Labels / Reports not Printing - A4 Printer
If your barcode labels or reports are not printing, below are a few quick troubleshooting steps you can take to narrow down the source of the problem. This article is intended for people using a standard A4-paper printer (HP, Brother, Toshiba etc.). If printing labels, there should also be labels in the Barcode Manager list/queue ready to be printed.
If you are trying to print labels from a Zebra label printer, click HERE.
This article is intended to help if you are unable to print labels at all. If you are able to print labels but they are badly aligned, click HERE.
Check the Printer
Firstly, make sure that all the cables to your printer are firmly plugged in and that the printer has power. Make sure your printer has paper loaded and that it is feeding properly. Restart your printer. If the printer is displaying error warnings, you will need to contact a printer technician or find the user manual for your printer online.
Restart Retailer
If you haven't made any changes to your computers or printers, the first thing to do is to restart Retailer as there could be a connection issue that caused it to disconnect from Retailer.
Check Print for Operator Option
In Barcode Manager, you are able to change the ordering of the printed labels based on the options available. The Print for Operator option will also hide any labels that isn't assigned to that operator number. Tick one of the other options if you do not need to use this option.
Click HERE for more information on how to use operator numbers.
Print a Windows Test Page
- Click the start menu in Windows and type 'control' on your keyboard.
- Click the Control Panel app.
- Select Devices and Printers. Depending on your version of Windows, you may have to first change the View by option at the top to Small Icons before this option appears.
- Find your printer in the list of printers. Right-click it and choose Printer Properties.
- Click Print Test Page.
If a test page successfully printed from your printer, then the cause of your problems is most likely your Retailer settings. Firstly, try closing Retailer and opening it again. If this did not help, skip to the section below about Reports or Barcode Manager.
If your printer does not appear in Devices and Printers, it may not be installed. Try clicking Add a printer. If your printer appears on the list, follow the prompts to install it. If it does not appear on the list, you will have to contact a computer technician to help you connect it.
If your printer appears in Devices and Printers but is greyed out, double check the cables in the printer are tightly plugged in at both ends. Unplug the connection to the PC and plug it back in.
If your printer appears in Devices and Printers but will not print a test page, skip to the section titled Restart the Windows Print Controller.
Report Settings
Reports, including End of Shift reports, will print to the default printer set in Windows. To set a printer as the default printer, open the Devices and Printers window again, right-click the appropriate printer and click Set as Default Printer. A large tick will appear next to the printer. Restart Retailer afterwards to apply these changes.
If you were able to print a Windows test page but are still unable to print reports, contact Tower Support.
Barcode Manager Settings
If you were able to print a Windows test page, but cannot print labels from Retailer, check the following settings in the Barcode Manager.
- Make sure the labels you are trying to print are set to No in the Printed column. If they are marked as Yes, you can change it by clicking into this field, or by clicking Reset to change all labels to No.
- Click Printer Settings, then, under A4 Printer Settings. choose the correct printer from the drop-down box and hit OK. Untick Force print to default printer if it is ticked.
- Make sure you are hitting Print and not Print Label Printer.
- Close Retailer and restart it.
If you are now able to print a Windows test page but are still unable to print labels, contact Tower Support.
Restart the Windows Print Controller
If your printer appears in Devices and Printers but does not print a test page, try these steps:
- Open the Windows Task Manager by clicking the start menu and typing 'task manager'.
- Right click the Task Manager app and choose Run as Administrator.
- Click on the Services tab. Depending on your version of Windows, you may need to first click More Details.
- Find Spooler in the list of services. Right-click it and choose Stop.
- Right-click it again and choose Start.
- Try to print a test label again.
Make sure you have tried restarting both the printer and the PC that it is plugged into. If your printer is not plugged into a PC but is instead directly connected to your network, follow the steps below.
Network Printers - IP Address
The following steps apply only to printers that are not connected to a computer via USB, but are instead connected directly to your network via a network cable or Wi-Fi.
If your printer is directly connected to your PC, do not follow these steps.
For network printers, labels may not print if these steps are not followed, though it may still print test pages and other documents.
- Click the start menu in Windows and type 'control' on your keyboard.
- Click the Control Panel app.
- Select Devices and Printers. Depending on your version of Windows, you may have to first change the View by option at the top to Small Icons before this option appears.
- Find your printer in the list of printers. Right-click it and choose Printer Properties.
- Obtain the IP address of your printer. An IP address is 4 numbers separated by 3 decimals e.g. 192.168.1.20 . You will have to navigate the printer's menu to find the IP address, it should be under Network Settings or TCP/IP. As there are hundreds of printer models available, more specific advice is impossible. Consider searching online to find a guide for your specific model of printer, or talk to a printer technician.
- Back on your PC, on the printer properties of your printer.
- Click the Ports tab and click Add port.
The standard WSD port that Windows sets up with network printers doesn't work with labels, which is why this is necessary. - Choose Standard TCP/IP Port and click New Port.
- Click Next, then enter the IP address you obtained in the Printer Name or IP Address section. The port name should fill in automatically.
- Click Next & Finish, then try printing a test page again.
If you are still unable to print a test page from Windows, you will need to talk to a computer technician to help you troubleshoot this issue as there may be a network issue.
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