Printer Not Working? Step-by-Step Help

The best way to use this document is to carefully review the Index for the exact scenario you are encountering and then clicking the link to take you to the relevant section. We recommend using the find shortcut (ctrl + f) to narrow down the solution you are looking for. For example, if PheedLoop OnSite is displaying a "The Attendee is Not Permitted to Print this Template" error message, simply copy and paste that error message in this document to find the solution for that error.

If you are still encountering an issue, please reach out to our logistics team at logistics@pheedloop.com for further assistance.

Index

• There’s an error on the iPad when I try to send to print
• There’s an error on my dashboard when I try to print
• There’s an error on the printer when I try to print
• I’m sending a print through without receiving an error message, but nothing is printing out
• The printer is spitting out a second blank badge whenever I send a print through
• The printer is making strange noises and struggling to send a badge through
• My printer is now showing up as “Offline” in my dashboard
• My badge is printing however a portion of the badge template is not printing as if there is a blank invisible line going through the print
• My badge is printing however the printer is not cutting the badge at the correct spot
• My badge is printing however the the printed text is not in the correct location on my badge
• My printer connection is not working and I am using PheedLoop’s dedicated Router
• My printer is connected to PheedLoop however the connection is randomly turning off and turning back on without any consistency

There’s an error on the iPad when I try to send to print

Do you see an error on your iPad with one of the following? If so - you came to the right place. There is a simple solution to address each one of these errors. If you would like to review a step by step video going through all of these items, please click here or scroll down.

• The Printer is Offline
• The Attendee is Not Permitted to Print this Template

The Printer is Offline 

As the name suggests, this error message means that the printer is appearing as offline in the Event Dashboard. First, we recommend opening the Event Dashboard and confirming if the status of the printers appear as Online.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Printers
2. Under the Status column, confirm the status of the printer appears as Online

If the printer status appears as online, refresh your PheedLoop OnSite app to allow the app to connect to the printers.

1. From PheedLoop OnSite, navigate to the homepage
2. Select the refresh icon on the top right corner of the screen
   1. Alternatively, closing and reopening the app will also work
3. Return to the Check In page
4. Conduct an event check in to confirm the printer is working

If the printer status appears as offline, perform the following checks. Please ensure you refresh the Event Dashboard and PheedLoop OnSite after each check to determine whether that is the cause.

• Refresh the app. If the iPads were set up before the printer, refreshing the page may resolve the issue.
• Ensure the ethernet cable is completely pushed into the printer. If the ethernet cable falls out easily it can cause the printer to lose connection.
• Turn the printer on and off again, sometimes a simple restart is all that is required to establish connection

• From the printer’s touchscreen, select Wizards and scroll down to Connection. Ensure the connection type appears as Wired. If not, change the connection and give the printer a minute to reestablish connection.

  

• If a spare ethernet cord is available, swap that one to determine if the the ethernet cord is the cause of the issue

If your printer is still listed as offline after all these checks, it is possible that your internet source is not following our requirements. Please contact your venue’s internet AV contact and review our internet connection setup guide here.

The Attendee is Not Permitted to Print this Template

The most common reason for this error message is because the printer is connected to a template with a connected tag that the attendee does not possess the respective tag for. First, confirm the template is using connected tags by conducting the following steps:

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Label Designer
2. Next to your template, select Edit

3. On the top left corner of the Badge Label Designer, select Files > Properties

4. Under the Connected Tags field, confirm there is a tag selected

There are multiple ways to resolve this and the best solution would depend on what your team wishes to use for the connected tags.

If your team wishes to use the connected tags field, you can create a new badge design without any connected tags. Once done, PheedLoop OnSite will automatically select that template when printing badges.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Label Designer
2. Above the Badge Label Designer selection screen, select Create New

3. Under the Name field, enter the name of your design
4. Leave Connected Tags field blank
5. Under the Default Template field, select Badge Label 1 if you are using label rolls or Badge Direct Thermal 1 if you are using Direct Thermals
6. Select Create

Once created, print an attendee badge through the Event Dashboard or PheedLoop OnSite to confirm printing is available.

You can also manually add the required tag to the attendees by following the steps below:

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Attendees > Attendees and select the attendee you wish to assign the tag to

2. Scroll down to Tags
3. Under the Connected Tags field, select the tag from the template
4. Select Save Changes

If the connected tag was added erroneously or there's no longer a use for them, you can remove the Connected Tags in the Badge Label Designer by following the steps below:

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Label Designer
2. Next to the template you wish to change, select Edit

3. Above the Badge Label Designer, select File > Properties

4. Under the Connected Tags field, select the X icon for any tags to remove them
5. Select Save

If you do not want the printer to possess any restrictions, unassign the template in the Event Dashboard.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Printers and select the printer you wish to adjust from the list

2. Under the Templates field, remove any assigned templates from the printer
3. Select Save Changes

We also recommend checking your app to ensure no printers are connected to the device.

1. From PheedLoop OnSite, navigate to Check In

2. Select the Gear icon on the top right corner
3. Remove any printers assigned to the device
4. Select Confirm

There’s an error on my dashboard when I try to print

When attempting to print badges from the Event Dashboard, you may encounter the following errors:

• The printer is offline

There’s an error on my printer when I try to print

The Zebra ZD621 printers may display some error messages, requiring manual intervention before it can proceed with printing.

• Media Out Error
• Cutter Error

Media Out Error

A Media Out Error appears when the printer is not able to detect badges in its feeder. This most commonly appears when the direct thermal badges or label rolls run out. To fix this issue, simply insert new badges into the printer and select the pause button to unpause the printer.

Inserting Label Rolls

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. Pull the two yellow label holders horizontally in opposite directions of each other
3. Feed the label roll in between the label holders and let them hold the roll in place
   1. Use the rolling adjuster to tighten/loosen the label holders.

   2. 

   3. Make sure a bit of the label is sticking out of the printer.
4. Feed the unrolled labels underneath the two small tabs which will help keep the labels fed through
5. Feed the labels through the cutter entrance of the printer so the labels stick out
6. Close the top of the printer tightly, you will hear a plastic click when it is properly closed

Once the badges are inserted, select the pause button on the printer and the printer will begin calibrating.

If the issue persists, click and hold the Pause and X buttons on the right side of the printer simultaneously for ~3 seconds. This will start the calibration process for the printer. Please note that this will use a total of 2-3 labels to calibrate.

Inserting Direct Thermal Badges

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. Feed the badges through the back opening of the printer. The back page should be inserted first, with the black bar underneath at the FRONT of the badge.

3. Feed the badges underneath the two small tabs which will help keep the labels fed through
4. Feed the badges through the cutter entrance of the printer so the badges stick out 1-2 inches
5. Close the top of the printer tightly, you will hear a plastic click when it is properly closed

Once the badges are inserted, select the pause button on the printer and the printer will begin calibrating.

If the printer calibration is not successful, perform a manual calibration via the instructions below:

Steps for Standard Calibration with Labels

1. From the Home screen, select Wizards from the right hand side menu
2. Under Wizards, select Print
3. Select Start Print
4. For Print Type, select Direct Thermal and then the checkmark icon
5. For Media Type, select Mark and then the checkmark icon 
   1. Mark is only applicable to badges/labels that have a black mark. If your badges were ordered externally and do not have a mark, select Gap/Notch.
6. For Label Width, keep the default number setting (710) and select the checkmark icon
7. For Media Handling, select Cutter and then the checkmark icon
8. Load the labels for the calibration and then select the checkmark icon
9. Close the cover and then select the checkmark icon
10. The printer will print and then ask “Would you like to print a test label?”, select the checkmark icon
    1. It will print the test label, if it works as intended, the calibration now works.
    2. In the case that it’s still not printing as intended, follow the extra two steps below.
11. For Tear Line Offset, adjust the distance between the top edge of the label and tear/peel bar, and then select the checkmark icon
12. For Adjustment Method, you can manually adjust the darkness and speed of the printing, and then select the checkmark icon

Steps for Standard Calibration with Direct Thermal Badges

1. From the Home screen, select Wizards from the right hand side menu
2. Under Wizards, select Print
3. Select Start Print
4. For Print Type, select Direct Thermal and then the checkmark icon
5. For Media Type, select Mark and then the checkmark icon
6. For Label Width, keep the default number setting (710) and select the checkmark icon
7. For Media Handling, select Cutter and then the checkmark icon
8. Load the badges for the calibration and then select the checkmark icon
   1. If the auto-calibration fails, select Calibrate then the pause button.
   2. If the printer pauses, just select the pause button to continue the calibration.

9. For step 6/10 manual calibration on Open the cover, select Next
10. For step 7/10 manual calibration on Move labels over the sensor, ensure a black bar on the bottom of one of the badges is placed just before the yellow sensor bar as shown in the GIF below, then select Next

11. For step 8/10 manual calibration on Close the cover, close the top of the printer until you hear a click, then select Calibrate

12. For Image Adjust, adjust the distance if necessary, then select the checkmark icon
13. For Print Quality, select the Adjustment Method, then select the checkmark icon

Cutter Error

A cutter error occurs when the printer is failing to feed the badge out as it prints. The most common explanation for a cutter error is that a piece of another badge, is obstructing the cutter and preventing the badge from feeding out properly. A staff member will need to open the printer and manually remove the obstruction before printing can resume.

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. Take out the badges that are loaded into the printer
3. Examine the slit in front of the printer where badges come out
4. Remove any obstructions with tweezers, if none are available, try to find a small thin object and attempt to push the obstruction out
5. Once completed, re-insert the badges and close the printer
6. Select the pause button to unpause the printer

The printer will now calibrate the badge and is now ready to resume printing badges. If the printer is still experiencing cutting errors, repeat the above steps again to ensure all obstructions are removed. If the printer is still experiencing errors and you are certain all obstructions are removed, restart the printer by holding the power button to turn it off and on again. Once the printer is turned on, calibrate the printer with the badges inside and conduct a test print.

I’m sending a print through without receiving an error, but nothing is printing out

If a successful print has been sent but the print is not proceeding, it is likely that the serial number on your printer does not match the one in the event dashboard.

To grab the serial number for your printer, select Printer Info in your printer’s touchscreen and copy the serial number shown. Alternatively, the serial number can be found from the sticker at the bottom of the printer. Now that you have the serial number, you can proceed with verifying it matches with the serial number entered in the Event Dashboard. 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Printers and select the printer 

2. Under the Serial Number field, match the serial number with the one listed on your printer
3. Select Save Changes

If you've verified that the serial number is correct and are still receiving this issue, try refreshing the iPad and ensuring that the correct printer is selected within the OnSite App settings. If that has also been verified, the print not going through is likely a result of slow internet speed. Have the network provider run a speed test, and reach out to logistics@pheedloop.com if the problem persists.

The printer is spitting out a second blank badge whenever I send a print through

If the printer is sending out a blank badge after printing, this means the printer is attempting to calibrate itself. Normally, this is not an issue as after calibration, additional prints will work as normal. If the printer is sending out a blank badge each time, then proceed with a manual calibration as outlined in the Media Out Error section of this article.

The printer is making strange noises and struggling to send a badge through

If you are hearing strange noises that are loud when your printer is printing, there is likely a piece of another badge that is obstructing the cutter. The following steps will solve this by removing the obstruction.

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. Take out the badges that are loaded into the printer
3. Examine the cutter by looking into the front opening of the printer for any obstructions
   1. If you see a badge or label blocking, attempt to remove it by pushing through a badge or a roll set through this. 
4. Once everything is clear, re-insert badges and conduct a test print

The strange noises should now cease and the printer should operate as normal.

If the printer is still not cutting the badges, then the settings in the Event Dashboard may not be configured to cut the badges. This can be fixed in the Event Dashboard:

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Printers
2. Select the printer 
3. Under the Tear Off field, select Advance label for automated cutting
4. Select Save Changes

If the printer is set to Advance label for automated cutting but still not cutting the badges, pick up the printer firmly and shake it to confirm nothing is lodged inside. If nothing is obstructing the cutter, restart the printer by pressing and holding the power button to turn it off and on again.

My printer is showing up as “Offline” in my dashboard

If the printer is appearing as offline, then perform following steps:

Refresh the Event Dashboard and PheedLoop OnSite

The most common solution is to simply refresh the Event Dashboard and PheedLoop OnSite. After the refresh, the printer’s status should appear as Online. If the printer is still offline, proceed with the next steps.

Verify that the ethernet cable is pushed all the way in and clicks

Ensure the ethernet cable is pushed all the way in the printer. If the ethernet cable is not fully in, the connection will not work. An audible click will confirm that the ethernet cable is fully pushed in. When pulling out the ethernet cable, ensure the clip at the bottom of the ethernet is squeezed. The printer will be damaged if this is yanked out roughly.

Ensure the printer’s connection is set to Wired

The printer may be configured to wifi. This can be fixed directly on the printer.

1. From the printer’s Home screen, select Wizards
2. Select Connection
3. Select Start Connection
4. Select Wired and the check mark
5. In the next page, select the check mark
6. In the next page, Select All and the check mark
7. In the next page, select USA/Canada and the check mark
8. In the next page, Under Wi-Fi select WPA PSK and select the check mark
   1. WPA PSK can be found by scrolling down the list.
9. In the next page, select Pre-shared Key and enter password for the Wifi and the check mark
10. In the next page, select All and select the check mark
11. In the next page, select ESSID and enter the name for the Wifi and the check mark
    1. Please note, this is case sensitive.
12. In the next page, select All and select the check mark
13. In the next page, select On and select the check mark
14. In the next page, select On and select the check mark
15. In the next page, select On and select the check mark
16. In the next page, select 3 and select the check mark
17. In the next page, select the check mark
18. In the next page, select On and select End Wizard

Please note, it may take a minute for the printer to appear online.

Restart the printer 

Turn the printer off by holding down the power button for a few seconds and then turn it back on again. Restarting the printer might fix the issue.

Try a different ethernet cord

It is possible that the ethernet cable is damaged or malfunctioning. Swap ethernet cables to check if the ethernet cable is the issue.

Remove any restrictions for the internet at your venue

PheedLoop printers require unrestricted access without any protections including:

• Login page
• Password
• Splash screen
• MAC or IP address filtering
• Firewall

It is recommended to speak to your venue’s internet technician ahead of the event to ensure the requirements are met and for assistance. The most common cause for connection problems with printers is because the wifi has some restriction set in place. We recommend having the venue’s IT technician on standby for assistance when connecting the printers.

For more information on internet requirements, please review our Understanding Internet Requirements for On-Site Success article.

My badge is printing however a portion of the badge template is not printing as if there is a blank invisible line going through the print

The most common explanation for this is that a piece of the badge is obstructing the printhead resulting in part of the badge not printing.

To solve this issue, take these steps:

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. On top of the printer lies the printing mechanism. Examine the printhead and remove anything badges, adhesives, and other materials obstructing it.

3. Wipe the printhead with a towel or napkin. If none are available and you are in a rush, use the sleeve of your shirt to wipe the mechanism.
   1. Do NOT use any liquids to clean the printhead, this may damage it's printing capabilities.
4. Close the printer
5. Select the pause button to unpause the printer and allow it to calibrate

Once calibration is completed, the printer should now print the badges as normal without issue. If the error persist, create a new template in the Badge Label Designer and test a print there. If this separate template does not have the error, work off of this one instead.

If the error is still appearing even after each troubleshooting step was applied, and you are certain nothing is obstructing the printhead, email logistics@pheedloop.com with a photo of one of the misprints. A member of the logistics team will get back to you with further support.

My badge is printing however the printer is not cutting the badge at the correct spot

If the cut is only slightly off, ensure the tear adjustment has been properly set via the steps below:

Please note, the steps apply to Direct Thermal Badges only

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Printers
2. Click on the printer in use
3. Scroll down to Advanced Adjustments
4. Under the Tear Adjustment field, ensure -25 is entered as the number
5. If this cut is still off, move the tear adjustment to -20 and test print again. Repeat process in increments of 5 until cut is perfect.
   1. If you notice that the cut is further off after shifting it up to -20, move the cut to 60 (positive). Then, instead of increasing the tear adjustment in increments of 5 and testing, decrease the tear adjustment. The next attempt should be 55, and so on and so forth
6. Select Save Changes to save your progress in between prints

If the cuts are still off or is extremely drastic (i.e. the cut is happening around the middle of the badge) it is possible that the sensor itself is misaligned.

1. Pull back the two yellow tabs on the sides of the printer and once you hear a release, pull the top open
2. Look for the light sensor, if the sensor is towards the edges of the printer, move it to the center of the printer

3. Feed the badge through by at least one inch
4. Close the printer
5. Perform a manual calibration by following these steps here

My badge is printing however the the printed text is not in the correct location on my badge

The most likely explanation for this problem is that the template in the Badge Label Designer is set to the wrong size.

First, verify the template is the proper size in the Badge Label Designer:

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to OnSite > Badges & Printers > Badge Label Designer
2. For the Design, ensure the height and width are displayed as the following:
   1. For Label Rolls: Ensure the Height reads 3 inches and the Width reads 3.5 inches
   2. For Direct Thermals: Ensure the Height reads 11 inches and the width reads 4 inches
   3. For Direct Thermals with Tickets attached: Ensure the Height reads 16.5 inches and the width reads 4 inches

If the measurements are off correct them:

1. Select the Edit button next to the design

2. On the top left corner of the Badge Label Designer, select Tools > Resize

3. Enter correct measurements mentioned under the Width and Height fields
4. Select Apply

If the measurements are correct but the issue continues to occur, ensure that you do not have a template of another size that you are accidentally printing. The safest option is to delete or resize all existing templates in your dashboard to match your appropriate media size.

Another solution is to click and drag any of the fields to change their position upon printing. Once you have adjusted the fields, conduct a test print to ensure the new placements are satisfactory. You may need to try this a few times to get the best print.

If the above have been checked and you are still running into the error, perform a manual calibration by following these steps here.

My printer connection is not working and I am using PheedLoop’s dedicated Router

The first thing that should be done in this situation is to confirm if all the printers are offline or only some are effected.

If all printers are offline, perform the following steps:

Step 1: Check the “Internet” light on the router

Depending on colour, take the following steps:

Step 2: Confirm if cords are being run through a switch

A switch is essentially a router without wireless capabilities. It’ll take the bandwidth from one input source (the venue ethernet line, router, or modem), and distribute it across 8 or 16 different output ports, depending on the size. There are managed switches, where the user can configure each port individually, or unmanaged switches (what we have), where bandwidth is distributed evenly among devices.

If only some of the printers are offline, perform the following steps:

If the issue is only happening on one printer, it’s almost certainly the result of the printer itself, the ethernet cord being used on that printer, or the power cable on that printer. Double check the connection wizard on the printer, ensure it is set to wired (instructions here), and make sure the ethernet cord being used is plugged in on both ends. If all of the above are done, restart the printer. If it’s still offline, swap the ethernet cord out for a new one.

If the issue is happening across multiple, but not every single printer, it’s crucial to examine your setup. Is there anything in place that make the offline printers unique from the online ones? There could be a power bar that only the offline printers are plugged into, or the offline printers could be running through a router + switch, whereas the online printers are directly wired in to the router. You must identify what they have in common.

• Are all printers wired in the EXACT same way? i.e. Ethernet drop → Router → Switch → Printer
  • Or do 2-3 of them connect directly to the router, with the remainder on the switch?
• Are a few of the printers plugged in to one power bar, with a few on a separate power bar?

Finding what the commonality is an absolute necessity for troubleshooting when only some printers (more than one, but not all) are not connecting. The other possibility is that there are 2 faulty cords, but that is quite unlikely.

My printer is connected to PheedLoop however the connection is randomly turning off and turning back on without any consistency

The most likely explanations for the printers switching between connected and disconnected is due to slow internet speeds. Have the on-site A/V member run a speed test - each device on the network (iPads and printers) should have a bandwidth of 5 mbps. This means that you can ask for the total speed/bandwidth of the network, and divide it by number of devices (either printers, or printers + iPads if they’re both on the same network).

Confirm that no devices beyond what are mandatory are on the network. This interferes with print speeds a lot more than adding a new iPad/printer on the network would. If there are other devices on the network, disconnect them. Both the ethernet and wifi should be strictly used by PheedLoop devices.

If the speed has been tested and it’s been confirmed that zero other devices are on the network, there is some sort of faulty hardware on the network itself. It’s more than likely that it’s a printer cord/charger, or an extension cord, or an outlet. All 3 of these can be isolated and tested in depth.