Four decisions determine whether a receipt printer fits your business: paper width, how it connects, whether it has an automatic cutter, and where it will physically sit. Print speed matters far less than any of these, despite being the specification most prominently advertised.
Paper width: 80mm or 58mm
This is the first and least reversible choice, because it dictates which paper rolls you buy for the printer's entire life.
80mm is the standard for shop and restaurant counters. It fits more characters per line, which keeps item names readable rather than truncated, and it prints logos legibly. Rolls are widely stocked in Egypt.
58mm is narrower, cheaper to run, and suited to mobile and handheld use — delivery riders, market stalls, parking, ticketing. On a busy counter it becomes frustrating: long product names wrap awkwardly and receipts get longer rather than shorter.
If the printer sits on a counter, choose 80mm. Choose 58mm only when portability or roll cost genuinely dominates.
How it connects
Getting this wrong is the most common cause of a printer that works perfectly but cannot be used with your system.
- USB — simplest and most reliable, but ties the printer to one computer within cable reach.
- Ethernet (LAN) — the right choice for anything shared. Multiple tills and a kitchen printer can all address the same device, and the connection survives a computer being replaced.
- Bluetooth — for phones and tablets, particularly mobile invoicing and delivery.
- Wi-Fi — flexible placement without cabling, though it depends on your network staying healthy.
Confirm what your POS software supports before buying. Some systems drive network printers cleanly but handle Bluetooth poorly, and vice versa.
The automatic cutter
An automatic cutter trims each receipt as it finishes. Without one, staff tear against a serrated edge — workable at low volume, tedious and untidy at high volume.
For any counter serving a queue, the cutter pays for itself in seconds saved and in receipts that look professional. For occasional printing, it is a reasonable saving.
Print speed in context
Advertised speeds are given in millimetres per second, and modern thermal printers are all fast enough that a typical receipt emerges in a couple of seconds. The difference between a fast and a very fast model is invisible unless you print continuously through a rush.
Do not pay for speed at the expense of connection type or a cutter.
Placement and heat
Thermal printing works by heating paper, and the print head is the wearing component. A printer crammed into an unventilated cabinet runs hotter and wears faster.
Leave clearance around it, keep it off direct sunlight, and give it space to open — the roll needs changing several times a day in a busy shop, and a printer that is awkward to open is a daily irritation.
Paper matters more than expected
Thermal paper has no ink; the image is formed in a coating. Poor-quality rolls print faintly, fade within weeks, and leave residue on the print head that degrades quality over time.
Receipts kept for warranty or accounting should be stored away from heat and sunlight — a thermal receipt left on a dashboard becomes blank.
See Xprinter printers, thermal printers and POS printers.
Frequently asked questions
Does a thermal printer need ink?
No. It uses heat-sensitive paper, so the only consumable is the roll.
Can one printer serve several tills?
Yes, over Ethernet or Wi-Fi. USB ties it to a single machine.
Why is my receipt printing faintly?
Usually low-grade paper or a dirty print head. Clean the head and try a known-good roll.