Receipt Printer/Printing Options

Whether you need a receipt printer for the Tasting Room, Boutique or Restaurant, this article lays out your options.

First Things First

Cloud Printing vs Local Printing: Which is best for you?

Epson Printer Setup for Local Printing

Local printing is 3-4 seconds faster (than Cloud printing) since it's direct. It prints the receipt instantly, but it has a few requirements:

• You must use an Epson TM-T88V-i, TM-T88VI, TM-T88VI-i receipt printer.
  
• You must setup a static IP address on the printer or assign one using DHCP. This IP address must be set in your POS Profile so you don't want it to change on the printer. You may need your IT provider to assist you with setting up an assigned/static IP address. 
• An SSL certificate must be generated and installed for each device (example: iPad) that you'll be printing from. 
• You must add the Printer to your POS Profile(s).

Enable EPOS Print 

For TM-T88VI, TM-T88VI-i, TM-T88VII

1. Select EpsonNet Config for TM-i
2. Select ePOS-Print under services and change the setting to enable, then click Apply & Restart

Setting Up the Epson Printer Epson OmniLink TM-T88VII (Cloud)

Step 1: Adding the Epson OmniLink TM-T88VII Printer to the POS Profile

1. To set up this integration, first navigate to Settings > POS Profiles
2. Select the POS Profile you want the printer added to.
   
   
3. Once you have select the POS Profile, scroll to the bottom of the selected POS profile to reach the Receipt Printers section. 
4. For each receipt printer you'd like to add to a POS profile, add a Printer ID and Title.
   1. Type - Select Cloud this is the default and what you need to set for Cloud Printing.
   2. PrinterID - Create your own 6-30 digit, alphanumeric ID or use the printer serial number. You cannot have spaces or use special characters in this ID (numbers and letters only). Make note of this, as you will be using it in Epson configuration step.
   3. Title - Give your receipt printer a title. Staff will select a printer by title when deciding which printer to send receipts to. Example titles could be "Printer1", "Counter Printer", etc.
5. After entering all your receipt printers, click Save. 

Step 2: Configuring the Epson OmniLink TM-T88VII Printer

1. Install supplied sample paper roll into the printer.
2. Plug in the printer to a Cat5/Cat6 Ethernet Jack on your local network, and plug in the power and turn the printer on.
3. Wait 1 minute and the printer will startup and print the local IP address it obtained from your network.
4. Type in the IP address into a web browser from a computer on the same network (Example: http://192.168.1.78)
5.  Login with the following credentials:

Username = epson
Password = epson (if "epson" doesn't work, try the using the serial number on the side of the printer as the password).

  6.   Once logged in, you will land on the EpsonNet Config page.

  7.   Click Epson OmniLink TM-T88VII.

  8.   Next, you will see the EpsonNet Config for TM-ii as follows:

9.   Click Server Direct Print

• Server1 URL = https://apigateway.commerce7.com/lambdas/print-receipt?tenantId={your tenant identifier} 

For example, https://apigateway.commerce7.com/lambdas/print-receipt?tenantId=spectrawinery

You can find your tenant ID from the admin panel and navigate to Settings > General 

• Interval = 5 (Do not set less than 5 seconds or service may be throttled).
• ID = The ID of the printer you configured earlier in the Commerce7 POS profile. If you have not set up the POS Profile yet, here are the steps.
• Name = The ID of the printer you configured earlier in this documentation in the POS profile section of the Commerce7 admin panel. 
• Server Authentication = Disabled 

10. Under Device Admin click Printer and the following page will be displayed. 

• Device ID = The ID of the printer you configured earlier in the Commerce7 POS profile. If you have not set up the POS Profile yet, here are the steps.
• IP Address = Enter the internal IP 127.0.0.1

11. Click Apply and restart. 

Setting up the Star MC-Print3 Printer (Cloud)

1. Paper: Put the roll of paper into the printer.
2. Power: Plug in Ethernet & Power & Turn the printer on.
3. The printer should print out its IP address with-in 1 minute.
   1. Most networks are configured with DHCP to provide new devices an IP address. If your printer does not print out an IP address with-in a minute of turning it on, you should consult your IT department or provider for instructions.
4. Enter the IP address on the printout into your browser to get to the printer configuration page. (example: http://192.168.1.100)
5. Enter the default username and password 
   1. username = root
   2. password = public
6. You will be prompted to change the password, put in a password and record this for future use.
7. Click CloudPRNT in the left hand navigation under Network Configuration.
    
   1. Under CloudPRNT Service select "ENABLE"
   2. Enter the Server URL as https://apigateway.commerce7.com/lambdas/star-print-receipt?tenantId="your-tenant-id-here"
      1. Example: https://apigateway.commerce7.com/lambdas/star-print-receipt?tenantId=spectra-winery
   3. Click Submit
      
   4. Click the flashing red Save link in the left hand navigation
      
   5. Click the Execute button.
      
   6. Go back to CloudPRNT and choose Accept all (warning - not secure) for the HTTPS Client Settings. Save and Execute.
      

Factory Resetting the Star MC-Print3 printer

1. Turn your printer off.
2. Use a pen to press and hold the Reset button.
   
3. While holding the Reset button, turn on the printer.
4. Keep holding the Reset button until the lights on the front of the printer begin to flash.
5. Release the Reset button.
6. If only the ethernet light is flashing - press and hold Feed button until the network settings print out.
   

   Note: If other combinations of lights are flashing - press the Feed button until only the ethernet light is flashing, then try step 6 again.

7. The printer is now reset.

Adding the Star MC-Print3 Printer into the POS Profile 

1. Log into the Commerce7 Admin Panel
2. Click Settings > POS Profiles
   
3. Choose the POS Profile(s) that you will be installing the printer for. (Learn more about POS Profiles here).
4. Scroll down to Receipt Printers
5. Click Add Printer
   1. Choose the Type = Star Cloud
   2. Enter a Title for the printer, the title will show up as the printer selections when you print a receipt.
      
   3. Enter the printer serial number as the PrinterId, you can find the serial number on the bottom of the printer.
      
6. Click Save POS Profile

Using the Printer

Using the Printer in POS

1. Be sure you are in the correct POS Profile. To change the POS profile select the menu (3 line) icon at the top left.
2. Next, select POS Profiles and use the drop down menu to select the POS Profile that you added the printer to and Save.
3. When Order payment is complete, on the confirmation modal, you'll see a button to Print Receipt.
   
4. If you have multiple printers use the drop down menu to select the printer you'd like to have the receipt sent to. 

The next time you print a receipt, the device will automatically remember and select the last printer you used. 

Using the Printer in Admin

1. Open any Order
2. Click More Actions 
3. Click Print Thermal Receipt
4. Choose the applicable Printer 

Factory Resetting the Epson Printers

1. On the back of the printer near the ethernet connection there is a button marked SW.
2. Press this button or using a pen to press and hold it to reset the printer.
   1. Depending on the model,  will look similar to this:

Purchasing the Printers

• Epson TM-T88VII: Link to purchase on POSGuys.com

Printers for Cloud Printing

• Epson T88-VII: Link to purchase on POSGuys.com
• Star MC-Print3: Link to purchase on POSGuys.com

• • Ethernet connectivity only
    • Please note that we do not recommend or support the WiFi connectivity as it is complicated to setup and maintain. 
    • You will require a cat5/cat6 ethernet cable to connect this to your network.

Troubleshooting

Inability to Print (Printer is unresponsive, job is in queue, but never prints, etc).

1. Connectivity Issues: One of the most common reasons for a printer not printing is connectivity problems. This can occur if the printer is not properly connected to the computer or network. Check the cables (USB or network) to ensure they are securely plugged in. Also, verify that the printer is turned on and connected to a power source.

2. Print Queue Issues: Print jobs can get stuck in the print queue, preventing new print jobs from being processed. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as a software glitch or a problematic print job (paper jams). Clearing the print queue or restarting the print spooler service can often resolve this issue.

3. Factory Reset: When all else fails, sometimes a simple factory reset does the trick!