Reports not Printing - A4 Printer

Reports not Printing - A4 Printer

If your reports are not printing, follow the steps below in order. They start with the quickest checks and move on to more detailed settings. These steps are for Windows 11 and for standard A4 printers, commonly laser printers (HP, Brother, Toshiba etc.). Retailer reports, such as End of Shift reports, print to the default printer set in Windows. Documents printed from the POS, such as invoices, laybys and repairs, print to the printer chosen in Report Mapping. Barcode and label printing has its own printer setting in Barcode/Label Manager.
Settings like double-sided printing, colour, paper size and tray are set in the printer driver (Printing preferences in Windows), not in Retailer.
Info
If you are trying to print labels and having trouble, click HERE.
Info
If you are having trouble printing receipts on a thermal receipt printer, click HERE.

Step 1: Check the Printer

  1. Power: The printer is switched on and its power light is lit.
  2. Messages: Check the printer's screen or warning lights for a problem, such as a paper jam, out of paper or toner, or an open cover. Fix it and try again. Steps vary between printers, so see your printer's manual.
  3. Paper: The paper tray has paper in it and the paper feeds properly.
  4. Cables: The USB or network cable and the power cable are pushed in firmly at both ends. If your printer connects by Wi-Fi, check it shows it is connected to your network.
  5. Restart: Turn the printer off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on.
Try printing again. If it still does not print, continue to Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows.

Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows

  1. Click the Windows Start button. This is the Windows logo (four squares) on the bar along the bottom of your screen, at the bottom left or in the middle.
  2. Type Printers on your keyboard, then click Printers & scanners.
  3. Select your printer in the list. It is usually named after the brand and model, for example HP LaserJet Pro M404.
Under each printer's name, Windows can show a status such as Default, Paused or Offline. If your printer says Paused, open its page, click Open print queue, click the ... next to the printer's name, then click Resume all. If it says Offline or Not available, the computer cannot communicate with the printer. Check Step 1: Check the Printer, then go to Step 5B: Test Page Does Not Print to check the connection and the port setting. Avoid removing the printer. If you print receipts or invoices to it, Report Mapping uses its name and would need checking afterwards.
Your printer's page shows buttons such as Open print queue, Print test page and Printer properties. Leave it open for the steps below.

Step 3: Clear the Print Queue and Restart the Print Spooler

A stuck print job can stop everything behind it from printing.
Clear the print queue
  1. On your printer's page, click Open print queue.
  2. Click the ... on the right, level with your printer's name. Do not use the ... at the very top right of the window.
  3. Click Cancel all, then close the window.
Restart the Print Spooler
  1. Hold down CTRL, SHIFT and ESC on your keyboard to open Task Manager. If Windows asks to allow changes, click Yes.
  2. In the menu down the left side, click Services. If the menu only shows small pictures, click the three horizontal lines at the top of it first. Services is near the bottom, just above Settings.
  3. Find Spooler in the list, right-click it, then click Restart.
  4. Close Task Manager.

Try printing again. If it still does not print, continue to Step 4: Print a Windows Test Page.

Step 4: Print a Windows Test Page

A Windows test page checks the connection between the computer and the printer without using Retailer.
  1. Open your printer's page (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows).
  2. Click Print test page.
If the test page printed, go to Step 5A: Test Page Prints, but Retailer Does Not Print.
If the test page did not print, go to Step 5B: Test Page Does Not Print.

Step 5A: Test Page Prints, but Retailer Does Not Print

Reports, including End of Shift reports, print to the default printer set in Windows. Windows can change the default printer by itself, for example after an update or when you print from another program, so check it again if reports go to the wrong printer or do not print. Documents printed from the POS use Report Mapping instead (see below).

Check the Default Printer

  1. Open Printers & scanners (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows, steps 1 and 2).
  2. Look for the word Default under a printer's name. That should be the printer you want reports to print on.
  3. If a different printer says Default, select your printer in the list, then click Set as default.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under Printer preferences, check that Allow Windows to manage my default printer is Off. When it is On, Windows can keep changing your default printer.
  5. Close and reopen Retailer, then print a report again.
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If a window asks where to save a file when you print a report, the default printer is a PDF printer such as Microsoft Print to PDF. Set your real printer as the default.

Check the Printer Name in Report Mapping

If your A4 printer is only used for reports and End of Shift printing, you can skip this section. If you also print POS documents to it, such as receipts, invoices, laybys or repairs, they print to the printer named in Report Mapping instead of the default printer. If the printer was reinstalled, Windows may have added it again with (Copy 1) on the end of its name, and Retailer no longer finds it.
  1. Open Retailer on the computer that the printer is connected to. On the top menu bar of Retailer, click Setup → Point of Sale → Terminals → Report Mapping.
  2. Look at the Printer column. Lines that print to your A4 printer show its name, for example HP LaserJet Pro M404. A line that says Choose Printer asks which printer to use each time you print, and Preview shows the document on screen instead of printing.
  3. Compare the name with the one in Windows. Open your printer's page (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows), click Printer properties, and look at the name on the General tab.
  4. If they are different, type the name exactly as it appears in Retailer into the name box on the General tab and click OK. This is easier than changing the report mapping settings.
  5. Close and reopen Retailer, then print again.
For more help with receipt and report printing settings, click HERE.

Step 5B: Test Page Does Not Print

The printer cannot communicate with the computer. First find out how it is connected:
  1. Open your printer's page (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows) and click Printer properties.
  2. Click the Ports tab. The port with a tick next to it is the one the printer is using.
If it starts with USB, the printer is connected by a USB cable. If it shows an IP address (four numbers separated by dots, for example 192.168.1.86), or starts with WSD, it is connected through your network.

USB connection
  1. Turn the printer off.
  2. Unplug the USB cable from the computer and plug it into a different USB port directly on the computer. Do not use a USB hub or extension.
  3. Turn the printer on.
  4. Print a Windows test page again (see Step 4: Print a Windows Test Page).
If the test page prints, go to Step 5A: Test Page Prints, but Retailer Does Not Print. If it still does not print, go to Step 6: Printer Missing or Not Set Up.
Network connection (IP address or WSD)
The printer must be able to communicate with the computer to print. A WSD port is also a network connection and works for reports, as long as the printer can communicate. A network printer can change its IP address, for example after a router restart or power outage, so Windows is still sending documents to the old address.
  1. Make sure the printer is on and connected to the same network as your computer.
  2. Print a configuration page from the printer to see its current IP address. Steps vary between printers. Check the printer's manual, which is also available on the manufacturer's website (search for your printer's brand and model with the word manual).
  3. Compare it with the IP address shown next to the ticked port on the Ports tab.
  4. If they are different, or the port starts with WSD and the printer will not print, click Add Port... on the Ports tab.
  5. Choose Standard TCP/IP Port and click New Port...
  6. Click Next. In Printer Name or IP Address, type the IP address from the configuration page. The Port Name fills in automatically.
  7. Click Next, then Finish, then Close.
  8. Make sure the new port is ticked, then click Apply.
  9. Print a Windows test page again (see Step 4: Print a Windows Test Page).
If the printer still will not print, go to Step 6: Printer Missing or Not Set Up.

Step 6: Printer Missing or Not Set Up

Use this section if the printer is new, stopped working after a Windows update, or is not in the list in Printers & scanners. Windows usually adds A4 printers by itself, but it may need a nudge.

Add the Printer

  1. Open Printers & scanners (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows, steps 1 and 2).
  2. Next to Add a printer or scanner, click Add device. Wait a few seconds while Windows searches.
  3. When your printer appears, click Add device next to it.
  4. If Windows added it with (Copy 1) on the end of the name, that is fine for reports that use the default printer. Select the printer, click Set as default, and if you also print POS documents to it, check the name in Report Mapping (see Step 5A: Test Page Prints, but Retailer Does Not Print).
  5. Close and reopen Retailer, then print a report.
If your printer does not appear, check it is turned on and connected, then click Refresh and try again. If it still does not appear, click Add a new device manually next to The printer that I want isn't listed and choose the option that matches how your printer connects. If you are not sure, contact your IT provider or printer supplier.

Check the Printer Driver

  1. Open your printer's page (see Step 2: Open Your Printer in Windows) and click Printer properties.
  2. Click the Advanced tab and look at the name in the Driver box.
If it says Microsoft IPP Class Driver, Windows is using its basic driver. This works for Retailer reports. If reports still do not print properly, or labels do not print, install the official driver for your exact printer model. Search for your printer's brand and model with the word driver on the manufacturer's website, or ask your IT provider. Afterwards, check the default printer again. If you also print POS documents to this printer, check its name in Report Mapping too, because installing a driver can change the printer's name.

If none of these steps fix the problem, contact Tower Support.