If you need to print out product labels, using a label printer is best. We’ll walk you through how to set up this type of printer in Artisan. Click here to make sure your printer meets Artisan’s requirements in order to run correctly.
Before following this tutorial, make sure your printer drivers are installed. Most driver installations follow similar steps. Here is how to install a driver for our most popular label printer.
Device Configuration
To get started, we’ll need to configure the printer. Head to the “Device Configuration” area in Artisan by clicking on “Tools” in the Toolbar, then “Program Options (Preferences)” at the bottom of the list.
This will open a menu showcasing advanced settings for other areas in Artisan. Click on “Device Configuration” at the bottom.
Notice the Stations section directly below “Device Configuration.” Click here to learn how to set up a Station.
Next, click on “Printers.”
This opens a list of up to six printers you can use with Artisan. Note: “Printer 1” is designated for printing reports. It is strongly recommended that you do not alter this setting. Instead, choose the next available printer (in this case, “Printer 3,” since we set up “Printer 2” as our Receipt Printer in this tutorial).
Choose a description for this printer, such as “Label Printer.”
Make sure “Print to File” is set to “No.”
Notice the section “Windows 10 Printer Name.” Artisan will automatically detect which operating system you are on, and this name will change accordingly (e.g., “Mac OS 11 Printer Name” if you’re using a Mac computer).
Though it’s easier to leave your printer set to default, there might be times where you’ll want to change this. For instance, some versions of Windows try to manage your default printer for you and end up choosing the wrong printer. To ensure you’re connected to the right printer, head into your printer settings on your computer.
For Windows users: Search for “control panel” in your Windows search bar, then click on “view devices and printers.” If there isn’t a checkmark over your selected printer, that means Windows is choosing your default printer based on which printer you print the most from. Select which printer you want to use, click on “set as default printer,” and hit “yes” when asked “do you want to override this setting?“
In Artisan, select “Printer Type.” This section lets you confirm what type of printer you are using (thermal, label, sheet, etc.). Since you’re using a label printer, choose “Label.”
Printer Assignments
A pop-up screen might show up, confirming that you want to use this printer for printing Merchandise Item Labels. Select “Yes.” Hitting “yes” automatically changes the Merchandise Item Label Printer 1 section in the “Printer Assignments” panel. This assigns merchandise labels to a printer (in this case, printer number 3). If you wish to manually change the printer number, use the up and down arrows to do so.
Another pop-up occurs after the “Merchandise Item Labels” popup, this time confirming if you want to use this printer for printing Mailing Labels. It is recommended that you select “No” for this pop-up, and leave the “Mailing Label Printer” set to 0 in the “Printer Assignments” panel.
Note: Sometimes the “Final String” section might populate with a default set of characters. It is important to delete these characters from the “Final String” section. If you do not, your labels will have hanging chads when printed.
(If you want to print customer mailing labels from Artisan, then set the “Mailing Label Printer” setting in Artisan to use your customer mailing label printer (either sheet printer or label printer) and press “Save“).
Next, select your “Printer Model.” This corresponds with the brand of your printer (TSC, Zebra, etc.).
Another area to pay attention to is the “Printer Language” section. This section is automatically determined by your Printer Model (in this example, the Printer Language is “TSPL” since our Printer Model is a TSC Label Printer). Note: Certain Zebra and Eltron models use a different printer language. Contact us if you need assistance.
Hit “save” once you’re finished.
