Vibe prints through your Mac's normal print window, so any printer your Mac can see, Vibe can print to. This guide covers which printers to buy, the three ways to connect one, and how to fix it when it will not print.
Time needed: about 15 minutes for most setups.
Pick your connection first
Your printer can connect three ways. Choose one before you start, because it decides which cable you need.
Choose | When | Trade off |
Ethernet | Your router or a network socket is within cable reach of the counter. | None. Fastest to set up, most reliable, and every device in the store can print to it. |
WiFi | The counter is nowhere near the router. | A few extra setup steps. Every device in the store can still print to it. |
USB | There is no usable network, or you want the simplest possible setup. | Only the Mac it is plugged into can print. |
Check your cable before you start. The cable in the printer box has a small oval connector on one end and a wide rectangular one on the other. Most Macs sold in the last few years only accept the small connector. If yours does, you need a USB-C to USB-C cable, meaning the small connector on both ends. Any recent phone charging cable will work.
Which printers work with Vibe
We recommend the Star Micronics TSP143 range. These are the models our team supports.
Model | Connects by | Our take |
Star TSP143IVUW | Ethernet, WiFi, USB-C | Best choice. Covers every setup, so you are never stuck. |
Star TSP143IVUE | Ethernet, USB-C | Great if your counter has a network socket. |
Star TSP143IIILAN | Ethernet | Previous model, still excellent. Keep it if you have one. |
Star TSP143IIIU | USB | Works well. Newer Macs need a USB-C cable. |
Star TSP143IIIW | WiFi | Works well once joined to your store network. |
Star TSP143IIIBi | Bluetooth only | Built for iPads. Hard to set up on a Mac, so we do not recommend it. |
Using something else? Start a chat with us and we will tell you whether it will work.
What you need
A roll of 80mm thermal paper
The power cord from the printer box
An Ethernet cable, or a USB-C to USB-C cable, depending on the option you chose
Your Mac password, for installing the printer software
Step 1: Load the paper
Same for every connection type.
Open the top lid of the printer.
Drop the roll in so the paper feeds from the bottom of the roll toward you.
Pull a few inches of paper out, then close the lid over it until it clicks.
Plug in the power cord and switch the printer on.
You should see: a steady light on the front and nothing flashing red. If a light is flashing, the lid is not fully closed or the roll is in the wrong way round.
What the lights mean
Light | Meaning |
Steady blue | Power is on. Normal. |
Steady green | Connected to your network. Normal. |
Flashing green | Still looking for a network. Wait 30 seconds. If it keeps flashing, see the fixes below. |
Flashing red | Lid open, out of paper, or paper loaded backwards. |
Step 2: Connect the printer
Follow the one option you picked above, then continue to step 3.
Option A: Ethernet
Plug an Ethernet cable from the printer into any free port on your router.
Wait 30 seconds, then print the settings slip. Switch the printer off, hold down the FEED button on the front, switch it back on while still holding, and keep holding for a full ten seconds before letting go.
A slip prints. Find the line that says IP Address and write the numbers down. It will look like 192.168.1.47.
On your Mac, open Safari, type those numbers into the address bar, and press enter. A printer settings page should load. This confirms your Mac can see the printer.
Install the printer software. Go to starmicronics.com, open Support, search your printer model, and download the Mac driver. Run it to the end, then restart your Mac.
Open the Apple menu, then System Settings, then Printers and Scanners, and click Add Printer. Your printer often appears on its own in the first tab. Select it and click Add.
If it does not appear, click the globe icon tab and enter: Address, the numbers from your slip. Protocol, Line Printer Daemon (LPD). Leave Queue blank. Under Use, choose Select Software and search TSP. Click Add.
Select the printer in the list and print a test page.
You should see: a test page prints and the printer cuts it automatically.
Option B: WiFi
Download the printer software first. Your Mac loses internet briefly during this setup.
Print the settings slip. Switch the printer off, hold down FEED, switch it on while still holding, and keep holding for ten seconds.
The slip shows the address 192.168.10.1 and a network name starting with TSP. That is the printer's own temporary setup network.
On your Mac, click the WiFi icon in the top menu bar and join the network starting with TSP. Any password needed is printed on the slip.
Open Safari and go to 192.168.10.1. The printer settings page loads.
Find the wireless settings, enter your store's WiFi name and password, and save.
Reconnect your Mac to your store's normal WiFi. Switch the printer off and on, wait 30 seconds, then print a fresh settings slip.
The new slip shows a different IP address. Write it down, then follow Option A from step 4 using this new address.
Option C: USB
Plug a USB-C cable into the small oval USB-C port on the printer. The wider port beside it only charges tablets and will not print.
Plug the other end into your Mac.
Install the printer software from starmicronics.com as in Option A step 5, then restart your Mac.
Open the Apple menu, then System Settings, then Printers and Scanners, and click Add Printer. The printer appears in the first tab. Select it and click Add.
Print a test page.
Step 3: Set it up in Vibe
Do this once and your Mac remembers it.
Open Vibe and run a test sale.
When the print window opens, select your Star printer.
Set paper size to the 72mm receipt option, scale to 100%, and margins to none.
Save these as a preset and name it Receipt.
If you have a cash drawer, plug its cable into the port marked DK on the back of the printer, then run one more test sale to check it opens.
One thing that prevents most future problems. Ask whoever looks after your internet to give the printer a fixed address, sometimes called a static IP or a DHCP reservation. Without it, printing can stop for no obvious reason after a power cut. Start a chat with us and we will walk you or your IT person through it.
Fixes for common problems
The settings slip will not print
FEED was almost certainly released too soon. Switch the printer off, press FEED and hold it down firmly, switch the power on with your other hand while still holding, and count slowly to ten before letting go. If a light is flashing red, close the lid properly and check the paper roll is the right way round.
The slip shows 0.0.0.0 instead of an address
The printer is not reaching your router. Unplug the Ethernet cable and push it firmly back in at both ends until it clicks, check the small lights at the printer's network port are lit, then switch the printer off and on, wait 30 seconds, and print the slip again.
The slip shows 192.168.10.1
That is the printer's own setup address, which means it has not joined your network. Either sort out the Ethernet cable and try again, or use Option B to set it up over WiFi.
The settings page will not open in Safari
Your Mac and printer are on different networks. This usually means the Mac is on a guest WiFi network. Switch the Mac to your main store network and try again.
There is no Star option when adding the printer
The printer software did not finish installing, and your Mac may have blocked it without saying so. Open System Settings, go to Privacy and Security, scroll to the bottom, and click Open Anyway if you see a message about blocked software. Run the installer again, restart your Mac, then try adding the printer once more. When searching for the software, type TSP rather than Star.
Receipts print but come out too small or cut off
This is a setting in the print window, not a printer fault. Set paper size to the 72mm receipt option, scale to 100%, and margins to none, then save it as a preset so it sticks.
It worked for weeks and then stopped
Your router has most likely given the printer a new address. Print a fresh settings slip to get the current one, then add the printer again using it. Setting a fixed address, as described above, stops this happening again.
Nothing prints and there is no error
Check the printer is on and has paper, then check the right printer is selected in the print window. If more than one printer is saved on the Mac, an old one may be selected by default.
Looking after your printer
Paper: standard 80mm thermal rolls, available from any office supplier. Keep two spares behind the counter.
Faded receipts: almost always the paper, not the printer. Try a fresh roll first.
Cleaning: wipe the print head with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol every few months if print quality drops.
Moving the printer: if you move it to a different network, print a fresh settings slip and add it again with the new address.