A receipt printer is one of the first purchases for a cafe. It is easy to get wrong: narrow paper for the kitchen, Bluetooth where the tablet is far away, or one printer for a venue where the cook and the bartender wait for each other. Here is what to consider.
Paper width: 58 or 80 mm
- 58 mm — compact printers that take less counter space. Fine for takeaway coffee and short receipts.
- 80 mm — wider lines, so receipts and kitchen tickets are easier to read. The better choice for the main register and the kitchen.
Goovii prints on both widths, and the receipt builder shows how the receipt will look on 58 or 80 mm.
Connection: Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi (network) — the printer works on the venue network and does not depend on the distance to the tablet. Good for the kitchen and bar: several registers print to one printer. How to connect — How to connect a Wi-Fi receipt printer.
- Bluetooth — no network or router setup, handy for a mobile POS, food truck or summer terrace. How to connect — How to connect a Bluetooth receipt printer.
How many printers you need
- 1 printer — both the receipt and the kitchen order; enough for a small coffee shop.
- 2–3 printers — register, kitchen and bar separately.
- More — one per kitchen station: dishes print in the kitchen, cocktails at the bar, desserts in the pastry station.
Goovii has no limit on the number of printers. Instead of paper in the kitchen, you can use a kitchen display.
What else to look for
- an auto-cutter, so the cashier does not tear receipts by hand;
- a cash drawer port if you take cash;
- an uninterruptible power supply for the printer and router during blackouts;
- a stock of thermal paper of the right width.
What the receipt looks like
What prints on the receipt and kitchen ticket is set in the receipt builder: your text, a QR code, time and add-ons on the ticket. How to do it — in the article How to customise the receipt.