How to set up a Star TSP100iii receipt printer on a Mac computer (Wireless)

This article will show you how to install your Star Tsp100iii receipt printer on a Mac computer.

Note: This article is specifically related to the Star TSP100iii wireless model. If you have the wired TSP100 or TSP143 model, click here.

Connecting your printer

1. Connect the power cord to your printer and an electrical outlet.
2. Turn on the printer and wait for the blue Ready light to become solid

Inserting your paper roll

1. To open the printer's lid, push the latch on the right away from you and lift the lid upwards.
2. Inset the paper roll in the orientation below.
3. Pull the paper out past the cutter at the front of the printer.
4. Push the lid down to snap the latch shut.

Connecting your printer to your wireless network

The simplest way to connect your printer to your wireless network is by WPS. If your router supports WPS, it will have a button with this logo .

Note: If your router does not support WPS then you can connect by the AP network mode however this can be quite technical, and we would highly recommend getting a router that has WPS instead.

Connect by WPS

1. On the back of your printer, press and hold the red PAIR button until the blue Ready light in front of the printer starts blinking.
2. On your router, press the WPS button.

Note: Steps 1 and 2 need to be done within 30 seconds of each other.

3. Once the connection between your printer and router is established, the Ready light will be solid and your Network Configuration and Current IP Parameters Status will print automatically.

Note: If a connection is not established after repeating steps 1-3, refer to Star Micronic's FAQ - Cannot connect to network article.

4. Under Current IP Parameters Status, take note of the IP Address. This is your printer's new dynamic IP address.

Connect by AP network mode

Connecting your printer to your computer by the AP network mode involves:

1. Printing your Network Configuration and Current IP Parameters.
2. Setting your wireless LAN settings.

Printing your Network Configuration and Current IP Parameters

1. To turn off your printer, press the power switch on the left.
2. While your printer is off, press and hold the FEED button on the front of your printer.
3. Still holding on to the FEED button, turn on your printer using the same power switch.
4. Once your Network Configuration and Current IP Parameters Status print successfully, release the FEED button.
5. Under Network Configuration take note of the SSID. This is your printer's 'name' on your network.
6. Under Current IP Parameters Status take note of the IP Address. This is your printer's default static IP address.

Setting your wireless LAN settings

1. From your Wi-Fi settings, under Devices, select your printer's name.

2. From your Firefox browser, enter your printer's default static IP address.
3. From the left menu, click Login.
4. In the new Authentication Required window, enter the following:

• User Name: root 
• Password: public
• Click OK.

5. To close the new security window, click Cancel.
6. From the left menu, click WLAN Settings and enter the following:

• SSID: your Wi-Fi network's name.
• Security: WPA2/AES.
• Security Key: your Wi-Fi network's password.
• Click Submit.

7. From the left menu, click the flashing red Save section and select the following:

• Select Save > Configuration printing > Restart device.
• Click Execute.

8. "From the automatic printout, Under Current IP Parameters Status, take note of the IP Address. This is your printer's new dynamic IP address.
9. From your Wi-Fi settings, select your Wi-Fi network's name. 

Installing your printer driver on your computer

1. For MAC OS X 10.9 and later, download the CUPS Driver for macOS from the Star website here.
2. To save your printer driver, click OK.
3. From your browser's Downloads folder, double-click your starcups file to locate it on your computer.
4. Navigate to your Driver folder.
5. Double-click your starcups driver file.
6. From the new Install Star CUPS Driver window, click Continue > Install.
7. From the new window, enter your computer's password and click Install Software.
8. Close the new Star Micronics Firefox browser window.
9. Once back in the Install Star CUPS Driver window, click Close.
10. From the new prompt, click Keep.

Adding your printer to your computer

1. From the top left of your computer screen, click  > System Preferences.
2. In your System Preferences, click Printers & Scanners.
3. From the left Printers section, click +.
4. From the new Add window, enter the following:

• Address: your printer's new dynamic IP Address.
• Protocol: Line Printer Daemon - LPD.
• Name: give your printer a custom name (optional).
• Use: Select Software...

5. From the new Printer Software window, enter star tsp100 in the search field.
6. Select Star TSP100 Cutter and click OK.
7. Once back in the Add window, click Add.
8. From your Printers & Scanners window, in the left Printers section, confirm your printer is listed with a green light.
9. Close the Printers & Scanners window.

Cash Drawer (If you have one connected to the receipt printer)

1. Open Safari and go to http://localhost:631/printers/
2. If there is an error message in your browser then you will need to enable CUPS support.
3. To do this open a Terminal window (a.k.a Bash Shell). (Run a search for "Terminal" if you can't find it)
4. If you cannot find the Terminal then Press CMD + Space to open Spotlight search, and type "Terminal" and hit return.
5. Once the terminal is open and running type: "cupsctl WebInterface=yes" (without the quotes) and press Enter.
6. This will now enable a web interface to the printer settings. Go back to your browser and type http://localhost:631/printers/ again.
7. Select your printer model
8. Select from the drop-down menu Set Default Options.
9. Select Cash Drawer Control, choose Open Drawer 1 and click Set Default Options.

Change the Terminal Settings in Phorest

Go to Manager > Settings > Point Of Sale > Device

Under Receipt Printer Configuration make sure you select Driver next to Attached and choose the Star Tsp 100 driver.

Ensure that the Purchase Receipt Mode is setup also:

It is best to have Receipt Print Optional enabled so that you will be prompted with a Print Receipt button at check-out. This saves paper by avoiding paper from being printed if the client does not want a receipt. 

Once these settings have been set click Save on the bottom right of the screen and Restart Phorest

To make sure the printer and cash drawer are working correctly do the following:

1. Go to Manager > Sales. Select a transaction from any time. Then click on Receipt, then Print. This should print a copy of the receipt on the Star TSP 100.

Formatting your Firefox browser settings

Formatting your Firefox browser settings involves configuring the:

1. about:config settings
2. Page setup
3. Printer settings preset and cash drawer settings

about:config settings

1. Open your Firefox browser.
2. In the address bar, enter about:config
3. Click the I accept the risk! button.
4. In the Search bar, enter margin
5. From the Preference Names below, double-click their Value columns > enter 0 > click OK.

• print.print_margin_bottom
• print.print_margin_left
• print.print_margin_right
• print.print_margin_top
• print.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom
• print.print_unwriteable_margin_left
• print.print_unwriteable_margin_right
• print.print_unwriteable_margin_top

6. In the Search bar, enter header
7. From the Preference Names below, double-click their Value columns > delete the values > click OK:

• print.print_headerleft
• print.print_headerright

8. In the Search bar, enter footer
9. From the Preference Names below, double-click their Value columns > delete the values > click OK:

• print.print_footerleft
• print.print_footerright

10. In the Search bar, enter print_printer
11. From the Preference Name print_printer, right click its Value column > click Reset.

12. From the Search bar, enter print.save_print_settings
13. From the Preference Name print.save_print_settings, double-click its Value column if it is not set to true already.
14. Close the about:config Firefox tab.

Page setup

1. Open your Firefox browser.
2. Click File > Page Setup and select the below options:

• Format For: select your Star TSP100III printer.
• Paper Size: select Manage Custom Size...

From the new window, click the + button and enter the below:

• Untitled: click and rename receipt.
• Page Size: enter 2.83 in the width field and 78.72 in the height field.
• Non-Printable Area: enter 0 in the top, right, bottom, and left fields.

Click OK > OK. 

Printer settings preset and cash drawer settings

1. From the main menu of your Retail account, click Reports > Totals.
2. From the ID column, click a blue Transaction ID.
3. Click the grey Print Receipt button.

4. From the print prompt window, double-check the settings below:

• Printer: Star TSP100III printer selected in your Page Setup.
• Paper Size: receipt size selected in your Page Setup.
• Page Headers: Left, Center, and Right fields set to blank.
• Page Footers: Left, Center, and Right fields set to blank.

5. If you want your cash drawer to open when you print a receipt, from the Firefox dropdown, select Printer Features. If you do not, skip to Step 10.
6. From the Feature Sets drop-down, select Cut Options.
7. From the 1. Page Cut Type drop-down, select Partial.
8. From the Feature Sets drop-down, select Cash Drawer Control.
9. From the 1. Cash Drawer: dropdown, select Open Drawers 1 and 2.
10. From the Presets dropdown, select Save Current Settings as Preset...
11. From the new window in the Preset Name field, enter a name for your preset.
12. Click OK>Print. You should have a successful receipt and your computer should be set up for wireless receipt printing.