Diagnostic steps for a thermal printer in a commercial kiosk printing mirrored barcodes. Focus: software configuration, cable integrity, and thermal head.
This information is needed to select the correct printer driver.
Proprietary symbologies may require specific fonts or software components.
A visual sample can help identify the type of mirroring and potential causes.
Thermal printers use a print head containing heating elements to create images on heat-sensitive paper. The printer's firmware controls the activation sequence of these elements. Firmware corruption, incorrect settings, or driver issues can lead to a reversed output. Signal interference on the data cable (e.g., USB or serial) may also contribute if parity errors are not properly handled.
Thermal printer is producing mirrored output, specifically affecting barcode readability. This occurs in a public, unattended kiosk environment.
This device operates with low voltage DC power. Ensure the power supply is disconnected before performing any physical inspection of the printer or its connections. Implement Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures during maintenance to prevent accidental power activation. Be cautious of sharp edges within the printer mechanism.
Some thermal printers have a built-in self-test print function. Consult the user manual for the specific key combination to initiate the self-test. This can help determine if the problem is hardware-related or software-related. A corrupted EEPROM on the main board is a possible, but less likely, cause. Short of replacing the mainboard, this is not easily fixed in the field.