Sometimes even the most reliable equipment can fail, and in such cases, it’s helpful to know how to resolve the problem quickly. Printers are no exception. Various technical issues may occur, such as faint or intermittent printing, network connection problems, or the printer printing only slips but not receipts. Below you will find some useful tips and solutions for the most common printer issues.
Printer prints faintly or intermittently
If the printer prints faintly or intermittently and the receipt looks as if the toner is running low, try cleaning the printer dry. If cleaning does not help, the printer likely needs to be serviced.
Our printers operate using thermal printing (heat-based), so they do not use toner. Each printer has a certain lifespan, and after extended use, the print head will need to be replaced.
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How to clean the print head
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If your printer requires servicing, please contact our customer support. Have a photo of the receipt ready so we can verify whether this is indeed the case. While your printer is in service, we will provide a replacement unit.
Important: The printer warranty period is 2 years. Post-warranty service is available for an additional 2 years after the warranty expires. |
If your printer is not printing a line, the print is misaligned, or other unusual issues occur, we will help you identify the problem. Please send us a photo of such a receipt via email.
Printer prints in broken lines
If your printer is paired with your tablet via Bluetooth, make sure the printer is no more than 5 meters away from the tablet and that there are no obstacles between them. Try moving the printer closer to the tablet and check if the printing improves.
If your printer is connected via USB cable directly to your 14" or 15" POS terminal, make sure the USB cable is plugged into the correct port: for the 14" POS, use the USB-OTG port, and for the iMin 15", use the USB 3 (blue) port. Using other USB ports may cause the printer to print in broken lines or not function correctly.
If the problem persists, contact customer support.
Printer prints slips but not receipts
If the printer prints slips, test prints, and receipt copies, but does not print actual receipts, check that the “Digital” option is not selected for receipt printing at the end of the payment.
When “Digital” is selected, the account is closed and saved in the system and on the server, but the receipt itself is not printed. To print the receipt, simply click the “Bill” button instead of choosing “Digital.”
If the problem persists, contact customer support.
Printer does not emit a sound signal
Mechanical adjustment
Turn the printer upside down, open the cover, and check that lever number 2 is in the up position. If lever 2 was down, move it up, turn the printer off and on again, and test whether the printer now emits a sound signal when printing an order.
If lever 2 was already up, try moving it down and then back up. Turn the printer on again and check if it now works correctly.
If this does not help, the printer will need to be configured software-wise for sound signaling. You will need a computer (or our 14" tablet) to connect the USB cable. Instructions on how to set up the printer via software can be found in our article here.
LAN printer is offline
If your network printer is offline, follow these steps:
Check your internet connection – for example, open a web browser and go to admin.storyous.com.
Check the cable connecting the printer to the router. Disconnect and reconnect the cable, making sure it is firmly clicked into place. Verify that both indicator lights on the LAN cable are on: green and orange.
Ensure that the main tablet is connected to the same network as the printer, which is also directly connected to the router via a LAN cable. In the tablet’s Wi-Fi settings, delete any other saved networks.
Next, check whether the printer’s IP address has changed and print a self-test from the printer. If you are unsure how to perform a self-test, instructions are available in the manual for your printer type (Xprinter / Star) or below in the article. On the tablet, tap the three lines in the top left → Settings → Printers to see your printer and its IP address. Verify that it matches the IP shown on the self-test.
Self-test for Xprinter printer modelA self-test is a small slip containing information about your device. To print it, follow these steps:
If a blank paper was printed or the paper shows “hexadecimal”, please repeat the procedure – the self-test was not successful. |
If the IP address does not match – you can update the IP address from the Self-test directly on your main tablet.
Instructions:
On the tablet, tap the three horizontal lines in the top left,
then tap Settings,
tap Printers,
select the printer,
tap Printer Address,
enter the current IP address from the self-test,
log out and log back into the Storyous app to apply the change.
If the IP address matches, first try restarting both the tablet and the router. If the restart does not help, the printer will need to be reset according to the instructions for your printer type (Xprinter / Star). After resetting the printer, you will likely need to adjust the IP address again following the steps above.
Bluetooth Printer is Offline
If the printer is not printing either order tickets or receipts and shows an exclamation mark, first try restarting both the tablet and the printer.
If the restart doesn’t help, check its Bluetooth pairing. In the tablet settings, go to Bluetooth, unpair the printer if necessary (usually by tapping the gear icon), and pair it again. The exact pairing procedure depends on your printer model: Xprinter / Small Xprinter / Portable Mobile Cashino. After pairing the printer again, open the Settings section in the Storyous app, select the printer, and print a test receipt. The printer will print a confirmation that everything is working correctly.
Next, check the BT address of the device. Print the printer’s Self-test and look for BT-ADDRESS (BDA/BT address). Instructions for printing the self-test can be found in the manual for your specific printer model (Xprinter / Small Xprinter BT / Portable Mobile Cashino) or further down in this article. The BT address must match the one displayed in the printer’s settings. If the addresses do not match, you can enter the new BT address from the self-test directly on your main POS device.
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Self-test for Xprinter Model The self-test is a slip with technical information about your printer. To print it, follow these steps:
If a blank paper was printed or the paper shows “hexadecimal”, please repeat the procedure – the self-test was not successful. |
Instructions:
On the tablet, tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner,
then tap Settings,
tap Printers,
tap the specific printer,
tap Printer Address,
enter the current BT address (the address contains only the number 0; the letter O is usually not present),
log out and log back in to the Storyous app to apply the change.
If you are using a 14" or 15" POS terminal with a bar printer connected via Bluetooth, we recommend switching to a USB cable connection (included with the printer) for a faster and more reliable setup. For driver adjustments, please contact us.
USB Printer is Offline
First, try restarting both the tablet and the printer. If this doesn’t help, check that the USB cable is firmly connected to both the printer and the tablet, and that it’s plugged into the correct port. You can also try unplugging and reconnecting the cable.
Make sure the USB cable is connected to the USB-OTG port (blue) on the 14" tablet or to the USB 3 port (blue) on the iMin 15". The printer may not work properly if connected to other USB ports.
The issue may also be caused by a faulty cable, in which case it needs to be replaced or a new one purchased.
If the problem persists even after testing a new cable, please contact us.
Printer is printing Chinese characters (Cashino)
If your printer is printing Chinese characters, it's likely that it has been accidentally switched to "Chinese mode." Switching it back to its original setting is quite simple:
- Turn off your printer and disconnect the charging cable.
- Press and hold the FEED and POWER buttons.
- Watch the indicator light on the printer, and when it changes from purple to blue, release both buttons.
- The printer will print the message "You selected ASCII mode".
- Now, your printer will print correctly.
Xprinter prints strange characters
The printer has most likely switched to a different mode. To fix it, simply perform a self-test; in some cases, you may need to perform it multiple times.
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