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Configuring a Printer to work with your ticket stock

Dave Carr
Dave Carr
  • Updated

This article will guide you through the steps to configure Windows settings for Stimare, BOCA, Microcom and Practical Automation printers to work with your ticket stock.

Before you begin, you should have connected and installed your printer. If you haven’t connected and installed your printer, take a look at the article for your printer:

Configuring your printer to work with your ticket stock is a three-part process:

  1. Creating a ticket stock form in Windows
  2. Selecting the ticket stock form in printer preferences
  3. Setting printing defaults

 

Creating a ticket stock form in Windows

To print tickets, you’ll need to create a form on your pc for your ticket stock. The form is where you’ll set the dimensions of your ticket stock. Once you create the form, you can use this for any ticket printer connected to your pc, when using the same size ticket stock.

First, measure your ticket stock, including any stub, then follow these steps:

  1. Click the Windows / Start button in your taskbar. Type Printers & scanners and select it from the available options.

  2. Under Related settings, click Print server properties:

    You’ll see a Print Server Properties screen:

  3. In the Forms tab, check Create a new form:
  4. Enter a form name, for example, Spektrix ticket.
  5. Select the unit of measurement, Metric (cm) or English (inches). Enter the Width (short edge of the ticket) and Height (long edge).
  6. Click Save Form.

 

Selecting the ticket stock form in Printer Preferences

Once you’ve created your ticket stock form, you’ll need to select it in Printer Preferences. Selecting the ticket stock form ensures that the printer applies the correct orientation to your tickets.

Follow these steps:

  1. In Printers & scanners, select your ticket printer.

  2. Click Printing preferences:

  3. In the Printer Printing Preferences screen, click Advanced within the Layout tab:

  4. In the Paper/Output section, click the dropdown arrow next to Paper Size. Select your newly created ticket stock form.

  5. Click OK.

TIP: If your new ticket stock form doesn't appear in the dropdown list, you may have entered the ticket dimensions incorrectly.

The Width is the short edge of the ticket, the Height is the long edge of the ticket.

Follow the steps in Creating a ticket stock form in Windows.

 

Setting Printing Defaults

Once you’ve set your Printing Preferences, the last step to configure your printer is setting Printing Defaults.

Printing Defaults set the base settings for your printer and define the ticket stock size set when you created the ticket stock form.

Follow these steps:

  1. In Printers & scanners, select your ticket printer.

  2. Click Printer properties:

  3. In the Printer Properties screen, click Printing Defaults within the Advanced tab:

  4. In the Printing Defaults screen, click Advanced within the Layout tab:

  5. In Advanced options go to the Paper/Output section. Click the dropdown arrow next to Paper Size. Select your newly created ticket stock form:

  6. Click OK until you return back to Printers & Scanners.

 

Changing Ticket Stock size

The ticket stock forms you create will only apply to the size of ticket stock you’re using. If you change your ticket stock to use larger or smaller tickets, you’ll need to follow all the steps in this article to set up new ticket stock form sizes.

 

What’s next?

The next step in the printer setup depends on which printer you’re using. Click the link below for your printer: