Lightspeed Hub is a computer application that allows Retail POS to connect to hardware devices like label printers. Once installed on your computer, Lightspeed Hub guides you through the hardware setup process, helping you get your devices connected faster and more efficiently.

Lightspeed Hub connects directly to Retail POS for a more reliable hardware connection throughout the day. If a connection issue is detected, the status of the connection will change from Ready to Disconnected in Hub and Retail POS. Other statuses will let you know if there’s a paper jam, no or low paper, the printer cover is open, or if the printer is not responding, not available, or overheating.

Once Lightspeed Hub is installed and your devices are connected, you can use the Label editor to create and edit custom label templates like price-only labels or templates with secondary product codes.

Software requirements for Lightspeed Hub

• MacOS 10.13+
• Windows 8, 10, or 11

Supported hardware for Lightspeed Hub

Only Zebra ZD410 and ZD411 label printers are supported in Lightspeed Hub for Retail POS (X-Series). Receipt printers and other devices may be listed in the Lightspeed Hub app, but are not currently supported.

Lightspeed Hub label printers

Supported label printers for Hub can be connected to your Windows or Mac computer with a USB cable.

Learn more about setting up your label printer:

• Setting up label printers

Installing Lightspeed Hub

To install Lightspeed Hub on your computer:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Setup > Devices and label printing.

2. Click Download Lightspeed Hub.

   

3. Open the Lightspeed Hub download file, click Yes or Open in the security pop-up, and agree to the app’s terms of use. Drag and drop the Lightspeed Hub app to your Applications folder (Mac).
4. On your computer, open Lightspeed Hub.

5. In Retail POS, on the Devices and label printing page, click Connect to Hub > Open Lightspeed Hub.

   

The Lightspeed Hub app will show a Connected to Retail status (green status light icon), indicating that Hub is ready to connect to devices.

Accessing Lightspeed Hub

Once the Lightspeed Hub app is installed on your computer, you can open it from your computer’s Start menu, dock, or Applications folder. It’s recommended to set Hub to launch automatically when your computer boots up at the start of your business day or after a device restart:

• Windows: Settings > Apps > Startup > toggle Lightspeed Hub on.
• Mac: Open Lightspeed Hub > right-click the icon in your dock > Options > Open at Login.

After Lightspeed Hub is connected to Retail POS, you can also launch it from the Devices and label printing page:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Setup > Devices and label printing.

2. In the Devices tab, click Open Lightspeed Hub (or Connect if Lightspeed Hub is disconnected).

   

   In the Connected hardware section, you can also click Connect (for unconnected devices) or View in Lightspeed Hub (for connected devices) to open Hub.

   

Connecting your label printer to Lightspeed Hub

To connect your label printer to Lightspeed Hub:

1. On your computer, open Lightspeed Hub.

2. Under Label printer, click Connect.

   

3. Select the printer’s connection type.

   

4. Follow the on-screen steps to set up the printer.

5. Click Search for label printer or Search for printer by IP address for LAN (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi connections.

   

   1. If searching for the printer by IP address, select the printer’s brand from the dropdown and enter the printer’s IP address.
   2. Click Search.
6. Click Connect next to the printer’s name.

Your printer will display as Ready in Hub and Retail POS. If a connection or other issue is detected, the status will change in both Retail POS and Hub.

If your printer isn’t connecting, make sure:

• The printer is connected to a power source.
• Your computer is connected to the same network as your printer.
• Your network connection is strong and stable.

Managing your label printer in Lightspeed Hub

1. On your computer, open Lightspeed Hub.

2. Click Label printer.

   

3. Click an option:
   • Print test label: If the printer is connected and ready to use, this will print a single label with the Lightspeed logo.
   • Forget device: Remove legacy printers or troubleshoot connection issues. This will also clear the printer from the Devices and label printing page in Retail POS.
   • More actions >
     • Calibrate label printer: Calibrates the label roll so the information is properly aligned on the label.
     • Pause/Resume: Pauses or resumes label printer operations.
     • Reset label printer: Disconnects, resets, and reboots the printer after about 30 seconds.

Managing label printing settings

You can manage default label types and sizes from the Devices and label printing page.

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Setup > Devices and label printing.

2. Click the Label printing tab.

   

3. Under Settings, click the Default label type setting dropdown and select a label type and size. Available settings will depend on the connected label printer.
4. Click Save label type setting.

Custom label templates can be set as the default after they’ve been created in the Label editor and saved.

Creating custom templates with the Label editor

You can use the Label editor to select which information appears on your labels, then move and resize the elements to customize the design of the label.

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Setup > Devices and label printing.

2. Click the Label printing tab.

   

3. Click Create label template.

4. Select a label type and size from the dropdown and enter a template name.

   

5. On the right, check the boxes for details you’d like to include on your labels. If you’re including barcodes, SKUs, or secondary product codes, select the type from the dropdown and customize the associated options as needed.

   

6. The preview on the left will update with an example label. Click an element to select it, then drag to adjust its position or click a blue corner point to adjust its size.

   

7. Click Test print to verify that the label prints as expected.
8. At the top of the page, click Save template.

If you haven’t entered all the selected information on the associated product page, that element won’t appear when you print your labels. For example, if a product doesn’t have a UPC on its product page and Secondary Product Code > UPC is selected in the Label editor, the space occupied by the example UPC (012345678905) will be blank on the label.

Editing a label template in the Label editor

To adjust or delete a custom label template:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Setup > Devices and label printing > Label printing tab.
2. Under Label editor, find the template name.

3. On the right, click the pencil icon (Edit) to make changes to the template, or click the trash icon (Delete) to delete the template. Deleting a template cannot be undone.

   

Fixing overflow on labels with additional information

Overflow is when additional information, like full-length custom SKUs, appear on your normal and alternative-sized labels. Overflow may interact with the description of your item.

To avoid overlap, you can edit the product and shorten the description:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Catalog > Products.

2. Click the pencil icon next to the product or expand the product and click Edit.

   

3. On the Edit product page, shorten the product name or description.
4. Click Save.

What’s next?