Articles, Printers & Rules — Quick Start¶
DiKAS automatically controls which order appears on which printer or screen. This chapter describes the interplay of articles, article groups, printers and rules.
The Principle in 30 Seconds¶
Gast bestellt Pizza Margherita → Kellner bucht am Tablet
↓
DiKAS prüft: Welcher Drucker ist für diesen Artikel zuständig?
↓
Ergebnis: Küchendrucker druckt Bon → Koch bereitet Pizza zu
Each article belongs to an article group. The group determines which printer receives the ticket. This way, with just a few clicks, you control whether food is printed to the kitchen and beverages to the bar.
Step 1: Set Up Printers¶
Before you create articles, set up your printers:
Admin → Settings → Printers → "+ New Printer"
| Field | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Kitchen Printer | Freely selectable |
| IP Address | 192.168.1.51:9100 | IP and port of the printer |
| Backup Printer | Receipt Printer POS | If kitchen printer fails |
Tip: Set a default printer (e.g. the POS receipt printer). This is used when no specific printer is configured.
Step 2: Create Article Groups¶
Groups are the folders for your articles. They also determine where orders are printed.
Admin → Articles → Tab "Groups" → "+ New Group"
Typical Group Structure¶
Hauptgruppe (100)
├── Speisen
│ ├── Vorspeisen
│ ├── Pizza
│ ├── Pasta
│ └── Salate
├── Getränke
│ ├── Alkoholfrei
│ ├── Bier
│ └── Cocktails
└── Desserts
Set Printer on the Group¶
Open an article group and configure the receipt printer:
| Setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Station Ticket 1 → Kitchen Printer | All articles in this group are printed on the kitchen printer |
| Station Ticket 2 → Bar Printer | Additionally print on a second printer |
| Consolidated Order Ticket → Kitchen Printer | Combine all articles of an order on a single ticket |
Important: The printer setting is inherited by subgroups. If you assign the kitchen printer to "Food", "Pizza" and "Pasta" also automatically get the kitchen printer — unless you override it on the subgroup.
Step 3: Create Articles¶
Admin → Articles → Select group → "+ New Article"
| Field | Example | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Pizza Margherita | Yes |
| Price | 12.50 | Yes |
| Tax Class | 19% | Yes |
| Group | Pizza | Yes |
| Article Number | 101 | No |
| Barcode | 4001234567890 | No |
Article Options (Extras)¶
Options are extras such as toppings, side dishes or preparation style:
Example: Pizza with Extra Toppings
Pizza Margherita (12,50 €)
└── Optionsgruppe: Extra-Belag
├── Schinken +1,50 €
├── Pilze +1,00 €
├── Oliven +1,00 €
└── Extra Käse +2,00 €
The waiter selects the extras when placing the order. The surcharge is calculated automatically.
Option Templates (for Many Articles at Once)¶
If 20 pizzas have the same extras: Create a template and assign it to all pizzas.
Admin → Option Templates → "+ New Template"
Changes to the template apply immediately to all assigned articles.
Step 4: Price Rules (optional)¶
Rules automatically change prices by time of day, weekday or section:
Happy Hour Rule¶
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Days | Mon–Fri |
| Time | 16:00–18:00 |
| Discount | 20% |
All articles in the group automatically receive a 20% discount during this period.
Section-Based Prices¶
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Table Group | Beer Garden |
| Price Change | +0.50 EUR |
Beverages in the beer garden automatically cost 50 cents more than indoors.
Practical Example: Pizzeria with Salad Station¶
You operate a pizzeria with a separate salad station and a beverage counter.
What You Need¶
| Printer | Location | IP |
|---|---|---|
| POS Printer | Register | 192.168.1.50 |
| Kitchen Printer | Pizza Oven | 192.168.1.51 |
| Salad Printer | Salad Station | 192.168.1.52 |
| Bar Printer | Beverage Counter | 192.168.1.53 |
Setup¶
- Create printers (Admin → Settings → Printers)
- Set up groups:
| Group | Station Ticket 1 | Consolidated Order Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza | Kitchen Printer | Kitchen Printer |
| Pasta | Kitchen Printer | Kitchen Printer |
| Salads | Salad Printer | Salad Printer |
| Beverages | Bar Printer | Bar Printer |
| Desserts | Kitchen Printer | Kitchen Printer |
- Result: Guest orders pizza + salad + cola → Three tickets automatically go to three different stations.
Consolidated Order Ticket vs. Station Ticket¶
| Ticket Type | When to use? |
|---|---|
| Station Ticket | One ticket per article (each dish individually) |
| Consolidated Order Ticket | One ticket per printer (all dishes of a station together) |
Tip: Use the consolidated order ticket when a station should prepare multiple dishes simultaneously. This saves paper and provides a better overview.
Practical Example: Beer Garden with Draught System¶
You operate a beer garden and an indoor dining room. Both areas have a draught system that automatically taps beer.
What You Need¶
| Device | Type | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Draught System Beer Garden | Gruber | TCP 192.168.1.70 |
| Draught System Indoor | Gruber | TCP 192.168.1.71 |
| Kitchen Printer | ESC/POS | TCP 192.168.1.51 |
Table Groups¶
| Table Group | Tables |
|---|---|
| Beer Garden | 1–20 |
| Indoor | 21–40 |
Set Up Draught Systems¶
Admin → Settings → Draught Systems
- System "Beer Garden Tap" → IP 192.168.1.70, Protocol: Gruber
- System "Indoor Tap" → IP 192.168.1.71, Protocol: Gruber
Connect Articles with Draught System¶
Open e.g. the article "Helles 0,5l":
- Draught System PLU: 5 (the tap number)
- Print Options → Draught System: enable
- Target: Default (= first active system)
Section-Based Control¶
So that beer in the beer garden comes from the beer garden tap and indoors from the indoor tap:
- Open the article "Helles 0,5l"
- Add a section-dependent print option:
- Table Group: Beer Garden → Draught System: Beer Garden Tap
- Table Group: Indoor → Draught System: Indoor Tap
Result: Waiter orders "Helles" at table 5 (beer garden) → beer garden tap taps automatically. Waiter orders the same beer at table 25 (indoor) → indoor tap taps.
Tables with Draught System Table Numbers¶
Each table can have its own draught system table number. The draught system then knows which table the beer is for:
Admin → Tables → Edit Table → "Draught Table No."
Summary¶
| Concept | Where to configure? | What does it do? |
|---|---|---|
| Printers | Settings → Printers | Define hardware |
| Article Groups | Articles → Groups | Printer assignment, sorting |
| Station Ticket | Group/Article → Print Option | Ticket to a specific printer |
| Consolidated Order Ticket | Group/Article → Print Option | All articles of a station on one ticket |
| Section-Dependent | Article → Section-Dep. Print Options | Different printers per table group |
| Draught System | Settings → Draught Systems | Automatic tapping |
| Price Rules | Group/Article → Rules | Automatic price changes |
| Option Templates | Option Templates | Reusable extras |
Next Step¶
→ Articles, Printers & Rules — Detailed Guide — All features in detail with expert knowledge
→ Kitchen Printer & Kitchen Display — Course control and screen-based orders