Screen, printer or both? How a station receives orders
What each of the four "Where do orders go?" choices does, and exactly when the printer takes over from a silent prep station screen.
On this page
Every prep station has a setting Where do orders go? under Settings › Prep stations. It decides whether sent orders appear on the prep station screen, come out of the printer, or both. Choose the one that matches how the station works during service.
The four choices
| Choice | Screen | Paper | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen only | Yes | Only when someone taps Print ticket | Kitchens that work fully from the screen |
| Printer only | No | Every order | Stations without a tablet |
| Screen and printer | Yes | Every order | Kitchens that want paper on the rail as well |
| Screen, printer as backup (default) | Yes | Only when the screen is not responding | Most kitchens: screen first, paper as a safety net |
Without Preparation station screens turned on for the location, every station behaves as Printer only, whatever is selected. The back office then only offers Printer only.
When the printer takes over
With Screen, printer as backup, Verimly watches whether the station's screen is still in contact. A screen that is on and connected checks in every few seconds. A screen that has not checked in for 90 seconds counts as silent: it may be switched off, asleep or off the network.
There are two moments the backup can kick in:
- When the order is sent. If the station has no screen that checked in during the last 90 seconds, the order prints straight away.
- After it was sent. If the screen goes silent after showing the order, items that nobody started within 3 minutes of being sent are printed. Verimly checks for these once a minute, so the paper can come out a little after the 3 minutes.
The printed ticket says the screen was not responding. A ticket is never printed twice by the backup. Items the kitchen already started on the screen are not printed.
Which printer is used
- The station's own station printer, if it has one.
- Otherwise, a station printer at the location that is not linked to any station.
- A printer with Print new orders automatically turned off gets no automatic tickets, including backup tickets. It only prints when someone asks for it.
If no printer is found and no screen shows the order, the POS warns "{station} did not receive the order — no screen and no printer."
Printing a ticket by hand
- On the prep station screen, tap Print ticket on a ticket. The button only appears when the station has a printer to use.
- On the POS, when an order reached no station, the order shows a warning with a Reprint ticket button. Fix the printer first, then tap it.
Printing by hand always prints, whatever the station mode or the printer's automatic setting.
Common questions
Which mode should I choose?
Start with Screen, printer as backup if you have both a screen and a printer. Choose Screen and printer only if your team wants paper for every order; it uses more paper.
Does Screen only ever print?
Not by itself. If the screen is off, orders wait on it and nothing prints. That is why the back office warns when a Screen only station has no screen.
Do items without a station print?
Yes. An item whose product has no prep station has no screen to go to, so it always prints on a station printer that is not linked to a station. If there is none, it reaches nowhere.