The Star mC-Print3 receipt printer connects to your network with a LAN cable, or to your iPad with a USB cable. To set up the Star mC-Print3, you’ll need to insert paper into the printer, connect the printer to your network or iPad, and add the printer to the Back Office. The specific setup steps will vary depending on whether you choose to set up a LAN or USB connection.

What you'll need

• Star mC-Print3 printer
• Power cable
• LAN cable (for LAN setup)
• Lightning to USB cable (for USB setup)
• Paper roll (57 x 40 mm)
  • Test roll included
  • Full rolls sold separately

Inserting the paper roll

1. Pull the lever on the left-hand side on the front of the printer to open the printer’s cover.

2. Insert the paper roll so the paper feeds over the top, while making sure the roll remains tight.

   

3. Pull the paper out past the cutter at the front of the printer.
4. Push the cover to snap the lever shut.

Once you’ve inserted paper into your printer, you’re ready to connect your printer to your network.

Connecting the Star mC-Print3 to your network or iPad

The Star mC-Print3 can be set up using a LAN cable to connect to your network, or a USB cable to connect to your iPad. The specific setup steps will vary depending on whether you choose to connect to your network or iPad.

• Connecting the Star mC-Print3 LAN to your network

  1. Remove the back cover of your printer.

     

  2. Plug the LAN cable into the LAN port of your printer.
  3. Plug the other end of the LAN cable into the LAN port of your router.
  4. Connect the power cable to your printer.
  5. Plug the other end of the power cable into an electrical outlet.
  6. Reattach the back cover of your printer.
  7. Push the power button to turn on your printer. You’ll know you’ve correctly turned on your printer when the LED light flashes green.

  Once your printer is connected to your network, you’re ready to print a self-test page.

  Printing a self-test page

  The self-test page lists your printer’s Hardware address and IP address, which you'll need to add your printer to the Back Office later on.

  1. Turn off your printer.
  2. Hold down the feed button and press the power button until the self-test page prints.
  3. Release the feed button to stop printing.
  4. Hold onto the self-test page, as the information will be important for the next section.

  Once you’ve printed the self-test page, you’re ready to add your printer to the Back Office.

• Connecting the Star mC-Print3 USB to your iPad

  1. Remove the back cover of your printer.

     

  2. Connect the lightning cable to your iPad.
  3. Connect the USB end of your lightning cable to your printer's USB port.

  4. Plug the power cable of your printer into an electrical outlet.

     

  5. Reattach the back cover of your printer.
  6. Push the power button to turn on your printer. You’ll know you’ve correctly turned on your printer when the LED light flashes green.

  Once your printer is connected to your iPad, you’re ready to add your printer to the Back Office.

Adding a printer via the POS

Installing printers one at a time through your POS is the recommended method whether you use LAN or USB. If you are adding multiple printers, only power on one at the time as you add them to make it easier to identify the new printers on the network. If you have to install more than five printers, we recommend that you install them via the Back Office.

1. Open the Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) app on your POS.
2. Go to Settings > Printing Center.
3. In the Unconfigured printers list, select the new printer. If the new printer is not visible in the list, ensure both the printer and POS are connected to the same local network.
4. Tap Configure.
5. In the pop-up window:
   • Add a Name to the printer. We recommend picking a clear and simple name that identifies it clearly, like Kitchen Printer.
   • Select a Printing Profile. Only one profile can be selected. Multiple profiles can be selected in the Back Office after completing the installation.
   • Select the Printer Model.
   • Enable Secure printing. 
6. The printer will now appear under Configured printers. Print a test ticket with the IP and MAC address included to make any potential troubleshooting easier later.
7. To confirm that there is a connection between the POS and printer, tap Print test.

If the printer does not print the test ticket, try disabling Secure Printing in Back Office > Hardware > Printers. Select the Printer, disable Enable secure printing, and Save. Repeat the print test to confirm the change worked.

Repeat the above steps for each printer you wish to add to the POS.

Completing POS printer connection

After you have installed the printer(s) on the POS, there are additional steps that you need to complete in the Back Office to ensure your devices and printers are set up according to your needs.

1. Log in to the Back Office with your Lightspeed credentials.
2. Navigate to Hardware > Printing profiles and ensure the correct printers are connected to the appropriate Printing profiles.
3. Navigate to Hardware > Production centers and ensure that the correct Production centers are connected to the correct Printing profiles.
4. (Optional) If applicable, adjust which Order profiles and Ticket types are active for each Production center.
5. Navigate to Menu > Accounting groups and ensure that the correct Accounting groups are connected to the correct Production centers.
6. Print a test receipt to confirm that everything is functioning as intended.

If you require specific printer routing for orders and/or receipts, visit our Order profiles page if you have mobile POS that aren't tied to a specific printer. If you have POS devices fixed to specific areas, you can set up Configurations to direct where tickets and receipts are printed.

Adding a printer via the Back Office

Adding the Star mC-Print3 allows you to setup a connection between the printer and your POS device. The specific setup steps will vary depending on whether you choose to connect to your network or iPad.

• Adding the Star mC-Print3 LAN to the Back Office

  1. Log in to the Back Office.
  2. From the navigation menu, select Hardware > Printers.
  3. Select Add printer.
  4. Name the printer Star mC-Print3 LAN.
  5. Select Star mC-Print3 LAN from the Driver drop-down menu.
  6. Enter the Hardware address as written on your self-test page.

  7. Click the checkbox for Disable status check for this printer (useful for old printers).

     

  8. Click Add printer.

  Once you’ve added your printer to the Back Office, you’re ready to start printing tickets and receipts from your POS device.

• Adding the Star mC-Print3 USB to the Back Office

  1. Log in to the Back Office.
  2. From the navigation menu, select Hardware > Printers.
  3. Select Add printer.
  4. Name the printer after its model, function, or location (e.g., Star mC-Print, Kitchen Printer...).
  5. Select Star mC-Print3 USB from the Driver drop-down menu.

  6. Click the checkbox for Disable status check for this printer (useful for old printers).

     

  7. Click Add printer.

  Once you’ve added your printer to the Back Office, you’re ready to start printing tickets and receipts from your POS device.

Printing a test receipt

With the above steps complete, log in to the Lightspeed Restaurant app, reload your configuration, and print a test receipt to ensure your printer is connected. The steps for printing a test receipt will vary depending on which version of the POS you have enabled on your device.

• Printing a test receipt with the new navigation

  The new navigation can be enabled in your Back Office and is already enabled for customers who signed up for Lightspeed after May 2026. This set of instructions covers how to print a test receipt with the new navigation.

  1. In the Restaurant POS App, tap the Device status button.

  2. Tap the yellow Refresh icon next to the device name to sync the device with the latest Back Office configuration.

     

  3. Tap the More menu on the navigation bar.
  4. Select Printing center.

  5. Tap Print test to complete the test.

     

  A successful test print completes the printer's basic setup. But to start printing order tickets, you need to configure the printing profiles and production centers that control how the printer functions in your restaurant.

• Printing a test receipt with the legacy navigation

  The legacy navigation for the Lightspeed Restaurant POS is the default navigation for customers who signed up for Lightspeed Restaurant before May 2026. This set of instructions covers how to print a test receipt with the legacy navigation.

  1. In the Restaurant POS App, tap the Status Preview button (four dots on the navigation bar).
  2. Tap Reload to sync the device with the latest Back Office configuration.
  3. From the main screen, select your user profile.
  4. Tap Settings on the navigation bar.
  5. Select Printing center.
  6. Under Printers, tap Print test next to the new printer to print a test sheet.
     

  A successful test print completes the printer's basic setup. But to start printing order tickets, you need to configure the printing profiles and production centers that control how the printer functions in your restaurant.

Reading printer light codes

The lights on your printer provide key information about its operation and any issues.

The Star mC-Print3 has three lights: power, Bluetooth, and network. Each tells you different information about the printer's status depending on its color and whether it is lit, blinking, or off.

Power light

The Star mC-Print3's power light turns on and blinks blue, red, or purple according to its power, warning, or error status.

Bluetooth light

The Star mC-Print3's Bluetooth light is blue and indicates the printer's Bluetooth connection status.

Network light

The Star mC-Print3's network light is green and indicates the printer's network connection status.

Troubleshooting

Is your printer not working as expected? Visit our troubleshooting guide on printing for detailed steps to resolve common issues.