Printer has stopped working

In this article we work through common reasons that badges fail to print. This can be generally fixed quite easily and quickly.

This is the most common support request we get at Visitor Manager Central. But with some simple steps and following the setup guides for each type of printer you have, you can minimise or completely resolve this happening!

Supported Printers #

Visitor Manager Central supports the following label printers for correctly printing badges for visitors and your users. Please ensure you are only using one of these supported models.

• Brother QL-720NW (Lan, Wireless)
• Brother QL-800 (Lan)
• Brother QL-810W (Lan, Wireless)
• Brother QL-820NWB (Lan, Wireless, Bluetooth)

The best printer you can invest in is the Brother QL-820NWB currently.

Other models in the series may be supported, please contact visitormanagercentral.com.au if you are unsure of what printer will perform best for your needs.

How printing works #

Setting up a printer is easy, it’s a direct connection between the iPad and the Printer over your office wi-fi network or Bluetooth (if supported).

• When a visitor signs in the iPad sends data back to the Visitor Manager Central cloud
• Visitor Manager Central then sends data back to the iPad confirming the visitor sign in and requests a badge to be printed
• The iPad then talks to the connected printer over the network and tells it to print the badge for the visitor.

You can connect multiple iPads to one Wi-Fi printer buy if you are using Bluetooth you can only connected one iPad to one printer at a time.

Printer Configuration Options #

The screen below shows the settings screen of the Visitor Manager Central iPad app. Once you install the iPad app and login with your username and password you will be presented with your Kiosk and Printer options.

To access the printer settings, tap “SETTINGS” at the bottom of the screen.

1. Wi-Fi Printer – tap to select your network connected printer. If your printer is correctly setup on the network, it should appear in the printer list after a few moments once it has been detected.
2. IP Address – this is your printers network IP address, it will display here once the printer is connected, you can also manually enter a printer IP address if it is not detected on the network or not discoverable.
3. Bluetooth Search & Pair – for the QL-820NWB series printer, this function operates the same as the Wi-Fi printer option, it will display a list of printers you can connect.
4. Printer – this will display a list of Bluetooth enabled printers you can connect to
5. Paper Size – the default paper size will be 100mmx60mm and we recommend these labels, however if you use a continuous label roll you may need to change the default paper size. Only use the labels marked DK-11202.
6. Print Test – sends a test badge print job to the printer, this is prefect for testing/troubleshooting.
7. Reachability Test – as above but without badge printing, it simply makes sure there is a connection and will confirm this on screen.

Printer Stops Working #

There are a few options to try if your printer displays an error message on the iPad and will not print, or simply nothing happens.

1. Logout of the iPad app by tapping the bottom right corner of your iPap kiosk until you see a settings icon appear, tap this and then enter your iPad kiosk password.
2. You can also logout of the app by closing the application and clearing it from the iPad memory (double tap home button on iPad and swipe up on the app window).
3. Login to the iPad app again and navigate to the Printer settings (as pictured above)

It’s likely none of your settings have changed at this point. If the Printer is not shown on the settings page, try reconnecting it again. If the printer does show there are a few options to try.

1. Use the Print Test function, if the printer prints then it should work fine
2. Use reachability test, if it reaches the printer, also try a Print Test function
3. The same applies for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connected printers
4. Ensure you are running the latest version of Visitor Manager Central (the App Store will always have the latest version available)
5. Ensure your iPad is a supported model and is updated to the latest version of iOS

Please note

• It’s highly unlikely you will need to delete the Visitor Manager Central app and reinstall just to get a printer to work, there is no need for this unless our support team instruct you to do so.
• If you turn off the Printer it may need to be connected to the iPad again, Printers are assigned a unique IP address on the network, if they are turned off this could be reset, and you will need to reconnect it again. Same applies for a power failure or similar.
• Sometimes your IT Admin will set a fixed (static) IP to a printer so the IP never changes even when it’s turned off. If you know this number, ensure its displaying correctly on the iPad printer settings and matches.
• If you cannot see your Printer on the network, ask your IT Admin for assistance.

Important #

Visitor Manager Central supports the DK-11202 labels which are 62x100mm. Other formats may work at times, but we do not officially support these types. Please check to ensure you are using the DK-11202 labels always and that they have been inserted into the printer holder carefully.