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Troubleshooting

The printer isn't working

A quick checklist for a printer that's missing, in error, not printing or printing badly.

This article is a quick checklist. For details, see Printer troubleshooting.

The printer doesn't appear

  1. Is the manufacturer's driver installed? Without it, the printer doesn't appear, or appears without paper sizes. See Install your photo printer's driver.
  2. Is the USB cable plugged directly into the computer?
  3. Is the printer turned on, with the cover closed?
  4. Click Refresh on the Printers page.
  5. Does the printer appear in the system's printer settings (System settings from the Printers page)? If not, the problem is between the printer and the system.

The printer shows “Error”

  • Paper or ribbon used up, cover open, paper jam: fix it on the printer (its screen or indicator lights will tell you).
  • Open the system print queue and delete any stuck jobs.
  • Turn the printer off and back on.
  • Run a Test page.

Nothing prints during the event

  • Is Automatic printing turned on (Printers › Printing)?
  • Is the active printer the right one? A virtual printer such as “Microsoft Print to PDF” produces no prints.
  • Has the Limit per guest been reached?
  • Is Confirm before printing turned on? If so, the guest has to confirm.

Unprinted layouts remain in Storage › Prints: you can reprint them (see Reprint and export).

Prints are offset or have margins

  • Does the chosen Paper size match the installed ribbon?
  • Does the template size match the paper? The editor shows it.
  • Turn on Borderless for edge-to-edge printing.
  • Print the Test page: its rulers on all four edges show what the printer trims; keep text and logos away from the edges.

Colors are pale or wrong

  • Use genuine ribbon and paper, matched to the model.
  • After changing consumables, run a test page again.
  • Check the Colors section of the test page (skin tones, gradients).
  • Store consumables in a dry place at room temperature.

The printer stops in the middle of the evening

  • Turn on Keep USB ports powered (Settings › Power) so Windows doesn't cut power to the port.
  • Check the paper level: the Dashboard's print counters help you anticipate.
  • Leave room for air around the printer: a dye-sublimation printer gets hot and can slow down when it overheats.

Monitoring remotely

In the web panel, the Printer error and Printer offline alerts warn you even if you're not next to the booth.