Print as Many Times as You Need: If your label didn't print right, don't worry... you can try again! You're only charged when you click the Buy Label button in Pirate Ship, not per printing attempt 🎉
Labels as PDF Files: When you buy a label with Pirate Ship, it creates a PDF file that you can print from your computer (or phone or tablet) just like any other file. You may need to research how to adjust your printer settings to get an ideal print!
That said, Pirate Ship does not directly connect to your printer, so any issues you're having are a problem with your computer or printer settings 😉
Steps you can take to get your labels printing correctly on Pirate Ship
Below, we've detailed all the resources in ARRrrr treasure chest to help resolve some of the more common issues we see:
Always make sure your printer is set up correctly!
Configure Your Printer Settings: The guides linked below will go over the recommended computer settings based on the type of printer and device you're using 👍
Use the Latest Drivers: For label printers specifically, we strongly recommend updating your printer's driver as these guides suggest! This is to ensure proper communication between your printer and computer. Even brand-new printers can have an outdated driver 😓 A fresh installation can often resolve many of the issues detailed later in this guide.
Switch to Google Chrome!
Google Chrome Works Best: Pirate Ship works best when using Google Chrome, which can automatically resolve some minor printing issues 🖨️
Chrome is also the only web browser that supports inline PDFs, meaning it allows you to preview your label and print it directly from your web browser!
Did you try turning it off and on again?
Rebooting Your Printer: Yes, we're serious 😃 A quick reboot of your device and printer can work wonders! Restarting your printer can be especially helpful for resolving any connectivity issues.
Labels are printing too large, too small, or information is cut off
Scaling Issues: This issue would be caused by "scaling," or the setting that shrinks or stretches the label to fit the size of your paper.
To print a 4x6" label using a thermal label printer, ensure your paper size is set to 4x6", or 100mm x 150mm
For a 2x7" label printed from a thermal label printer, the paper size should be at least 2x7". If your label printer has a bit of margin beyond 2x7", it will still work!
When printing a 4x6" label with a desktop printer, your paper size should be 8.5x11" (or Letter/US Letter)
Scaling to Fit: Selecting "Fit to page / Scale to Fit" in your printer settings may be a useful option if your labels aren't quite fitting on the page!
Labels are too dark, light, or blurry
Density Issues: The "density" setting for your printer will determine how light or dark it prints. Check your printer's settings to ensure the system default is selected, but you can adjust to a lighter/darker density if needed.
Check Your Ink Cartridges: If your labels are blurry or fuzzy, this is likely a problem with your printer ink. Check to see if your cartridges are running low on ink, otherwise you should check the manufacturer's website for instructions on how to clean the print head nozzle.
My printer is not printing anything
Clearing Your Printer Queue: This issue often happens if you have a corrupt "print job." If an attempt to print something fails, it can often sit in your printer's queue and prevent anything else from printing successfully. These resources may help:
My printer doesn't appear in my list of devices
Connection Issues: A connection issue can cause a printer to completely disappear from your synced devices. Here are some resources that may help you with your printer's connectivity, depending on the operating system you're using:
My printer is producing blank labels
Blank Label Issues: Many factors may cause your printer to create blank labels, such as printer settings, paper type, or the ink itself. Here are a few things to check in this case:
Make sure your printer isn't tilted or at an angle
You may need to replace your ink cartridges if they're old, or out of ink
See if the type of paper you're using is supported by your printer
Check the manufacturer's website for instructions on how to clean the print head nozzle, in case any of the nozzles are clogged
Research steps on how to calibrate your type of printer
My printer is working fine everywhere except Pirate Ship
Three-Step Resolution: It's a silly fix, but the following steps usually do the trick to get your printer working with Pirate Ship:
1. Unplug your printer from your device and turn it off
2. Restart your device
3. Plug your printer (or re-sync) it back to your device, and try printing it again
I receive a specific error on my device when I try to print
Search Your Error on Google: The easiest way to find a fix is by copying/pasting the error you receive, along with your printer type, into Google 😄 Your printer's manufacturer likely has a support article that will help you troubleshoot that specific error!
Your printer's manufacturer knows best
Contact Your Printer Manufacturer's Support: While us pirates are experts when it comes to shipping, finding a quick fix for a specific printer issue is a little outside of our wheelhouse 😅 Contacting your printer manufacturer's support team is typically the fastest and easiest way to get things back on track!