How to Print WooCommerce Orders Automatically (Kitchen Printing)

Every minute between an order arriving and the kitchen seeing it is a minute lost. Manual order monitoring — refreshing a screen, calling out to the kitchen, or printing receipts by hand — creates delays, errors, and stress during service. FoodMaster’s automatic printing feature sends every new order directly to your kitchen printer the moment it is placed, with no human intervention required.

How Automatic Printing Works in FoodMaster

FoodMaster’s automatic printing works by polling for new orders at a configurable interval and sending them to a connected printer via the FoodMaster Desktop Software for Windows/Mac/Android/iOS. This means the computer running the FoodMaster orders dashboard must:

• Stay running with the FoodMaster orders page open in a browser tab
• Be connected to the printer (via USB or network or Bluetooth)

This is typically a dedicated cheap tablet, or old laptop positioned at the counter or bar, left open on the FoodMaster dashboard throughout service.

Recommended Printer Hardware

The most practical setup uses an ESC/POS-compatible thermal receipt printer. Popular models:

• Epson TM-T20III — The industry standard. Reliable, USB + Ethernet, widely available.
• Star Micronics TSP100 — Compact, good for counter setups, supports AirPrint for Mac.
• BIXOLON SRP-350 — Budget-friendly, good print quality for receipts.

Network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) printers are preferable to USB because the computer running the dashboard does not need to be physically next to the kitchen printer.

Step 1: Connect and Install the Printer

Connect your printer to the same network as the computer running the FoodMaster dashboard. Install the printer driver if required (most modern OS’s detect thermal printers automatically via USB or network). Test that a standard print job prints correctly before configuring FoodMaster.

Step 2: Enable Automatic Printing in FoodMaster

Go to FoodMaster → Settings → Automatic Printing (or the Printing tab within settings). Enable the feature and configure:

• Polling interval — How frequently FoodMaster checks for new orders (every 15–60 seconds)
• Printer name — The name of the printer as it appears in your OS’s printer settings
• Print on status — Which order status triggers printing (typically “Processing” or “Accepting”)
• Receipt format — Paper width (standard 80mm thermal)

Customising Which Orders Print

Control which order statuses trigger automatic printing with the wpslash_autoprint_orders_statuses filter:

add_filter( 'wpslash_autoprint_orders_statuses', function( $statuses ) {
    // Only print orders in 'processing' status, not 'accepting'
    return array( 'processing' );
} );

Control how many orders are fetched per polling cycle with the wpslash_autoprint_orders_limit filter (default is 10):

add_filter( 'wpslash_autoprint_orders_limit', function( $limit ) {
    return 20; // fetch up to 20 orders per poll — useful during busy periods
} );

What Prints on the Receipt

The kitchen receipt includes all information the kitchen needs:

• Order number and date/time
• Order type (delivery / pickup / dine-in)
• Table number (for QR dine-in orders)
• All line items with quantities
• Extra options and add-ons per item
• Customer notes / special requests
• Delivery address (for delivery orders)
• Estimated delivery/pickup time

Best Practices

• Dedicated device — Use a cheap Android tablet or old laptop exclusively for the FoodMaster dashboard and printing. Do not use a device that might be closed, logged out, or used for other purposes during service.
• Keep the screen on — Set the device’s display to never sleep while plugged in. A sleeping screen means FoodMaster cannot poll for orders.
• Use a network printer — Avoids cables across your service area and lets you position the printer in the perfect kitchen spot.
• Set a low polling interval — 15–30 seconds is ideal for most restaurants. Lower than 15 seconds can add unnecessary server load; higher than 60 seconds introduces noticeable delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print to multiple printers (e.g., bar and kitchen separately)?

FoodMaster’s printed receipt goes to the configured default printer. Additionally can split the order to multiple kitchen printers based on your configuration and print individually items based on their product category to the appropriate kitchen printer

What happens to orders that come in when the dashboard is closed?

Orders are not lost — they remain in WooCommerce. But they will not print automatically until the dashboard is reopened. FoodMaster tracks which orders have been printed to avoid duplicate prints when the dashboard reopens.

Can I use a Bluetooth thermal printer?

Bluetooth printers can work if they are paired with the device as a system printer. However, Bluetooth connectivity is less reliable than USB or network, especially in busy kitchen environments with interference. A network or USB printer is strongly recommended.

Wrapping Up

Automatic kitchen printing eliminates the single biggest operational risk in food ordering: the order that nobody saw. A $50 thermal printer and 30 minutes of setup time creates a fully automated order flow where every order is in the kitchen within seconds of being placed — no manual checking, no missed orders, no delays.

Get FoodMaster → | Support