When it comes to keeping in touch with the grandparents, a lack of familiarity with contemporary innovation can get in the way. [palmerabollo] wished to share pictures with his grandmother, however discovered that it was difficult as she didn’t have a smartphone or an Web connection to get photos. Thus, a custom develop for granny was in order! (translated)

To minimise maintenance requirements, the develop relies on a thermal receipt printer. Each roll of thermal paper is great for printing off about 150 pictures before needing a change, so it’s a low-cost, fuss-free solution without any requirement for ink changeovers.

A Raspberry Pi Zero 2W runs the show, paired with a HAT that provides cellular Web connectivity. Photos are sent over Telegram with some custom Python code that [palmerabollo] put together. The system utilizes the Python “thermalprinter” library, with the Floyd-Steinberg dithering algorithm baked in enabling nice high quality even on the simple thermal printer.

It’s a fun build, as well as lets [palmerabollo] send his grandma fun pictures as well as messages without needing any type of effort on her part. It’s super adorable to see the pictures stuck up on the refrigerator, too.

There’s lots of fun to be had with thermal printers, so don’t be afraid to get stuck in yourself! video after the break.

[Thanks to palmacas for the tip!]