Software & Compatibility

The most important consideration when buying a printer is checking compatibility with your EPOS software and platform (iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, etc.) If you’ll be using iPad or Android for your POS, give us a call as we’ve built an exhaustive compatibility database and will be able to help. If not, try us or ask your software vendor.

Interfaces

There are typically fewer interface options integrated with different POS apps. As kitchen printers will often be physically far away from the main POS station, the most common (and recommended) setup is a wired ethernet connection into a WiFi router or switch. Other interfaces include Bluetooth, serial, WiFi and serial.

Features & Performance

After you’ve narrowed down your choice to compatible models and your chosen interface, you can consider the feature specification differences.

Print Speed: Printing speed shouldn’t be a bottleneck in a high-throughput kitchen, and the faster print speed of impacts is another reason to use one over a thermal printer.

Paper Ply: Having multiple copies of a ticket

Colour Printing: Our kitchen printers all have the ability to print modifiers in red ink, helping kitchen st

Warranty: Typically the printers we sell will come with a decent warranty period of 3-4 years, although this does not apply to every model. Warranties are provided by the manufacturer, typically under RTB (Return to base) terms. That means you’ll be responsible for shipping a faulty unit back to the manufacturer.

Consumables & Accessories

Depending on the type of kitchen printer you plan to use, you’ll need to consider the consumables you’ll need to actually p rint and optionally add accessories to your setup.

Splash Guards: If your printer will be in the kitchen, the bar or anywhere where there’s a chance it could get wet, a splash guard is the best investment you can make to prolong the life of your printer. A simple, inexpensive moulded plastic attachment, it will help cover exposed parts to prevent water damage.

Buzzers: When it’s critical to hear new orders come through as they print out, add a plug-in buzzer to your printer.

Interfaces: Some printer models allow for swapping out the interface card. This means you can upgrade your printer from serial to Ethernet (LAN) connectivity buying just a new interface rather than a whole new printer. Typically easy to install, you’ll just need a screwdriver and 5 minutes. Shop our printer interface boards here.

Ribbons: Impact / dot-matrix printers use ink to print out so you’ll need to buy new ink ribbons over time. Always buy branded ribbons to prevent wear-and-tear to the printers mechanisms.

Mounting: Most of the stationary printers we sell include wall mounting kits in the box, but not all of them so do check first.