# Printer Setup Guide

How to connect receipt and kitchen printers to Tavio POS — written for restaurant owners and staff.

---

## What you need

**Any 80mm ESC/POS thermal printer** on Wi‑Fi/LAN (Epson, XPrinter, Star, Bixolon, HPRT, and most generic 80mm models). Tavio sends standard ESC/POS — not a single brand.

| Setup | What you need |
| --- | --- |
| **Tablet (recommended)** | Tavio **native app** on iPad or Android, printer on **same Wi‑Fi**, printer **IP**, port **9100** |
| **Windows PC at the till** | **Tavio Print Agent** installed on that PC (download from Office → Printers) |
| **USB on Windows** | Print Agent + printer **Windows driver** installed once |

---

## Quick setup — iPad or Android (best for new venues)

1. Plug in printers and connect them to **restaurant Wi‑Fi** (not guest Wi‑Fi).
2. Print a **network test page** from each printer and note the **IP address**.
3. Open the **Tavio app** → **Admin** → **Settings** → **Printers**.
4. **Receipt printer** — Enable → Type: **Network (IP Address)** → enter IP → Port **9100**.
5. **Kitchen printer** — Enable → Type: **Network (IP Address)** → enter IP → Port **9100**.
6. Tap **Check connection** on each printer.
7. Tap **Test receipt print** and **Test kitchen print**.
8. Tap **Save printer settings**.
9. Add a food item on FOH — kitchen ticket should print. Complete a payment — receipt should print.

The tablet talks **directly** to the printer. No Windows PC required.

---

## Windows printing — Tavio Print Agent

For venues running Tavio in a **browser on a Windows till PC**, install **Tavio Print Agent** (small background app). It enables **silent** printing — no popup dialog every ticket.

**Download:** Office → Settings → System → **Printers** → Print Agent card, or `/downloads/TavioPrintAgentSetup.exe`.

After install, the Printers page should show **Print Agent connected** (green).

### Option A — Network / IP on Windows (recommended on PC)

Same as tablet: printer on Wi‑Fi/LAN, you only need the **IP** — **no Windows printer driver** for the network printer.

1. Install **Print Agent** on the till PC.
2. In Printers → Type: **Network (IP Address)** → enter IP → Port **9100**.
3. **Check connection** → **Test print** → **Save**.

Print Agent forwards tickets to `IP:9100` on your LAN.

### Option B — USB on Windows (existing venues)

Printer plugged into the PC with **USB**.

1. Install the printer’s **Windows driver** once (manufacturer ESC/POS driver — printer must appear in Windows Settings → Printers).
2. Install **Tavio Print Agent** on the same PC.
3. In Printers → Type: **Windows Print Agent (USB / silent)**.
4. Use **USB print test** on the Print Agent card.

If USB already worked before Print Agent v1.1, **leave settings as USB** — you do not have to switch to IP.

**Order of setup:** driver first → Print Agent second → test in Tavio.

---

## Same settings on mobile and desktop?

**Yes.** Admin → Settings → **Printers** (mobile) or Settings → System → **Printers** (desktop). One config for the whole venue.

| Device | Network (IP) | USB silent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iPad / Android app | Direct to printer | — |
| Windows browser | Via Print Agent | Via Print Agent + Windows driver |
| Mac browser | Browser print dialog only (fallback) | — |

---

## How LAN (network) printing works

LAN = your **local restaurant Wi‑Fi**. Printing does **not** go through the internet.

```
FOH tablet  ──Wi‑Fi/LAN──▶  Kitchen printer (192.168.x.x:9100)
       │
       └── Kitchen *screen* still syncs via cloud (separate)
```

When you print:

1. Tavio builds a ticket (ESC/POS).
2. The app or Print Agent opens a connection to **IP:9100**.
3. The printer prints and cuts.

---

## What prints where

| Event | Printer | What’s on the ticket |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food parked / added on FOH | **Kitchen** | New kitchen items only |
| Payment completed | **Receipt** | Full customer receipt |
| Kitchen screen → **Print** | **Kitchen** | All kitchen items on that order |
| Void / qty reduction | **Kitchen** (if auto-print on) | Void slip |
| Bar item (not kitchen-flagged) | Nothing to kitchen | — |

---

## Before you go live

- [ ] Printers on same Wi‑Fi as tablets / till PC (not guest Wi‑Fi)
- [ ] Fixed/reserved IP for each **network** printer
- [ ] Print Agent installed on any **Windows** till that prints from the browser
- [ ] USB: Windows driver installed before Print Agent test
- [ ] Receipt and kitchen **test print** successful
- [ ] Live food order test from FOH

---

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Try this |
| --- | --- |
| Nothing prints (tablet) | Printer on? Paper? Same Wi‑Fi? Correct IP? Native **app** (not mobile browser)? |
| Nothing prints (Windows) | Print Agent green? PC awake? USB: driver installed? |
| Check connection fails | Wrong IP, typo, or printer on different network |
| Worked yesterday, not today | Printer got a new IP — reprint network test page |
| Receipt works, kitchen doesn’t | Enable **Kitchen printer** separately in settings |
| Print Agent not detected | Reinstall agent; restart PC; same machine as Tavio browser |

---

## Other printing methods

### Bluetooth

Available on **desktop Chrome/Edge** (and some Android). Pair in system settings, then choose **Bluetooth** in Printers. Prefer **Network** on iPad.

### Browser default (fallback)

Opens a normal print dialog. **Not** for busy service — use Network or Print Agent instead.

---

## Multi-station mode (optional)

Some venues use **one printer per till** (Bar 1, Bar 2, Kitchen pass). Off by default.

1. Admin → Settings → Printers → **One printer per station**
2. Add each station (name + receipt IP; kitchen IP optional)
3. Set **shared fallback** kitchen printer if needed
4. On each tablet: staff login → **?** → **Support Tools** → **This device’s station**

**Single mode (default):** one receipt IP + one kitchen IP for the whole restaurant.

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## Related docs

- [Hardware overview](./index.md)
- [USB fingerprint reader](./fingerprint-reader.md) (optional staff / manager login)
- [Print Agent quick start](../../print-agent/CUSTOMER.md) (installer notes)

**Support:** hello@taviopos.co.za