This guide walks you through the process for setting up the Element RW873 and RW973MKII printers with Lightspeed Restaurant POS. You’ll learn everything from setting up the hardware to performing a test print.

Element printers are compatible only with iOS devices and must be configured exclusively with other Element printers. Attempting to connect them along with other printers, such as Epson printers, can disrupt your printing setup.

What’s in this guide?

What you'll need
Setting up the Element RW973MKII/ RW873 printer
Enabling DHCP
Adding the printer in Back Office
Performing a test print
Frequently asked questions

What you'll need

• Element RW973MKII/ RW873 printer
• Power cable
• LAN cable
• Paper roll

Setting up the Element RW873/RW973MKII printer

This section will guide you through the setup process for the two supported Element printers with Lightspeed Restaurant POS. You'll enable Element printing on your iPad and connect the printer to your network.

Only the Ethernet versions of these Element printer models are supported. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth models are not compatible with Lightspeed Restaurant POS.

Enabling Element Printers in iPad settings

To use Element printers with Lightspeed Restaurant POS, you must enable a setting on your Restaurant app that allows the app to recognize and connect to Element printers.

To enable Element Printers in POS app settings:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Scroll down to Apps in the sidebar menu. 
3. Select Restaurant. 
4. Toggle on the Enable Element Printers switch. 
   

Connecting the printer to the network

Before you can use your Element printer with Lightspeed Restaurant POS, it must be connected to your network via an Ethernet cable. This section outlines how to set up the hardware applicable for both the Element RW873 and RW973 Mk II printers. 

To connect the printer to the network: 

1. Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the printer's LAN port.
2. Plug the other end into the LAN ports on your router or a wall network port.
3. Check for a solid green light near the printer's LAN port to confirm an active network connection.
4. (Optional) If using a cash drawer, plug the RJ11 cable into the cash drawer port.

RW873

RW973 Mk II

Enabling DHCP

Element printers are shipped with a default static IP address (typically 192.168.0.30 or 192.168.0.31), which may not be compatible with your network. To allow your router to automatically assign a valid IP address, you’ll need to enable DHCP on the printer.

This setup method depends on your router supporting a feature called Direct Routing, which is common in newer routers but not always available. If these steps don't work, you will need to follow the traditional DHCP enablement process.

Printing a status sheet

A status sheet shows key details like the printer's IP address, DHCP settings, and network configuration. This information is necessary when enabling DHCP. 

To print a status sheet:

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Hold down the Feed button
3. While holding the Feed button, turn the printer back on.
4. Release the Feed button once the printer starts printing.

Configuring your iPad's network settings

To configure your printer with an IP address that is compatible with your network, you need to make a temporary change to your iPad's network settings.

To configure the iPad network settings:

1. Ensure your iPad is connected to the same network as your printer.
2. Open the Settings app on your device. 
3. Navigate to Wi-Fi, then select the information icon beside your Wi-Fi name.   
4. Take note of the router number as you'll need to enter this later on. 
5. Under Configure IP, set it to Manual.
6. Update the network settings with the following configuration:
   • IP Address: 192.168.0.32 (the IP needs to end in .32)
   • Subnet: 255.255.255.0
   • Router: Enter the Router number you noted earlier. 
7. Once done, tap Save in the top right corner.

After enabling DHCP, you'll need to restore your iPad to its original settings to ensure normal network operation.

Enabling DHCP on your Element Printer

To allow your Element printer to communicate with the POS, you'll need to enable DHCP so it can automatically obtain a valid IP address from your network.

To enable DHCP on your Element printer: 

1. Open a web browser such as Chrome or Safari.
2. In the address bar, enter your printer's IP address to access the printer's configuration page. 
3. Under Configuration, select TCP/IP.
4. Under Get IP Address, select DHCP. 
5. Click Submit. 
6. On the next screen, click Reset to apply the changes.
7. Print a new status sheet to find the updated IP address, which you will need to add the printer in Back Office.

Adding the printer in Back Office

Once DHCP is enabled and you have the updated IP address, you can add the printer in Back Office to connect it with Lightspeed Restaurant.

To add the printer in Back Office:

1. Log in to Back Office with your Lightspeed credentials.
2. From the navigation menu, select My Site > Printers.
3. Under Production Printing Method, select Lightspeed App.
4. Click Save Settings.
   
5. Scroll down to Network Printers in this Site, click +Add printer.
6. Enter your preferred printer name and the updated IP address.
7. Click Add Printer.
   
8. Manually sync the POS or sync your registers from Back Office. 

Performing a test print

This section walks you through how to perform a test print to confirm that your printer is set up correctly and working properly.

To perform a test print:

1. In the POS, tap the Menu (☰) icon.
2. Tap Printing.
3. Toggle the switch based on how the printer will be used. You can configure the options for printing receipts, opening the drawer, and printing dockets. 
4. Tap Test. If all three options are enabled, the printer will produce test prints for the receipt and production docket connection, and the cash drawer will open. 
   
5. Tap Save and Close. 

A successful test print confirms that the printer is properly linked to your POS and ready to be used. To configure docket printing, refer to our article on setting up production printing.

Frequently asked questions

What's next?