# Connecting a Printer
> Source: https://development.fuze-store.com/docs/app/printer/connecting-a-printer

# Connecting a Printer

This guide walks you through adding a thermal printer that connects over your network or through the Fuze Store Hub. Pick the section that matches how your printer connects: **Network (TCP/IP)**, **USB**, or **Serial**.

  Bluetooth printers pair directly with your phone or tablet and don't use the Fuze Store Hub — they have their own guide: [Connecting a Bluetooth Printer](/docs/app/printer/bluetooth-printer).

  **USB**, **Serial**, and **web-browser** printing run through the [Fuze Store Hub](/docs/app/printer/lan-bridge-setup). **Network (TCP/IP)** printers can be reached directly from the mobile app, though the Hub is recommended for speed and reliability.

  You need the **Manage Printer** permission (or be the store owner) to add or
  edit printers.

## Before you start

- Make sure your printer is powered on and has paper.
- Have the printer's manual nearby — you may need details like the MAC address, IP address, or USB vendor ID.
- For network and USB printers, make sure your POS device and the printer are on the same Wi-Fi.

## Connect a Network (TCP/IP) Printer

Network printers stay in one spot and connect over your store's Wi-Fi or Ethernet. They are reliable for high-volume restaurants and retail.

  
    Plug the printer into your network (Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi setup as per the
    printer's manual).
  
  
    Print a network self-test page from the printer to find its **IP address**.
    It looks like `192.168.1.100`.
  
  
    On your POS device, open **Store → Printers** and tap **Add Printer**.
  
  
    Give the printer a name and select **Network (TCP/IP)** as the connection
    type.
  
  
    Enter the printer's **IP address** and **port**. The default port for
    thermal printers is `9100` — only change this if your printer's manual says
    otherwise.
  
  
    Pick your **paper width** (58mm or 80mm) and **encoding** (use UTF-8 unless
    you need Chinese, Japanese, or Korean — see the encoding tip below).
  
  
    Tap **Save**, then **Test Print** from the printer detail page.
  

  The printer must be on the **same network** as your POS device. If your
  store has multiple Wi-Fi networks (e.g., a "guest" and a "staff" network),
  the printer and the POS must be on the same one.

## Connect a USB Printer

USB printers connect to a computer in your store, and that computer relays prints to the rest of your devices. This needs the **LAN Bridge** running on the connected computer first.

  
    Install and start the **LAN Bridge**. Follow the [LAN Bridge Setup
    guide](/docs/app/printer/lan-bridge-setup) before continuing.
  
  
    Plug the USB printer into the LAN Bridge computer.
  
  
    On your POS device, open **Store → Printers** and tap **Add Printer**.
  
  
    Give the printer a name and select **USB** as the connection type.
  
  
    Tap **Discover USB Printers**. Fuze Store asks the LAN Bridge to scan
    for every USB printer plugged into it. A dialog appears with the
    discovered printers, showing each printer's name, Vendor ID (VID), and
    Product ID (PID).
  
  
    Select your printer from the list. The **Vendor ID** and **Product ID**
    fields are filled in automatically. These are hex identifiers that
    uniquely identify your printer model — you don't need to change them.
  
  
    Choose your **paper width** (58mm or 80mm) and tap **Save**.
  
  
    Open the printer's detail page and tap **Test Print** to confirm the
    LAN Bridge can talk to the printer. The test page prints directly
    through the LAN Bridge.
  

  The **Discover USB Printers** button is only active when your device is
  connected to the Fuze Store Hub. If the button is grayed out, open
  **Configurations → Integrations → Fuze Store Hub** and make sure the
  connection is paired and the badge is green.

  If discovery doesn't find your printer, you can type the Vendor ID and
  Product ID manually. These are 4-character hex codes (e.g. `04b8` and
  `0202`) — you can find them in your printer's manual or by running
  `lsusb` (Linux/macOS) or checking Device Manager (Windows).

## Connect a Serial Printer

Serial printers are older or industrial models that connect via RS-232. Like USB, they need the **LAN Bridge** running on the computer they are plugged into.

  Install and start the LAN Bridge on the computer with the serial port.
  
    Connect the serial printer to the computer's serial port (or a USB-to-Serial
    adapter like an FTDI FT232).
  
  
    In Fuze Store, open **Store → Printers** and tap **Add Printer**. Choose
    **Serial** as the connection type.
  
  
    Enter the **device path** (Linux: `/dev/ttyUSB0` or `/dev/ttyS0`,
    Windows: `COM3`) and the **baud rate** (usually `9600` or `19200` — check
    the manual).
  
  
    If your printer prints the first half of a receipt and then stops, or
    shows garbled characters, open **Advanced Serial Settings** and enable
    **Hardware Flow Control (RTS/CTS)**. Industrial kitchen printers almost
    always need this.
  
  Save and run a test print.

  The **Advanced Serial Settings** panel also lets you change **data bits**
  (default 8), **parity** (default none), **stop bits** (default 1), and
  toggle software flow control (XON/XOFF). Most modern thermal printers ship
  with the defaults (8-N-1, no flow control) — only change these if the
  printer manual or the vendor's receipt comes out garbled.

## Encoding tip

The default encoding is **UTF-8**, which works for English, Spanish, French, and most Latin-script languages. If your receipts show garbled or square characters:

| Language | Recommended encoding |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Simplified or Traditional) | `GB18030` or `GBK` |
| Japanese | `Shift_JIS` |
| Korean | `EUC-KR` |
| Older / US-only printers | `CP437` |

You can change the encoding any time on the printer's edit page.

## Naming printers well

Good names make routing rules easy to read later. Try names like:

- "Front Counter Receipt"
- "Kitchen Hot Line"
- "Bar — Drinks"
- "Take-away Labels"

Avoid generic names like "Printer 1" — when you have three printers in a busy kitchen, you'll be glad you used descriptive names.

## What's next

- [Routing Rules](/docs/app/printer/routing-rules) — tell Fuze Store what to print and where.
- [Print Queue & Status](/docs/app/printer/print-queue-and-status) — see what happens when a printer is offline.
- [Troubleshooting](/docs/app/printer/troubleshooting) — fix common issues.

## Related guides

- [Printers Overview](/docs/app/printer/overview)
- [Connecting a Bluetooth Printer](/docs/app/printer/bluetooth-printer)
- [Routing Rules](/docs/app/printer/routing-rules)
- [LAN Bridge Setup](/docs/app/printer/lan-bridge-setup)
- [Troubleshooting](/docs/app/printer/troubleshooting)