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Set up a thermal ticket printer
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Info  >  Pleasant Tickets  >  How Tos  >  Set up a thermal ticket printer Page last modified Jun 19 2020, 14:02

Set up a thermal ticket printer

 

The Pleasant Tickets system supports the Datamax S-3210 printer, connected either directly via LPT, or over a network with an HP JetDirect device.

 

Direct:

If your PC has a parallel port designated LPT1 (the default), connect the printer directly to it with a parallel printer cable.

 

JetDirect:

If your PC does not have an LPT port, or you wish to share the printer in a network, this method is suggested.  Connect the printer to the JetDirect device with a parallel cable, and connect the JetDirect device to your network with an ethernet cable.  Power up the JetDirect.

You then need to set up the printer as a network printer, share it, and then map LPT1 to it.

  1. Find the name of the JetDirect-connected printer.  You may be able to connect by name (JETDIRECT1020 or similar), or you may have to use it's IP address.  (The latter can likely be retrieved from the local router).
  2. Install the printer by going through the "Add Printer" wizard using the network connected path.  For the hostname / IP, use the information from step 1.  For the printer type, you can use Generic / Text Only, or some other basic printer type.  (The driver will be bypassed during normal use)
  3. Share the printer as "Thermal" or some other short, basic name with no spaces.
  4. At a command prompt, run the command: 

net use lpt1 \\<COMPUTERNAME>\<PRINTERSHARENAME>

If other users are on the network, they can use the same command prompt line without the printer setup, provided that the initial PC is always on.

 

USB <--> Parallel

If your PC does not have an LPT port and only local access is required, you can add an external parallel port connector via USB.  (nb - while some of the ST-3210 printers have a USB connector built-in, this method of connection is not recommended).

If the USB device presents as "LPT1" or similar, then proceed with the software setup.

If the USB device presents as a 'Virtual printer port for USB", "USB001" or similar, then

  1. Install the printer by going through the "Add Printer" wizard using the new port.  For the printer type, you can use Generic / Text Only, or some other basic printer type.  (The driver will be bypassed during normal use)
  2. Share the printer as "Thermal" or some other short, basic name with no spaces.
  3. At a command prompt, run the command: 

net use lpt1 \\<COMPUTERNAME>\<PRINTERSHARENAME>

If other users are on the network, they can use the same command prompt line without the printer setup, provided that the initial PC is always on.

 

 

 

 

Software Setup

 

 

Troubleshooting

See the Software Setup page linked above for a test file that will print a test ticket.  This can be printed to a printer using notepad, or copied to an LPT port directly to narrow down which step may be failing.