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Get the latest POS Printer Bridge installer for Windows.
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Getting Started
Install the bridge and get printing in under 5 minutes.
Download & Install
Download the latest installer from the Download section above. Run the .exe — it will install both the background service and the system tray app. No .NET runtime needed, everything is self-contained.
Select Your Printer
After installation, the tray app launches automatically. Double-click its icon in the system tray (bottom-right) to open the main window. Use the printer dropdown at the top to select your thermal printer, then click the refresh button to update the list if needed.
Print a Test Page
In the tray app's main window, click the "Print test commands" button. If paper comes out with the test receipt, the bridge is working. The POS system can now send print jobs through the bridge.
Verify the Connection
In the tray app's main window, the service status panel shows a colored indicator: green means the bridge is online, red means offline, and orange means it's still starting up. Your POS system will automatically connect once the bridge is online.
Documentation
General information about the bridge, requirements, and configuration.
About
The POS Printer Bridge connects your browser-based point-of-sale system to thermal receipt printers installed on the same machine. It runs as a background Windows service with a system tray companion app for easy management. The bridge is part of the Plankton ecosystem and is designed to work seamlessly with Plankton POS.
System Requirements
The bridge has minimal requirements and is designed to run on standard park operator workstations.
- Operating System: Windows 10 or later
- Printer: A USB or network thermal printer with its manufacturer drivers installed so that Windows recognizes it in the print spooler
- Additional Software: None beyond printer drivers — the bridge itself is fully self-contained with no additional runtime or framework dependencies
Supported Printers
The bridge works with ESC/POS (Epson Standard Code for Point of Sale) compatible thermal receipt printers. It comes pre-configured with profiles for common paper widths.
- 80mm (standard) — The default profile, suitable for most receipt printers. Common models include the Epson TM-T88 series, Star TSP100 series, and similar.
- 58mm (narrow) — For compact thermal printers used in smaller setups.
Configuration
All settings are managed through the tray app's main window. Double-click the Plankton icon in your system tray to open it, then switch to the Settings view using the toggle in the header bar.
- Default Printer — Choose which installed printer the bridge sends jobs to.
- Default Profile — Switch between 80mm and 58mm to match your printer's paper width.
- Allowed Origins — Configure which POS domains can communicate with the bridge.
Uninstalling
To remove the POS Printer Bridge, open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps and uninstall it like any other application. The uninstaller removes the background service, tray app, and program files. Your configuration is preserved so that a future reinstall picks up your existing settings.
Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to fix them.
The installer won't run / Windows blocks it
Windows SmartScreen may block unsigned executables. Click "More info" on the warning dialog, then click "Run anyway". This is expected for internal tools that aren't code-signed with a commercial certificate.
The tray icon doesn't appear after installation
The tray app is set to auto-launch on login, but may be hidden in the overflow area. Click the ^ arrow in the system tray to see hidden icons. You can drag the Plankton icon to the main tray area for easy access.
If it's truly missing, try running PosPrinterBridge.Tray.exe from the install folder (C:\Program Files\PosPrinterBridge\) or restart your computer.
POS says "printer offline" or can't connect to the bridge
Open the tray app and check the service status panel. If it shows red (offline), the service needs attention:
- Open Services (Win+R →
services.msc) and look for "PosPrinterBridge". Restart it if stopped. - If the status shows orange with "Waiting for service...", the bridge is still starting up — give it a few seconds.
- Some antivirus software may interfere with the bridge. Check your AV settings if the service keeps stopping.
Test print works but POS printing doesn't
This usually means the POS and bridge aren't configured to talk to each other. Open the tray app settings and verify the configuration matches your POS setup.
If issues persist, check the browser console (F12) for connection errors and contact your system administrator.
Receipts print with garbled or missing text
This usually indicates a printer profile mismatch:
- If your printer is 58mm but the bridge is set to 80mm, text will overflow or wrap incorrectly.
- Check the printer profile in the tray app settings and match it to your actual printer width.
- Some printers may need a firmware update for full ESC/POS compatibility.
How do I update to a new version?
Download the new installer and run it. The installer automatically:
- Stops the running service
- Replaces the binaries
- Preserves your configuration (printer selection, etc.)
- Restarts everything
No manual uninstall needed. Just run the new installer over the existing one.
Browser shows a certificate warning for localhost
The bridge automatically provisions a trusted local certificate during installation. Under normal operation, your browser should not show a certificate warning at all.
If you do see a warning, the certificate may not have been installed correctly. Try restarting the bridge service, or reinstall the bridge to re-provision the certificate.