Troubleshoot badges not printing

If badges are not printing for any of your visitors, the issue is usually caused by your badge printing setup. If badges are printing for some of your visitors, but not others, the issue is usually caused by Sign-in flows that can affect badge printing.

Badge printing setup

If badges are not printing for any of your visitors, follow the checks below to ensure badge printing is set up correctly.

Check your badge printing configuration

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click the Settings icon, then select Sites.
   
2. Select the site where badges are not printing.
3. Select the Features tab.
4. Under Badge Printing, click Configure.
   
5. Check that the correct Connection Method is selected based on how your printer is set up:
   • If your printer is connected to your network via Wi-Fi or ethernet, select Wi-Fi/Ethernet.
   • If your printer serves as a Wi-Fi access point for your iPad, select Wi-Fi Direct.
   • If you are using a Bluetooth connection, select Bluetooth.
6. If your Connection Method is set to Wi-Fi/Ethernet or Wi-Fi Direct, in the IP Address field, check if the IP address of the printer is entered correctly. To learn how to obtain the IP address, see the article for your printer model:
   • Set up your Brother QL-820NWB printer
   • Set up your Brother QL-1110NWB printer
   • Set up your Epson C4000u color printer
   • Set up your Brother HL-L3280CDW printer
   • Set up your Brother HL-L3270CDW/HL-L3230CDW printer
7. Check that the correct Media Type is selected. To know which badge roll to use for your printer, see Types of badge rolls and paper.
8. Under Applicable to All Visitor Types, Except the Following, make sure you have selected visitor types you DO NOT want badge printing set up for.
9. If you made any changes, click Save.

Check your iPad's configuration in VisitorOS

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click Manage, then select Devices.
   
2. Select the iPad the printer is connected to.
3. In the Printer tab, check that the correct Connection Method is selected based on how your printer is set up:
   • If your printer is connected to your network via Wi-Fi or ethernet, select WiFi.
   • If your printer serves as a Wi-Fi access point for your iPad, select WiFi Direct.
   • If you are using a Bluetooth connection, select Bluetooth.
4. If your Connection Method is set to Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct, in the IP Address field, check if the IP address of the printer is entered correctly. To learn how to obtain the IP address, see the article for your printer model:
   • Set up your Brother QL-820NWB printer
   • Set up your Brother QL-1110NWB printer
   • Set up your Epson C4000u color printer
   • Set up your Brother HL-L3280CDW printer
   • Set up your Brother HL-L3270CDW/HL-L3230CDW printer
5. If you made any changes, click Save.

Check your badge roll

Confirm that your printer is using a badge roll that was provided by FacilityOS or was purchased from the manufacturer of the printer.

• To learn about which badge rolls are supported for your printer, see Types of badge rolls and paper.
• To learn how to purchase a badge roll from FacilityOS, see Purchase items from the FacilityOS store.
• To purchase badge rolls from the manufacturer:
  • For Brother printers, go to Product and Support Information to select your region and then view "Label Printers & Label Makers" to shop for rolls.
  • For Epson printers, go to the Epson shop.

Sign-in flows that can affect badge printing

Your site may be configured to prevent badges from printing under certain sign-in conditions. This can result in badges printing for some visitors but not others. Review the sign-in flows below to identify settings that may prevent a visitor’s badge from printing.

Check that the visitor type is not excluded from badge printing

Certain visitor types can be excluded from badge printing. If a visitor selects one of these visitor types during sign in, their badge will not print.

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click the Settings icon, then select Sites.
   
2. Select the site where the badge printing issue is occurring.
3. Select the Features tab.
4. Under Badge Printing, click Configure.
   
5. Under Applicable to All Visitor Types, Except the Following, make sure you have selected visitor types you DO NOT want badge printing set up for.
6. If you made any changes, click Save.

Check the badge validity period

If your Returning Visitor settings include a Badge Validity Period, badges for returning visitors do not print until the specified number of days or hours have passed.

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click the Settings icon, then select Sites.
   
2. Select the site where returning visitor badges are not printing.
3. Select the Features tab.
4. Under Returning Visitors, click Configure.

5. In the Badge Validity Period field, if the number of days or hours is 1 or more, badges will print only after that amount of time has passed since signing in. If you want badges printed every time a returning visitor signs in, set the value to 0.

   

6. If you made any changes, click Save.

Check if delay badge printing is turned on

In Visitor Approval settings, if Delay Badge Printing Until After Sign-In Approval is turned on, badges print only after visitors are approved.

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click the Settings icon, then select Sites.
   
2. Select the site where badges are not printing.
3. Select the Features tab.
4. Under Visitor Approval, click Configure to open its settings panel.
5. If Delay Badge Printing Until After Sign-In Approval is turned on, take one of the following actions:
   • If you want badges to print before a visitor is approved, turn off Delay Badge Printing Until After Sign-In Approval.
   • You can leave the setting on and approve a visitor's sign-in to check if their badge will print. To learn how to approve visitors, see Approve or deny visitor sign-ins.
6. If you made any changes, click Save.

Check watchlists

By default, badges do not print for visitors matched against a watchlist with the type Deny. To check if a watchlist prevented a visitor's badge from printing, follow the steps below.

1. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click Visitors.

2. Locate and select the visitor whose badge did not print.

3. In the right-side panel that opens, review watchlist hits under Screening Results.

   • If all watchlists show No hit, or you do not see Screening Results, the badge printing issue is not caused by a watchlist.

   • If any watchlist shows Hit, note the names of those watchlists, then continue to step 4.

   

4. From the left sidebar in VisitorOS, click Manage, then select Watchlist.
   

5. Review the Type column for the watchlists you noted in step 3.

   • If the watchlists have the type Deny, they are preventing badges from printing. If you want badges to print for visitors who are denied, contact your customer success representative or the FacilityOS support team.

   • If the watchlists have the type Permit, the badge printing issue is not caused by your watchlists.

   

Additional resources

If the above options did not resolve your issue, try the following:

• For Brother QL-820NWB printers connected via Bluetooth, reset the printer. For more information, see Factory reset your Brother QL-820NWB printer.

• Try resetting the network settings on your iPad. To learn how, see Reset network settings.

• For Epson C4000u printers, if you see a message displayed on the operation panel, see Epson's CW-C4000 Series User's Guide for troubleshooting solutions on page 63.