How to convert image into hexa decimal bytes array

Question

I wan to print an image on a bluetooth printer. I got some sample code by the printer manufacturer. Here is the code -

unsigned char buffer3[796]={
            0x55 ,  0x66 ,  0x77 ,  0x88 ,  0x44 ,  0x1B ,  0x58 ,  0x31 ,  
            0x19, 0x20, 
             0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x01 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x03 ,0x60 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x03
            ,0xA0 ,0x00 ,0x07 ,0xB0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x05 ,0x60 ,0x00 ,0x07 ,0xD8 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x05 ,0xA0 ,0x00 ,0x13 ,0xEC ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x04 
            ,0x20 ,0x00 ,0x29 ,0xF4 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x03 ,0xC0 ,0x00 ,0x64 ,0xF9 ,0x00
            ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x9C ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFC ,0x7F ,0xF9 ,0xC0 ,0x3D ,0xFF
            ,0xF1 ,0xFF ,0xE3 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0xF2 ,0x73 ,0x80 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x9C ,0x01 ,0xC0
            ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFE ,0x7F ,0xFD ,0xE0 ,0x3D ,0xFF ,0xF1 ,0xFF ,0xE3 ,0xFF ,0xC0
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x79 ,0x26 ,0xC0 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0xDC ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFE
            ,0xFF ,0xFD ,0xF0 ,0x7D ,0xFF ,0xFB ,0xFF ,0xF7 ,0xFF ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x03 ,0x3C ,0x8F ,0x60
            ,0x0C ,0x01 ,0xDC ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x70 ,0x0E ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xF0 ,0x7D ,0x80
            ,0x3B ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x04 ,0x9E ,0x8F ,0xB0 ,0x0E ,0x01 ,0xDC ,0x01 ,0xC0
            ,0x19 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x70 ,0x0E ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xF8 ,0xFD ,0x80 ,0x33 ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0
            ,0x00 ,0x0E ,0x4F ,0x27 ,0xD8 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x9C ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFC 
            ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xF9 ,0xFD ,0xFF ,0xF3 ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x0F ,0x26 ,0x53 ,0xC8
            ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x9C ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFC ,0xEF ,0xFD ,0xDD ,0xDD ,0xFF
            ,0xF3 ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x07 ,0x90 ,0xC9 ,0xF0 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0xDC ,0x01 ,0xC0
            ,0x19 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFE ,0xEF ,0xFD ,0xDF ,0x9D ,0xFF ,0xFB ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0
            ,0x00 ,0x03 ,0xC9 ,0xE4 ,0xE0 ,0x0C ,0x00 ,0xDC ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x70 ,0x06 
            ,0xE7 ,0xFD ,0xCF ,0x9D ,0x80 ,0x3B ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x01 ,0xF0 ,0xF2 ,0x40
            ,0x0E ,0x01 ,0xDC ,0x00 ,0xC0 ,0x19 ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x70 ,0x0E ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xCF ,0x1D ,0x80
            ,0x3B ,0x80 ,0x77 ,0x00 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0xE6 ,0x79 ,0x00 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0xDF ,0xFC ,0xFF
            ,0xF9 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFE ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xC7 ,0x1D ,0xFF ,0xFB ,0xFF ,0xF7 ,0xFF ,0xE0
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x49 ,0x3D ,0x00 ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x9F ,0xFC ,0xFF ,0xF9 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFE
            ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xC2 ,0x1D ,0xFF ,0xF1 ,0xFF ,0xE3 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x1C ,0x9E ,0x00 
            ,0x0F ,0xFF ,0x1F ,0xFC ,0x7F ,0xE1 ,0xFF ,0xC0 ,0x7F ,0xFC ,0xE0 ,0x1D ,0xC0 ,0x1D ,0xFF
            ,0xE0 ,0xFF ,0xC1 ,0xFF ,0x80 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x1E ,0x4C ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x0F ,0x20 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x07 ,0x90 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x03 ,0xE0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x01 ,0xC0 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x80 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00 
            ,0x00 ,0x00 ,0x00   
            };



        [[session outputStream] write:(const uint8_t *)buffer3 maxLength:796];//send print package 

The thing I want to know is how to convert image into the buffer array. I am able to print text using that printer and this image also. Just want to know how to convert other images into this buffer array so I can send it to output stream.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Update 1 - I tried with @Tim van Elsloo 's code but its not working..any other idea?

Answer 1

I guess, the printer will not take any image format? However, here is how you can convert an image to a byte array, hope this will help:

NSData *data = [NSData dataWithContentsOfFile:imagePath];
NSUInteger length = [data length];
Byte *bytes = (Byte*)malloc(length);
memcpy(bytes, [data bytes], length);

Answer 2

Try this:

CGImageRef image = [yourUIImage CGImage];
CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
NSUInteger width = CGImageGetWidth(image);
NSUInteger height = CGImageGetHeight(image);
NSUInteger bytesPerPixel = 4;
NSUInteger bytesPerRow = bytesPerPixel * width;
NSUInteger bitsPerComponent = 8;
int size = height*width*bytesPerPixel;
printf("Size:%d\n",size);   
unsigned char *rawData = malloc(size); 
CGContextRef context = CGBitmapContextCreate(rawData,width,height,bitsPerComponent,bytesPerRow,colorSpace,kCGImageAlphaPremultipliedLast | kCGBitmapByteOrder32Big);
CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);
CGContextDrawImage(context, CGRectMake(0,0,width,height),image);
CGContextRelease(context);

Now, rawData is the data you need.

Source: http://www.iphonedevsdk.com/forum/iphone-sdk-development/21806-convert-cgimage-uiimage.html

Edit: you have maxLength:796 in your code, but I'm pretty sure this depends on the particular image, you should probably replace 796 by something like sizeof(rawData).