Supported Thermal Printers

What it does

Thermal printers are the small receipt printers that print guest pre-checks, kitchen tickets, and receipt copies. POSolid works with standard ESC/POS thermal printers — the format used by the vast majority of receipt printers on the market — so you can use inexpensive, widely-available hardware rather than a locked-in brand. This page covers which printers work and how they connect.

Supported printers

• Any ESC/POS-compatible thermal printer. ESC/POS is the common industry standard, supported by most receipt-printer brands (Epson, Star, and the many generic "POS-58" / "POS-80" printers).
• Both common paper widths are supported — 80 mm (the usual receipt width) and 58 mm (compact).

If a printer's box or manual says it supports ESC/POS, it will almost certainly work with POSolid.

How they connect

Thermal printers connect through the Print Agent (the small helper app that runs on a device at your venue). Supported connection types are:

• Network (TCP/IP) — the printer has its own IP address (commonly on port 9100), reached over Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable
• USB — plugged into the device running the Print Agent: a Windows or macOS computer (on Windows, by the installed printer's name), or directly into an Android phone or tablet with a USB OTG cable
• Serial (COM port) — connected by serial cable, with a baud rate
• Bluetooth — paired by MAC address (Android only)

The Print Agent can scan your network, COM ports, USB devices, and installed printers to find devices for you, so you can pair them with a click.

Over Wi-Fi. If the printer has a Wi-Fi module (built in or as a small adapter), join it to your venue's Wi-Fi, note the IP address it receives, and add it as a Network (TCP/IP) printer. Wi-Fi is only how the printer reaches the network — to POSolid it's an ordinary network printer. It just has to be on the same local network as the device running the Print Agent.

Straight into a phone or tablet. On Android, a receipt printer can be plugged directly into the phone or tablet with a USB OTG cable or adapter — no computer and no network involved. Run the Print Agent's scan and the printer appears in the USB list; click Pair and its identifier is filled in for you. This is the neat option for a small counter or a mobile till: the tablet is both the register and the print device. On Windows and macOS, USB works the same way but the printer plugs into the computer.

Getting started

1. Make sure your Print Agent is installed and shows Connected (see Printing).
2. Go to Settings → Printers and either run a scan to discover printers, or add one manually.
3. Choose the connection type and fill in the details — an IP and port for network (whether the printer is on Wi-Fi or a cable), the printer name for USB on a computer (or the identifier that pairing fills in for USB on Android), the COM port and baud for serial, or the MAC address for Bluetooth.
4. Give the printer a recognizable name and save.
5. Assign it where you need it — for example a kitchen printer for kitchen tickets, or as the receipt/pre-check printer at the till.

Key things to know

• ESC/POS is the requirement, not a specific brand. You're free to buy whichever ESC/POS receipt printer suits your budget.
• The Print Agent must be online to print. Jobs queue and wait if it's offline, then print automatically when it reconnects — nothing is lost.
• Bluetooth is Android-only. For network, USB, or serial, use any supported Print Agent device (Windows, macOS, or Android).
• Wi-Fi counts as a network connection. A Wi-Fi printer is set up exactly like a cabled network one — by IP address. Reserve a fixed IP for it on your router so the address doesn't change after a power cut.
• A phone or tablet can be the print device. With a USB OTG cable on Android, the printer plugs straight into the tablet running the Print Agent — no router, no computer, no network in between. Handy for a single counter or a market stall.
• The printer never needs internet of its own. It only has to be reachable by the device running the Print Agent — over the local network, or by the cable it's plugged into.
• You can have several printers. For example, one at the till for guest pre-checks and receipt copies, and one or more in the kitchen for tickets. Each is assigned to its job.
• Thermal printers are separate from the fiscal printer. Where a country requires fiscal receipts (Poland today), they go to a fiscal device; thermal printers handle non-fiscal pre-checks and kitchen tickets — see Supported Fiscal Printers and Fiscal Printers in Other Countries.

FAQ

Q: Which thermal printers work with POSolid?
A: Any ESC/POS-compatible receipt printer, in 80 mm or 58 mm width. Most receipt printers, including generic "POS-80"/"POS-58" models, support ESC/POS.

Q: How does the printer connect?
A: Through the Print Agent, over the network (IP address), USB, serial (COM port), or Bluetooth (Android only). The Print Agent can scan and discover printers to pair them quickly.

Q: Can I connect the printer over Wi-Fi?
A: Yes. Join the printer to your venue's Wi-Fi, note the IP address it gets, and add it as a Network (TCP/IP) printer — the same as a cabled network printer. It only has to be on the same local network as the device running the Print Agent.

Q: Can I plug a printer straight into a phone or tablet?
A: Yes, on Android, using a USB OTG cable or adapter. Run a scan in Settings → Printers and the printer shows up in the USB list ready to pair. No router or separate computer is needed — the tablet runs the Print Agent and drives the printer directly.

Q: Can I connect a Bluetooth receipt printer?
A: Yes, on Android — the Print Agent pairs Bluetooth printers by MAC address. On other systems use network, USB, or serial.

Q: Do I need one printer or several?
A: As many as you like. A common setup is one at the till for pre-checks and receipt copies plus one in the kitchen for tickets. You assign each printer to its role in Settings → Printers.

Q: My printer isn't printing — what should I check?
A: Make sure the Print Agent is online (shown as Connected), the printer is powered and has paper, and the connection details (IP/port, name, COM port, or MAC) are correct. Jobs wait in the queue until the agent reconnects.