Topic: Bitaddress Bill Sized PDF (Read 4844 times)

For anyone immediately writing this off because it'd make their wallet look like their wife's purse (with a bunch of coupons and whatnot in the same compartment, which drives me nuts) - they do sell multi-currency wallets. They're generally listed as "double billfold wallets" for travelers and those in a country with multiple well-accepted currencies (more often, somewhere with a horrible national currency and then a slightly-less-horrible currency like USD). They're often outrageously expensive due to stupid, but you can find some decently-priced ones on Amazon.

Thanks for your sharing. Generating PDF document with a PDF add-on may be easier. Here is an example of generating, opening and saving PDF document.

I am looking at it more like a personal check. Once received, you hold it if you trust the person, or you deposit (redeem) it into your personal account.
Then throw the paper away.

Nothing says the change can't go back to the same address.  Worst case is the machine that gave the change could steal it sometime later.  That risk could be offset by using only small bills.  The machine could offer the option of sending the change to a new address, or just leaving it behind on the same address.

Would it make sense to add a QR code with a bitcoin address for receiving change?

Currently using the bill to replace cash means that you either need to have the exact amount or else cash would be needed as well to supplement the payment amount or cash would need to be given as change.  With an exchange that floates, prices are probably not known until payment is made so the chances the buyer already has a paper bitcoin in the exact amount would be even more less-likely to occur.

If instead the paper bitcoin also had an address for receiving change, then the buyer could just carry a paper bitcoin(s) totaling at least the purchase price.

I see there is enough room in one of the unused corners for another QR code where the bitcoin address for the change could go.

The receiving address could even be a specially marked paper bitcoin, meant primarily for receiving change but could also be used for spending

Ughh ... this just makes the paper bitcoin even more complicated and not less so.

Bitaddress is user pointbiz, who just posted before you, so I imagine you're in luck in terms of contacting him.

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Ah very nice! Graphically pleasing and looks like a quality check.

Will the graphics be available for use on bitaddress.org ?

Here is another JS pdf library to consider that uses node.js, http://pdfkit.org/

Nice, it's looks like real paper money !

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I use apache fop for creating pdf files
it uses a stylesheet (set of rules how to organize information on the print / pdf - layout rules) - here bar.xslt
 and data (key, address pairs, optional paths to qr images) in an xml file - here foo.xml

In this example running this command:
 ./fop -xml data/foo.xml -xsl data/bar.xslt -pdf data/1.pdf -dpi 600

as you may guess inside the working directory with my fop.jar I have directory data with the stylesheet and data xml and where my output pdf appears. the options are virtually countless. I came across fop few years ago and used it to generate our company phone book from a raw sql dump to xml to pdf (adding table of contet with hypertext document links, images, borders and stuff).

printing 'simple' pdf files is a piece of cake.
seems to me you're not aware of this tool.

Blockchain.info's Wallet also has this functionality, and it accepts the private keys in basically every format known to man.

re: redeem private keys
from http://printcoins.com/redeem
"A future version of the bitcoin client will likely have import key functionality native to it. This pull request implements it..
https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/220
"

I have asked this question before:  Currently I know of only three ways to redeem private keys (Mt Gox, StrongCoin and PyWallet).  Does anyone know of any other ways to do this?  It seems like some of the other exchanges and on line wallet systems would have added this feature by now.

 

Strongcoin also allows for import, as well as pywallet.

I keep instructions here:
http://printcoins.com/redeem

It is what I print on my bills.

The only way I know of right know from the users perspective to redeem a bitcoin private key is through the mtgox.

That would be one route to accomplish it, though it would require the user to have the label making software for their particular platform, and then require the additional step for the user of having to import bulk key list. Probably not the best of our options at this time.

It is important that we make these as extremely easy to create so that they can be widely used.

Thanks for the question. Mostly yes.

1) Indeed it is a paper wallet that fits in a physical wallet. Though I can get the current bitaddress tear offs in my wallet, they end up being scrunched up pieces of paper because they don't stack nicely with the rest of my dollar bills or personal cheques. So they should be the same dimensions as a dollar.
2) The idea is not to try and imitate or confuse btc paper bills with conventional money or checks, but rather to make them functional and attractive. This may be the way that some people are introduced to bitcoins for the first time, or possibly the first time they ever receive an item signifying bitcoins that they can hold in their hand. We should want their response to be "Cool!" We may come up with one good design, or possibly multiple designs for the user to select from. I want a slick and attractive graphical design. For usability, we should include simple instructions or a link to instructions on how to use and basic information about bitcoin..
3) It has been proposed that a tear off receipt on the side, or a companion receipt could be included and may be useful to some. These are already found in standard business cheque books. This could include a field for inscribing notes about the transaction, as well as show the public key. This would be additional functionality, or possibly a separate layout option.
4) PDF is good. HTML/CSS is still an option as well.

>First tip there is no existing PDF generation code at bitaddress.org

I see. Bitaddress.org is using a javascript windows.print() function, which with Chrome brings up a nice PDF output option. In firefox, there is no mention of PDF or preview display for the printer output. Given the friendly print display that chrome uses, and the existing functionality of bitaddress, modifying CSS/HTML looks like an tenable option.