Thermal printer not working | Printing problems and solutions

Follow these steps if your thermal printer is not working.

1. Basic check – always check first

• Is the printer turned on?

• Is the USB cable securely connected? (This can come loose due to vibrations).

Turn the printer off and on once.

If you haven't printed yet today, you can take the printer out of standby mode this way. Or click the 'Feed' button. Then try printing again.

2. Is Printhelper running on the computer the printer is connected to?

PrismaNote prints via the Printhelper program. If this is not running on the computer the printer is connected to, receipts will not come out of the printer.

1. Go to the computer where the printer is connected.

2. Click Start at the bottom left of your Windows computer (or open 'Finder' on a MacOS).

3. Now type the word 'helper'

4. Click the PrismaNote Printhelper App to open it.

The program will now start automatically. Try printing again.

3. Are the correct workstation and printer selected in PrismaNote?

A workstation is a separate workplace where printers are connected.

Is the correct workstation selected?

1. In the menu, click 'Dashboard'

2. Click on the workstation next to the location

3. Click on the correct workstation

Is the correct printer selected for the workstation?

1. In the menu, click 'Store settings'

2. Click the 'Printer settings' tab

3. Look at the column where you see your workstation at the top. Scroll to the row 'Thermal' -> 'Transaction receipt' (Or another option depending on the receipt you want to print) and check if the correct printer is linked.

Thermal receipt printer problems and solutions

1. The thermal printer is not responding.

1. Is the second light flashing? (3) Then the printer does not have a stable network connection.

2. Turn off the printer, wait 30 seconds and then turn it back on.

3. Refresh PrismaNote and try again.

4. Is the third light flashing (2)?: Then check the paper feed.

5. Press and hold the paper button (1) until a piece of receipt comes out.

6. If this doesn't work: open the printer and check the paper quantity and feed.

2. The thermal printer prints, but the receipt is blank.

The roll may be inserted incorrectly in the printer. Open the printer and check if the roll is in the printer like this:

3. “Printer Offline” in Windows

Causes:

• Printer is disconnected

• Driver crashes or is outdated

• USB port does not provide stable power

Solutions:

• Connect the USB cable to a different USB port

• Restart the PC

• Remove the printer in Windows and reinstall the driver via https://info.prismanote.com/tools

4. Receipts remain stuck in queue

Causes:

• Stuck print job

• Printhelper or Windows does not receive confirmation from printer

Solutions:

• Go to 'Printers and scanners' → TM-T20 (or another model) → 'View queue'

• Remove all tasks

• Restart Printhelper AND the PC

• Print again

Other tips for stable use

1. Always use an original adapter and cable
2. Keep the printer on a stable, flat surface
3. Only use thermal paper for a thermal receipt printer, width 80 mm
4. Avoid extension cables or USB hubs (use direct USB ports)