The Star SP700 printer is an impact dot matrix printer. Unlike thermal printers, the SP 700’s printouts are not discolored by heat, so these printers are especially well-suited to printing in hot areas like kitchens. Since impact printers can be noisy, we recommend using them for order tickets in the back of the house to avoid disturbing the restaurant.

The Star SP700 supports a red and black ink ribbon and therefore supports the POS Configurations setting Print sub-items in red.

What you'll need

Before setting up your printer, ensure you have the following equipment:

Hardware

Star SP700 receipt printer

Ink ribbon

Paper roll (76 mm)

Connection cables

The Ethernet Cable is not included with your shipment and you'll need to order it separately. Ensure that your Ethernet cable is long enough to reach your internet router from the printer.

Power cable

Ethernet cable

Setting up the Star SP700

Connecting the printer to a network and power supply

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

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

1. Plug the power cord into the printer.
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 printer port labeled ‘100/10 BASE’.
4. Plug the other end into an Ethernet port on your router.

Inserting the ink ribbon

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

Inserting a paper roll

1. Open the rear printer cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you. Lift the lid.
2. Insert the paper roll so that the end feeds from the bottom. While doing so, ensure the paper roll stays tight and doesn’t unroll.
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.

Configuring DIP switch settings

For your printer to function properly, you'll need to make sure your Status sheet depicts a DIP configuration where switches 2, 4, and 8 are turned off.

1. Turn off and unplug the printer.
2. Flip the printer upside down.
3. Unscrew the bottom panel.
4. Turn off switches 2, 4, and 8 by pushing them down. Some switches may already be off by default.

Finding 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.
5. Once the first page has finished printing, press Feed once more to finish.

The bottom of the self-test page will show Current IP Parameters. 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, 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.

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 SP700 printer or Kitchen Printer).
5. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Star SP700 LAN.

6. Enter the printer’s IP address from the previous section into the relevant field.

   For Lightspeed Restaurant to connect with your printer, you'll need to either create a DHCP reservation or set up a static IP address to ensure the printer's IP address remains constant and unique on your network.

7. Click Add printer.

   

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 SP700 has two lights, Power 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?