Setting up the printer
Found under admin area "System and device settings" > "Printer" > "Printer setup".
Printing is split across two areas on purpose:
- Which device prints and how the picture reaches the paper — here, with the device. Applies to all events.
- Whether and how often anything is printed — with the event, under "Print". No printing at the company party, two copies at the wedding: same booth, same paper, different party.
Preparing Windows#
The printer has to be installed in Windows with the correct paper size in the driver (usually 6″ × 4″). Whatever is set there is what the software uses.
Main printer#
- Under "Main printer" pick the mode:
- Single printer — the normal case.
- Printer pool — several identical printers share the jobs.
- Disabled — this booth does not print.
- Select the printer from the list.
- Run a test print. If it succeeds, the setup list ticks off "Set up and test the printer".
Photo strips: why two printers#
On many printers — the DNP RX1 and RX1-HS for instance — the 2″ cut for photo strips is a setting in the printer driver, not in the individual job. One printer can therefore do either 6 × 4 or strips, and the layout choice at the booth would have to be restricted accordingly.
The way around it: install the same printer twice in Windows.
- First queue without the cut — enter it as the main printer.
- Second queue with the 2″ cut — enter it as the photo strip printer.
Both formats are then available at the same time. Pool operation with several devices works for both.
Printer pool#
The pool spreads jobs across several printers — meant for events where one device cannot keep up or where a paper change must not stop the queue.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pool distribution | The rule by which the next printer is chosen |
| Preferred printer | The device served first |
| Return to preferred printer | Go back to the preferred device after a detour |
| Switch printer after copies | Change device after a fixed number of copies |
| Split jobs | Spread large jobs across several devices, from a configurable number of copies |
The software watches the devices and shows which printer is online, which reports an error and what is queued.
Aligning the margins#
Hardly any printer hits the paper exactly. There are two levels for that:
- Per-printer correction ("Correction top/bottom/left/right") — compensates for the quirks of the device. It belongs to the printer and stays the same across all events. "Test print on this printer" checks the result, "Reset correction" starts over.
- Offsets with the event — move the artwork inside the printable area, for example when a layout is meant to have a wider white margin.
DNP info tool#
For DNP printers such as the RX1 and RX1-HS the software uses the DNP info tool to read the consumables level and extended status information — in other words, how many prints the loaded media still has. The tool's folder is entered under "DNP info tool"; the setting applies to both printers.
When it does not work#
| Symptom | Cause and remedy |
|---|---|
| No print comes out | Printer offline or paused in Windows. Check the Windows queue |
| Picture is skewed or cropped | Wrong paper size in the driver, or the per-printer correction is missing |
| Strips print as 6 × 4 | The queue without the 2″ cut was entered for strips |
| Printing stalls, jobs pile up | Paper or ribbon empty; the queue continues after reloading |
| Guests print too much | With the event under "Print", limit the maximum for guests or turn off the copy selection |