The Star TSP100 is a thermal printer that can connect to your POS device via a network (LAN or Wi-Fi) or a USB connection. Note that the Star Printer can only connect to one POS device via USB.

Please note that the TSP143IV is not supported via a USB connection on the iPad. Other TSP100 models, such as the TSP143III, do support USB setup.

What you'll need

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

Hardware

Star TSP100 printer

Power cable

Paper roll (80 x 70 mm)

Setting up the Star TSP100 printer

To set up your printer, choose your preferred connection method from the options below and follow the instructions.

1. Connecting your printer

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

   1. Connect the power cable to your printer and plug the other end into an electrical outlet.

      

   2. Connect the Ethernet cable to your printer and plug the other end into an Ethernet port on your router.

      

   3. Turn on your printer and wait for the power light to turn solid, indicating your printer is ready

      

   Inserting a paper roll

   1. Open the printer's cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you and lifting the cover.

   2. Insert the paper roll so the end feeds from the bottom of the roll, as shown in the image below. While doing so, make sure the paper roll 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.

   Finding your printer's IP address

   To connect your printer and POS, you will need the IP address of the receipt printer on your network. To find the IP address, print the Current IP Parameters Status page:

   1. Turn the printer off
   2. Hold down the feed button.
   3. Turn the power on while continuing to hold feed.
   4. Wait for the device to start printing, then release feed. Two test receipts will print.

   The bottom of the second page will show Current IP Parameters Status. Hang on to this page and note the IP Address, which will be used later.

   

   If Current IP Parameters says the IP address is 0.0.0.0, your 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.

   Setting up a static IP address

   Your wireless printer and POS device need to be connected to the same network to communicate properly.

   A static IP address is a unique fixed number that you can assign to a wireless printer to ensure it remains constant on your network. When setting up a static IP, choose an IP address outside the DHCP range to reduce the risk of IP conflicts.

   1. Connect your iPad or computer to the same network as your printer.
   2. On your wireless device, open a web browser.
   3. In the URL, enter your printer’s IP address.
   4. Log into the Star Network Utility using these credentials:
      User: root.
      Password: public
   5. It may prompt you to change the password but that’s not necessary, press Cancel.
   6. On the left-hand side menu, navigate IP Parameters > Static. The current IP Address and subnet mask should autofill. If the current IP Address and Subnet mask do not autofill, then manually type in the network configuration obtained from the printer.
   7. Click Submit
   8. On the left-hand side menu, navigate Save > Save.
   9. Click Execute. The receipt printer should then restart and print a new configuration report with Static next to the IP address instead of DHCP.

   Adding a printer via the POS

   Installing printers one at a time through your POS is the recommended method. 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

   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 Hardware > Printers.
   3. Select Add Printer.
   4. Give the printer a name (we recommend naming it after its function or location, e.g., Star TSP100 printer or Bar 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 must always match the IP address entered in the Back Office.
   6. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Star TSP100 LAN or Star TSP143IV LAN, depending on your model.

   7. Check the box to Disable status check for this printer.

      

   8. Click Save to finish.

2. Connecting your printer

   Only the Star TSP100IV is compatible with a Wi-Fi configuration. To connect your printer via Wi-Fi, you need an Ethernet cable and an MCW10 Wireless LAN device from Star Micronics.

   1. Plug your Ethernet cable into the MCW10 Wireless LAN unit and connect the other end to the Ethernet port on your Star Printer.

      

   2. To supply power to the Wireless LAN unit, connect it to the printer using the micro USB to USB-A cable.

   3. Connect the power cable to your printer and plug the other end into an electrical outlet.

      

   4. Turn on your printer and wait for the power light to turn solid, indicating your printer is ready

      

   Inserting a paper roll

   1. Open the printer's cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you and lifting the cover.

   2. Insert the paper roll so the end feeds from the bottom of the roll, as shown in the image below. While doing so, make sure the paper roll 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.

   Preparing your device for a Wi-Fi setup

   Before your printer can connect to your network, you need to configure your MCW10 Wireless LAN unit by installing the Star Utility App. To do this, follow the instructions found here on Star Micronics's website.

   Finding your printer's IP address

   To connect your printer and POS, you will need the IP address of the receipt printer on your network. To find the IP address, print the Current IP Parameters Status page:

   1. Turn the printer off
   2. Hold down the feed button.
   3. Turn the power on while continuing to hold feed.
   4. Wait for the device to start printing, then release feed. Two test receipts will print.

   The bottom of the second page will show Current IP Parameters Status. Hang on to this page and note the IP Address, which will be used later.

   

   If Current IP Parameters says the IP address is 0.0.0.0, your 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.

   Setting up a static IP address

   Your wireless printer and POS device need to be connected to the same network to communicate properly.

   A static IP address is a unique fixed number that you can assign to a wireless printer to ensure it remains constant on your network. When setting up a static IP, choose an IP address outside the DHCP range to reduce the risk of IP conflicts.

   1. Connect your iPad or computer to the same network as your printer.
   2. On your wireless device, open a web browser.
   3. In the URL, enter your printer’s IP address.
   4. Log into the Star Network Utility using these credentials:
      User: root.
      Password: public
   5. It may prompt you to change the password but that’s not necessary, press Cancel.
   6. On the left-hand side menu, navigate IP Parameters > Static. The current IP Address and subnet mask should autofill. If the current IP Address and Subnet mask do not autofill, then manually type in the network configuration obtained from the printer.
   7. Click Submit
   8. On the left-hand side menu, navigate Save > Save.
   9. Click Execute. The receipt printer should then restart and print a new configuration report with Static next to the IP address instead of DHCP.

   Adding a printer via the POS

   Installing printers one at a time through your POS is the recommended method. 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

   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 Hardware > Printers.
   3. Select Add Printer.
   4. Give the printer a name (we recommend naming it after its function or location, e.g., Star TSP100 printer or Bar 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 must always match the IP address entered in the Back Office.
   6. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Star TSP143IV LAN.
   7. Check the box to Disable status check for this printer.
      
   8. Click Save to finish.

3. Connecting your printer

   This connection method requires a Lightning to USB-A connection cable. Connecting your printer via USB means your printer can only be connected to one POS at a time.

   To connect your printer, you need its power cable and a Lightning USB cable.

   1. Connect the power cable to your printer and plug the other end into an electrical outlet.

      

   2. Connect the USB-A cable to the available USB port on your device, and then connect the Lightning connector end to your iOS device.

      

   3. Turn on your printer and wait for the power light to turn solid, indicating your printer is ready

      

   Inserting a paper roll

   1. Open the printer's cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you and lifting the cover.

   2. Insert the paper roll so the end feeds from the bottom of the roll, as shown in the image below. While doing so, make sure the paper roll 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.

   Adding a printer via the POS

   Installing printers one at a time through your POS is the recommended method. 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

   1. Log in to Back Office using your Lightspeed Restaurant credentials.
   2. From the navigation menu, select Hardware > Printers.
   3. Select Add Printer.
   4. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Star TSP100 USB.
   5. Give the printer a name (we recommend naming it after its function or location, e.g., Star TSP100 printer or Bar Printer).
   6. Check the box to Disable status check for this printer.
   7. Click Save to finish.

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 TSP100 has two lights, Ready and Error, that indicate its status. The table below explains most common light patterns and how to troubleshoot them. If your error light pattern is not listed, check out the Star troubleshooting guide for more information.

Troubleshooting

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

What's next?