The Epson TM-m30, TM-m30II, and TM-m30III are compact thermal printers designed to print receipts or tickets in areas away from direct heat sources, such as in a dining room. This guide covers installing the printer hardware, setting it up in the Back Office, testing, and troubleshooting tips. Follow along to configure your printer for use with Lightspeed Restaurant.

All TM-m30 series printers support LAN / Ethernet, but separate models are available for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB connection types.

What you'll need

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

Hardware

Epson TM-m30 series printer

Paper roll (80 mm)

Connection cables

Power cables are included with the printer, but you'll need to purchase an additional cable for setting up a LAN or USB printer. Ensure your cable is long enough to reach from the printer to your router (for LAN) or to your iPad (for USB).

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi models don't require additional cables. However, the TM-m30 and TM-m30II must be purchased with a wireless dongle to connect via Wi-Fi (the TM-m30III has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity). 

Power cable and AC adapter

Ethernet cable (sold separately, for LAN setup only)

USB-A to Lightning or USB-C cable (sold separately, for USB setup only)

Installing the printer hardware

There are several key steps to get your Epson TM-m30 series printer physically ready for use. This section will guide you through picking a setup location, plugging in the power cable, loading a paper roll, and connecting the printer to a device or network.

Choosing a setup location

When deciding where to set up your printer, first pick an area away from heat sources, such as grills. Excessive heat can discolor the printer's thermal paper. 

The ideal location will also depend on factors related to the printer's connection type:

• LAN - You'll need an Ethernet cable long enough to reach from your router to the desired printer location. LAN printers can be shared between multiple POS devices. Optimize your network for best results when using a LAN printer. 
• Bluetooth - Set up your printer less than 10 meters, or 33 feet, from the iPad it will connect to. Physical obstructions and other real-world conditions can affect the range of Bluetooth printers. Bluetooth printers connect to a single POS device. They are not recommended for kitchen use due to the potential for wireless interference.
• USB - You'll need a USB cable long enough to reach from your iPad to the desired printer location. USB printers connect to a single POS device and cannot be shared.
• Wi-Fi - Set up your printer less than 45 meters, or 150 feet, from your router. Wi-Fi printers can be shared between multiple POS devices. They are not recommended for kitchen use due to the potential for wireless interference. Optimize your network for best results when using a Wi-Fi printer. 

Plugging in to power

Connecting the printer to a power source is the first step in installing your Epson TM-m30 series printer. Follow these instructions to ensure your printer is properly connected so it can be powered on later in setup.

1. Plug the power cord into the AC adapter.

   

2. Remove the bottom and side covers of the printer.

   

3. Turn the printer upside down and connect the AC adapter to the circular power socket on the bottom of the printer.

   

4. Plug the power cord into an electrical power supply, such as a wall outlet. Wait to turn on your printer until instructed later in setup.
5. If setting up the Bluetooth model, reinstall the bottom and side covers. Otherwise, leave the covers off for now.

Loading a paper roll

Loading the paper roll in the correct orientation for your TM-m30 series printer will ensure it prints properly. This printer uses thermal receipt paper, which reacts to heat and is different from normal paper.

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

   

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

Connecting to a device or network

Whether you connect your printer directly to a POS device or to your network depends on which model of Epson TM-m30 series printer you have. This section outlines the steps for connecting LAN, Bluetooth, USB, and Wi-Fi versions of this printer.

• Connecting an LAN printer to your router

  A local area network (LAN) printer plugs directly into your router with an Ethernet cable, ensuring a stable and reliable network connection. By connecting to your network, LAN printers can be shared between multiple POS devices. All TM-m30 series models support LAN connectivity.

  1. Remove the bottom and side covers of the printer.
  2. 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.

  3. Reinstall the bottom and side covers on the printer
  4. Press the Power button to switch the printer on.

     A status sheet containing the printer's IP address, MAC address (not pictured), and other information will print. Hang on to this for use later in adding the printer to the Back Office.

     

  Finding the printer’s MAC address and IP address

  If a status sheet failed to print when you powered on the printer, you can manually print another one to find your device's IP address and MAC address.

  1. Ensure that the printer is powered on.
  2. Open the top printer cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you and lifting the cover.
  3. Hold down the Feed button for at least 3 seconds.
  4. Push the cover down to snap it shut, and a new status sheet will print.

  An IP address of 192.168.192.168 indicates the printer was unable to obtain an IP address on your network. In this situation:

  • Verify the printer is connected to your router with an Ethernet cable,
  • Factory reset the printer by turning it off, holding the pinhole SW button on the underside of the printer, and turning the printer back on, and
  • If necessary, try using a different Ethernet cable and router port.

• Pairing a Bluetooth printer with your POS device

  A Bluetooth printer pairs wirelessly with your iPad, meaning it is used with a single POS device. Only TM-m30 series models purchased with Bluetooth connectivity will be able to connect in this way.

  1. Press the Power button to switch the printer on.
  2. On your iPad, open the Settings app. 
  3. Select Bluetooth on the sidebar, then ensure Bluetooth is toggled on.

     

  4. Tap the printer name to connect to it once it appears on the list of available devices.

• Connecting a USB printer to your POS device

  A USB printer plugs directly into your iPad using a Lightning or USB-C cable. This means it is used with a single POS device. Only TM-m30 series models purchased with USB support will be able to connect via USB.

  1. Remove the bottom and side covers of the printer.
  2. Connect the USB end of your lightning cable to the back of the printer in the slot marked iPad 2.1A.
  3. Plug the lightning connector of the cable into your iPad.
  4. Reinstall the bottom and side covers on the printer.
  5. Press the Power button to switch the printer on.

• Connecting a Wi-Fi printer to your network

  A Wi-Fi printer connects wirelessly to your network, allowing it to be shared between multiple POS devices.

  The TM-m30 and TM-m30II must be purchased with a wireless dongle to connect via Wi-Fi, but the TM-m30III Wi-Fi model's connectivity is built-in.

  1. Remove the bottom and side covers of the printer.
  2. (TM-m30 and m30II only) Ensure the wireless dongle included with the printer is connected to the printer's USB port. This dongle gives the printer its Wi-Fi capabilities.
  3. Reinstall the bottom and side covers on the printer.
  4. Press the Power button to switch the printer on.
  5. On your iPad, download and open the Epson TM Utility app.

     

  6. In the TM Utility app, select the Wi-Fi Setup Wizard.
  7. Follow the prompts to select your printer model and enter the Wi-Fi name (SSID), security type, and password for the network you're connecting it to.

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

     

Adding the printer to the Back Office

Adding your printer to the Back Office is necessary for it to be seen and used by the Lightspeed Restaurant POS app. This section explains how to configure your Epson TM-m30 series printer in the Back Office, ensuring it is ready to use with your POS devices.

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., Receipt Printer or Bar Printer).
5. From the Driver drop-down, select Epson M-30 LAN/WiFi, Epson M-30 Bluetooth, or Epson TM-m30II-NT USB depending on your model's connection type.

   

6. For LAN and Wi-Fi models, enter either the Hardware address (MAC address) or IP address of the printer. This information is not required for Bluetooth or USB models. 
   
   • The hardware / MAC address never changes, so it's the most reliable way to add the printer.
   • If entering an IP address instead, create a DHCP reservation or set a static IP address to ensure the printer is always assigned the same address.

   • Setting up static IP on Epson printers

     • Connect your iPad or computer to the same network as your printer.
     • On your wireless device, open a web browser.
     • In the URL, enter your printer’s IP address with /webconfig at the end. For example, if the IP address that prints out is 123.456.0.789 you would enter http://123.456.0.789/webconfig.
     • Log in using epson for both the username and password.
     • Click TCP/IP.
     • Under Get IP Address, click Manual.
     • Enter the printer’s IP address in the IP Address field.
     • Click Submit.
     • On the next page, click Reset.
7. Click Save to finish
8. After adding the printer, set up printing profiles and production centers to configure which POS devices and/or items will send receipts or production tickets to the 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.

1. In the Restaurant POS app, tap the dots located in the bottom right corner of the screen to open the Status menu.
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. 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 receipts or order tickets, you need to configure the printing profiles and production centers that control how the printer functions in your restaurant.

Troubleshooting

• The LED display on the Epson TM-m30II has three lights: Power, Error, and Paper. Each light indicates status or error information. The tables below illustrate some of the most common light patterns, their meanings, and how to troubleshoot them. If your error light pattern is not listed below, check out the Epson TM-m30II setup guide for more information.

What's next?