BOHA! wireless printing connects unlimited mobile devices to unlimited printers over Wi-Fi

Executive summary: what to know about BOHA! mobile workflows and wireless printing

• BOHA!’s new wireless printing capability enables a many-to-many relationship between devices and printers, with no set limit on how many supported devices or supported printers a location connects over its Wi-Fi network, and all of them work together at the same time.
• The same tablet keeps employees connected to the full BOHA! platform, including timers, temperature checks and prep instructions, bringing BOHA! to where the work happens, meaning more attention to the task at hand, whether that be food preparation, food safety or servicing guests.
• Many-to-many works because BOHA! prints peer-to-peer over Wi-Fi instead of one-to-one Bluetooth pairing, so a location can add printers at busy stations without adding devices (or connect more devices to your workhorse T2 printer)
• Wireless printing covers every supported BOHA! labeling workflow, from food prep and date code labels to timer, grab-and-go and made-to-order labels, so the change reaches every station in the kitchen.
• The feature is rolling out in phases across the BOHA! installed base, and current customers can contact their BOHA! account team to get started.

How mobile-enabled workflows keep teams at their stations

BOHA! Ops already puts labeling, timers, operational checklists and temperature checks on supported phones and tablets, so employees can follow a prep instruction or log a temperature from wherever they're working. Printing a label was the step that most often sent them back to a fixed station, where they had to remember every detail of the batch they’d just made. Wireless printing closes that gap, so the whole workflow can happen where the food is.

Mobile-enabled BOHA! keeps teams focused on food and guests instead of moving between equipment. For operators running dozens or hundreds of locations, it also makes it easier to hold every kitchen to the same operational standards, because every team follows the same steps on the device in their hand.

What kitchens had to work around before

Most back-of-house technology was built around a fixed station. The screen and the printer sit in one place, and every task that touches them starts there. That's easy to train around, and it's also the source of a lot of small detours during a shift.

Labeling is where those detours show up most clearly in a typical shift. A cook finishes a batch at one end of the kitchen, walks to the terminal, finds the item, prints the label and walks back. Two other people need labels at the same time, so someone waits at the screen. To save steps, a team member prints a stack of labels at once and matches them to containers later, which is how the wrong label ends up on the wrong pan. None of these moments looks like much on its own, but each one pulls attention away from food preparation and food safety.

With mobile-enabled workflows, the employee selects the item and sends the print from the device in their hand, and the label is waiting at the printer on their next pass. The fixed station stays in the kitchen for the work it does best, but it's no longer where every task has to begin. That's how BOHA! helps remove kitchen chaos: fewer interruptions, and more of the shift spent on the food.

Many-to-many label printing: one printer for unlimited devices, one device for unlimited printers

When every device is paired to a single printer, the printer setup and every workflow relying on that equipment is shaped by the hardware instead of the kitchen. BOHA! wireless printing removes that one-to-one limit, so access to printers is flexible, going where the work needs them.

• One printer, unlimited devices. Every supported phone and tablet on the location's Wi-Fi network can send labels to the same Terminal 2, so a whole prep team can share one printer instead of needing a printer per person.

• One device, unlimited printers. A single tablet can send prep labels to one printer and high-volume or specialty labels to another, based on how the location is configured.

• Direct printing still works. Teams can keep printing at Terminal 2 whenever that's the faster option.

The many-to-many communication happens simultaneously, so every supported device on the network can print to every compatible printer on it. A team of any size can share as many printers as the kitchen needs. Please note that Wi-Fi network needs to be configured to support peer-to-peer connections.

For a multi-unit operator, that flexibility shows up in hardware planning. Instead of matching printers to people, each location can place printers where they're needed and let every supported device on its network use them. A location that needs more capacity for a task like grab-and-go can add a printer that meets the need for more capacity without adding mobile devices.

Why it runs on Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth

BOHA! wireless printing sends jobs peer-to-peer over the location's Wi-Fi network rather than through Bluetooth, and that difference is what makes many-to-many printing possible.

Bluetooth pairs one device with one printer. It's simple to set up and works well when one person uses one printer at one station. BUT each pairing is a one-to-one link, and range and interference limit how far apart the two can be.

On a Wi-Fi network, the printer and the mobile devices can all find and talk to each other directly. Any supported device can send jobs to any compatible printer on the same network, no matter how far the tablet is from the printer. For operators running dozens or hundreds of kitchens, that means a printing setup that scales with the team.

What mobile-enabled workflows look like during a prep shift

Picture one employee moving through a morning prep window with a tablet. Three moments show where BOHA! Ops and wireless printing save the most steps.

At the prep station. With wireless printing and BOHA! Labeling, the employee starts labels from the tablet at the prep table and keeps working, instead of walking to the terminal to send each job.

When a timer starts. A hold timer tracks the exact moment food is finished and is managed right at the station where it was prepared. If a location uses BOHA! Timer with label printing, employees can start and monitor the timer from their tablet while a compatible BOHA! label printer automatically prints the label. The clock and the label reflect the same moment, providing multi-layer support for better food safety.

During grab-n-go and other high-volume runs. Employees can send prints from their device to whichever configured printer fits the task and label format.

Between those moments, the same device gives the employee access to the other BOHA! applications their location uses, so checking a temperature or a prep instruction doesn't require a trip back to a fixed screen either.

Wireless printing works across every BOHA! labeling workflow

Wireless printing covers the labels teams print every day. Supported BOHA! Labeling workflows can start from a mobile device, including:

• Food prep and date code labels for batches coming off the prep table.

• Timer labels that print when a hold timer starts at the station.

• Grab-n-go labels with ingredients, allergens and nutrition details for retail cases.

• Made-to-order and build-your-own labels for customized items assembled on the line or at the ordering counter.

Because each device can reach every configured printer, each label type can go to the printer loaded with the right label stock.

Three ways mobile-enabled workflows help multi-unit kitchens

More mobility, more productive work. Employees reach BOHA! applications and print labels from where they work, so less of the shift goes to walking between equipment.

Connected workflows, fewer interruptions. BOHA! brings labeling, timers, temperature checks, prep instructions and other operational tasks into one connected platform. With wireless printing, labeling no longer pulls staff away from those workflows, so they can work through more of the shift without breaking focus.

Flexible kitchens, consistent enterprise operations. Operators can configure mobile workflows, shared printers and supporting hardware around the needs of each location while holding every kitchen to the same operational standards. That flexibility helps BOHA! fit kitchens of different sizes and layouts across an enterprise.

Compatible BOHA! hardware

Wireless printing sends jobs to compatible BOHA! hardware built for demanding back-of-house environments. Compare each option on the BOHA! label printers page.

• BOHA! Terminal 2: With wireless printing, Terminal 2 also serves as a shared printing hub for supported mobile devices. Employees can start labeling from their work areas and still use all of the terminal's built-in capabilities, including direct printing.

• BOHA! WorkStation: BOHA!’s mobile-first solution, this device provides teams with a dedicated printing station for establishments that reply heavily on mobile devices on the same network.

• Ithaca 9000-series printers: In supported configurations, Ithaca 9000-series printers can be daisy-chained to compatible Terminal 2 or WorkStation hardware. This added printing capacity enables more label templates and media types to an existing BOHA! printing system, allowing supported mobile devices to print to them like any other configured printer.

Our Terminal 2 vs. WorkStation comparison covers choosing between a fixed station and a detachable tablet. Wireless printing adds a third option to that choice: printers stay where they're needed, and any supported device on the same network can print to them.

How to set up wireless printing

Setup happens once per device in BOHA! Ops. After that, printing works the same way it does at the terminal.

1. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Terminal 2 and the phone or tablet join the location's approved network.
2. Sign in to BOHA! Ops on both devices with the same account credentials.
3. Add the printer. In BOHA! Labeling on the mobile device, open Printer Connections and select Add New Printer. Each Terminal 2 appears as "BOHA! Virtual Print Station" followed by its four-character Device ID.
4. Configure label sizes for each print mechanism and select Done.
5. Print. Choose a menu item in Labeling and print. The label comes out of the selected printer.

Getting started with BOHA! wireless printing

Wireless printing is rolling out in phases as BOHA! Terminal 2 firmware and BOHA! Print Service updates reach the installed base. Your BOHA! account team can confirm timing for your locations and help your team get set up.

Current BOHA! customers can email CustomerSuccess@transact-tech.com to get wireless printing set up at their locations or to explore adding an Ithaca 9000. Operators new to BOHA! can explore BOHA! Labeling and our food prep and labeling solutions to see how stations, printers and workflows connect.

Frequently asked questions

What are BOHA!'s mobile-enabled workflows?

They're BOHA! applications for labeling, checklists, timers and temperature checks that run through BOHA! Ops, BOHA! Temp and BOHA! Sense on supported iOS and Android phones and tablets, so employees can work wherever the job is. With wireless printing, they can also print labels from those devices over the location's Wi-Fi network.

Which printers does BOHA! wireless printing work with?

Wireless printing sends labels to supported BOHA! Terminal 2 and BOHA! WorkStation configurations. In supported configurations, Ithaca 9000-series printers daisy-chained to compatible Terminal 2 or WorkStation hardware add more printing capacity, label formats and media types.

Is BOHA! wireless printing the same as Bluetooth printing?

No. BOHA! wireless printing is peer-to-peer printing over the location's Wi-Fi network. Bluetooth pairs one device with one printer, while Wi-Fi printing lets one printer serve unlimited supported devices and one device connect to unlimited supported printers.

How many devices can print to one printer?

There's no set limit. On the same local Wi-Fi network, one printer can serve an unlimited number of supported mobile devices, and one device can connect to an unlimited number of supported printers.

Can I still print directly from Terminal 2?

Yes. Wireless printing adds another way to start a label print, and direct printing at Terminal 2 stays available.

How do I get wireless printing at my locations?

Wireless printing is rolling out in phases across the BOHA! installed base. Current customers can contact their BOHA! account team or email CustomerSuccess@transact-tech.com to confirm timing and get set up.

How does wireless printing work with BOHA! Timer?

If a location uses BOHA! Timer with label printing, employees can start and watch timers from a supported mobile device while each timer's label prints on a compatible BOHA! printer.