What's in this article?

In this article, we'll go over how to setup a printer instance and edit existing printer settings within the Point of Sale!

1. Homepage & Security
2. Global Printer Settings
3. Adding a Printer Instance
4. Editing a Printer Instance's Settings

Homepage & Security

Within the Point of Sale when you go to Settings and then Printer Settings, it should pull up a screen that looks like this:

For a location that has already setup its printer instances, you'll be able to see them here! Printer Instances are effectively individual printer setups that send a signal to print from a Host device (iPad) to a Printer. Devices and Printers can have multiple instances attached to them, and each instance will send a signal based on that setup's settings. In the list of existing instances, you'll see that it lists the instance's Name, Date & Time that it was paired or created, and the Date and Time it was last updated or changed. This can be helpful for investigating when settings were changed if a printing issue arises.

Below that modal, you'll see a separate box labeled 'Security'. It should look like this:

This allows you to add a custom pin to lock the printer settings screen after printers have been setup. Simply type in your desired pin, hit return, and the next time you click away from the Printer Settings page and go back to it you will need to enter that pin. To remove pin-protection from printer settings, simply delete the code in the same box and leave it blank.

Global Printer Settings

At the top right of the home screen on the printer settings page there is a cogwheel icon that looks like this:

Clicking it will bring up the Global Printer Settings page which looks like this:

Global printer settings are settings that are applied to all printer instances. Let's break them down individually.

A) Make receipts ignore modifier name: When enabled, Back of House (BoH) make tickets will not print the name of the modifier set prior to the modifiers to save space.

B) Print each modifier on new line: This setting is unique to BoH make Tickets. When enabled, each modifier will print on a new line. This can help kitchen workers more easily see all the modifiers.

C) Print all categories when category filter used: Printer instances can be set to only print certain categories. When this toggle is enabled, if even just one product that is within a filtered category is set to print is on a ticket, the ticket will include all products regardless of if they fall into categories that are not meant to print. For example: If only 'Food' categories are set to print and 'Drink' categories are not, if a ticket includes both Food and Drink products, all products will be included on that ticket.

After editing these settings, make sure to hit 'Save' when you're done to have settings sync across all instances!

Adding a Printer Instance

To add a new printer instance, on the Printer Settings home page, click 'Add Printer'! It should bring up a page that looks like this:

Here you'll see three different modals: Printer Label, Local IP Address, and Host Device.

Printer Label is where you will name the printer instance, typically to describe what that instance does. For example if an instance is set to print Make Tickets, you could call it 'Make Tickets'

To pair a printer, ensure that the power cord and ethernet cord are attached and the printer is connected to the internet. Turn the printer on, and if it's connected to the internet a slip should print out with the IP address. Type that IP address in exactly and hit return!

Lastly, select the host device that will be sending the signal to print. Remember that if a device is a host for multiple instances, that device will send signals to print any ticket that fits those instances parameters, which can cause multiple make tickets or receipts printing for the same ticket.

Don't forget to hit save when you're done! We'll go over editing more granular printer instance settings next.

Editing a Printer Instance's Settings

To edit a Printer Instance's Settings, click on the pencil shaped icon that looks like this:

It should pull up this page:

As you can see the top modal includes basic information about the printer name/label, the IP address, and the Host Device.

Lets take a look at the toggles in the modal below:

Let's break these down one by one:

1. Enable Printer: This toggle can allow or disallow the printer instance to receive and print tickets, effectively turning an instance on or off
2. Print When Order is Placed: When enabled, this will automatically print either receipts or tickets when an order is paid for or received on the Point of Sale.
3. Default Print Make Tickets: When this toggle is on, tickets will be formatted as a make ticket for BoH prep. When this is off, tickets default to print as receipts.
4. Print Ticket for Each Product: When the 'Default Print Make Tickets' toggle is on, enabling 'Print Ticket for Each Product' it will print each product on separate tickets.
5. Print Saved Orders: When enabled, it will print a ticket when a new saved order is created at the Point of Sale, prior to when the order is paid.
6. Cash Drawer: When enabled, printing a ticket will prompt the cash drawer to open.

If you continue to scroll down you'll see a number of filters: By Device, By Category, By Modifier, and By Order Type. It should look like this.

Let's break these down one by one:

1. By Device: Here you can select the devices that you want to print from. This is different from host devices in that if tickets are set to print automatically, any ticket that passes through a host device will also print automatically. This filter ensures that only orders that originate from the selected devices print.
2. By Category: Here you can select the menu categories that you want to print. Only selected categories will print on tickets.
3. By Modifier: Here you can select specific modifier types to print. Only selected modifiers will print on tickets.
4. By Order Type: Here you can select the order platforms that you want to print. For example, you can select for only To-Go order types to print.

Lastly, the Global Settings that we discussed earlier are displayed in a modal below that. This modal simply displays the Global Printer Settings for your reference but isn't editable. Don't forget to hit 'Save' when you're done!

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