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.

Reserve a unit Limited run of 10 units
Finished PC-1 Paper Console, walnut enclosure with brass faceplate

How it works

Close-up: fingers on brass dial
01

Pick a channel

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

Close-up: finger pressing button
02

Press the button

Your channel prints on 58mm thermal paper.

Close-up: hands holding a printed receipt
03

Read your paper

Tear it off, put in wallet.

Close-up: hands loading a new paper roll
04

Change the roll

Remove magnetic faceplate.

Made for your routine

A physical object that fits into the quiet moments of your day.

Tear off a grocery list before you leave
Wake up to the weather and headlines
A puzzle with your morning coffee
Keep a QR code on your desk for quick access
  • 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

16 modules across three categories. Assign any combination to your 8 channels.

Content
Weather forecast print sample

Weather Live

Current conditions, hourly and 5-day forecast

News headlines print sample

News Live

Top headlines with QR links to full articles

RSS feed print sample

RSS Feeds Live

Articles from any RSS feed URL

Email inbox print sample

Email Live

Print unread emails from any IMAP inbox

Astronomy print sample showing sun path and moon phase

Astronomy Local

Sun path, sunrise/sunset, and moon phase

Calendar print sample

Calendar Live

Day, week, or month view from iCal

On This Day print sample

On This Day Local

Historical events from today's date

Daily quote print sample

Quotes Local

Random quote from a library of 5,000+

Journal Prompt Local

A writing prompt to start your day

Games
Sudoku puzzle print sample

Sudoku Local

Generated puzzles in three difficulty levels

Maze print sample

Maze Local

Printable mazes with start and end markers

Adventure game print sample

Adventure Local

Choose-your-own-adventure using the dial

Utilities
Text note print sample

Text / Note Local

Custom rich text with formatting

QR code print sample

QR Code Local

URLs, WiFi, contacts, phone, and more

Webhook print sample

Webhook Live

Pull and print data from any API

System monitor print sample

System Monitor Local

IP, disk, memory, CPU, and uptime

Configuration

  • Paper console hosts a settings page on your local network. Open it from any browser on your phone or computer connected to the same network. No app to install, no cloud account needed.
  • 8 channels, each with any combination of modules
  • Drag and drop to reorder print sequences
  • Schedule channels to print automatically
  • Location, time format, and printer settings
  • API keys stored locally, no cloud dependency
  • Open source: Python, FastAPI, React

The build

Walnut enclosure, brass faceplate. Hand-built.

Drilling alignment indicators into walnut
Routing corners of the enclosure
Gluing indicator panels
Wiring the electronics sled
Mounting the thermal printer
Brass faceplate with cutouts
PC-1 top view
System ready, first print test

Details

Specifications
  • Modules15+
  • Channels8
  • Paper58mm thermal paper
  • ConnectivityLocal/Wifi
  • EnclosureWalnut
  • HardwareBrass dial + button
  • SourceOpen source
  • SubscriptionsNone
  • Cloud dependencyNone

Get one

$495

10 units. Each hand-built to order.

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

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?

No. You provide your own API keys for services that need them (like NewsAPI). The device itself has no ongoing costs beyond paper.

Can I customize what it prints?

Yes. There are 8 channels, each configurable with any combination of the 16 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?

The device is offline by default — it makes no outbound connections on its own. When you press the button it fetches only what that channel needs. The settings UI runs as a local web server on your network, not exposed to the internet, and is password-protected. Only devices on the same network can reach it.

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.