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how-to · 5 min read · 2026-04-22

The ESC/POS printer guide for restaurants who don't speak printer

Most restaurants already own a printer that can take Pisteo orders. Here's how to find it, hook it up, and what to do when it sulks.

Thermal printer behind a restaurant pass

If you’ve taken a printed ticket from a kitchen in the last decade, you’ve used ESC/POS. It’s the protocol every thermal receipt printer speaks. The brand on the box might say Epson, Star, Bixolon, or something nobody’s heard of. Under the hood they all talk the same language, which means almost every kitchen printer you already own can take Pisteo orders without you buying anything new.

What you need to know

Three pieces of information:

  • The printer’s IP address. Usually a sticker on the side, or printed on a self-test page (most printers print one if you hold the feed button while powering on).
  • It’s on the same network as your KDS or admin tablet. Wired into the same router. Wi-Fi works but wired is more reliable.
  • The model has a network port (RJ45). Almost all kitchen printers from the last ten years do. USB-only or Bluetooth-only models can’t talk to Pisteo directly.

That’s it. Open Pisteo admin, go to Settings → Kitchen, type the IP, hit Test print. A test ticket comes out. You’re done.

Common things that go wrong

Nothing prints. Nine times out of ten, the printer is on a different subnet. Check that the IP starts with the same first three numbers as your tablet (e.g., both 192.168.1.x). If not, your router has put them on different networks; ask whoever set up your Wi-Fi to put both on the main LAN.

Print is half-cut. Paper alignment. Open the printer, lift the paper roll, drop it back in so the paper feeds from the bottom (you should see the paper end coming out toward the cutter, not from underneath the roll).

Ticket prints but characters are weird. Wrong code page. In Pisteo settings, switch from PC437 to PC850 (Western European). Finnish letters render correctly.

It worked yesterday, now it doesn’t. The printer pulled a new IP from the router. Either give it a static IP via your router’s admin panel (recommended) or write down the new IP and update Pisteo.

Brands that work without fuss

Epson TM-T20, TM-T88, TM-T82. Star TSP100, TSP143. Bixolon SRP-275, SRP-350. Older models from any of these brands work too. If you’re shopping new, the Star TSP143IIIBI runs around €280 and is the easiest single recommendation.

When in doubt

Find your printer’s model number, take a photo of it, and message us. We’ve seen most of them. Try the demo first if you want to see the whole flow before you wire anything up.