Complete Guide: Connecting a Thermal Printer to Meezi

One of the first questions cafe owners ask when setting up Meezi is: "Can I connect my existing printer?" Short answer: Yes — as long as it's ESC/POS and supports WiFi or LAN.

This guide walks you through connecting your printer, customizing customer receipts and kitchen slips, and using every printing feature Meezi offers.

Supported Printers

Meezi works with any thermal printer that supports the ESC/POS protocol and network connectivity (WiFi or LAN). Most common models:

| Model | Width | Connection | |-------|-------|-----------| | Epson TM-T88VI/VII | 80mm | WiFi / LAN | | Epson TM-T20III | 80mm | WiFi / LAN | | XPrinter XP-58IIH | 58mm | WiFi | | XPrinter XP-80C | 80mm | WiFi / LAN | | Bixolon SRP-350plusV | 80mm | LAN | | Star TSP143IV | 80mm | LAN / CloudPRNT | | Any ESC/POS on port 9100 | 58 / 80mm | WiFi / LAN |

Step 1: Find the printer's IP address

Method 1 — Self-test page: On most printers, holding the Feed button while powering on (or pressing it for 5 seconds) prints a self-test page showing the IP, Subnet, and Gateway.

Method 2 — Printer's WiFi settings panel: Some models (like Epson TM-T88VII) broadcast a temporary access point. Open http://192.168.192.168 in a browser and configure your cafe's WiFi.

Method 3 — Manufacturer software: Use EpsonNet Setup for Epson, or XPrinter Config Tool for XPrinter.

Important: The printer must be connected to the same WiFi network as the device running the Meezi dashboard.

Step 2: Enter the IP in Meezi dashboard

Log into your Meezi dashboard
Click Settings in the sidebar
Open the Printer section
Under Receipt Printer, enter the IP and port:

IP:    192.168.1.105   (your printer's actual IP)
Port:  9100             (default for most ESC/POS)

If you have a separate kitchen printer, repeat for Kitchen Printer.

Step 3: Test print

Click Test Receipt Print or Test Kitchen Print.

✅ If a test page with the Meezi logo prints — you're connected.

❌ If nothing prints:

Verify the IP is correct
Check that the printer and dashboard device are on the same network
Try port 9100 (some models use 6101)
Temporarily disable Windows/Mac firewall and try again

Step 4: Customize your receipts

In the printer settings page you can configure:

Customer receipt:

Paper width — 58mm or 80mm
Header — cafe name, address, phone number
Footer — thank you message, opening hours
WiFi password — SSID and password printed as a QR code
Auto-cut — on/off

Kitchen slip:

Separate IP for the kitchen printer
Larger font for better kitchen readability
No prices (items and quantities only)
Per-item notes (e.g. "less sugar", "no onion")

All Printing Features

🖨️ Auto-print on order

The moment an order is submitted — via QR menu or the POS — the kitchen slip automatically prints. No waiter action required.

🍳 Kitchen station printer

For larger cafes and restaurants with multiple stations:

Cold station (bar): cold drinks, desserts
Hot station (grill): hot food items
Each station has its own IP and only receives its relevant items

🧾 Bill splitting

When guests want to pay separately:

Split the bill between 2 or more guests
Each portion prints as a separate receipt
Each portion has its own payment method (cash/card)

📊 End-of-shift report

When a cashier shift is closed, a summary receipt prints automatically:

Total cash sales
Total card sales
Total number of orders
Total void (cancelled item) amount

📱 Reprint from waiter app

Lost a receipt? Customer needs a copy?

Waiter opens the Meezi mobile app
Finds the order
Taps "Reprint"

❌ Void slip

When an item is voided, a dedicated slip prints to the kitchen telling the chef not to prepare that item.

FAQ

Q: Does USB printing work? Yes, but it requires the printer driver to be installed on the device running the dashboard. We recommend a network printer (WiFi/LAN) which works from any device.

Q: Can I have two different printers — one for customer receipts and one for the kitchen? Yes. Meezi supports one receipt printer + one kitchen printer, each with a separate IP address.

Q: Can I print my cafe logo on the receipt? Logo printing on thermal printers requires bitmap memory stored in the printer. This is possible on Epson TM-T88VI and later models via EpsonNet Config.

Q: What happens if the power goes out and the printer disconnects? Once the connection is restored, Meezi automatically reconnects. Any orders that were placed during the outage can be reprinted using the "Reprint" button.

Have more questions? Open a support ticket from the dashboard — our team responds within 24 hours.