Epson TM-M30III Thermal Receipt Printer - Should You Upgrade Your Printer?
By: POSGuys - 7/24/2023

The [Epson TM-M30III][1] is the newest addition to Epson's mobility POS-focused line of stationary receipt printers. This printer is the direct successor to the TM-M30II, and while they share some similarities, there are some notable differences that we'll explore in this blog post.

**What's Different Between the M30III and its Predecessor:** 
As the direct successor to the TM-M30II, the TM-M30III shares many features with its predecessor. However, there are some notable differences. The TM-M30III boasts a faster printing speed (12 inches per second compared to 10 inches pers second, a slightly different exterior design, and a consolidation of available part numbers into fewer options.

**General Specs & Connectivity:** 
The Epson TM-M30III is a 3-inch thermal printer designed for printing on a standard receipt paper roll, but it also comes with a paper spacer that allows it to print on 2.2-inch wide paper. It boasts a printing speed of 12 inches per second (IPS), which is 2 inches faster than its predecessor. While it may be 8 inches slower than Epson's top-of-the-line T88VII printer, it's still 2 inches faster than comparable printers from other manufacturers in the same category. The TM-M30III supports most common character sets, including the Latin alphabet, Japanese, Korean, and both simplified and traditional Chinese.

All versions of the TM-M30III come equipped with a USB B and C port  for communication with your computer or tablet, an Ethernet port, and a drawer kick port. Some models also include WiFi and BT 5.0 capabilities. Please note that in order for your tablet to send receipts to the printer, your software needs to specifically support that functionality for that exact model of printer. Please read more about this in the “compatibility” section below.

Every model of the TM-M30III also come with a USB A port that can be used to deliver up to 18 watts of power to a mobile device or USB peripheral. That port can used to connect some accessories that Epson has developed for this printer. These accessories include a customer display, WiFi Dongle, and an external buzzer accessory that can be used if you’re using this printer in a place like a kitchen and want to better hear when an order comes through. We wouldn’t recommend this printer for a kitchen setting if you can avoid it, however. There’s the chance for paper to interfere with heat-sensitive paper, and because the printer doesn’t have a splashguard and only has a IPX2 rating against water - which isn’t great - but sometimes it’s the only option you have so that buzzer is a good option just in case.

**Reliability:** 
In terms of reliability, the printer's printhead can last for about 17 million lines, just like its predecessor. To put that into perspective, a line is approximately 1/8th of an inch, which means you can expect around 33 miles worth of printing. Additionally, the printer comes with a standard 2-year warranty covering manufacturing defects, and you have the option to extend it up to 5 years.

**Compatibility:**
For those using a standard Windows PC, swapping out your existing Epson printer with the TM-M30III should be seamless, though a driver update may be required. However, if you're using the printer with a tablet-based application on Android or iOS, things get a little trickier. The software needs to directly support the TM-M30III, and just because it worked with the TM-M30II doesn't guarantee compatibility with the new printer. As of the time of recording, no major POS software has integrated this printer. Usually, it takes software companies about 4-6 months to integrate new printers, so there's a good chance that by now, more software has incorporated support for the TM-M30III.

**Software Integration:** 
The TM-M30III comes ready to go with [Epson's Server Direct Print Technology][2], making it easy to integrate this printer with any application you've already developed with another Epson cloud printing setup. While the TM-M30III identifies itself differently than the TM-M30II, it generally supports most core functionalities when initiated using older SDKs. For your convenience, we've provided a link to the relevant SDKs on our blog, which you can find in the description of this video.
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*Note: Information is accurate as of time of posting. For further information about the Epson TM-M30III and related accessories, feel free to reach out to us or visit our blog for updates and support.*

[1]: https://posguys.com/receipt-pos-printer_12/Epson-TM-M30III_4043/
  [2]: https://c4b.epson-biz.com/modules/community/index.php?content_id=32

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Epson TM-M30III Thermal Receipt Printer - Should You Upgrade Your Printer? By: POSGuys - 7/24/2023

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Epson TM-M30III Thermal Receipt Printer - Should You Upgrade Your Printer?
By: POSGuys - 7/24/2023