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Setting Up a Stimare Ticket Printer

Dave McNamara
Dave McNamara
  • Updated

In this article you will learn how to set up and install a Stimare Ticket Printer for use with Spektrix.

To connect a Stimare Printer to Spektrix, work through each step in the article, adhering closely to the instructions.

TIP: The installation and set up process is the same for the Stimare SML, CMP and CLS range of printers. The images in this article use a STIMA SML Printer. This article contains videos to help you adjust notch sensors for both the Stimare SML and CMP/CLS printers.

You will need:

Before you read this article make sure you’re familiar with:

WARNING: Mistakes made during installation can be time consuming to rectify. Even if you’ve installed a printer before, we recommend following this article closely, observing any changes to the process since you last completed an installation.

 

Getting Started

TIP: Before you start, it’s important that you don’t connect your printer yet. First, download and install the printer drivers. Drivers are a software component that lets the printer communicate with Windows.

Setting up your Stimare printer will cover the following stages:

  1. Installing Printer Drivers on your PC
  2. Configuring the printer to work with your ticket stock
  3. Choosing the new Ticket Stock Form in Windows
  4. Adjusting sensors and guides
  5. Adjusting notch settings
  6. Adding Ticket Printers to the Box Office App
  7. Running a Test Print
  8. Printing tickets from Spektrix
  9. Further Help

TIP: You will need Administrator permissions on the PC to install new drivers or software. If you’re unsure, please check with your IT team before proceeding.

 

Installing the Printer Drivers

To install a Ticket Printer on your PC, you will need to download the drivers for your specific printer.

Stima SML Printers

Download the Windows STIMA SML Driver Installation Quick Guide and follow all of the steps in the Driver Installation section.

Stima CMP Printers

Download the Windows STIMA CMP Driver Installation Quick Guide and follow all of the steps in the Driver Installation section.

Stima CLS Printers

Download the Windows STIMA CLS Driver Installation Quick Guide and follow all of the steps in the Driver Installation section.

TIP: If you're not sure which model of Stimare printer you have, check the front of the printer under the display, or visit the Stimare website for details of current models.

Connecting a Stimare Printer

The printer is supplied with a USB cable and a power lead. The USB cable connects the printer to any USB port on your computer. The power lead connects your printer to mains power.

Ensure both cables are connected, and the power is switched on before you continue.

Below is a video that shows how to connect a Stimare SML200 Ticket Printer to your PC and mains power:

The following video shows the same process for a Stimare STIMA CMP Ticket Printer:

If you're using a different model, consult your printer's user guide for further information.

Once you have completed the driver installation, check that your printer has successfully installed.

  • Follow these steps to check that your printer has successfully installed:

    1. Open the Control Panel by clicking the Windows/Start button in your taskbar. From the search bar, type Control, then click Control Panel.


      Note: Some Windows 10 users may see a search bar without needing to click the Windows/Start button first.

    2. Underneath Hardware and Sound, click View devices and printers (this may look different in some versions of Windows).


      Control_Panel.JPG

    3. An icon for your Stimare/STIMA printer should now appear in this list; this indicates that it has been successfully installed:


      highlightprinter.jpg

    If you cannot see your printer, repeat the instructions in the Driver Installation guides.

 

Configuring Printers to work with your tickets

After installing the driver and connecting your printer, the next step is to set the dimensions of your ticket stock.

Creating a Ticket Stock Form in Print Server Properties

When you have installed and connected your Ticket Printer, create a Ticket Stock Form.

  1. Open the Control Panel by clicking the Windows/Start button in your taskbar. Type Control, then click Control Panel.
  2. Under Hardware and Sound, click View device and printers.
  3. Click on the printer once to highlight it, then select Print Server Properties from the menu bar.
  4. Tick the Create a new form check box in the Forms tab.
  5. Create a new form name, for example, Spektrix Ticket.
  6. Measure your ticket stock, including any stub. Choose Metric (centimetres) or English (inches) as preferred.
  7. Click OK to save the new form.

You can watch these steps in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

 

Choosing the New Ticket Stock Form

Once you have created a New Ticket Stock Form, select the new form in Printing Preferences by following these steps:

  1. Open the Control Panel by clicking the Windows/Start button in your taskbar. Type Control, then click Control Panel.
  2. Under Hardware and Sound, click View devices and printers.
  3. Right click the printer icon and select Printing Preferences.
  4. Click the Advanced button on the bottom right.
  5. Select your newly-created Ticket Stock Form from the Paper Size drop-down menu.
  6. Click OK to save the Advanced Options.
  7. Save the Printing Preferences by clicking OK.

You can watch these steps in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

TIP: If your new Ticket Stock Form does not appear in the drop-down list, the dimensions may have been entered incorrectly. In this case, repeat the steps under the subheading Creating a Ticket Stock Form in Print Server Properties.

Note that in Windows Print Server Properties, Height is the long edge of the ticket, whereas in the Spektrix Document Design Editor, Width is the long edge. Check your ticket dimensions, swapping Height and Width if needed, and try again.

 

Setting Printing Defaults

Once you have selected your new Ticket Stock Form, set Printing Defaults in Printer Properties by following these steps:

  1. Open the Control Panel by clicking the Windows/Start button in your taskbar. Type Control, then click Control Panel.
  2. Under Hardware and Sound, click View device and printers.
  3. Right-click the printer icon and select Printer Properties.
  4. Click on the Advanced tab.
  5. Click on Printing Defaults followed by the Advanced button.
  6. Select your newly created form size from the Paper Size drop-down menu then click OK to save the Advanced Options.
  7. Click OK to save the Printing Defaults then click OK again to save the Printer Properties.

You can watch these steps in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

 

Adjusting sensors and guides (SML 200 and SML 300)

Once you have installed the printer driver and configured Windows to work with your tickets, next, adjust the printer for the tickets being used.

You can watch these steps in the following video, or click the box below the video for a step by step guide:

  • This section explains how to adjust your Ticket Printer’s guides and sensors to work with your ticket stock.

    TIP: This example uses a STIMA SML 200 Printer. Your model may vary.

    1. Place the printer with the display facing you.


      stimarefront.jpg

    2. Lift off the top off the printer - some are hinged, some lift off completely.
    3. Push the green lever until you hear a click and the printhead opens slightly, then lift up fully.


      stimareopen.JPG

    4. With the printhead open, move the Adjustable Guide (see image below) to the same width as the tickets you are using. Do not set this too tightly or the tickets will not pass freely through the printer.


      sensorblueboxwith_text.jpg

    5. Carefully adjust the Notch Position Sensor so that it is directly underneath the black notch on your tickets. There is a small plastic handle to help you move the sensor. This sensor can be moved with a small screwdriver or pen but take care not to break or press the sensor directly.
    6. If your tickets have a black notch on the thermal side (top) of the ticket, adjust the Upper Sensor on the print head rather than the Notch Position Sensor.
    7. Once the sensors and guides are correctly positioned, close the print head and replace the top of the printer.

Once you have correctly set your Ticket Printer’s guides and sensors, proceed to the next section.

 

Adjusting sensors and guides (CMP and CLS)

Once you have installed the printer driver and configured Windows to work with your tickets, next, adjust the printer for the tickets being used.  The process is the same for both the CMP and CLS printers.

You can watch these steps in the following video:

Adjusting notch settings

Once you have completed the previous sections, adjust the printer settings to detect the correct notch on your tickets.

  • To set the notch distance on your tickets, follow these steps:

    1. Put the printer into Mass Storage mode. To do this, press and hold the FF button on the back of the printer while switching the printer on.


      Note: Some older models of Stimare SML printers may have a different RS232 port.


      IMG_4758.jpg

    2. Navigate to My Computer and double click on the Flash Drive (this may have a different drive letter for your version of Windows).


      thispc.png

    3. Double click the SETUP.INI file. It should open in Notepad. If it doesn’t, right click on the file, select Open with and choose Notepad.


      flashdrive.png

    4. Scroll down the SETUP.INI file until you locate the following settings:


      setupini.JPG

    5. Change the value against Notch/B.Mark Position by selecting the correct Notch/B.Mark Position from the list below. This setting tells the printer which sensor to use to locate the Notch/Mark on your ticket.


      Notch/B.Mark Positions:

      Position = 1 will turn on the bottom sensor (most commonly used, non-thermal side)
      Position = 2 will turn on the top sensor (if notch is on thermal side)
      Position = 3 will turn on both sensors to look for a gap or hole in your ticket.

    6. The sensors must be correctly aligned in the printer for Notch Distance positioning to work. This is the distance from the beginning of the ticket to the Notch (B.Mark) on the ticket and is as shown below. The measurement is in millimetres. Update this measurement in the SETUP.INI File.


      ticket_ILL.png

    7. Select File and Save to save your changes to the SETUP.INI file.

    TIP: To exit MASS STORAGE MODE on the printer, open the SETUP.INI file shown in step 3 above. Scroll to the [INTERFACE] section. Look for USB Class = 1, change this to USB Class = 0. Select File and Save your changes.

 

Adding Printers to the Box Office App

To print tickets from Spektrix, you will need to Install the Spektrix Box Office App. Once you have installed the App, follow these steps to add your Stimare Printer:

  1. Right-click on the Box Office App icon in the system tray and click Open. You will see a Printers tab, with a list of available printers on the left hand side.
  2. Select the ticket printer under Available printers on the left side, then click the > (right arrow) button to add it to Spektrix printers on the right side. An Add/Edit Printer screen will pop up.
  3. Add a printer name so that you can identify the printer in Spektrix. This cannot be left blank. In this example the printer has been named Box Office STIMA 1.
  4. Click OK to add the printer.

You can watch these steps in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

 

Loading tickets into the Printer

Once you've correctly configured the Ticket Printer, you can load your ticket stock.

  1. First, make sure the Ticket Printer is switched on. On the STIMA SML200, the screen will display 'END PAPER'. This indicates that the printer is waiting for you to insert ticket stock.
  2. Check the orientation of your tickets. Tickets should be inserted with the black notch or band nearest to the printer.
  3. Tickets should be inserted thermal side up (the side you will print on).

The process of inserting tickets is shown in the following video:

 

Running a Test Print

REMINDER: Before you can run a test print, make sure your printer has been taken out of MASS STORAGE MODE.

To exit MASS STORAGE MODE on the printer, open the SETUP.INI file shown in Adjusting notch settings.

Scroll to the [INTERFACE] section. Look for USB Class = 1, change this to USB Class = 0. Select File and Save to save your changes.

Once you have added your Printer to the Spektrix Box Office App, you can run a test print by following these steps:

  1. Exit the Box Office App by right clicking on the App icon in your system tray and selecting Exit
  2. Restart the Box Office App by navigating to C:\Program Files (x86)\Spektrix Ltd\LocalApp\Gui and double clicking on the file named BoxOfficeAppGui.exe
  3. Right click on the Box Office App icon in the system tray and select Open
  4. Highlight the printer in the list of Spektrix Printers
  5. Click Test printer in the bottom left corner

A successful test print will print the word “TEST” on the ticket stock.

IMG_E4640.JPG

 

 

Printing tickets from Spektrix

Once you have successfully printed a test ticket, select your printer from Local Settings in Spektrix.

  1. Log into Spektrix and select Control Panel > Change local settings


    SelectBoxOfficeApp.jpg

  2. On the Select BoxOffice App screen, look under Select your printer. Highlight the printer you want as the default printer for that Spektrix account. Click OK.
  3. Log in to each user’s Spektrix account and repeat these steps to change the default printer in local settings.

TIP: You can only install Stimare Ticket Printers on a PC running the Box Office App. However, once you’ve installed a printer, anyone in your organisation can print to it from wherever they log into Spektrix. You just need to keep the App running on the PC the printer is connected to.

 

Further Help

For more help with Stimare Ticket Printers, please refer to these Support Centre articles:

You now have all the information needed to set up and install your Stimare Ticket Printer.