Point-of-sale printers remain the most popular fulfillment channel for merchants today. TableTab built its software to include direct integration with WiFi, Bluetooth, and ethernet printers already used by merchants, so new hardware does not need to be purchased. This blog post explores how our printer integration works and how TableTab leverages printers to facilitate a streamlined, collaborative operation.

The Basics

Orders via TableTab print tickets to merchants’ existing printers. Tickets will show the customer's name and/or location, whichever works best for the operation. Timestamps and other identifiable attributes are also printed on each ticket.

Whether the TableTab order is placed via our terminal, mobile handheld, or QR code, all orders can be received by one printer or multiple printers, depending on merchants’ preferred workflow. 

Brands like Star, EPSON, Citizen, and off-brand printers all work with TableTab, as long as the printer has Wifi, Bluetooth, or ethernet compatibility. 

(We strongly encourage using ethernet printers, which are the most reliable, especially if merchants have recurring network issues.)

Merchants can set up their printer integrations through their TableTab management dashboard.

Merchant-Specific Printing

For collaborating operations, TableTab orders are split by merchant and sent to each merchant’s printer(s). This process is automatic and straightforward. If a customer orders from two merchants, each merchant will receive a printed ticket for fulfillment.

Item or Menu-Specific Printing

Imagine a merchant that runs a kitchen and a bar. Such a merchant likely has two printers, one in the back-of-house for kitchen staff and another at the bar for bartenders. If a customer orders food and a drink, TableTab has the power to “split” the order by item and send each item to the appropriate printer destination. 

In this example, TableTab splits the order and sends the food item to the kitchen printer and the drink to the bar printer. 

Merchants can also assign entire menus to a specific printer. For example, any item in the drink menu can be directed to the bar printer, any item in the food menu can be directed to the kitchen printer, and any time in the merchandise menu can be directed to a third printer. Printers can be associated with as many items or menus as desired. 

Simpler operations with just one printer can direct all TableTab orders to that printer.

Zone-Specific Printing

Imagine a venue that has a specific “zone” for larger parties. Merchants may want all orders from that zone to get directed to a dedicated printer for improved service. With TableTab, you can assign table numbers or zones to specific printers, so those printers will only print tickets from specific venue areas.

Merchants with much larger operations may have multiple kitchens and bars, and TableTab can ensure each order is directed to the appropriate location for printing.

This is especially useful if leveraging QR codes or mobile handhelds to capture payments because these transactions typically originate from a specific seat or table. Just as the staff is assigned to distinct zones, so are printers, and TableTab maintains alignment to the workflow of any operation.

Automatic vs. Manual Printing

TableTab allows merchants to print tickets automatically or manually when orders are placed. 

- Automatic printing means tickets will print automatically when an order is received.

- Manual printing means tickets will print upon the staff’s acceptance of the received order.

The decision of whether to print tickets automatically or manually is dependent on the merchant. Merchants can always switch their printing strategy in real-time to figure out what works best. 

Conclusion

TableTab’s printer integration is one of the most powerful tools in our collaborative point-of-sale system. Not only can merchants use TableTab with their existing printers - saving money on hardware - but merchants can also fulfill orders traditionally within a collaborative operation. Furthermore, merchants can customize how they want tickets to print to optimize their fulfillment workflow.