Star TSP100 / TSP143 Cloud Printing Setup
The TSP100 family is the most common receipt printer at the counter, and most of it cannot use Star's CloudPRNT. This guide gets any TSP100, TSP100II, TSP100III or TSP143 printing from a website, an online ordering system or your own app in about ten minutes.
Which TSP100 models can do cloud printing
Star's own cloud service, CloudPRNT, needs CloudPRNT firmware in the printer. Only the TSP100IV generation has it. Everything earlier is a futurePRNT raster printer that expects a driver on a PC.
| Model | Star CloudPRNT | ReceiptKit |
|---|---|---|
| TSP100 / TSP143 (original futurePRNT) | No | Yes, USB via bridge |
| TSP100II / TSP143II / TSP143IIECO | No | Yes, USB via bridge |
| TSP100III: TSP143IIIU / IIIW / IIILAN / IIIBI | No | Yes, USB or Ethernet / Wi-Fi via bridge |
| TSP100IV / TSP143IV / IV SK | Yes, firmware 2.2+ | Yes, no firmware requirement |
ReceiptKit's bridge speaks Star Raster directly to the printer, so the firmware generation does not matter. Verified on a TSP143ECO over USB and a TSP143IIILAN over Ethernet, with live cover and paper status on both.
How it works
A small free program, the bridge, runs on a Windows PC, a Mac or a Raspberry Pi next to the printer. It keeps a push connection open to ReceiptKit, so when your website or app sends a print request the receipt is on the paper in under a second. Nothing polls, no port is opened on your router, and the printer needs no firmware change. A Raspberry Pi with the printer plugged into it by USB is the most reliable setup for a TSP100 because nothing else on the machine can grab the port.
Setup
- Create a free account at receiptkit.io/sign-up. The free plan includes 500 prints a month.
- Install the bridge. Windows or macOS or a Raspberry Pi image. On Windows no Star driver is needed; the built-in USB printer support is enough. If you previously installed Star's futurePRNT driver, leave it, it does not interfere.
- Connect the printer. USB models: plug into the bridge machine. LAN / Wi-Fi models (TSP143IIILAN, IIIW): same network as the bridge. Power on and wait for the ready light.
- Claim the bridge and pick the printer. The bridge lists what it found; the dashboard's Devices page shows the printer with its cover and paper status. Star Raster mode is selected automatically, so there is nothing to configure on the printer.
- Send a test receipt from Dashboard → Print Receipt. The TSP143 auto-cuts; if a cash drawer is plugged into the printer, choose when it kicks with the drawer option.
- Connect your source. WooCommerce and Orderable stores install the ReceiptKit for WooCommerce plugin and print automatically on new orders. Anything else calls the REST API with a template and the order data.
Common TSP100 problems
- Ethernet model not found: print the self-test sheet (hold Feed while powering on) and check the IP. See Printer Not Found.
- Feeds paper but nothing is printed: the roll is loaded upside down. Thermal paper prints on one side only; flip it so the paper feeds from underneath the roll.
- USB printer found on one PC but not another: another application (a POS app or Star utility) still has the port open. Close it, or move the printer to a Raspberry Pi bridge where nothing competes for it.
- TSP143IIIBI (Bluetooth model): connect it to the bridge machine by its USB port. The bridge does not print over Bluetooth.
Related
- Star CloudPRNT alternative for a fuller comparison.
- Supported printers for the full Star, Epson and ESC/POS matrix.