Summary
Printers provided by Otter are thermal printers that use heat to print receipts. Thermal printers do not use ink but do generate dust that can cause receipt issues. Common reasons for the printer to print out faint or blank tickets include:
- The thermal head and the platen roller are dirty, so they need to be cleaned out
- The printer is not using the correct paper type or in the right direction
- The printer is old
It's recommended to clean the device approximately every 3 months. Please continue to read this article on how to clean the device and additional troubleshooting when the prints start printing blank or very lightly.
User Instructions
- Allow the printer heads to cool off before changing paper or cleaning
- Only use a DRY or DAMP cloth when wiping any dirt off the printer case
- Avoid cleaning the plastic or rubber parts with alcohol, benzine, thinner, or other solvents to prevent damage, weakening, or breakage
If the print quality is still low, there may be an issue with the current printer paper in the printer. Check that the right paper is inserted.
| Otter-Issued Receipt Printer | Thermal 2.1, 3 1/8" x 273' (80mm x 83.21m) rolls |
| Otter-Issued Label Printer | 2.5” x 1.5” (60x40 mm) |
Step 2: Confirm the New Printer Thermal Paper is in the Right Direction
Note that old thermal paper may not print well.
| Step | Process | Details |
| 1 | Open the roll paper cover. | |
| 2 | Install the roll of paper in the correct direction. | |
| 3 | Pull out some paper, and close the roll paper cover. | |
| 4 |
Epson: When the printer power is in, the roll of paper is automatically cut |
|
|
Rongta: Turn on the printer and manually tear off the paper with its cutter |
Follow these steps once the printer heads have cooled.
| Step | Process | Details |
| 1 | Turn the printer OFF and unplug the AC power adapter cable. |  |
| 2 | Open the roll paper cover. |  |
| 3 |
Clean the thermal elements of the thermal head and the platen roller with a cotton swab moistened with an alcohol solvent (ethanol or IPA). |
|
Step 4: Exchange the current printer roll for a new one
If the previous two steps haven't fixed the issue, let's try to complete the first step with a brand new roll of thermal paper.
| Step | Process | Details |
| 1 | Open the roll paper cover. | |
| 2 | Grab a new thermal printer roll. |  |
| 3 | Install the roll of paper in the correct direction. | |
| 4 | Pull out some paper, and close the roll paper cover. | |
| 5 |
Epson: When the printer power is in, the roll of paper is automatically cut |
|
|
Rongta: Turn on the printer and manually tear off the paper with its cutter |
There are instances where using the improper power adapter can cause printing issues. Ensure the charging adapter that came with the printer is the one in use.
Step 6: Initiate the Replacement Process
After exhausting all basic troubleshooting where the printer has clean thermal heads, clean rollers, and the correct power adapter, and the issue is still ongoing- then this is most likely an older printer that has a damaged/worn out thermal head and needs to be completely replaced. Please reach out to our Support team so they can initiate advanced troubleshooting and determine if a replacement is needed.
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