Just like a driver can experience "road rage", technology can trigger "tech rage". After all, technology is not perfect - even though we may expect it to be by now.
Want to avoid a situation where you're desperately gripping the sides of the Ticketbutler printer and yelling, “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME"?
Then do yourself a favour and prepare yourself ahead of time 🤓 Read on, and/or click on the video above to see our CEO, Mads, demonstrate how to easily fix the printer if it starts acting up.
The useless piece of garbage won't print! 😡
If the printer won't print a label and you don't quite know where to start troubleshooting, take a deep breath and go through the following checklist:
- Are both the bottom computer and the top part of the printer turned on? Check if the bottom display is lit up, and the on/off button at the top of the printer is lit up green.
- Are both the bottom computer and the printer charged? Check by plugging in both chargers.
- Not sure if there is power in the outlet? Try another outlet.
- Is everything plugged in? Check if the grey cable on the back of the printer is properly inserted.
- Is the WiFi button off? If the button is lit up green, turn it off, as the printer runs on data from a SIM card installed in the bottom computer!
- Is the WPS/Editor Lite button turned off? If not, push the button once to turn it off.
- Is there a label roll in the printer? Check by opening the top hatch.
- Is the label roll inserted properly? Try taking it out and putting it back in.
- Are you using the correct type of label roll? Check by logging in to your Ticketbutler dashboard, selecting the event, clicking on "Name badge" and then the "Design name badge" tab.
- Not sure if the phone is properly connected to the printer? Pair it again by clicking on the camera icon in the Ticketbutler app and scanning the QR code on the back of the printer.
- Is the phone connected to another printer? Oops, this means that your labels are being printed on another printer! Pair the phone to your selected printer (and remember to check the attendee out and in again if you need a new label).
- Is there data on the phone? Check that airplane mode has not been activated by mistake.
- Are you somewhere with bad signal (e.g. a bunker)? Try moving the printer to somewhere with better connection.
- Is the Ticketbutler check-in app updated to its latest version? Uninstall and reinstall.
You are now a trouble-shooting expert!
It says "Connect phone" - what the heck does it want now, that pile of junk electronics? 🤬
If it says "Connect phone", you have to do exactly that; connect your phone.
You do this by downloading the Ticketbutler app, and then connecting your device to the printer by scanning the QR code on the back of the printer with the app. Read more in the guide How to use a Ticketbutler name badge printer.
It could also just be a faulty error message, which can show up if you paired the phone with the printer before the printer was completely ready to do so. Try ignoring the message and checking in a guest via the app anyway.
Your phone may also be connected to another printer than the one you are trying to print from. Try connecting the phone to the printer again and checking in a guest, after which the message "Connect phone" should disappear from the bottom display.
What if none of the above works? Fortunately, there is always the good old "switch off and on" method! Close the app completely, open it again, log in again and scan the QR code on the back of the printer.
It says "Wrong paper" - it should say "Wrong printer" instead 😤
"Wrong paper" usually means that you have chosen the wrong label type in your dashboard. Change the label type in your dashboard by heading to the "Name badge" tab and then clicking on "Design name badge".
If it says "No paper", the printer might be running out of paper - either that or the label roll is not attached properly.
"No printer found" - I give up 🥵
If the bottom display says "No printer found", it may be because the printer is switched off or out of battery. It could also be because the gray cable on the back of the printer has detached.
"Reconnecting"?! I don't have time for this crap 🤬
Patience is a virtue, as they say. "Reconnecting" means that the printer has lost a data connection. Simply take a deep breath, count to 10 and wait for the bottom computer to re-connect to the data network.
If it still says "Re-connecting", try the good old "turn off and on" method.
Another back-up solution is to create a WiFi hotspot on a single cell phone, after which the printer/s will automatically connect to this one hotspot. All you have to do is change the network name and password on the mobile phone - contact us for the details.
It's printing, hallelujah! But a field is missing - what do I do? 🙄
If you uploaded guest data after you designed the name badge label, the system will treat the columns in the new file as new fields.
To fix, simply navigate to your event in the Ticketbutler dashboard, click on the "name badge" tab, then "design name badge" and add any missing fields.
What? The app says the guest has already been checked in? 🤯
The scanner in the Ticketbutler app can be a little too eager sometimes and scan a guest in without you even noticing it (if you e.g. by accident point your camera at the QR code).
Good thing is, the app can show you the exact time the guest was checked in. If the check-in happened a few seconds or minutes ago, blame the avid scanner and simply check your guest out, then in again.
Questions?
If you have any questions at all on how to troubleshoot, contact Ticketbutler at hello@ticketbutler.io or tel. 89 80 12 80.