Hardware and devices
Receipt and kitchen printers without a vendor lock
Connect common thermal printers by Bluetooth, network or USB, and set what each one prints.
Updated
What you get
Common connections
Bluetooth, network (IP address, port 9100) and USB on Android, and USB or serial printers from Chrome and Edge in the browser.
No vendor SDK
Printers receive standard ESC/POS commands directly, or a job is handed to a free printer app you install.
Each printer has a job
Set a printer to receipts, kitchen tickets or both, with paper width, cutter and cash drawer settings.
Automatic receipts
Print receipts the moment a bill is paid, and choose one copy or two.
Companion apps and the system dialog
For printers that need it, use RawBT, Star PassPRNT, or the device's own print dialog such as AirPrint.
What it does
Printing is the dull part of a restaurant system until it fails. DineHarbor prints receipts and kitchen tickets on standard thermal printers and tries to avoid ties to one vendor. It writes standard printer commands straight to the printer, with no printer maker's software in between, or it hands the job to a free companion app.
How it works
- In the POS app, open Printers and add one.
- Choose how it connects: Bluetooth, a network address with port 9100, or USB, depending on your device.
- Say what it prints: receipts, kitchen tickets or both, on 58 or 80 millimetre paper.
- Switch on the cutter and the cash drawer if the printer has them, and choose whether to print receipts automatically when a bill is paid, and whether to print two copies.
- Print a test, then send an order.
What connects to what
On Android, Bluetooth printers paired in the device settings work, including Sunmi's built-in printer. Network printers work on Android and iOS, and the first time on iOS the device asks for local network access. USB works on Android and in Chrome or Edge on a computer. A Bluetooth or USB serial printer can also be reached from Chrome or Edge on a computer. For anything else, RawBT on Android, Star PassPRNT for Star printers, or the device's print dialog, including AirPrint, still print the job.
Know the limits
There is no certified printer list, so test a printer before opening day. iOS gives apps no Bluetooth Classic or USB printers, so an iPad should use the network, Star PassPRNT or AirPrint. Plan a backup, such as a second printer, because a printer jam is a real risk at peak.
What it replaces
It replaces a printer locked to one vendor's software. Combine it with the kitchen display if you want a screen and a paper backup, and read our printer setup guide.
Watch the video guide
Questions and answers
Which printers work?
Standard thermal printers that accept ESC/POS commands, plus printers reached through RawBT, Star PassPRNT or the system print dialog. DineHarbor does not publish a certified list.
Can an iPad print?
Over the network (port 9100), through Star PassPRNT or through AirPrint. iOS does not give apps Bluetooth Classic or USB printers.
Can the printer open the cash drawer?
Yes, when the drawer is plugged into the printer's drawer port, you can open it with cash payments.
Do I still need a printer if I have a kitchen screen?
Many kitchens keep one as a backup. Printer failover can send tickets to another printer if one stops.
Related features
- Kitchen Display System for RestaurantsEvery order from the till, website, waiter and kiosk shows on the kitchen screen with timers, stations, holds and a recall list for tickets bumped by mistake.
- Restaurant POS SystemA fast till for restaurants on tablets: search first ordering, card payments, split bills, shifts and cash up, linked to your kitchen and online orders.
- Restaurant POS That Keeps Working OfflineOrders on the till, waiter and kitchen apps are saved on the device first and sent when the connection returns. Card payments still need a connection.
- Card Reader for Restaurants With StripeTake card payments at the till with a Stripe smart reader linked to your own Stripe account. The till sends the amount and the payment records itself.
For your kind of business
- Takeaway and Fast Food POSSelf-order kiosks, a voice drive-through lane, kitchen screens and your own online ordering for takeaways and fast food, with collection and delivery.
- Pizza Shop POS and Online OrderingSizes, toppings, half and half pizzas and deals, your own delivery zones and drivers, and a kitchen screen, with no commission on the orders you take.
Comparisons
Read more
- Set Up Restaurant Kitchen and Receipt PrintersSet up Bluetooth, network and USB restaurant printers, route kitchen tickets, prepare failover, format receipts and test the cash drawer before service.
- Do You Need a Kitchen Display System?Learn how a restaurant kitchen display routes tickets, manages stations, holds and recall, when printers still make sense and how to set up a safe pilot.