Use this guide when kitchen, bar, expo, or other prep station printers stop printing tickets. Most issues fall into one of three causes: a network or cable problem, a prep station configuration issue, or a hardware fault.
Before You Begin
Applies to: Toast POS, kitchen ticket printers, prep-station printers, expo printers, bar printers
Permissions needed:
Access to Kitchen settings in Toast Web
Access to device setup on the Toast POS device
What you'll accomplish: Get kitchen tickets printing again from the correct printer.
Overview Steps
When a printer stops printing tickets, the cause is almost always one of three things:
Network or cable issue — the printer lost connection to the network, or a cable is loose or broken
Prep station or menu configuration — the printer is not assigned to a prep station, the prep station is not set to Always Print Tickets, or menu items are not routed to that prep station
Hardware fault — the printer itself is jammed, out of paper, or has a hardware error
Work through the steps below in order. Most issues resolve at Step 1 or Step 2. Skip ahead only if you have already ruled out the earlier steps.
Note: If a test print works from the printer itself but real orders do not print, the issue is almost never the printer hardware — skip ahead to Step 3: Verify Prep Station Routing.
Quick Fix
Find your symptom in the table below for the fastest path to the right step. If your symptom is not listed, start at Step 1.
Symptom | Most Common Cause | Quick Fix | Self-Service? |
No tickets are printing anywhere | Network outage or autofire device offline | Yes | |
One specific printer is not printing (kitchen, bar, expo, drink, pantry) | Cable, network, or prep station assignment for that printer | Yes | |
Test print works but real orders do not print | Prep station routing or Non-Printing Prep Stations setting | Verify prep station assignment and Always Print Tickets; check Non-Printing Prep Stations (Step 3) | Yes |
Tickets are printing to every printer or the wrong printer | Menu items have no prep station selected | Set a prep station on each menu item (Step 4) | Yes |
Online order tickets are not printing | Auto-fire device offline or wrong device set as auto-fire | Verify online order settings (Step 5) | Yes |
Printer is offline, beeping, has error lights, or paper jam | Hardware fault | See the printer-specific guide in Related Articles | Yes (see hardware guide) |
Network port is repeatedly disconnecting | Faulty cable or router-level issue | Replace the Ethernet cable; if the issue persists, contact Customer Care (Before You Contact Customer Care) | Partial — agent diagnosis needed |
Step 1: Power Cycle the Printer
A power cycle resolves most printing issues caused by a power disruption or a momentarily lost network connection.
Unplug both the power cable and the Ethernet cable from the back of the printer.
Wait 30 seconds.
Plug both cables back in and power the printer on.
Run a test order from your terminal, tablet, or handheld.
Expected outcome: The ticket prints from the correct prep station printer.
If the cables look damaged or you suspect a broken cable, swap in a known-working Ethernet cable to confirm. Contact Customer Care if you need a replacement power cable.
Step 2: Check Network and Device Connection
The printer and the device sending the order must both be on the same Toast-secured network. Network mismatches are the second most common cause of tickets not printing.
First:
Confirm the printer is powered on and the paper roll is loaded correctly.
Press the printer's feed button and confirm paper advances. If paper does not feed, reload the roll and try again.
Note: A printer that will not feed paper has a hardware or paper-loading problem, not a routing problem. Fix the feed first.
If you are printing from a terminal:
Wi-Fi must be disabled on hardwired POS terminals. Wi-Fi enabled on terminals can cause printing problems.
Confirm the Ethernet cable is firmly connected at both ends — at the terminal and at the router or network switch.
If you are printing from a handheld:
The handheld must be connected to the correct Toast-secured Wi-Fi network.
If the device is on a guest network or a personal Wi-Fi network, it will not be on the same network as the printer and tickets will not print.
For the printer itself:
Confirm the Ethernet cable is firmly connected at both ends — at the printer and at the router or network switch.
Expected outcome: Both the printer and the device sending the order are on the same Toast-secured network.
Step 3: Verify Prep Station Routing
If the printer powers on, prints test slips, and is on the network, but orders still do not print, the cause is almost always prep station routing. This is the most common cause when a single printer (kitchen, bar, expo, drink, pantry) is not printing while other printers work.
Confirm the Printer Is Assigned to a Prep Station
Expected outcome: The prep station the kitchen, bar, or expo uses appears in the prep station list for this printer.
Confirm Always Print Tickets Is Enabled
In Toast Web, navigate to the prep station settings for the prep station assigned to this printer: Kitchen > Kitchen stations > Prep stations.
Confirm Always Print Tickets is enabled for the prep station.
Expected outcome: The prep station is set to Always Print Tickets.
Check Non-Printing Prep Stations
A prep station listed under Non-Printing Prep Stations on a device will not print from that device, even if it is otherwise configured correctly. This is intentional for setups like a bar tablet that should not trigger bar prep ticket printing. The bartender does not need a ticket to make their own customers drinks for example — but it is also a common cause of unexpected non-printing.
On the POS device, navigate to the main POS screen.
Navigate to Setup, then Device setup.
Scroll down to Non-Printing Prep Stations.
Confirm the prep station you expect to print is not listed there.
Expected outcome: The prep station for the printer that is not printing is not listed under Non-Printing Prep Stations.
Step 4: Check Menu Item Routing
If tickets are printing to every printer, to the wrong printer, or only some menu items print, the cause is almost always menu item prep station routing.
In Toast Web, navigate to Menu > Bulk Management > Advanced Properties.
Confirm each menu item has a prep station selected. Items with no prep station selected route to all printers.
Save and publish your changes.
Re-sync your POS devices.
Expected outcome: Each menu item routes to the correct prep station printer, and tickets stop printing to unintended locations.
For more on this scenario, see Tickets Printing to Every Printer.
Step 5: Check Online Order Settings
If only online order tickets are not printing, the cause is usually the auto-fire device setting or the online order approval mode — not the printer.
In Toast Web, navigate to Takeout & delivery > Availability > Online Ordering.
Scroll down to the Approval section and confirm the Auto-fire Device is set to a device that is currently online.
Only one device at the restaurant should have auto-firing enabled. If more than one is enabled, online orders may not fire correctly.
Confirm the auto-fire device is on, awake, and connected to the network.
Expected outcome: A single, online auto-fire device is set, and online order tickets begin firing to the kitchen.
For full troubleshooting of online orders that are not firing to the kitchen, see Troubleshoot Online Orders Not Firing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my test print work but real orders don't print?
When a test print works but real orders do not print, the printer hardware and network are working — the issue is almost always prep station routing or a Non-Printing Prep Stations setting. Test prints come directly from the printer, but real orders come from a device through the prep station configuration. Work through Step 3: Verify Prep Station Routing.
Also asked as:
Test print works but tickets don't print
Printer prints test but not orders
Why is my bar, expo, drink, or pantry printer not printing?
When a single named printer (bar, expo, drink, pantry) is not printing while other printers work, the cause is usually specific to that printer or its prep station. The printer itself, its cable, its prep station assignment, or its menu item routing are the most likely causes. Run Step 1 and Step 3 for that specific printer.
Also asked as:
Bar printer isn't printing
Drink tickets aren't printing
Expo printer not printing
What should I do if my printer is beeping or has error lights?
If your printer is beeping, has a flashing error light, or shows a paper jam, the issue is hardware-related and varies by printer model. Each Toast printer model has its own LED meanings and clearance procedure. See the printer-specific troubleshooting guide for your hardware in Related Articles.
Also asked as:
Printer beeping won't stop
Printer has red flashing light
Printer paper jam
Why are my kitchen tickets not printing?
Kitchen tickets that are not printing are usually caused by one of these issues: the printer is not powered on, the paper roll is empty, the printer has lost its network connection, the printer is not assigned to a prep station, Always Print Tickets is not enabled, the device sending the order is on the wrong network, or menu items are not routed to the correct prep station. Work through Steps 1 through 4 in this article in order.
Also asked as:
My kitchen tickets aren't printing
Tickets not printing in the kitchen
I'm having trouble printing kitchen tickets
Before You Contact Customer Care
Most ticket-printing issues resolve through the steps above. Contact Customer Care if any of the following apply, since these require account-level access or hardware replacement that you cannot complete on your own.
The printer's network port is repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting, even after replacing the Ethernet cable.
The printer does not power on at all and you have already tried a different outlet and a known-working power cable.
A test print fails from the printer itself, indicating a likely hardware fault.
You have completed Steps 1 through 5 and tickets still are not printing.
When you contact Customer Care, have the following ready to speed up diagnosis:
The printer's serial number (printed on the bottom of the printer).
Whether the issue affects all printers or one specific printer.
Whether a test print from the printer itself works.
What you have already tried from this article.
Related Articles