Setting up a printer

This guide will walk you through the steps to set up your printer and connect it to Lightspeed Restaurant POS based on its supported connection type. You’ll learn everything from setting up the hardware to performing a test print.

Before you begin, verify that your printer model and connection type are supported by reviewing our guide on compatible printers.

If you're using an Element or Star printer, refer to the setup guide specific to those models.

What's in this guide?

Hardware requirements
Installing the printer hardware
Configuring printer IP settings
Connecting the printer to Lightspeed Restaurant
Performing a test print
Troubleshooting

Hardware requirements

To set up the printer, start by unboxing the device and making sure you have all the necessary cables. Required hardware may vary by connection type. See below for common hardware examples.

Installing the printer hardware

Before using your printer, you'll need to set up the hardware. This section walks you through the physical setup, including connecting the power, loading the paper roll, and establishing a connection to your POS system via LAN or Bluetooth.

Connecting to power

To get your printer ready, start by connecting it to a power source. Depending on your printer model, you may have a single power cable or a separate AC adapter and cord. Ensure all parts are included and not damaged.

To connect the printer to power:

If your printer has a separate power cord and AC adapter, connect them together.
Plug the AC adapter into the printer's power port.
Connect the power cord to an electrical power supply, such as a wall outlet.

Loading a paper roll

Once your printer is connected to power, the next step is to load it with the correct paper type and size, as recommended in your printer’s user manual. Proper paper loading helps prevent jams and ensures consistent print quality.

To load the paper roll:

Open the paper cover on your printer.
Insert the paper roll in the correct orientation according to your printer's manual. Ensure the paper roll stays tight and doesn't unspool.
Pull the paper out past the cutter at the front of the printer.
Close the cover firmly until it snaps shut.

Setting up the printer connection

The next step is to establish a connection between your printer and POS device. This section will guide you through choosing and setting up the right connection type for your printer.

Supported connection types

Lightspeed Restaurant (O-Series) supports printer connections via LAN or Bluetooth. Each option has its own benefits and setup requirements, depending on your venue layout and how the printer will be used.

LAN: You'll need an Ethernet cable long enough to connect the printer to your router or wall port. Printers connected via LAN can be shared across multiple POS devices. For reliable printing, ensure your network is stable and properly configured.
Bluetooth: Supports a one-to-one wireless connection with iOS devices only. Each Bluetooth printer can be paired with a single POS register and should stay within 5-10 meters to maintain a stable connection.

Connecting a network printer using an Ethernet cable

Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the printer's LAN port.
Plug the other end into one of the LAN ports on your router or a wall network port.
Check for a solid green light near the printer's LAN port to confirm an active network connection.

The printer should now be connected to your network. The next step is to print a status sheet to locate and confirm the printer's IP address.

Connecting the printer to the iPad via Bluetooth

Make sure you have a Bluetooth-compatible TM-m30, as some models look identical but don't support Bluetooth.

To confirm, remove the printer's cover and foot panel, there should be a Bluetooth sticker inside. If the sticker is not present, check the full model number next to TM-m30. If it includes one of the following numbers, the model supports Bluetooth:

TM-m30-211
TM-m30-212
TM-m30-242
TM-m30III-232

To connect the printer to the iPad via Bluetooth:

Make sure the printer is in pairing mode. The blue LED light will flash to indicate it is ready to pair. Refer to the steps below to check Bluetooth LED and activate pairing mode on your printer.

Checking Bluetooth LED and activating pairing mode

Checking the Bluetooth LED:

Blinking: The printer is in pairing mode and ready to connect.
Solid light: The printer is already paired.
Off: The printer is powered off or not in pairing mode. Refer to the steps below to activate the printer's Bluetooth pairing mode.

To activate Bluetooth pairing mode:

Open the printer cover.
Press and hold the Feed button until the roll paper LED flashes.
Pull out a small amount of paper, then close the cover securely.
Wait for the Next Action status sheet to print, then press the Feed button once.
Hold the Feed button for at least 1 second. The Bluetooth LED will start blinking, and the Bluetooth status sheet will print, indicating the printer is ready to pair.

Once the Bluetooth LED indicator starts flashing, you're ready to pair the printer to your iPad.

On your iPad, navigate to Settings > Bluetooth.
Make sure that Bluetooth is enabled. If it isn't, toggle it on.
Under Other Devices, select your printer to pair it with your iPad. The printer name should appear as something like TM-m30_000010.

The printer's Bluetooth light will turn solid blue and stop flashing once pairing is successful. Once paired, you can add the printer to your Lightspeed Restaurant POS.

Configuring printer IP settings

For printers connected to a local area network (LAN), configuring the IP settings may be necessary to ensure a reliable connection between your printer and other devices on the network. Before making any changes, it’s helpful to print a status sheet to view the printer’s current network configuration.

Printing a status sheet

A status sheet provides important information about your printer, including its current IP address, DHCP settings, and other configuration details. Follow the steps below to print a status sheet, based on your printer model.

To print a status sheet:

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

For newer models (e.g., TM M30 series)

Ensure the printer is powered on.
Open the top cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you, then lift the cover.
Hold down the Feed button for at least 3 seconds.
Close the cover. A status sheet will then automatically print containing the network configuration details.

For older models (with a reset pin near the Ethernet or cash drawer port)

Using a pen or paper clip, press and hold the reset pin on the back of the printer for 3-4 seconds, then release it. A status sheet will be printed.

Holding the reset pin for more than five seconds may trigger a factory reset and erase all printer settings. Release it as soon as the status sheet starts printing.

Setting up a static IP address

Assigning a static IP address ensures the IP remains consistent. This prevents printing issues caused by changing IP addresses, especially after power cycles or network reboots.

To set up a static IP address on an Epson printer:

Ensure your POS device or computer is connected to the same network as your printer.
Open a web browser, such as Chrome or Safari.
In the address bar, enter your printer's IP address to access the printer's configuration page.
Log in to the printer configuration page with the following credentials, depending on your printer model.
- For older Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: epson
- For newer Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: The printer's serial number located on the sticker attached to the printer.
- Under Configuration, select TCP/IP.
  - Older Epson printers: Under Get IP Address, select Manual.
  - Newer Epson printers: Under Acquiring the IP address, select Manual.
- Enter the IP Address in the IP Address field. It's recommended to use the same IP currently assigned to the printer, as shown on the status sheet.
- Click Submit or Send, depending on your printer model.
- On the next screen, click Reset to apply the changes.

To set up a static IP address on an Element printer:

Ensure your POS device or computer is connected to the same network as your printer.
Open a web browser, such as Chrome or Safari.
In the address bar, enter your printer's IP address to access the printer's configuration page.
Under Configuration, select TCP/IP.
Under Get IP Address, select Manual.
Enter the IP Address in the IP Address field. It's recommended to use the same IP that is currently assigned to the printer, as shown on the status sheet.
Click Submit.
On the next screen, click Reset to apply the changes.

To set up a static IP address on a Star printer:

Ensure your POS device or computer is connected to the same network as your printer.
Open a web browser, such as Chrome or Safari.
Enter the IP address listed under Current IP Parameter Status on the status sheet into the browser’s address bar to access the printer's configuration page.
Click Login.
Enter the following credentials:
- Username: root
- Password: public
Click Sign in.
From the navigation menu, select IP Parameters > Static. It's recommended to use the IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway that are already assigned to the printer, as shown on the status sheet.
Click Submit.
Review the network details you entered, then click Save.
Select Save > Configuration printing > Restart device.
Click Execute. A confirmation page will appear indicating the changes were successful.

The printer’s light will continue flashing during this setup. Once complete, it will print a status sheet showing the newly assigned IP address (Static) under Current IP Parameters Status.

Some printers, such as the Epson TM-U220B printers don’t have DHCP enabled by default, so you may need to manually enable and configure it. For steps on how to enable DHCP, refer to our guide on enabling DHCP on Epson printers.

Connecting the printer to Lightspeed Restaurant

Before you can start printing receipts or production dockets, you'll need to connect your printer to Lightspeed Restaurant. This section guides you through setting up your printer, from selecting a printing method to configuring settings in Back Office and adding the printer to the POS.

Supported printing method

Lightspeed Restaurant supports multiple printing configurations to match different hardware setups and service needs. Below are the printing methods you can use.

App Printing: A wired setup using Ethernet-connected printers, ideal for stable, shared printing across multiple POS devices via the Lightspeed Restaurant app.
Bluetooth: A wireless printing option that connects directly to iOS devices.
Intelligent Print Server: A wired network-based printing method that requires compatible Intelligent Epson printers, with both POS access and setup managed in Chrome browser.

Checking your Restaurant POS app permissions

Before adding your printer, ensure the Restaurant POS app has the necessary permissions on your iPad. These permissions allow the app to detect and communicate with printers and other devices on your local network.

To check the Restaurant POS app permissions:

Open the Settings app on your iPad.
From the navigation menu, scroll down and select Apps > Restaurant.
Ensure the following settings are enabled:

Location: Always
Bluetooth: ON
Local Area Network: ON

Applicable for Epson printers only. Configure the following settings:

Enable logging for Epson printer: ON
Enable Element printer: OFF
Switch to Multicast broadcast for Epson printers: ON

Once these permissions are set, you're ready to configure the printer settings in Back Office.

Configuring printer settings in Back Office

This section will guide you through configuring your printer settings to use the Lightspeed app configuration.

To configure printer settings in Back Office:

Log in to Back Office with your Lightspeed credentials.
From the navigation menu, select My site > Printers.
Under Production Printing Method, select Lightspeed App.
Click Save Settings.

Adding the printer to the POS

Once you've configured the printer settings in Back Office and set the Restaurant POS app permissions, the next step is to add the printer to the POS.

Element printers will not appear in the POS's automatic printer search and must be added manually in Back Office. For detailed instructions for this printer brand, refer to our setup guide on Element printers.

To add the printer to the POS:

From Back Office, click POS.
In the POS, tap Menu (☰).
Select Printing.
The system will search for available printers. When you see the message “Great, we found some printers!”, it confirms that a printer on your network has been connected to the POS. Tap Continue to Settings.
Use the toggles to enable or disable a printer for receipts, cash drawer, and production dockets.
Tap Save and Close.

If you have multiple printers or cash drawers, each POS register can only be linked to one receipt printer and one cash drawer at a time. In other words, a single register cannot open two cash drawers or print receipts from two different printers.

Once the printer is successfully added to the POS, you're ready to perform a test print to check the connection.

Checking your Restaurant POS app permissions

To check the Restaurant POS app permissions:

Open the Settings app on your iPad.
From the navigation menu, scroll down and select Apps > Restaurant.
Ensure the following settings are configured:
- Location: Always
- Bluetooth: ON
- Enable logging for Epson printer: ON
- Enable Element printer: OFF
- Switch to Multicast broadcast for Epson printers: ON

Once these permissions are set, you're ready to configure the printer settings in Back Office.

Configuring printer settings in Back Office

This section walks you through selecting the correct production printing method for your Bluetooth printer setup.

To configure the printer settings in Back Office:

Log in to Back Office with your Lightspeed credentials.
From the navigation menu, select My site > Printers.
Under Production Printing Method, select Lightspeed App.
Click Save Settings.

Adding the printer to the POS

Once you've configured the printer settings in Back Office and set the Restaurant POS app permissions, the next step is to add the printer to the POS.

To add the printer to the POS:

From Back Office, click POS.
In the POS, tap Menu (☰).
Select Printing.
The system will search for available printers. When you see the message “Great, we found some printers!”, it confirms that a printer on your network has been connected to the POS. Tap Continue to Settings.
Use the toggles to enable or disable a printer for receipts, cash drawer, and production dockets.
Tap Save and Close.

Once the printer is successfully added to the POS, you're ready to perform a test print to check the connection.

Finding the printer’s IP address

To begin, you'll need to locate your printer's IP address. IP addresses are unique identifiers assigned to each device on a network. Examples of IP addresses are 192.168.0.0 and 10.0.0.0.

Most new intelligent Epson printers automatically print their IP address when powered on. If this doesn't happen, you can manually print a status sheet to check the printer's IP address.

Sample status sheet for Intelligent printer

Holding the reset button for more than five seconds may factory reset the printer and revert it to its default IP address, 192.168.192.168. If this happens, follow the steps to enable DHCP before proceeding with the setup instructions below.

Configuring the IP addresses of your intelligent printer

Open a browser on a device that's connected to the same network as your printers.
Enter the printer’s IP address in the address bar. If nothing loads, try:
- /PrinterConfigurationPage (e.g., 192.168.1.200/PrinterConfigurationPage).
- For the TM-T88VI printer model, use /webconfig-i. (e.g.,192.168.1.200/webconfig-i).
Log in to the printer configuration page with the following credentials, depending on your printer model.
- For older Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: epson
- For newer Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: serial number located on the sticker on the printer
Under Configuration > Wired, select TCP/IP.
Under Get the IP Address, select Manual.
Change the last three digits of the IP Address to 200 (e.g., 192.168.1.200).
Click Apply.

The printer will restart to apply the changes. This process typically takes less than one to two minutes. Once it restarts, print a status sheet to confirm the IP address has updated correctly.

Configuring the IP addresses of your secondary (non-intelligent) printers

If you have multiple printers to connect to the POS, you'll need to complete these steps for each of your secondary printers.

To configure the IP address of your secondary printers:

Open a browser on a device that's connected to the same network as the printers.
In the address bar, enter the IP address of a non-intelligent printer based on what's listed on the status sheet.
Under Configuration, select TCP/IP.
Under Get IP Address, select Manual.
Update the last three digits of the IP address. Use 201 for the first printer, 202 for the second, 203 for the third, and so on.
Click Submit.
On the next screen, click Reset to apply the changes.

Connecting the intelligent printer to the secondary printers

This section covers the process of connecting secondary printers to your intelligent printer and ensuring they are properly set up.

To connect your intelligent printer to the secondary printers:

Open a browser on a device connected to the same network as your printers.
Enter the printer’s IP address in the address bar. If nothing loads, try:
- /PrinterConfigurationPage (e.g., 192.168.1.200/PrinterConfigurationPage).
- For the TM-T88VI printer model, use /webconfig-i. (e.g.,192.168.1.200/webconfig-i).
Log in using the following credentials:
- For older Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: epson
- For newer Epson printers:
  - Username: epson
  - Password: serial number located on the sticker on the printer.
Under Device Admin, select Printer.
In the Device ID field, enter a name for the secondary printer (e.g., Kitchen). Use underscores instead of spaces (e.g., Kitchen_pastry).
From the dropdown menu, select the model of your non-intelligent printer (e.g., TM-T82 or TM-T20).
Enter the IP address you assigned to the secondary printer (e.g., one ending in 201, 202, 203, etc., as configured earlier).
Click Add.
(Optional) If you have more than one secondary printer, repeat steps 5 to 8 to add them individually.
After adding each printer, click Test Print to confirm the printer is properly configured and printing.

Adding the printer in Back Office

The next step is to set up your printers in Back Office by selecting the printing method, entering your main printer’s IP address, and adding all secondary printers.

To add the printer in Back Office:

Log in to Back Office with your Lightspeed credentials.
From the navigation menu, select My site > Printers.
Under Production Printing Method, select Intelligent Print Server.
Under Intelligent Printer IP Address field, enter the IP address of your main printer.
Click Save Settings.
Under Network Printers in this Site, select +Add Printer.
Enter printer name: local_printer.
Click Add Printer.

Repeat steps 5-7 for all of your secondary printers, and make sure to use the case-sensitive printer names assigned in step 5 when connecting the printer to secondary printers .

Assigning the printer to the POS register

This section will guide you on how to link your main intelligent printer to each POS register in Back Office, to ensure that printing and cash drawer functions are correctly configured across all POS registers.

To assign the printer to the POS register:

In Back Office, navigate to My site > Printers.
Under Register Printer Settings, select the cogwheel (settings) icon next to the POS register you want to configure.
Under Printing Method, select Intelligent Print Server.
In the Intelligent Printer IP Address field, enter the IP address of your main intelligent printer.
(Optional) To assign a receipt printer with a linked cash drawer, select the printer name under the Receipt Printer and Cash Drawer dropdown.
Click Save settings.
Repeat steps 2-6 for each POS register at the site.

Allowing insecure content and local network access in Chrome

Printing may fail if Chrome browser blocks the printer connection, which often happens because printers don’t have Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. When this happens, you may need to allow insecure content and local network access in your Chrome browser settings to enable printing. This transmits receipt data over to your local network.

To allow insecure content and local network access in Chrome:

With the POS open in your Chrome browser, click the padlock icon in the address bar.
Select Site settings.
Configure the following:

Insecure content: Set to Allow.
Local network access: Set to Allow.

Intelligent printing settings for Chrome browser

Return to the POS page. Chrome will prompt you to reload the site. Click Reload.

Once the printer is successfully added to the POS, you're ready to perform a test print to check the connection.

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:

In the POS, tap Menu (☰).
Tap Printing.
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.
Tap Test. If all three options are enabled, the printer will print dockets for the receipt and production docket connection, and the cash drawer will open.
Tap Save and Close.

A successful test print confirms that the printer is properly linked to your POS and ready to be used. To make sure actual items will print correctly, refer to our article on setting up production printing.

Troubleshooting

If your printer isn’t working as expected, our printing troubleshooting guide can help you resolve common printing issues.

What's next?

Complete your hardware setup by setting up your cash drawer with Lightspeed Restaurant.

Setting up your cash drawer

Set up and configure printing for customer receipts.

Printing customer receipts

Receipt printer	Power cable and AC adapter	LAN cable (for LAN printers)

Ink ribbon (for impact printers)	Paper roll

How can we help?

What's in this guide?

Hardware requirements