Practical Automation iTX

The following guide will walk you through the necessary steps to successfully install and configure your printer.

Setup Installation Instructions

  1. Install your printer using the CD included with your printer, or Download the ITX Driver here.
  2. Connect the printer to your computer and follow the Add Printer wizard for proper printer installation
  3. Print a test page
    1. Right click on the Practical Automation printer and select Printer Properties
    2. Click on the General Tab
    3. Click on Print Test Page
  4. Test page indicates successful installation
  5. Right click on your printer, and select Set as Default Printer

Printer Settings

  1. When on the Printers screen, right click on your Practical Automation printer and select Printing Preferences
  2. On the Layout tab, change the orientation to Landscape
  3. Click the “Advanced…” button and select the Paper Size as L = 5.50 x 2.00
  4. Click OK and OK again on Printing Preferences

Internet Explorer Settings

Internet Explorer offers the best printing reliability and compatibility with our thermal printing module. For accurate thermal ticket printing results, only login to the system using Internet Explorer.

  1. Launch Internet Explorer
  2. Click on File and select Page Setup
  3. Under Paper Options, the Paper Size and Page Orientation should already be set to L = 5.50 x 2.00 and Landscape, respectively.
  4. Check the Enable Shrink-to-Fit Option
  5. Margin settings should be set as follows:
    1. Left: 0
    2. Right: 0
    3. Top: 0
    4. Bottom: 0
  6. Under Headers and Footers
    1. Set all Header options to Empty
    2. Set all Footer options to Empty
  7. Click OK

Internet Explorer does not allow you to set the Pratical Automation printer’s left and right margins to 0, and they probably default back to 0.08 or 0.01, depending on the version of Windows you are running. So, we will need to manually override and set the margins to 0 by editing the registry.

Registry Changes

Improperly modifying the registry can result in adverse effects to your system. We recommend that you have someone with a technical background help you with these modifications and that a registry backup is made prior to making any changes.

For Windows 7

  1. Click the Start Menu and type regedit into the search field. Click Enter which will open the Registry Editor.
  2. The window should automatically open to the “Page Setup” Folder for Internet Explorer.
  3. Double click on margin_bottom and set the value to 0, Click OK. Repeat for all 4 margins.

For Windows XP or Vista

  1. Click the Start Menu and type regedit into the search field. Click Enter which will open the Registry Editor.
  2. Click on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder
  3. Click on the Software folder
  4. Click on the Microsoft folder
  5. Under the Internet Explorer folder, click on the PageSetup sub-folder
  6. Double click on margin_bottom and set the value to 0, Click OK. Repeat for all 4 margins.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Any modification made to the browser’s Page Setup section will result in having to reset the margin_bottom, margin_left, margin_right, and margin_top registry values to 0 in the registry. Tickets will not properly print if the registry settings are not set back to 0.

Box Office Ticket Printing Instructions

Printing Tickets from Customer Orders

If you created multiple shipping options for your event, the customer can choose which ticket option they prefer when checking out.

  1. Log in to ThunderTix
  2. Navigate to the desired event
  3. Open the Will Call Report
  4. Review the Shipping Option column and click the blue ticket graphic beneath the Print column. A new window will open with the tickets to print.
  5. From your browser, click on the File tab
  6. Select the Print option. (Shortcut: hold down the CTRL key and press P)
    1. The Practical Automation printer should be set as your default printer, and will automatically be highlighted as the printer you will send the tickets to. It is important to ensure that no other printers are accidentally selected during this process.
  7. Click the Print button

Printing On-Demand Tickets

Box office managers and staff members can process orders for customers either by phone or in person. At the final stage or the order process when payment is approved, staff can print tickets immediately to set aside for Will Call or give directly to the customer.

  1. Process an order.
  2. On the final screen when the order is Approved, click the link, “Print to Thermal Printer”

A new window will open with the tickets to print.

  1. From your browser, click on the File tab
  2. Select the Print option. (Shortcut: hold down the CTRL key and press P)
    1. The Practical Automation printer should be set as your default printer, and will automatically be highlighted as the printer you will send the tickets to. It is important to ensure that no other printers are accidentally selected during this process.
  3. Click the Print button