Supported Printers

SiltaFlow prints on five different printer types with a single interface. Choose the technology that best suits your work environment, connect in a few taps, and save the printer for future sessions.

Overview

SiltaFlow supports five different printing technologies: Zebra, Brother, generic Bluetooth thermal printers (ESC/POS), Android Print, and Wi-Fi Direct. You don't need to configure anything complicated: choose the printer type, start automatic discovery, and select your printer from the list. All technologies share the same print screen — only the way communication happens physically changes.

If you have already used a printer before, you can save it to Favorites and reconnect with a single tap without repeating the search. You can also combine printer, label template, and layout settings in a Preset that you can launch with a tap.

The print interface is identical for all technologies. Once you configure the printer, you will not see any differences in your daily workflow — SiltaFlow handles protocol details invisibly.

The Five Technologies Compared

The table below summarizes the main features of each technology to help you choose the one best suited to your use case.

Technology	Connectivity	Typical models	Ideal for
Zebra	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	ZQ, ZD, ZT, QLn, ZC, ZM	Warehouse, manufacturing, retail — high quality and real-time feedback
Brother	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	QL, TD, RJ, PT, PJ, MW	Office, point of sale, shelving — complete range of label formats
Bluetooth Thermal (ESC/POS)	Bluetooth SPP	Any Bluetooth thermal printer	Limited budget, budget thermal printers for counter or belt
Android Print	Wi-Fi, USB, Cloud	Any Android-compatible printer	A4 sheets with multi-label layout, office printers already on the network
Wi-Fi Direct	P2P Wi-Fi, Direct SSID	Brother and Zebra with Wi-Fi Direct	Environments without a router (mobile warehouse, construction site, field distribution)

Zebra Printers

Zebra printers are the most common choice in warehouse and manufacturing environments. SiltaFlow supports them via the Zebra Link-OS SDK, which ensures reliable communication and real-time status feedback.

How to connect

From the Print Labels screen, tap the printer icon in the top right to open configuration.
Select Zebra as the printer type.
Tap Start Discovery. SiltaFlow automatically searches for available Zebra printers via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the local network.
Select the printer from the list. The connection happens automatically, without needing to enter IP addresses or pairing codes.
Tap Print test page to verify that communication works and the label is correctly aligned in the feeder.

Always use the test page after each reconnection or when the printer has been powered off and back on. Verify alignment before starting production prints.

Supported models

All Zebra models with Link-OS protocol are supported: ZQ series (mobile), ZD (desktop), ZT (industrial), QLn (mobile legacy), ZC (card printer) and ZM. Legacy Zebra printers with EPL language are not compatible.

Brother Printers

SiltaFlow supports the entire range of Brother label printers via the Brother Print SDK. The connection procedure is identical to Zebra: automatic discovery finds Brother devices nearby via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

How to connect

Select Brother as the printer type in the configuration.
Tap Start Discovery. All detected Brother devices will appear.
Select the desired model. SiltaFlow automatically configures paper size and media type based on the detected model.
Run a test print to verify quality and alignment.

Supported models

The following series are supported: QL (DK labels, desktop), TD (professional continuous labels), RJ (mobile labels and receipts), PT (P-touch tapes), PJ (pocket A4 sheet printers) and MW (mini printers). Brother office models for printing on normal paper (MFC, DCP, HL series) are not compatible with this technology — use Android Print for those.

For Brother printers, it is important that the type of media loaded (continuous tape, pre-cut labels, thermal paper) matches what is configured in the template. A mismatch can cause print errors or incorrect tape advance.

Bluetooth Thermal Printers (ESC/POS)

This mode is designed for budget thermal printers without dedicated SDK, such as those commonly purchased online for less than 50 euros. Any thermal printer that supports the Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Profile) and ESC/POS protocol is compatible.

How to connect

First, pair the printer in Android's Bluetooth Settings (not in SiltaFlow). The printer must be paired at least once.
In SiltaFlow, select Bluetooth Thermal (ESC/POS) as the printer type.
Tap Select device. The list of already paired Bluetooth devices appears: choose your printer.
Select paper width: 58 mm for compact counter or belt printers, 80 mm for standard cash register printers.

Generic ESC/POS printers do not return print confirmation. If the printer is off or out of Bluetooth range, SiltaFlow will not receive an explicit error. Always verify physically that the label has been printed after first use.

Automatic cutting

After each label, SiltaFlow automatically sends the ESC/POS cut command. If your printer does not have a cutter (automatic cutting blade), this command is simply ignored without causing errors.

Android Print

Android Print leverages the printing system built into your Android device. SiltaFlow generates a PDF of the label (or sheet with multi-label layout) and sends it to Android's native print dialog, which delivers it to the printer.

This technology is ideal if you already have a printing infrastructure in your company: Wi-Fi printers on the local network, USB printers connected via OTG adapter, or cloud printing services (such as Mopria). It requires no additional configuration in SiltaFlow: the available printers are already those configured in your Android.

How it works

Select Android Print as the printer type.
Tap Print. The standard Android print dialog appears.
Choose the printer, number of copies, and orientation, then confirm. Android delivers the PDF to the selected printer.

Android Print is the right choice for printing A4 sheets with multi-label Avery layouts (for example 24 or 40 labels per sheet). Configure rows and columns in the template and SiltaFlow automatically composes the complete sheet before sending it to the print dialog.

Wi-Fi Direct

Wi-Fi Direct allows you to connect your Android device directly to the printer without going through a router or access point. It is the ideal solution for environments where corporate network is not available: remote warehouses, construction sites, field distribution, or trade shows.

Automatic P2P discovery

Tap Start P2P Discovery: SiltaFlow searches for Wi-Fi Direct devices nearby. When your printer appears in the list, select it. The app automatically analyzes the device name to determine if it is a Brother or Zebra printer and apply the correct driver.

Connection via direct SSID

Some printers broadcast their own Wi-Fi as a normal network (direct SSID). In this case, first connect your Android device to that Wi-Fi network from Android settings, then select Direct SSID connection in SiltaFlow and enter the printer's IP address (usually shown on the label or in the printer manual).

Wi-Fi Direct is available on modern Brother and Zebra models. Check your printer manual to verify if it supports Wi-Fi Direct or Access Point mode.

How Discovery Works

Discovery is the phase where SiltaFlow searches for available printers nearby. For Zebra and Brother, discovery occurs simultaneously via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: in a few seconds the list populates with all compatible devices detected.

You do not need to know the IP address or Bluetooth name of the printer: discovery automatically locates compatible devices and shows model name and connection status. Just select the right printer from the list.

On Android 10 and later, Wi-Fi discovery requires location permission. This is a requirement imposed by Android to access Wi-Fi network scanning — SiltaFlow does not use your location for any other purpose. If you see a permission request, accept it to allow Wi-Fi discovery.

Simultaneous Bluetooth and Wi-Fi discovery consumes significant battery. End discovery as soon as you have selected the printer: do not leave it active in the background. For subsequent sessions, use the fast reconnection from Favorites.

Printers Saved in Favorites

After connecting a printer for the first time, you can save it to Favorites by tapping Save to Favorites. Assign a custom name (e.g., "Zebra Warehouse A", "Brother Office Desk") to easily recognize it.

In subsequent sessions, tap the printer name in the Favorites list to reconnect immediately. SiltaFlow automatically uses the last Bluetooth address or IP address it connected with — no discovery, no configuration to repeat.

Managing favorites

Rename — Tap the favorite printer name and modify the custom name.
Remove — Swipe left on the printer entry to remove it from favorites. The physical printer is not modified in any way.
Update address — If the printer has changed IP address (for example after a router restart), run a new connection via discovery and save again: the entry in favorites is updated with the new address.

Print Presets

A Preset is a quick shortcut that remembers three settings together: the favorite printer, label template, and layout configuration (sizes, margins, number of labels per sheet). With a single tap on the preset, SiltaFlow connects to the printer and starts printing without any additional configuration.

Creating a preset

Configure the printer, template, and layout as usual.
Tap Save Preset and assign a descriptive name (e.g., "Goods receipt — Zebra ZD421", "Price tags — Brother QL").
The preset appears on the main Print Labels screen. Next time, tap the preset to start printing immediately.

Create a dedicated preset for each recurring operation: "Goods receipt", "Shipment", "Weekly price tags". The time savings is significant: from 5-6 configuration taps to a single tap.

Which Technology to Choose

Not sure which printing technology is right for you? Here are some practical guidelines.

Choose Zebra or Brother SDK if...

You already have Zebra or Brother printers in your company or warehouse
You need professional print quality and real-time status feedback
You print hundreds or thousands of labels per day
You want automatic detection without configuring network addresses

Choose Bluetooth ESC/POS if...

You have a limited budget and are using budget thermal printers
The printer is not Zebra or Brother but connects via Bluetooth
Print quality for internal use is sufficient
You use 58 mm or 80 mm wide paper

Choose Android Print if...

You want to print on A4 sheets with multi-label layout (Avery style)
You use office multifunction printers already configured on the network
You need cloud printing or remote printing

Choose Wi-Fi Direct if...

You don't have a Wi-Fi network available in the work area
You want to connect your phone directly to the printer without involving IT
You work on the go (field distribution, trade shows, construction sites)
Your Brother or Zebra printer supports Wi-Fi Direct

Requirements and Permissions

For printers to work correctly, some Android permissions and minimum conditions are needed.

Technology	Permission required	Notes
Zebra (Bluetooth)	`BLUETOOTH_CONNECT`	Required on Android 12+. On Android 11 and earlier: BLUETOOTH permission. Pairing must be completed in system settings.
Zebra / Brother (Wi-Fi)	`ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION`	Required by Android for Wi-Fi scanning. Not used to track location.
Bluetooth ESC/POS	`BLUETOOTH_CONNECT`	Pairing must be done in Android's Bluetooth settings before selecting the printer in SiltaFlow.
Android Print	None additional	Uses Android's built-in printing system. Available printers are those already configured on the device.
Wi-Fi Direct	`ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION`, `CHANGE_WIFI_STATE`	Required for P2P discovery. For direct SSID, manually connect to the printer's network in Android Wi-Fi settings.

Android device with version 10 or later
Zebra, Brother and ESC/POS: the printer must be reachable (Bluetooth in range, or Wi-Fi on the same network)
ESC/POS: only 58 mm and 80 mm paper widths are supported
The print queue supports up to 500 distinct items per session

Tips

After initial setup, always use Favorites to reconnect. Quick reconnection does not perform discovery and uses a fraction of the battery compared to scanning.

Create a preset for each recurring operation. From 5-6 configuration taps to a single tap: the time savings accumulates rapidly on daily prints.

With Zebra printers, always run the test page after power-up. It clears the printer's internal buffer and lets you verify alignment before starting production printing.

For ESC/POS printers, remember that Bluetooth pairing must be done in Android's system settings, not in the app. If the printer does not appear in the list, verify that pairing has been completed.

Wi-Fi Direct is ideal when you are on the move or in environments without a network. Just turn on the printer, start discovery, and you are operational in less than a minute, without involving any IT infrastructure.