How to choose a thermal printer for your restaurant

Almost every restaurant bill in India is printed on a thermal printer. There is no ink or ribbon: the printer heats special paper and the text appears. Thermal printers are fast, quiet and cheap to run. But they are not all the same, and the wrong one can slow down your counter. Here is what to check.

1. Paper width: 80 mm or 58 mm

• 80 mm (3 inch) is the standard for restaurants. Bills are easier to read, item names fit on one line, and the UPI QR code prints at a good size.
• 58 mm (2 inch) printers are smaller and cheaper. They suit small counters, sweet shops and juice centres with short item names.

If you are not sure, choose 80 mm. Paper rolls are easy to find for both.

2. How it connects

• USB: the most reliable for a printer next to the counter PC. Nothing to set up on the network.
• LAN / Wi-Fi (network): good for a kitchen printer away from the counter, or when several devices print to the same printer.
• Bluetooth: common with Android phones and tablets. Keep the printer close to the device.

For a PC, check that the printer comes with a Windows driver for Windows 10 or 11. Most billing software, including DeviPOS, prints through the Windows driver, so any printer with a working driver can be used.

3. Auto-cutter

A printer with an auto-cutter cuts the paper after each bill. At a busy counter this saves a lot of tearing and crooked bills. It costs a little more and is worth it for the bill printer. For the kitchen, a tear bar is often fine.

4. Speed and build

Printing speed is shown in mm per second. Anything around 200 mm/s or more is fast enough for a restaurant. More important is build quality: a kitchen printer lives near heat, oil and steam. Pick a sturdy model, keep it away from the stove, and clean the print head now and then.

5. Cash drawer port

Many bill printers have a port to open a cash drawer when a bill is printed. If you plan to use a cash drawer, check that the printer has this port (often marked "DK" or "cash drawer").

6. Paper quality

Cheap thermal paper fades in weeks and can jam. Good paper keeps bills readable for your records and for the customer's claim. Buy rolls of the correct width and core size for your printer.

Do you need a new printer for billing software?

Usually not. If your current thermal printer works with Windows, it will most likely work with your billing software too. Test it first before buying anything. For a kitchen printer, a second basic 80 mm model is usually enough.

Quick checklist

• 80 mm for most restaurants, 58 mm for small counters
• USB for the counter, LAN or Wi-Fi for the kitchen, Bluetooth for a phone or tablet
• Windows 10 / 11 driver available
• Auto-cutter for the bill printer
• Cash drawer port if you use a drawer
• Buy from a dealer near you who can replace it quickly

Printing with DeviPOS

DeviPOS prints bills and KOTs on any thermal printer with a Windows driver, on 80 mm or 58 mm paper. On Android it prints to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi thermal printers. You choose one printer for bills and one for KOTs, and there is a test print button to check the setup. Ask us before buying a printer and we will tell you what works.