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(848) 216-3300 | www.starmicronics.com | [email protected]
A Guide to Selecting the Right Kiosk Printer
(848) 216-3300 | www.starmicronics.com | [email protected]
Self-service technology, including kiosks with kiosk printers, continues to increase in popularity in a
wide range of vertical markets. Retailers of all types, as well as quick-service restaurants, gas stations,
parking lots, casinos, telecommunications companies, banks, transportation providers, and other
organizations are implementing these solutions. According to a recent study by Technavio, the self-
service market is estimated to reach $18 billion by 2020.
What’s more, consumer demand for access to kiosks is growing. For instance, a survey by InRetail
revealed that 69 percent of shoppers are more likely to make purchases from stores with kiosks, than
from stores that do not have them.
However, capitalizing on the self-service trend and consumers’ affinity for kiosks in any application —
retail or otherwise — necessitates strategic kiosk printer selection. Choosing the right kiosk printer is
a matter of understanding the business, the business environment, and customers. It involves careful
assessment of the range of feature options. This guide presents a roadmap for selecting the kiosk printer
that best suits the needs of an operation and its clientele.
(848) 216-3300 | www.starmicronics.com | [email protected]
Key Considerations
The road to finding the right kiosk printer starts with a few key considerations.
Size. In most applications, space for the kiosk — and the kiosk printer — is at a premium. For
example, in a typical retail or hospitality environment, the area in which the kiosk is installed is not
sufficiently large enough to accommodate a unit with a bulky peripheral. Therefore, you will want
to look for printer options configured as “open frame” printing mechanisms. There should be no
unnecessary casings that increase the unit’s size and occupy space that may be needed for other
components to make the kiosk more user friendly.
Use case. One of the most common mistakes in selecting a kiosk printer is designing the actual
kiosk before the printer and other accessories have been chosen. To ensure that the kiosk printer
really satisfies the requirements of your business, think first about the use case and its parameters.
For instance, if the kiosk will be installed in an environment where transaction volume is high, and
thousands of receipts will be printed daily, you may need a kiosk printer that accommodates very
large rolls of paper. However, many kiosk printers have a slender design and cannot support these
large rolls, or necessitate the purchase of a special attachment at an additional cost.
Customer experience. A kiosk allows businesses to interact directly with customers, and
provide high-caliber customer service, all while decreasing wait times. To kick things up a notch,
you can select a kiosk printer that can support graphical printing at a high speed. This allows you to
offer coupons, special promotion options, product information, and other materials that customers
can print out on the spot, increasing their engagement level with your establishment, and cultivating
repeat business.
Cost savings. Kiosks and the functions they perform using kiosk printers reduce the need for
additional personnel — e.g., retail store employees, quick service restaurant employees, bank
tellers, parking lot attendants, and toll booth attendants. Reductions in staff yield a savings in labor
costs and other overhead. It’s necessary, however, to choose a robust, reliable kiosk printer that’s
designed with precision engineering. The kiosk printer should be constructed with heavy-duty
components and should be validated by rigorous quality control systems. If you do not invest in the
right kiosk, you could realize that some of the savings will be negated by the need to replace your
technology prematurely, or to be serviced too often. Down time can be very expensive.
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Maintenance. Another consideration is maintenance. When selecting the kiosk printer, consider
who will perform the maintenance, and how much downtime your operation can sustain without
loss. The issue of maintenance can impact whether or not specific features are essential for your
operation.
Kiosk Printer Configurations and Technologies (and How They Fit Your Business)
While a few applications still call for impact dot-matrix kiosk printers, most kiosk printers are direct-
thermal due to the high quality of the images they produce. Whether dot-matrix or direct-thermal, kiosk
printers come in three common configurations:
Print, cut, and drop. In this type of configuration, a cutter component automatically cuts
the paper once the printing process is complete. The printed item then falls through a chute for
delivery to the customer. The “print, cut, and drop” configuration works well for applications where
customers must take the printed item with them because it will be needed later on. For example,
these configurations are best used for ticketing applications in train stations, or “take-a-number”
applications in busy counter-service establishments.
Print, deliver, and self-cut. Here, the printer generates the receipt, ticket, or other collateral
and delivers it to the customer, whom then must tear the paper in order to keep the print-out. The
“print, deliver, and self-cut” configuration is suited for applications in which a chute would not be
practical, like gas stations.
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Print, loop, cut, and deliver. In a “print, loop, cut, and deliver” application, the presenter
component (see Must-Have Kiosk Technologies, below) loops the paper into the kiosk printer during
the printing process. Once the process is complete, the cutter component cuts the receipt and
the presenter delivers the receipt to the customer. Advanced presenters can retract forgotten or
unwanted receipts, pulling them into the basin in the kiosk. This application is frequently used when
the security of customer data and customer privacy is a concern.
Must-Have Kiosk Technologies
There are kiosk printer technologies and accessories that you will find
essential, depending on the application:
Presenter. A presenter increases security and supports customer
privacy by ensuring that receipts are delivered only to the right person;
if forgotten, they remain inside the kiosk where unauthorized parties
cannot access them.
The presenter also offers other benefits that make it worthwhile.
Perhaps most importantly, the presenter prevents paper jams from
occurring if receipts are inadvertently left in the printer. This, in
turn, decreases the incidence of operating interruptions that cause
customer service delays, and have a negative impact on the customer
experience.
What’s more, with a presenter, there is no opportunity for receipts or
other collateral to fall to the floor if it is not delivered to the intended
recipient. The end result is reduction in litter, and a cleaner-looking
store, restaurant, or other business environment.
Bezel. The bezel is an alternative to the presenter. Typically
positioned between the kiosk slot and the printer, it acts as a guide
to push paper out of the kiosk. If the best kiosk printer for your
application is not designed to accommodate a presenter, or there is
another reason why a presenter would not work with a particular kiosk
printer model (e.g., space constraints), a bezel is a viable solution.
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Making informed choices when it comes to kiosk printer hardware, accessories, features, and
configuration is only part of the kiosk printer selection equation. You must also consider essential
software tools to support the application that will deliver the printed collateral.
Drivers. Kiosk printer software drivers must be compatible with a given kiosk’s operating system,
be it Windows®, Mac®, OPOS, or JavaPOS.
Software Development Kits (SDK). An SDK is necessary if the kiosk printer works on a
mobile operating platform — i.e., Android™ or iOS. There is a huge incentive to also offer a digital
receipt solution at an unattended kiosk. It reduces the use of paper and helps customers to keep
product and retailer information on their mobile devices.
Paper status alerts. Kiosks are typically left unattended for
extended periods of time. However, you’ll need to know immediately
when a kiosk printer requires more paper. Select a kiosk printer that
displays alerts when it is low or entirely out of paper.
Printing status alerts. Insist on a kiosk printer whose capabilities
include a visual alert to inform customers that their collateral has been
printed and is ready for pickup.
Digital receipt support. Star Micronics offers AllReceipts™,
the perfect digital receipts application. Additionally, since the printer
is constantly connected to a cloud service, customers will have easy
access to a device management service. More information can be
found on www.starcloudservices.com and www.allreceipts.com.
Sourcing Your Kiosk Printer
Now that you have considered all of the basics in making a kiosk printer purchasing decision, now
consider your choice of vendor and how you will source the technology.
Distribution channel. Buying your kiosk printer through the local distribution channel is the
smartest approach. This will ensure that your business receives the best hands-on service as you
finalize the deal.
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Support. Channel partners (technology providers) should offer local support to assist with the
integration process and provide troubleshooting assistance down the road. Support should also be
available in the form of an extensive product line to accommodate multiple needs.
Global brand recognition. When a kiosk printer brand is recognized around the world and
has a global presence, you can be assured you are doing business with a reputable company that
stands behind its products.
Availability of product and spare parts. No matter what brand of kiosk printer you
select, individual printers and spare parts should be readily available. This guarantees smooth
ongoing operation. A kiosk printer is a critical component of your self-service technology arsenal.
Your chosen kiosk printer will provide a solid return on investment if you take the time to educate
yourself about your options, and select a kiosk printer that will meet all of your business needs.
About Star Micronics
Star Micronics America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Star Micronics Company Ltd., one of the largest
printer and POS manufacturers world-wide. Star Micronics also manufactures high precision
machine tools and precision parts. Star Micronics Company Ltd. is ranked as one of the Top 50
“Most Stable” Japanese companies on the Japanese Nikkei. For more information, visit
www.starmicronics.com or call 800-782-7636.
