This was a quick and fun little project that I cobbled together based on some similar projects I’d seen on Twitter.

The idea is simple: push a button, and a “daily summary” report prints out. It has the date, weather, upcoming rocket launches, stock info, and a daily fact and quote.

I also decided to add a second button that prints out a random picture of my girlfriend and me. (It seemed like a fun little Easter egg!)

Since I already had an old thermal receipt printer with a Raspberry Pi Zero W sticky-taped to the side of it lying around from my bakery order system project, this was very easy to set up.

Thermal receipt printer beside the original breadboard prototype on the workbench
Prototype breadboard with basic buttons and separate LEDs
Receipt printer with two illuminated metal buttons connected to a small prototyping board
Better looking buttons with integrated LEDs and quick disconnects.
Live and in action.
Green and blue illuminated buttons mounted in a black 3D-printed enclosure
Prototyping a 3d printed enclosure.
A printed daily summary receipt alongside a printed photo receipt
The final results: a daily summary and a picture from the Tedeschi Trucks concert in August.