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Printer Troubleshooting

Brother POS supports several types of printers. This page provides targeted troubleshooting for each type. Find the section that matches your printer and work through the steps.

Printer Types Overview​

Before troubleshooting, identify which type of printer you are using:

TypeProtocolConnectionCommon Models
Receipt (via Bridge)ESC/POS over TCPUSB or network, routed through Printer BridgeEpson TM-m30II, TM-T88
Label (via Bridge)ZPL/EPL over TCPUSB or network, routed through Printer BridgeZebra ZD420, ZD620

Since Brother POS is cloud-hosted, all print jobs are routed through the Printer Bridge utility running on a Windows PC on your local network. The Printer Bridge forwards print data to your printers whether they are connected via USB or network.

Receipt Printers (ESC/POS)​

These are the most common receipt printers used with Brother POS. Print jobs are sent from the cloud to the Printer Bridge, which forwards them to your printer.

Printer Not Printing at All​

Step 1: Verify the printer is powered on and ready.

  • The status LED should be steady green (not blinking or red).
  • If the LED is blinking, check for a paper jam or open cover.

Step 2: Check that the Printer Bridge is running.

  • Verify the Printer Bridge utility is running on the Windows PC.
  • Look for it in the Windows system tray or task manager.
  • If it is not running, start it from the installation directory.

Step 3: Check the network connection.

  • For USB printers: verify the USB cable is connected to the Windows PC running the Printer Bridge.
  • For network printers: verify the printer is on the same network as the Printer Bridge PC.
  • Find the printer's IP address (usually printed on a self-test page -- hold the feed button while powering on).
  • Ping the IP address from the Printer Bridge PC: 
    ping 192.168.1.100
  • If the ping fails, the printer is not reachable. Check the Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi settings.

Step 4: Verify the IP address in Brother POS.

  • Go to the Printers page or the Store Settings > Hardware tab.
  • Confirm the printer IP address is set to the Printer Bridge PC's IP address and port 9100.
  • If the Printer Bridge PC uses DHCP, its IP may have changed. Consider setting a static IP or a DHCP reservation on your router.

Step 5: Send a test print.

  • From the Printers page or the Store Settings > Hardware tab, click Test Print.
  • If the test prints, the printer is working and the issue may be with a specific POS action (e.g., receipt printing after sale).

Step 6: Restart the printer.

  • Power off the printer, wait 10 seconds, power it back on.
  • Wait for the status LED to show ready before testing again.
Static IP recommended

DHCP can cause printers to change IP addresses after a power outage or router restart. Ask your admin or IT to assign a static IP or create a DHCP reservation for each printer.

Printing Garbled or Partial Text​

  • Check the character encoding. Brother POS uses UTF-8. Some older printers default to a different code page. Refer to the printer manual for code page settings.
  • Check the paper width. Brother POS is configured for 80mm receipt paper by default. If your printer uses 58mm paper, the text may overflow or wrap incorrectly. Verify the paper width setting on the Printers page or the Store Settings > Hardware tab.
  • Update the printer firmware. Visit the manufacturer's website for the latest firmware.

Printing is Slow​

  • Switch to a wired connection. Wi-Fi latency can cause delays. Ethernet is more reliable for receipt printers.
  • Check network congestion. If many devices are on the same network, the printer may experience delays.
  • Reduce print density. Higher density settings use more data and take longer to print.

Printer Bridge​

The Printer Bridge is the standard utility for connecting your local printers to the cloud-hosted Brother POS. It runs on a Windows PC and routes print jobs from the POS to your local printers (USB or network). It listens on two ports:

  • Port 9100 -- Receipt printer
  • Port 9101 -- Label printer

Printer Bridge Not Responding​

Step 1: Check if the Bridge is running.

  • Look for the Printer Bridge in the Windows system tray or task manager.
  • If it is not running, start it from the installation directory.

Step 2: Check the Bridge log.

  • The Bridge writes a log file in its installation directory. Look for the log file in the Printer Bridge folder.
  • Open this file and look for errors, such as USB device not found or port conflicts.

Step 3: Verify the USB printer is connected.

  • Open Devices and Printers in Windows.
  • Confirm the USB printer appears and is not showing any errors.
  • Try printing a test page from Windows directly to confirm the USB connection works.

Step 4: Check the ports.

  • Make sure nothing else is using ports 9100 or 9101 on the Windows PC.
  • Open a command prompt and run: 
    netstat -an | findstr "9100"
    netstat -an | findstr "9101"
  • You should see the Bridge listening on these ports.

Step 5: Test the Bridge from Brother POS.

  • In Brother POS, set the printer IP to the Windows PC's IP address and the port to 9100 (receipt) or 9101 (label).
  • Send a test print from the Printers page or the Store Settings > Hardware tab.
Firewall blocking

Windows Firewall may block incoming connections on ports 9100 and 9101. Add firewall rules to allow inbound TCP traffic on these ports, or temporarily disable the firewall to test.

Bridge Connects But Prints Garbled Output​

  • Check the USB printer driver. The Bridge forwards raw data. If the printer expects a driver transformation (like converting to its native format), the output will be garbled.
  • Verify the printer model matches the configuration. ESC/POS data sent to a non-ESC/POS printer will produce garbage. Similarly, ZPL data must go to a ZPL-compatible label printer.
  • Check for multiple printers. If multiple USB printers are connected, the Bridge may be sending data to the wrong one. Check the Bridge configuration to ensure the correct device is mapped to each port.

Label Printers (ZPL/EPL)​

Label printers are used for printing product labels with barcodes, prices, and product information. They use ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) or EPL (Eltron Programming Language).

Label Not Printing​

Step 1: Check the printer connection.

  • Network label printers: verify IP address and network connectivity (same steps as receipt printers above).
  • USB label printers: verify the Printer Bridge is running and configured for port 9101.

Step 2: Check label stock.

  • Open the printer and verify labels are loaded correctly.
  • Make sure the label sensor is aligned with the labels (gap sensor for die-cut labels, continuous sensor for continuous stock).

Step 3: Calibrate the printer.

  • If the printer feeds multiple labels or stops mid-label, it needs calibration.
  • Most Zebra printers: hold the Feed button for 5 seconds until it begins the calibration routine.
  • Refer to your printer's manual for model-specific calibration steps.

Step 4: Send a test print.

  • Go to the Printers page and click Test Print.
  • If the test label prints correctly, the issue is with the specific label template or product data.

Label Dimensions Are Wrong​

  • Check the template settings. Go to Admin > Other > Label Templates and verify the label dimensions (width and height in millimeters) match your physical label stock.
  • Check the printer DPI. ZPL templates must be designed for the correct DPI (203 or 300). Using a 300 DPI template on a 203 DPI printer will produce labels that are too small.

Barcode Not Scanning on Printed Label​

  • Print quality is too low. Increase the print darkness/density in the printer settings.
  • Label is too small for the barcode. Increase the barcode size in the label template or use a larger label.
  • Barcode type mismatch. Ensure the barcode format (Code 128, UPC, etc.) matches what your scanner expects.

General Troubleshooting Steps​

If the specific sections above did not resolve your issue, try these general steps:

Step 1: Restart Everything​

In this order:

  1. Power off the printer.
  2. Close the POS browser tab.
  3. Wait 10 seconds.
  4. Power on the printer and wait for it to become ready.
  5. Reopen the POS.
  6. Send a test print.

Step 2: Check the Admin Panel​

Go to Store Settings > Hardware tab and review:

  • Is the printer listed?
  • Is the IP address correct?
  • Is the printer marked as active/enabled?

Step 3: Check the Network​

  • Can you ping the printer from the POS device?
  • Are both devices on the same network/VLAN?
  • Is the router or switch functioning properly?

Step 4: Check the Physical Connections​

  • Ethernet cable firmly connected at both ends?
  • USB cable seated properly (for Bridge setups)?
  • Power cable plugged in?
  • Paper loaded and cover closed?

When to Contact Support​

Contact support if:

  • You have worked through all steps above and the printer still does not work.
  • The printer was working previously and stopped without any changes to the setup.
  • You see error messages in the admin panel or Bridge log that you do not understand.
  • You need help configuring a new printer model.

When submitting a support ticket, include:

  • Printer make and model
  • Connection type (USB via Bridge, network via Bridge)
  • IP address (if network)
  • Any error messages from the admin panel or Bridge log
  • What you have already tried

See Submitting Support Tickets for instructions.

Quick Reference​

SymptomFirst Thing to Check
Nothing printsPrinter Bridge running, power, and network connection
Garbled outputCharacter encoding and paper width
Slow printingSwitch to wired Ethernet
Bridge not workingCheck if Bridge is running, check ports 9100/9101
Label dimensions wrongTemplate settings vs. physical label size
Barcode won't scanPrint darkness and barcode size

What's Next?​