Beta disclaimer: At this time, the Lightspeed Kitchen Printer is available for use as part of a public beta for Lightspeed Restaurant customers in North America. If you meet this criterion and want to help test this hardware, contact your Sales Account Manager or Lightspeed Support.

The Lightspeed Kitchen Printer is an impact dot matrix printer. Unlike with thermal printers, dot matrix printouts are not discolored by heat, so these printers are especially well-suited to printing in hot areas. We recommend using this printer for order tickets in the back of house since impact printers are noisier than thermal-printing alternatives.

The Lightspeed Kitchen Printer uses a red and black ink ribbon and therefore supports specific POS Configurations settings, such as the option to Print sub-items in red.

Table of contents

• Hardware requirements
• Setting up the Lightspeed Kitchen Printer
  1. Connect the printer to a network and a power supply
  2. Insert the ink ribbon
  3. Insert a paper roll
  4. Find the printer’s IP address
  5. Add the printer to Lightspeed Restaurant Back Office
  6. Print a test receipt

Hardware requirements

Before you can set up your printer, you’ll need the following hardware included in your shipment:

Lightspeed Kitchen Printer (Model: SNBC BTP-M300 printer)
Power cord
Ethernet cable
Ink ribbon cassette
Paper roll (57 x 40 mm)   Test roll included Full rolls sold separately

Setting up the Lightspeed Kitchen Printer

1. Connect the printer to a network and power supply

To connect your printer, you need its power cord and an Ethernet cable. 

1. On the back of the printer, insert the power cord into the available port on the right side.
2. Plug the other end of the power cord into an electrical power supply, such as a wall outlet.
3. Connect the Ethernet cable to the back of the printer (port on the left) and plug the other end into an Ethernet port on your router.

The printer must be plugged into the same router that provides internet access for your POS device so that the printer and POS are on the same network.

2. Insert the ink ribbon

1. Open the printer’s front cover by pulling the protruding edges on either side of the printer.
2. On the ink ribbon cassette, turn the knob clockwise to ensure the ribbon is taut. This will prevent the ribbon from twisting as the cassette is inserted into the printer.
3. Insert the ink ribbon cassette (knob facing upward) into the printer so that the ribbon is behind the printhead, facing the paper feed. Press down on it to ensure it's secure.
4. Once in place, twist the knob on the cassette again to make sure the ribbon is as tight as possible.
5. Close the front cover.

3. Insert a paper roll

1. Open the rear printer cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you and lifting the lid.
2. Insert the paper roll so that the end feeds from the bottom. While doing so, ensure the paper stays tight and doesn’t unspool.
3. Pull the paper out past the cutter at the front of the printer.
4. Push the cover down to snap it shut.
5. Test the printer by turning it on and pressing the feed  button to ensure that it feeds paper as expected. Once it starts printing, release feed and tear off any excess paper.

4. Find the printer’s IP address.

To connect your printer and POS, you will need the IP address of the printer on your network. To find the IP address, print the self-test page:

1. Turn the printer off
2. Hold down the feed  button.
3. While continuing to hold feed, turn the power on.
4. Wait for the device to start printing, then release feed.

The self-test page will show Interface Type. Hang on to this page and note the IP Address, which will be used later.

If the IP address is 0.0.0.0, the printer couldn’t establish a network connection. Check that the Ethernet cable securely connects your printer and router, or try a different Ethernet port on your router and repeat the steps above.

5. Add the printer to Lightspeed Restaurant Back Office

Before adding your printer to Back Office, make sure your iPad is connected to the same network as your printer. Once both your iPad and printer are on the same network:

1. Log in to Back Office using your Lightspeed Restaurant credentials.
2. From the navigation menu, select Configuration > Printing > Printers.
3. Select Add Printer.
4. Give the printer a name (we recommend naming it after its function or location, e.g., Kitchen Printer).
5. Enter the printer’s IP address into the relevant field. 
   Note: For Lightspeed Restaurant to connect with your printer, the printer’s assigned IP address (obtained in section 4) must always match the IP address entered in Back Office.
6. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Epson TM-U220 (or compatible).
7. Click Save to finish.

6. Print 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.

1. In the Restaurant POS App, tap the Status Preview tab (four dots on the navigation bar).
2. Tap the reload icon 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. Tap the newly-setup Lightspeed Kitchen Printer to perform a print test.
   

Congratulations! Your Lightspeed Kitchen Printer can now print tickets and receipts from your Restaurant POS devices.

What’s next?

Learn how to assign this printer to your kitchen by visiting our article About printing profiles.

Visit Adding and editing receipt templates to learn how to customize the layout of your receipts and production tickets.