Receipt printers are not currently supported in Lightspeed Hub for Retail POS (X-Series). Currently, only Zebra label printers are supported.

This article covers:

• Setting up an Epson TM-m30III (recommended), TM-m30II, TM-m30II-NT, TM-m10, TM-T82II, or TM-T82IIIL receipt printer with a LAN connection.
• Setting up a Star TSP100, 143, 143IV, mC-Print2, or mC-Print3 receipt printer with a LAN connection.

LAN-connected printers can be shared between multiple POS devices.

The LAN connection type (recommended) uses an Ethernet cable to plug your receipt printer directly into your router or an Ethernet wall port, offering a stable connection to your network. Some receipt printers can also be set up using a USB cable, WLAN connection, or Bluetooth connection.

What you’ll need

LAN-enabled receipt printer

Star printers are not compatible with setups using Windows IoT Enterprise.

Printer accessories

This article’s steps are primarily based on the Lightspeed-supported Epson TM-m30III receipt printer. Steps may differ for other compatible printers.

Setting up your LAN receipt printer

1. Pop off the back and bottom panels of your printer.

   

2. Connect the power cable to the power adapter, then plug the cable head into a wall outlet.

   

3. Plug the other end of the power adapter into the port on the back of the printer.

   

4. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the network port on the back of the printer.

   

5. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to an open LAN port on your router or wall.
6. Reattach the printer panels, starting with the bottom panel.

7. Turn on your printer. The first LED light (circle icon) and Ethernet light will blink and then turn solid when your printer is ready.

   

Inserting a paper roll

1. Lift the cover release (located next to the printer lights).

   

2. Insert the paper roll so the paper feeds from under the roll and drapes over the top of the paper feed slot. While inserting, make sure the paper roll stays taut and doesn’t unroll.

   

3. Before closing the cover, pull the paper out past the cutter at the front of the printer. Press the cover into place to snap it shut.

   

If the exclamation mark light turns on (orange), the cover is still open. If the paper roll light turns on (orange), the paper roll is missing or may need to be adjusted.

Printing the receipt printer’s status sheet

After setting up your receipt printer and loading a paper roll, print a status sheet to get your printer’s IP address information. Keep this printout nearby to reference during the connection process.

• Printing the Epson TM-m30III’s status sheet

  1. Lift the cover release (located next to the printer lights) to open the cover.

  2. Hold the feed button down until the paper roll light (orange) starts blinking.

     

     

  3. Pull the paper past the paper cutter and close the cover. A Next Action printout will print.

     

  4. Select the SimpleAP action by quickly pressing the feed button five times, then holding for one second until the printer starts printing.

     

     The printout will contain your printer’s IP address and other information. Keep this printout nearby to reference during the connection process.

• Printing a status sheet for other printers

  Steps may vary by printer model. Refer to your printer’s manual for details.

  1. Turn the printer off.
  2. Hold the feed button down and turn the power back on at the same time.

  3. Release the feed button once the printer starts printing.

     This will print out two test receipts. The second receipt will include the IP address at the bottom.

     

If the IP address on the receipt says "NONE" or "0.0.0.0", the printer isn’t connected to your local network. Check your cord connections and network strength, then retry the steps above.

Downloading required printer drivers for Windows and Mac

Drivers are specialized software that help the printer run correctly on your computer.

Printer drivers aren’t required for iPad setups.

1. Find your printer’s model name. This should be located on the box and behind the printer panels.

   

2. On the printer brand’s website, search for your printer’s model, then click its name.
   • Epson drivers
   • Star drivers

3. Find the recommended driver package for your operating system, then click Proceed to download or Download.

   

4. Check the box to agree to the terms and conditions of the software license agreement, then click Download.

   

5. In your Downloads folder, right-click on the downloaded file > Extract all > open the .exe file (Windows), or double-click the downloaded file > open the .pkg file (Mac) to run the installation wizard.
6. Follow the installation guide instructions to install the driver. If prompted, restart your computer to finalize the installation.

Connecting your LAN receipt printer

Make sure your printer is turned on and you’re following networking best practices before attempting to connect your receipt printer.

• Connecting your LAN receipt printer on Windows

  1. After installing the drivers, you’ll be brought to the printer setup screen. If not, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select the printer in the list of installed printers.
  3. In the printer setup screen:
     1. Click the Model dropdown and select the printer’s model name.
     2. (Optional) Update the printer Name.
     3. Click the Port Type dropdown and select Ethernet.
     4. Confirm that Port is set to Auto setup.
     5. Using the status sheet you printed earlier, enter the printer’s IP address in the Address field.
  4. Click Save Settings > Next to complete the setup.

  Some Star printer models may require additional configuration via Web configuration.

• Connecting your LAN receipt printer on Mac

  1. On your Mac, navigate to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.

  2. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax…

     

  3. Click IP (globe icon).
  4. Using the status sheet you printed earlier, enter the printer’s IP address in the Address field.
  5. Click the Protocol dropdown and select Line Printer Daemon - LPD.
  6. Leave Queue and Location blank.
  7. (Optional) Update the printer Name.
  8. Click the Use dropdown > Select Software…
  9. Search for the printer’s brand (Epson), then select the printer model name (EPSON TM Thermal (203dpi)) > OK. The listed name may differ slightly from the printer’s model name.
  10. Click Add.

  Some printer models may require you to enable CUPS, a network printing service used by Macs. You can also enable automatic receipt cutting in CUPS, if needed.

• Connecting your LAN receipt printer on iPad

  1. On your iPad, open the Retail (X) app and click Menu > Settings > Hardware.

  2. Under Receipt printers, click Add a printer.

     

  3. In the Add a printer window, click Find a printer that’s ready to add > click your printer’s name under Connected printers > Next.

     If your printer isn’t listed:

     1. Click Follow steps to connect and add a printer > Next.
     2. Follow the instructions to perform a hardware self-test, then click Next.
     3. Select the Printer brand and Printer model from the dropdowns, then click Next.
     4. Select your connection type (Ethernet), then click Next.
     5. Follow the on-screen instructions, then click Add printer.
     6. Under Connected printers, click the printer, then click Next.
  4. Your printer is now paired with Retail POS. You can choose to rename your printer and perform a Test print or click Finish.

Printing a test receipt

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Sell (computer) or Menu (iPad) > Sales history.
2. Click a sale row to expand it.

3. Click Print receipt.

   

4. If prompted, select the printer and receipt template.
5. Click Print.

Connecting a cash drawer (optional)

Cash drawers connect to your receipt printer and can be configured to open when you finish a cash or check sale before a receipt is printed.

For steps to connect a cash drawer, refer to Setting up your cash drawer.

What’s next?