The Epson TM-U220B and TM-U220IIB printers are impact dot matrix printers. The TM-U220IIB is the more recent version, and functions identically to the TM-U220B, with the only difference being its black front button panel instead of white. All references to the TM-U220B in this article equally apply to the TM-U220IIB.

Unlike thermal printers, the TM-U220B’s printouts are not discolored by heat, so these printers are especially well-suited to printing in hot areas like kitchens. We recommend using this printer for order tickets in the back of house since impact printers are noisier than thermal-printing alternatives.

The Epson TM-U220B supports a red and black ink ribbon which allows specific POS Configurations settings, such as the option to Print sub-items in red.

What you'll need

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

Hardware

Epson TM-U220B printer

Ink ribbon

Paper roll (76 mm)

Connection cables

The LAN Cable is not included with your shipment and must be obtained elsewhere. Ensure that the cable is long enough to reach your internet router from the printer.

Power cable and AC Adaptor

LAN cable

Setting up the Epson TM-U220B / TM-U220IIB printer

Connecting power to the printer

1. Plug the power cord into the AC adaptor.
2. Turn the printer upside down and connect the AC adaptor to the circular power socket on the bottom of the printer.
3. Once connected, the AC adaptor can be inserted into the bottom of the printer so that the power cord is feeding out of the back panel.
4. Turn the printer right side up.
5. Plug the power cord into an electrical power supply, such as a wall outlet.

Inserting the ink ribbon

1. 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.
2. Open the printer’s front cover.
3. Insert the ink ribbon cassette (knob facing upward) so the ribbon is behind the printhead, facing the paper feed.
4. Press down on the cassette, which will click once it’s secure.
5. Once in place, twist the knob on the cassette again to ensure the ribbon is as tight as possible.
6. 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 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.
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.

Connecting the printer to a network

To connect your printer to the network, you will need an Ethernet cable.

The printer must be connected to the same network as the router that provides internet access for your POS device so that the printer and POS can communicate with one another.

1. Connect your Ethernet cable to the back of the printer. The cable will only fit into one of the ports.
2. Plug the other end into an Ethernet port on your router.

Finding the printer’s IP address.

To complete the network connection between your printer and POS, you will need the IP address of the printer on your network. To find the IP address, print the network status sheet:

1. Turn the printer ON and ensure the paper and ink ribbon covers are closed.
2. On the back of the printer, find the small Reset button.

   

3. Using a paper clip, a pen, or a similar narrow object, and press Reset.
4. Wait for the device to start printing, then release Reset.

The status sheet will show the IP Address. Hang on to this page and note the IP Address, which will be used later.

If the status sheet prints an IP address of 192.168.192.168, this means you have a Default Static (not DHCP-enabled) printer, which requires a different setup process. With a static printer, you must manually connect the printer to your network through DHCP configuration. See Connect the printer to your network (for older printer models only) below.

• Connect the printer to your network (for older printer models only)

  If the network status sheet from the previous step prints an IP address of 192.168.192.168, this means the printer is an older model known as static - and not yet connected to your network. 192.168.192.168 is the default Epson IP address required to configure the printer's network settings. You must manually connect your printer to your network through DHCP configuration.

  In order to connect your printer to your internet network, you will need to temporarily change the IP address on our iOS device to the printer's default IP. Then, you will enable DHCP configuration in order to assign the printer an IP address on your network.

  Temporarily connect iOS device to printer's IP address

  1. On the iOS device that you will be printing from, navigate to Settings > Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the information icon ⓘ beside the connected network to open the network settings.
  3. Tap Configure IP and select Manual.
  4. Set the IP address to "192.168.192.167". It should not be identical to the one used by the printer, .
  5. Set the Subnet Mask, and Router (also called Gateway) according to the network status sheet that was printed above.
  6. Tap Save.
  7. Your iOS device is now configured to communicate with your printer. This is required so that you can configure your printer's IP address from the iOS device.

  Enable DHCP configuration

  Now that your printer and iOS device share the same IP address, you can carry out DHCP configuration. This is required so that you can give the printer a dynamic IP address from your network.

  1. From the iOS device, open a new browser window and enter 192.168.192.168 into the address field.
  2. An Epson web configuration login window will appear. To log in, in the username field, enter epson. In the password field, enter epson. For some models, the password is the printer's serial number which is located on the sticker of the printer.
  3. From the left-hand menu, navigate to the TCP/IP settings category to configure IP settings.
  4. Change the Get IP address or Acquiring the IP address field to Auto. This will automatically populate the IP address field correctly. The IP address is the dynamic address assigned to your printer.
  5. Click Submit to confirm the change.

  Confirm the printer's DHCP configuration

  1. Turn the printer around and, with a pen or pencil tip, push the pinhole Reset button on the back of the printer for 4 seconds.
  2. A status sheet should auto-print with an IP address determined from the DHCP configuration. If the network settings match the settings on the TCP/IP page, the printer is connected to your internet network and ready to be paired with Lightspeed Restaurant.
  3. Restore your iOS device by going to Settings > Wi-Fi, tapping the information icon for your network, and setting Configure IP to Automatic.

Adding 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., TM-U220B printer or Kitchen Printer).
5. Enter the printer’s IP address into the relevant field.
   

   For Lightspeed Restaurant to connect with your printer, the printer’s assigned IP address (obtained in Finding the printer's IP address) must always match the IP address entered in Restaurant Manager.

6. From the Driver drop-down menu, select Epson TM-U220 (or compatible).
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.

1. In the Restaurant POS App, tap the Status Preview button (four dots on the navigation bar).
2. Tap the 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 Epson TM-U220B has two lights, Power and Error, that indicate its status. The blinking pattern of the error light indicates what type of error has occurred. The error types and how to resolve them are listed in Chapter 4 of the Epson TM-U220 Technical Reference Guide.

Troubleshooting

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

What's next?