Network printers
Confirm the printer's IP address hasn't changed — routers reassign addresses over time unless you've set a static IP or a DHCP reservation. Confirm it's on the same network as the machine running FloCafe.
Knowledge base
Troubleshooting FloCafe
Practical fixes for the issues that actually come up in real restaurants, starting with the most common one: printers. If this page doesn't cover your problem, WhatsApp or email us and we'll help directly.
Most common issue
Printers not printing
Start with Settings -> Printers -> Test Print. As of version 2.6.1, it shows the actual failure reason (offline, out of paper, cover open, a Windows driver error, a network timeout) instead of a generic message — read it first, it usually tells you exactly what's wrong.
Windows USB printers with the official driver
FloCafe writes raw ESC/POS bytes directly to the Windows print queue, bypassing the driver, which only works if the queue's Print Processor is the default winprint with datatype RAW. Manufacturer "official" driver packages (Epson APD, Star, etc.) are usually GDI drivers meant to render formatted pages, and can register their own print processor or reject/garble a raw byte stream — the single most common cause of "prints garbage or nothing" for ESC/POS software on Windows, independent of FloCafe.
Two things to try, in order:
- Right-click the printer in Windows -> Printer Properties -> Advanced tab -> Print Processor -> confirm it's winprint with datatype RAW.
- If that doesn't help, add or reinstall the printer using Windows' built-in "Generic / Text Only" driver, or the manufacturer's dedicated raw/ESC-POS mode if their installer offers one as an alternative to the main GDI driver — then re-select it in FloCafe's printer settings, since renaming or reinstalling changes the exact queue name FloCafe has stored.
macOS and Linux (CUPS) printers
If the print queue is disabled — commonly after the printer was unplugged — re-enable it from the OS's printer settings and the next print will go through. FloCafe detects a disabled queue and reports it rather than silently failing.
Still not printing?
Open Help -> Open Logs Folder in the app menu (2.6.1+) and check main.log around the time of the failed print for a line starting with [Printer] — it names the specific failure. Send us that line along with your OS, printer make/model, and whether it's USB or network.
Data safety
App won't start, or a database problem
The database and backups live in the operating system's user-data directory, separate from the installed application — updating or reinstalling through the same distribution channel does not remove them. Before a pending migration runs, FloCafe creates a timestamped local backup automatically.
Do not delete the database
If the app fails to start, deleting the database first can lose data that a backup would have recovered.
Restore the latest backup
Use Settings -> Database Tools -> Backup to restore the most recent automatic backup, taken right before the failed migration.
Report it
Open a GitHub issue with your app version, operating system, and logs so it can be reproduced and fixed.
Open GitHub issuesStill stuck?
Talk to us directly — you don't need GitHub.
WhatsApp and email work for restaurant operators who just want a straight answer. Include your country, restaurant type, operating system, FloCafe version, what you were trying to do, and a screenshot if you have one.
WhatsApp help
Best for quick questions and screenshots.
Message usEmail support
Best for longer, detailed problem reports.
Email supportGitHub issues
Best for reproducible bugs and technical detail.
Open GitHub issuesFAQ
Common questions
My printer worked before but stopped printing. What changed?
Common causes: the printer's network IP changed (routers reassign addresses), a Windows driver reinstall renamed the print queue, or a USB printer got unplugged and its queue was disabled by the OS. Test Print (2.6.1+) now shows the specific reason instead of a generic failure.
Why does my official Epson/Star/Xprinter driver not print correctly?
FloCafe sends raw ESC/POS bytes straight to the Windows print queue, bypassing the driver, which only works if the queue's Print Processor is the default winprint/RAW. Manufacturer GDI drivers are built to render formatted pages and can reject or garble a raw byte stream — see the Windows section above.
Where do I find the log file to send to support?
Help -> Open Logs Folder in the app menu (added in 2.6.1). Look for a line starting with [Printer] around the time of the failed print.
The app won't start after an update. What do I do?
Do not delete the database. Restore the most recent backup from Settings -> Database Tools, then open a GitHub issue with your app version, OS, and logs.
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