For the past year, we at Hillside Electronics have pooled our 40+ years of knowledge on the point-of-sale industry to bring you Hillside University-- our blog which includes articles and video tutorials, trends, and so much more content relating to point-of-sale equipment.

Now that we have 16 blog posts out (17 including this one!) Hillside University's page might look a bit daunting. That's why this week we're linking all 16 posts in one place with a brief description of each, so you can easily find the information you need!

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Our inaugural blog post discusses the receipt printers best suited to restaurants and commercial kitchens, focusing on printers that aid in smooth operations and quick and easy ordering. For each recommended printer, we also include a handy section recommending the best interfaces and helpful features that make the printer ideal for restaurant use. Lastly, we tell you where to steer clear by letting you in on which types of POS printers and interfaces aren't optimized for kitchens.

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Many people who are new to point-of-sale printers aren't sure which type of printer-- Dot-Matrix or Thermal-- is best for their business. One of the most common questions we've seen is whether or not thermal printers are capable of printing in color. In this post, we discuss which thermal printers are able to print color with certain special receipt paper, and other options at your disposal if you need a receipt printer capable of printing in dual colors.

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Many people underestimate the importance of purchasing from reputable sellers when shopping for your printers online. Unfortunately, the internet is full of products not intended for use within your country, and equipment not under warranty and not backed by a company who can help you out-- when the going gets tough, these disreputable companies get going! Read this post to learn what to look for from a seller of POS printers so that you don't run into any issues down the road, and so that you know for sure your printer has been designed for use within your region-- thereby saving you a lot of money and stress from ending up with a printer that is unusable.

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Another common question we see is why does your POS printer keep going offline? One of the worst things that can happen during a sales rush (or any time for that matter!) is for your printer to lose its wireless connection in the middle of a sale. In this article, we discuss common reasons your printer may be offline, WiFi connection fixes, Ethernet connection error fixes, and other troubleshooting tips! If you ever need more individualized assistance, don't forget you can always reach out to us for help troubleshooting your printer at 413-238-5566.

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Purchasing a POS printer can be a little overwhelming-- not only do you have to decide which model to buy, but you also need to make sure you are choosing the correct interface. If you've purchased a printer with the wrong interface, you may be able to avoid returning the printer by swapping interface cards. This article guides you through the process of converting your printer's interface to Ethernet after purchasing a printer with a different interface.

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 If you are in the middle of using your Epson receipt printer, and an error light displays-- don't panic! This post guides you through a variety of reasons you may be receiving an error light, along with instructions and tips on how to fix the problem and get back to business as usual! (You may want to bookmark this one to refer back to in case this happens to you.)

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As much as we wish it were so simple, the truth is that point-of-sale printers are most definitely not one-size-fits-all. Each printer model comes with its own features, so you will need to do your research to learn which printer is best for your business. Luckily, we are here to help! If you are looking for the best printer model to purchase for your bank, look no further than this blog post. We discuss the best printers for banks and their features, including check endorsement, drop-in-validation, and more!

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If there's one trend we've gotten used to seeing in the point-of-sale industry, it's the common decision of farm stands to purchase TM-H6000III printers. Why is this? What are the features of the TM-H6000III printer? What is the cost? Should I purchase one for my farm stand? Read this article to learn why the TM-H6000III printer is so popular, and the features that make it a great choice for farm stands.

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Continuing on with our Market Trends series, this blog post discusses why Epson TM-T88V and TM-U220B printers are such popular choices for golf and country clubs. From high-volume sales capacities to fast printing speeds and two-color printing, find out why these two Epson models are both ideal for golf clubs, and which printer might be your best choice depending on the individual needs of your golf and country club.

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As mentioned earlier, deciding which type of printer with which interface(s) to purchase can be a daunting task. To try to make the process a little easier, we wrote this guide of the most common types of point-of-sale printers and interfaces. You'll learn definitions for all of the terms you've seen (but never understood) in listings for point-of-sale printers.

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Our very first video tutorial, this vlog teaches you how to activate the USB port on your new TM-T88V printer. When you purchase your printer, the Ethernet port will be visible-- unfortunately for those of you wanting to use USB, your USB port will be covered and inactivated. Luckily, if you follow the step-by-step directions in this video, you will be able to set up your USB port as simply and painlessly as possible! As always, please Contact Us should you need any further assistance.

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When deciding which printer to buy, all of the features listed in the product description can sometimes be more confusing than helpful. Thankfully, this post is here to help you understand all of the common terms you are sure to come across when researching which printer to buy-- terms such as IPS, Internal SMPS, Drop-in Paper Loading, and more!

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So, there you have it: 16 blog posts to help you delve deeper into the point-of-sale industry. And many more to come! Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements for all future blog posts. And as always, please Contact Us with any questions! See below for some helpful links to pages within our website hec.com, and we'll see you here next time for blog post 18.

Helpful Links:

1. Epson POS Printers

2. Hillside Electronics' Printer Repair Procedures

3. Hillside University Blog