The Kiosk app can print directly to a Brother badge printer. This knowledge article walks through some areas to check if you are having trouble getting badges to automatically print after a guest signs-in.
If you have not set up your printer with your account before, initial setup instructions can be found HERE.
NOTE: This knowledge will focus on wireless and bluetooth troubleshooting steps for the QL-810W and QL-820NWB Brother printer models. For information on how to connect your iPad and printer with each other via an ethernet cable, check out THIS knowledge article.
Topics covered:
My printer is not showing up in the app
My printer is not showing up on in the app
These next sections will cover troubleshooting steps and areas to check if your iPad is not showing in the RESCAN window in the app.
Connecting through Wi-Fi
Check to see if you can enter the IP address manually
Typically, your printer will automatically show up in the rescan window in the Kiosk app's printer settings if they’re able to communicate.
In some cases, a network can still allow peer-to-peer communication but block the auto discovery attempted by the iPad. This means that the printer will not show up in the rescan window, but you are still able to establish a connection by entering its IP manually. To do so, click the 'Set Printer Manually' button on the Printer Settings Page. Then, enter your printer model and IP address.
Make sure the iPad and Printer are on the same network
If you still cannot connect to your printer via the manual IP setting, check that your iPad and printer are on the same network.
On the QL-820NWB, click on the MENU button. Then, use the arrows to navigate to: WLAN>WLAN Status>Infrastructure Mode. Your SSID name will be in this menu. Make sure this matches the network that your iPad is connected to.
If you need to change the network, you can do so directly from the QL-820NWB’s menu. Click MENU, then navigate to WLAN>WLAN Status>Infrastructure Manual Setting.
You can also reset your printer’s network by connecting it to Brother’s installer via a USB cable. This is required for the QL-810’s setup. Take a look at Brother’s instruction video for this process HERE.
Make sure the iPad can ping your Printer
If your iPad and printer are on the same network, check if your iPad can ping the printer. The easiest method to do this is to enter the printer’s IP address into the address bar of a browser on your iPad, such as Safari.
To find the IP address on a QL-820, click on the MENU button. Then, use the arrows to navigate to: WLAN>WLAN Status>Infrastructure Mode. Your IP address will be listed on the screen.
For the QL-810, hold the cut button down for 3 seconds. The IP address will be printed on one of the sheets of paper.
Enter this IP address into the address bar of your iPad's browser. If the iPad is able to ping the printer successfully, you will be taken to Brother’s printer setting website. If no website loads, then the iPad and printer aren’t able to communicate.
There are a number of factors that could block a connection between your printer and iPad, depending on your network setup. Some useful things to check are:
No firewall blocks that could be preventing a connection
The printer has a static IP
You are using a 2.4GHz network
Wi-Fi is turned on for your printer/iPad
You are using WPA2 on your network
Other security methods are usable but attempting to connect the printer to a network that requires a username and password can be a frustrating affair.
Connecting through Bluetooth (QL-820NWB Only)
Make sure that Bluetooth is on for the printer
Make sure that the bluetooth symbol is visible on the main screen of the QL-820NWB. This indicates that Bluetooth is on. To turn it on:
1. Click the 'Menu' button on the printer.
2. Go to the 'Bluetooth' option with the up and down arrows. Press OK.
3. Select 'On' with the up and down arrows. Press OK.
Check that Bluetooth is connected to your iPad
With this complete, you will now need to connect your iPad to the printer via its Bluetooth settings. To do so:
1. Tap on the 'Settings' app on your iPad.
2. Tap on 'Bluetooth' in the menu on the left-hand side.
3. Toggle on the Bluetooth settings near the top of the page.
4. After your iPad searches for and finds your Bluetooth device, tap on it to finish the connection. You will see 'Connected' appear to the right of your printer's name.
Note: Only one Bluetooth printer can connect to an iPad at a time. This means that each iPad you want connected to Bluetooth simultaneously will need to be connected to its own Brother printer.
My iPad/Printer can communicate but badges don't print
Once you’ve established that your iPad and printer are able to communicate with each other, you can focus on settings within the app. To access the printer settings page, open the Kiosk app and follow these steps:
1. Tap ‘i’ icon in the top-right corner of the Welcome Page.
2. Tap printer settings
Make sure your printer’s selected
If no printer appears in the window, hit RESCAN to bring up any available printers. If a printer is visible in the rescan window, tap the printer to select it. A selected printer will then have a green checkmark next to it.
If your printer doesn’t appear in the RESCAN window, you can enter its IP by clicking ‘Set Printer Manually’ in the bottom left corner and entering its IP. See THIS section for more details. Double check that you’ve entered the correct printer model if you’re connecting through this method.
Make sure GuestPrint is off
Any connections with a Brother printer require the GuestPrint setting to be OFF. Make sure the box is unchecked.
Make sure the Brother Paper Size is Correct
The Brother Paper Size setting must match the paper size that’s in your printer. Some common paper types along with their corresponding size settings are:
DK-2251 - 62mmRB (This setting is for the paper type that prints Red/Black on White)
Dk-2205 - 62mm (This is the standard black/white continuous tape)
Traction Guest Void badges = 62mm x 100mm
DK-1234 = 60mm x 86mm
Creating a test print
You can test the printer connection without creating a sign-in record directly within the app. To do so, click on PRINTER ERROR LOGS and click TEST PRINT. This will print a test page or give you an error.
Check your Experience Configuration
If the test print works but a guest sign-in doesn’t, the culprit likely lies within the experience editor’s configuration. In your experience editor, make sure the Print Badge button is checked on the Thank You Page(s) at the end of any of your paths you'd like to trigger a print job.
Printer Settings to Check
This section will show specific settings to check in the QL-820NWB and QL-810W that could contribute to a print job blocker.
QL-820NWB
Turn template mode off
Make sure that template mode is off. To turn it off, click MENU then use the arrows to navigate to Template Settings>Template Mode >Off
Make sure you’re not in a menu
The QL-820 will not print if the main screen is in a menu. Make sure you are on the main screen before you attempt to print.
Make sure Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is on
Depending on your intended connection method (wi-fi vs bluetooth), you’ll want to make sure that your chosen connection method is turned on. If it’s on, you’ll see its symbol on the main screen of the printer.
QL-810W
Make sure the Editor Lite button is off
The light above the Editor Lite button must be turned off. If the light is on, give the Editor Lite button a tap to turn it off.
Make sure the Wi-Fi light is solid
Make sure the Wi-Fi light is solid and not blinking. If the light is off, the Wi-Fi is not turned on for that printer. Tap on the Wi-Fi button to turn it on.
If it is blinking, it is not connected to your network. Check out Brother’s install guide HERE if you need to connect it with your network.