Set up a USB or Bluetooth printer (print station)

USB, Bluetooth and serial printers print from the Print station: a page in AirQR that you keep open in Chrome or Edge on the computer or Android tablet the printer is connected to. There is nothing to install. The same page also drives Print dialog printers, which work with any printer the device can print to. Printing is included from the Starter plan up.

Which connection prints automatically?

Pressing Print bill (or sending a KOT) should print by itself, with no print window and no bill page opening. These choices in the Add printer wizard carry an Automatic badge:

• Installed on this computer (recommended for a printer plugged into a Mac or Windows PC, or already in the computer's printer list). The AirQR Printer Helper (the "print bridge") prints silently with the printer's own driver. It works for receipt printers and for ordinary inkjet or laser printers: set Paper type to Regular paper (A4/Letter) and the bill is printed as plain text.
• USB cable to this computer and Bluetooth, straight from Chrome or Edge on that device (this article).
• Wi-Fi or network cable, through the AirQR Printer Helper.

The last choice, Print window (not automatic), shows a print window every time. Use it only if nothing else works.

If no printer is set up, or none can be reached, Print bill shows "No printer is connected. Set one up in Settings → Printing" with a Set up printer button and an Open bill button. If the printer's computer is switched off or offline you see "Sent — waiting for (computer) to come online", and the bill prints when it is back. The small Open printable bill icon next to Print bill still opens the bill on screen if you want it.

Which devices and browsers can use USB or Bluetooth printers?

Chrome and Edge can talk to printers directly; other browsers can't.

Not supported: iPhone, iPad, Safari and Firefox can't connect to USB, Bluetooth or serial printers. On an iPad, use a LAN / Wi-Fi printer through the AirQR Printer Helper (see Set up a LAN / Wi-Fi printer and the AirQR Printer Helper) or the Print dialog connection.

USB printers on a Mac: Chrome needs the printer to itself. If the wizard says "The browser can't open this printer", quit other printing or POS apps, unplug the printer and plug it back in, then press Find printer again. If the printer is already added in System Settings → Printers & Scanners, macOS is holding it, and the simplest fix is Use it through the Printer Helper (automatic): the wizard offers it as the main button when USB fails. It prints with the Mac's own driver.

Bluetooth on a Mac: if the wizard says the browser isn't allowed to use Bluetooth, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Bluetooth, turn on Google Chrome, then quit and reopen Chrome. If your printer never appears in the list, it is probably a classic Bluetooth printer, which browsers can't see: pair it in the Mac's Bluetooth settings and use Serial / COM port, or use Installed on this computer with the AirQR Printer Helper.

USB printers on Windows: Windows gives a USB receipt printer to the maker's driver, so Chrome usually can't open it. The recommended fix is to add it as a Computer printer and use the AirQR Printer Helper on that PC (see the LAN / bridge article). Mac, Linux, ChromeOS and Android need no drivers.

USB, Bluetooth and serial printing only work when AirQR is opened on its secure https:// address. If the page says "This page needs HTTPS", open AirQR through its normal https link.

How do I add a USB or Bluetooth printer?

An owner or manager adds the printer with the Add printer wizard. Do it on the computer or tablet the printer is plugged into (or near, for Bluetooth), in Chrome or Edge, because the browser has to find the printer itself.

1. Go to Settings → Printing & screens and press Add printer. (You can also press Add printer in Settings → Devices.)
2. Step 1, How is your printer connected? Choose USB cable to this computer or Bluetooth. A serial or COM-port printer is under More options. Not sure? Open Not sure? for a quick way to tell.
3. Step 2, Connect your printer. Press Find printer and pick your printer in the list the browser shows. If a USB printer isn't listed, tick My printer isn't in the list: show all USB devices and try again. For Bluetooth, switch the printer on and keep it close; on Android turn on Bluetooth and Location, don't pair it in Android settings first, and unpair it from other phones. For a serial printer, choose the speed (9600 for most).
4. Step 3, What should it print? Check the Name, choose Kitchen tickets (KOT) and/or Bills and receipts, pick the kitchen stations for KOTs, set the Paper width (80 mm for most counter printers, 58 mm for small handhelds), and turn on Open the cash drawer only if a drawer is plugged into this printer.
5. Press Save and print test page. AirQR registers this browser as the print station for you, links the printer to it, and prints the test page right away.

You never choose a "Printed by" station: it is set automatically to this browser. If the browser can't do USB or Bluetooth (Safari, Firefox, iPhone and iPad), the wizard says so and offers Printer already installed on a computer instead, which uses the AirQR Printer Helper.

Windows and USB: Windows gives USB printers to their own driver, so Chrome may say it can't open the printer ("access denied"). Either install the WinUSB driver with the free Zadig tool, or keep the Windows driver and choose Printer already installed on a computer in the wizard. That is usually the easier choice.

When the test page is done the wizard reminds you to keep the Print station tab open while the restaurant is open; that tab is what prints your KOTs and bills.

How do I connect the printer on the print station?

Do this on the device the printer is plugged into (or near, for Bluetooth):

1. Open Print station in the sidebar (under Service) in Chrome or Edge. You can also use Open print station in Settings → Printing & screens.
2. The page registers this browser as a print station automatically, named after the browser and device (for example "Chrome on Windows"). You can rename it later in Settings → Devices.
3. Under Printers on this station, find your printer and press:
   • Connect USB for a USB printer, then choose it in the browser's list. If it isn't listed, press Printer not listed? to show every USB device.
   • Connect Bluetooth for a Bluetooth printer. Switch the printer on first. On Android, turn on Bluetooth and Location. Don't pair it in Android settings first, and unpair it from other phones.
   • Connect port for a serial printer. First choose the Baud rate (9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 or 115200; most printers use 9600), then pick the COM port.
4. The card turns green and shows "Connected · (device name)".
5. Press Test print. A test page with a ruler and QR code prints.

When a manager connects a printer on this tab, the printer is assigned to this station. If the printer was used by another station, the card says "Printed by (station) (online/offline)"; a manager can press connect here to move it. Other staff see "Ask a manager to move it here."

Do I have to reconnect after a reload?

Usually not. The browser remembers the printer you picked. After a page reload, a replug, or the printer being switched off and on, the print station reconnects by itself (it checks every few seconds). If it can't, the card shows "Disconnected — reconnecting…" or an error, and a Reconnect button. Press it and pick the printer again.

Disconnect stops using the printer on this tab and forgets it.

While a printer isn't connected, its card says "Not connected — jobs wait in the queue until you connect it." Nothing is lost: prints wait and come out once you connect (as long as they are less than 30 minutes old; older ones show as Missed in Recent prints).

How do I keep the print station running during service?

The print station only prints while its tab is open. The status panel at the top tells you what's happening:

• Printing automatically (green): all good. It also shows "(n) of (n) printers ready" and when it last checked.
• Paused (amber): someone pressed Pause. Press Resume. Prints wait in the queue meanwhile.
• Can't reach AirQR (red): the internet is down. It keeps retrying by itself.
• Starting… or Not connected: the page is still registering, or couldn't register (check you're signed in).

Rules for a reliable station:

1. Keep the tab open and in front. On tablets, don't switch to other apps for long.
2. The page keeps the screen awake while it's in front ("Screen wake lock is on."). If your browser doesn't support that, set the device's screen timeout to "never".
3. Use Full screen so nobody closes the tab by accident.
4. Keep the device on the charger.

The Activity panel lists every print this session with a tick or cross. A failed print has a Print again button.

How does the Print dialog connection work?

Print dialog works with any printer the computer can print to, including A4 printers and receipt printers with only a Windows driver. It's also the only way to print Hindi or other regional scripts on paper. The print station opens the browser's print window for each job.

To print without the dialog popping up every time:

1. Make your receipt printer the computer's default printer.
2. Start Chrome with the --kiosk-printing option. On Windows, create a Chrome shortcut and add --kiosk-printing after chrome.exe in the shortcut's target, then open AirQR's Print station in that window.

Print dialog is the least automatic option: if the dialog is left open, the station gives up after about two minutes and the job is tried again.

Without any printer set up, the kitchen display itself can print each new ticket through the print dialog. Turn on Print tickets from the kitchen display (opens a print window) in Settings → Printing & screens. This switches off once you add a KOT printer.

Common questions about the print station

Does it print when the POS is offline? Yes. If the POS on the same device is working offline, a print station tab open on that device prints its KOTs and bills to the USB, Bluetooth or serial printers connected there. See Offline POS.

Can one tab drive several printers? Yes. Connect each one on its card. For example, one counter PC can drive a USB bill printer and a serial kitchen printer.

Can waiters use a Bluetooth handheld? Yes, from Chrome on their Android phone: open Print station on that phone and connect the printer with Connect Bluetooth.

"Bluetooth: no print service"? The printer is classic Bluetooth only. Pair it to a Windows PC, note its COM port, and use Serial / COM at 9600 baud. More fixes in Printer troubleshooting.