PC-1 Paper Console | Travis Miller Design

Travis Miller Design

5 min read Original article ↗

Paper
Console PC-1

A handmade thermal printer for news, weather, puzzles, and more. Turn the dial, press the button, read the paper. No screen. No subscriptions. Built from walnut and brass.

Join the Waitlist $495 USD · Currently sold out

Finished PC-1 Paper Console, walnut enclosure with brass faceplate

How to use it

Press the button when you need it, or schedule prints to show up throughout your day. Read the full PC-1 instructions.

Printed weather forecast

Wake up to the weather and headlines

Pressing the button to print

A puzzle with your morning coffee

Printed grocery list

Tear off a grocery list before you leave

Printed recipe

Print a recipe for dinner

Printed QR code

Keep a QR code on hand for quick access

Turning the dial to select a channel

Advance in the adventure game
  • Morning weather & forecast
  • Daily calendar agenda
  • Sunrise & sunset times
  • Today's top headlines
  • Unread email summary
  • Latest post from a blog
  • WiFi password slip for guests
  • Grocery list before you leave
  • To-do list for the day
  • Meeting link QR code
  • Contact card for networking
  • Custom note or reminder
  • Sudoku over breakfast
  • Maze for the kids
  • On this day in history
  • Daily quote or poem
  • Journal prompt to start your day
  • Server status & uptime

What it prints

20+ modules. Assign any combination to your 8 channels.

Local modules work offline. Connected modules use your network or an online service.

Content

Weather receipt with current conditions and hourly and five-day forecasts

Weather Connected

Current conditions, hourly and 5-day forecasts

News receipt with sample headlines, summaries, and QR links

News Connected

Headlines and QR links from NewsAPI. Requires your API key.

RSS receipt with sample design and cooking articles and QR links

RSS Feeds Connected

Articles from your favorite RSS feeds, with QR links

Email receipt with a sample message about Sunday breakfast

Email Connected

Unread messages from your IMAP inbox. Requires email setup.

Astronomy receipt with a sun path chart and moon phase

Astronomy Local

Sun path, sunrise and sunset, and moon phase

Calendar receipt showing a week of sample events

Calendar Connected

Day, week, or month views from your iCal calendars

On This Day receipt about California becoming a state on September 9, 1850

On This Day Local

Historical events from today's date

Daily quote receipt with an attributed quotation

Quotes Local

A random quote from a library of thousands

Journal prompt receipt asking what you are grateful for

Journal Prompt Local

A writing prompt from a built-in library

Word of the Day receipt with a sample word and definition

Word of the Day Connected

A daily word and definition from Merriam-Webster

Games

Sudoku receipt with a medium-difficulty puzzle

Sudoku Local

Generated puzzles in three difficulty levels

Maze receipt with an entrance at the top and an exit at the bottom

Maze Local

Generated mazes in three difficulty levels

Crossword receipt with a puzzle grid, clues, and answers below

Crossword Local

Generated crosswords with clues and answers below

Word search receipt with a letter grid and words to find

Word Search Local

A puzzle grid with a list of hidden words

Adventure game receipt with a story and numbered choices

Adventure Local

Choose your next move with the dial and button

Utilities

Image receipt with a dithered photo of Paper Console

Image Local

Upload and print photos or illustrations

Text receipt with a sample grocery checklist

Text / Note Local

Custom notes, lists, and formatted text

QR code receipt linking to the Paper Console website

QR Code Local

URLs, WiFi details, contacts, and more

Slack receipt with a sample picnic reminder

Slack Connected

Print messages, links, and images sent to your Slack bot. Requires Slack setup.

Print Endpoint receipt with a sample laundry reminder from a home automation

Print Endpoint Connected

Receive text and images from your scripts and automations over the network

Webhook receipt with sample greenhouse readings from an API

Webhook Connected

Fetch and print text, images, or data from a URL or API

System Monitor receipt with sample Paper Console device statistics

System Monitor Local

Device network, storage, memory, uptime, and CPU status

How it works

Removing the magnetic faceplate to change the paper roll

01

Remove the faceplate

Push on the bottom of the faceplate to remove it.

Tearing off the printed paper

02

Replace the roll

Open printer cover, insert new roll.

Turning the rotary dial to select a channel

03

Pick a channel

Eight positions on the rotary dial, each loaded with the modules you choose.

Pressing the button to print

04

Press the button

Your channel prints on 58mm thermal paper.

Your paper, your routine

Set it up your way.

Open Paper Console’s settings from a browser on your phone or computer, on the same WiFi network. Combine modules, arrange their print order, and schedule your channels.

No app to install or Paper Console account required.

PC-1 settings with Weather, Calendar, and Sudoku arranged in that order on Channel 1

Build your morning paper. Combine your forecast, calendar, and a puzzle on one channel.

Add Module to Channel 1 picker showing all 22 module types, including Slack and Print Endpoint

Choose what goes on each channel. Pick from 20+ modules and make a mix that’s yours.

Schedule Channel 1 settings with Weekdays Monday through Friday selected and a print time of 8 AM

Have it ready before your coffee. Set a time, choose your days, and let your channel print automatically.

Settings preview · Sample configuration

The build

Walnut enclosure, brass faceplate. Hand-built.

Details

Specifications

  • Modules20+
  • Channels8
  • Paper58mm thermal paper
  • ConnectivityLocal/Wifi
  • EnclosureWalnut
  • HardwareBrass dial + button
  • SourceOpen source
  • SubscriptionsNone
  • Cloud dependencyNone

Questions

What kind of paper does it use?

Standard 58mm x 30mm thermal paper rolls, the same kind used in receipt printers. A roll lasts weeks of normal use and replacements cost a few dollars.

Does it need internet?

Some modules do (weather, news, email, RSS, calendar) but many work completely offline: sudoku, maze, quotes, journal prompts, on this day, text notes, and the adventure game all run locally.

Is there a monthly subscription?

Paper Console has no subscription. You provide your own API keys for services that need them, such as NewsAPI. Optional third-party services may have their own pricing or usage limits.

Can I customize what it prints?

Yes. There are 8 channels, each configurable with any combination of the 20+ module types. Stack weather + sudoku + quotes on one channel, news + email on another. You configure everything through a web interface on your phone or computer.

What about security?

Settings run locally on your network and are password-protected. Connected modules contact the services they use, including for scheduled prints and background checks.

How do software updates work?

You can check for software updates and export or restore your configuration from the settings page. See the settings instructions for the available controls.

Is it open source?

Yes. The entire software stack (Python backend, React settings UI) is open source on GitHub at github.com/travmiller/paper-console. Modify, extend, or build your own modules.

How do I set it up?

Plug it in. It prints setup instructions with a WiFi network name and password. Connect to that network from your phone, open the setup page, enter your home WiFi credentials, and you're done. Takes about two minutes. See the full PC-1 instructions for setup, Quick Actions, WiFi reset, and troubleshooting.

$495USD

Currently sold out.

In the box

  • PC-1 unit with walnut enclosure
  • Brass rotary dial and push button
  • 58mm thermal printer
  • Thermal paper roll 58mm x 30mm (2x)
  • 5V 5A power supply and cables
  • Quick start guide