyBase.Load
PrintDocument1.PrinterSettings.PrinterName = "EPSON TM-T88V "
End Sub
Add the following PrintHeader method. The following code will be used to add business
info to the paper such as business address, phone numbers, etc...

Public Sub PrintHeader()

TextToPrint = ""
'send Business Name
Dim StringToPrint As String = "Business Name"
Dim LineLen As Integer = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen1 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((33 - LineLen) / 2)) 'This line is used to center
text in the middle of the receipt
TextToPrint &= spcLen1 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
'send address name
StringToPrint = "12345 Street Avenue"
LineLen = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen2 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((33 - LineLen) / 2))
TextToPrint &= spcLen2 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine

' send city, state, zip

StringToPrint = "City, State, Zip code"
LineLen = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen3 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((33 - LineLen) / 2))
TextToPrint &= spcLen3 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
' send phone number
StringToPrint = "999-999-9999"
LineLen = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen4 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((33 - LineLen) / 2))
TextToPrint &= spcLen4 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
'send website
StringToPrint = "website.com"
LineLen = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen4b As New String(" "c, Math.Round((33 - LineLen) / 2))
TextToPrint &= spcLen4b & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
End Sub
The following method is used to add the items being purchased to the paper. Items can be
pulled from a database, a datagridview, a listbox, etc.
Public Sub ItemsToBePrinted()
Dim StringToPrint As String = " " & "1" & " @ " & "3.99" & "
Dim LineLen As String = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen5 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((30 - LineLen)))

" & "3.99"

TextToPrint &= "Description" & Environment.NewLine

TextToPrint &= StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
End Sub
The following will be used to print the footer of the receipt that contains information such
as: sub total, grand total, tax, cash entered, change amount, etc...
Public Sub printFooter()
TextToPrint &= Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine
Dim globalLengt As Integer = 0
'SubTotal Amount
Dim StringToPrint As String = "Sub Total " & FormatCurrency("3.99", , , TriState.True,
TriState.True) 'Change here to subtotal
Dim LineLen As String = StringToPrint.Length
globalLengt = StringToPrint.Length
Dim spcLen5 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((26 - LineLen)))
TextToPrint &= Environment.NewLine & spcLen5 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine

'Tax Amount
StringToPrint = "Tax
" & FormatCurrency("0.05", , , TriState.True, TriState.True) 'Change
to tax amount
LineLen = globalLengt
Dim spcLen6 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((26 - LineLen)))
If Not StringToPrint = "Tax
$0.00" Then
TextToPrint &= spcLen6 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
End If
'Total Amount
StringToPrint = "Total
" & "$4.04"
LineLen = globalLengt
Dim spcLen8 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((26 - LineLen)))
TextToPrint &= spcLen8 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine & Environment.NewLine
'Cash Entered Amount
StringToPrint = "Cash
" & FormatCurrency("5.00", , , TriState.True, TriState.True)
LineLen = globalLengt
Dim spcLen9 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((26 - LineLen)))
If Not StringToPrint = "Cash
$0.00" Then
TextToPrint &= spcLen9 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
End If
'Change Amount
StringToPrint = "Change
" & FormatCurrency("0.96", , , TriState.True, TriState.True)
LineLen = globalLengt
Dim spcLen10 As New String(" "c, Math.Round((26 - LineLen)))
TextToPrint &= Environment.NewLine & spcLen10 & StringToPrint & Environment.NewLine
End Sub

The following code is the PrintDocument print event.

Private Sub PrintDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs) Handles PrintDocument1.PrintPage
Static currentChar As Integer
Dim textfont As Font = New Font("Courier New", 10, FontStyle.Bold)
Dim h, w As Integer
Dim left, top As Integer
With PrintDocument1.DefaultPageSettings
h=0
w=0
left = 0
top = 0
End With

Dim lines As Integer = CInt(Math.Round(h / 1))

Dim b As New Rectangle(left, top, w, h)
Dim format As StringFormat
format = New StringFormat(StringFormatFlags.LineLimit)
Dim line, chars As Integer
e.Graphics.MeasureString(Mid(TextToPrint, currentChar + 1), textfont, New SizeF(w, h),
format, chars, line)
e.Graphics.DrawString(TextToPrint.Substring(currentChar, chars), New Font("Courier New",
10, FontStyle.Bold), Brushes.Black, b, format)
currentChar = currentChar + chars
If currentChar < TextToPrint.Length Then
e.HasMorePages = True
Else
e.HasMorePages = False
currentChar = 0
End If
End Sub

To print this sample receipt paper we just created add the following button click event to
call the methods we created earlier.

Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As System.Object, e As System.EventArgs) Handles

Button1.Click
PrintHeader()
ItemsToBePrinted()
printFooter()
Dim printControl = New Printing.StandardPrintController
PrintDocument1.PrintController = printControl
Try
PrintDocument1.Print()
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub