Add a kitchen printer

Every restaurant that uses the Toast platform has at least one kitchen printer.

  • In a restaurant that primarily uses kitchen printers, there are usually at least two printers. Each printer acts as the backup for the other.

  • In a restaurant that primarily uses KDS devices, you add a kitchen printer to act as the backup when the system is in offline mode. For more information about KDS devices in offline mode, see KDS devices.

  • You can route items that do not require tickets for fulfillment to a "no print" prep station that does not have an associated printer.

  • In a restaurant that adds labels to items for off-premise dining, you can add an Epson L90 or TLP400 printer to print item labels.

Before you add a printer to the system, you must know the printer's IP address. Each printer shipped by the Toast configuration center is labeled with its configured IP address. IP addresses are formatted as a series of four numbers separated by periods, such as 192.168.1.171.

There are two methods to adding a new kitchen printer to your kitchen setup: through Toast Web or your Toast POS device. Toast support recommends adding kitchen printers through your Toast POS device to follow the setup workflow.

Important

To add a kitchen printer, you must have the Web Setup > 6.10 Printer and Cash Drawer Setup access permission.

Repeat these steps to add other kitchen printers, or to update the information for a printer by adding its backup printer. After you set up your printers, you can assign them to your prep stations.

To add a printer on the Toast POS app

  1. Navigate to the Toast POS app home screen.

  2. In the Setup section, select Printer Setup.

    Note

    If this is the first printer added to your restaurant, move to step 5.

  3. Select + Add or replace printer.

  4. Select Install a new printer and then Continue.

  5. Select Wired or Wireless depending on your printer model.

  6. Follow the workflow on the Toast POS app to find your printer.

  7. Once found, select the printer model and then Continue.

  8. Select the primary function for the printer. For kitchen printers, this is typically Kitchen Tickets, Both (Guest Receipts and Kitchen Tickets), or Item Labels.

    Note

    This step is skipped if you are using a TLP400 printer. TLP400 uses Item Labels automatically.

  9. If you selected Item Labels as the primary function for the printer, or use a TLP400 printer:

    Note

    The following steps are available only to Epson L90 and TLP400 printers.

    1. Select the label size you want to use. The options are:

      • Small - Vertical : A 1.5 by 3 inch ticket. This label is printed sideways to optimize paper usage.

      • Small - Horizontal : A 3 by 1.5 inch ticket.

      • Medium - Horizontal : A 3 by 2 inch ticket.

      • Large - Square : A 3 by 3 inch ticket.

      Small and medium-sized tickets do not include custom logos or footers and summarize the number of modifiers not visible on the ticket (for example, "+2 modifiers").

      For the Epson L90 printer, small vertical, small horizontal, and medium horizontal label sizes must use existing 76-80mm label printer paper.

      For the TLP400 printer, small vertical and small horizontal label sizes must use 3 inch by 1.5 inch label printer paper, and medium horizontal label sizes must use 3 inch by 2 inch label printer paper.

    2. Select either the guest name or ticket number to be displayed prominently at the top of the label and then Continue.

      Note

      This configuration is only available for small and medium item label sizes.

  10. Select the prep stations that will use the printer and then Continue.

  11. Print a test ticket and continue the printer setup workflow.

  12. Return to the Printer Setup screen, select the printer you added.

  13. Select Printer Name, update the printer name, and select Save Changes. As a best practices, use the following naming convention for kitchen printers:

    • Prep station name

    • KP

    • (Last number in the IP address)

    For example, "Cold Station KP (171)" or "Backup KP (170)".

  14. Select Backup Printer, choose a backup printer, and select Save Changes. If printing fails at this printer, the system redirects tickets to the backup printer.

To add a printer on Toast Web

  1. Access Toast Web .

  2. Choose Payments > Checks & receipt setup > Printers and cash drawers.

  3. Click the + Add button and then enter an identifying name for the kitchen printer. As a best practice, use the following naming convention for kitchen printers.

    • Prep station name

    • KP

    • (Last number in the IP address)

    For example, "Cold Station KP (171)" or "Backup KP (170)".

  4. Specify the printer's model. For example, Epson U220.

    Note

    The configuration options are specific to the printer model.

  5. Enter the printer's IP address.

  6. Depending on the printer make and model you may also have the following configurations:

    Note

    Label configurations are only available for item label printers Epson L90 and TLP400.

    • Ticket Type : Configures the type of ticket that the printer is printing, either Kitchen ticket or Item label.

    • Label Size : Configures the size of the ticket for Item label ticket types. The ticket size options are:

      • Small Vertical : A 1.5 by 3 inch ticket. This label is printed sideways to optimize paper usage.

      • Small Horizontal : A 3 by 1.5 inch ticket.

      • Medium Horizontal : A 3 by 2 inch ticket.

      • Large Square : A 3 by 3 inch ticket.

      Small and medium-sized tickets do not include custom logos or footers and summarize the number of modifiers not visible on the ticket (for example, "+2 modifiers").

      For the Epson L90 printer, small vertical, small horizontal, and medium horizontal label sizes must use existing 76-80mm label printer paper.

      For the TLP400 printer, small vertical and small horizontal label sizes must use 3 inch by 1.5 inch label printer paper, and medium horizontal label sizes must use 3 inch by 2 inch label printer paper.

    • Label Format : Places either the Guest Name or Ticket Number at the top of the ticket. This is only available for small and medium item label sizes.

    • Custom footer : Adds a custom footer to the end of the printed ticket.

  7. Set the Kitchen Ticket Font Size.

    The Customer Receipt Font Size does not apply to kitchen-only printers and can be left at the default setting.

  8. Verify that the paper width is set to Wide.

    The Narrow setting applies only to legacy printer models that Toast no longer supplies.

    Important

    Item labels only use the Wide paper width.

  9. To print kitchen tickets in English, set the Character Set to Western.

    Currently, the only other character set that Toast supports is Chinese, for Toast TLP400, Epson U220 - Chinese, and Epson L90 printers. Note that if you use a Chinese printer, you must translate and enter all menu names and kitchen names into Chinese characters.

  10. After you identify at least one printer, you can specify another printer as its Backup. If printing fails at this printer, the system redirects tickets to the backup.

  11. Verify that the Cash Drawer option is set correctly. Typically, you set prep stations other than bar stations to No Cash Drawer.

  12. Save and publish your changes.