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btconf 2026 speakers
Two upcoming conferences this November where I will give a talk about how I created CCS DOOM:
November 13th - FFConf 🇬🇧 Brighton
https://2026.ffconf.org
November 16th - Halfstack 🇦🇹 HalfStack
https://halfstackconf.com/vienna
Both are amazing conferences and have a lovely community. Tickets are still for sale!
Mood for this morning: The Skinner Brothers with the Rampage EP - perfect to drown out intrusive thoughts about the state of the world with a violent sonic mix of punk, ska and drum and bass.
Mood for today… this is my go to record when I just want to relax.
Can't believe that in less than 4 weeks I will be in Brighton to give a talk about how I build CSS DOOM at @ffconf
Despite being on my bucket list to attend and speak for at least 10 years, I never managed to visit. But this year I will do both.✨
🎟️ Tickets are still for sale:
https://2026.ffconf.org
And it is now the best ESC/POS and StarPRNT renderer there is. Probably even better than some printers.
But it will probably be used by just me. Or at most a handful of people.
And that is fine. I love this project.
I generated receipts using a dozen different open-source encoders and test suites of other rendered and compared them manually with the output of dozens of printers. Painstakingly making sure to capture every single quirk and detail...
The result is a renderer that exactly matches a real printer. And it does not just support the code my own projects generate…
And to render receipts, you need a bitmap font at specific sizes. And there wasn't yet one...
So I created a bitmap font editor... I know 🤪
But... what I really wanted is a renderer. For two reasons - some printers only support bitmaps, and I wanted to be able to print on those too.
But I also wanted to have a preview to see how a receipt rendered.
From the moment I've been working on this - 15 years ago - I've always wanted to build a decoder, so that I could inspect what we actually send to the printer... every single command that it receives.
And you end up with bytes. Just raw bytes that you send to the printer - also with libraries that I created...
But let's rewind. You start with some JavaScript and my ReceiptPrinterEncoder library to create the actual receipt. From JavaScript, in the browser or a server. Or using Capacitor or Electron. I've build integrations for everything.
And this is what I've been spending my evenings on lately. A decoder for receipt printer protocols. You can take the bytes that get send to a receipt printer and inspect the commands that are inside of it. And... actually see a render of the receipt.
Only useful for a hand full of people. And me.
RE: https://front-end.social/@heydon/117315437800953545
I've seen Heydon's talk a week or two ago at @smashingconf and it was amazing. I just loved it so much.
So if you want to see it... come down to Dordrecht in The Netherlands... A handful of tickets are still available.
Fronteers Dark Mode conference is next week! Monday I'll send badges to the printer... which means if you want a proper badge... sign up now!
We've got a handful of tickets left and they are only €100 for an evening of front-end talks by some amazing speakers.
Two weeks from now Fronteers Dark Mode will happen in Dordrecht in The Netherlands. There are still a few tickets left. Be quick ⚠️
Join us for an afternoon and evening of great talks. With a spectacular line up: Anjana Vakil, @tunetheweb, @Cyd, @csswizardry and @heydon.
And let's not forget our amazing MC:
@jaffathecake.
Tickets are just €99 ⭐️ and a two-course dinner is included as well 🍽️ @fronteers members will get a 50 euro discount.
🎟️ www.fronteersconf.org
Over the years I have brought some really weird things through airport security. I’ve set off the alarms once - they closed down the lane and started shouting in panic because it looked really serious on the scanners.
But never a vintage oscilloscope. Until today. Freiburg, here we come!
"Oscilloscopes & Other Bad Ideas"
I've been so swamped in work that I completely forgot that I am going to give a talk at the @smashingconf Jam Session next Monday. But with a title like that I already know it's going to be good.
https://smashingconf.com/freiburg-2026/jam-session
Now... is there any way I can bring an actual vintage oscilloscope with me on the plane to Freiburg? 🤔
The #cssday photos have been published and they are great. Love them.
https://cssday.nl/2026/pix/photos/
But these... These made my day. These were taken during my talk and it makes all of the work I put into it worth it. ❤️
Not this fall, but the this conference needs to be included as well:
State of the Browser organised by
@webstandards will be back in 2027 on the 6th of March in the Barbican in London🇬🇧
I've already got my ticket – just £80, which is a steal.
🎟️ 2027.stateofthebrowser.com
Next: HalfStack is back! November 26th in Vienna🇦🇹
Another favourite. I am kind of part of the furniture, because this is going to be the 15th time I'm speaking at HalfStack 😅
Tickets are just €200 euro and with this code you'll get 20% off:
Niels_HSVienna26_Awesome20
🎟️ halfstackconf.com/vienna
Next: @ffconf in Brighton🇬🇧
This conference has been on my list for more than 10 years. I've heard so many great things, but somehow never managed to attend. But this year I am not only heading over to Brighton, but I'll actually be on stage.
Tickets will be on sale next week:
🎟️ 2026.ffconf.org
First up:
Fronteers Dark Mode in Dordrecht 🇳🇱 on October 2nd. With Cyd Stumpel, @heydon, @csswizardry, @tunetheweb and Anjana Vakil. And @jaffathecake as our MC.
An amazing location and tickets only cost €99, and include dinner. Don't miss this!
🎟️ fronteersconf.org
And, do want me to speak about CSS DOOM at your conference, DM me!
It's been a great year for conferences.
I've spoken at @btconf and @cssday and I've been so lucky to attend so many others, like State of the Browser, Web Day Out and Smashing Conference.
It's sharing knowledge, learning and getting inspired. But mostly the community.
I will be posting about some conference that you should visit this fall. I will be at all of them – either organising myself or speaking. If you have any more tips for some great conferences that I should visit, let me know!
Today exactly 10 years ago, I spoke at CSS Day.
Around that time I created a list of a handful of conference that I would love to speak at. And I am so lucky that was able to tick off most of them over the last 10 years. I even got to speak again at CSS Day last week.
Just one left... for now.
Dropped my stuff off at the #cssday venue. Like you do. Totally normal.
A PSA for the #cssday attendees:
It is perfectly safe to attend this year. Left my CSS Flamethrower at home. Apparently they don’t want me to burn the venue down.
But no worries. I am only bringing an oscilloscope - it been repaired since it exploded last year - and lasers. Perfectly safe.
On my way to #cssday, having a stop with some coffee and working on finishing my demos. What can go wrong. Totally prepared. Like a professional.
Anyway... the talk is done. Rehearsed a couple of times. Happy with the pace and I still have 10 - 15 minutes left for the demos that I have planned and Q&A.
Panic over.
