Home Forums Discussions General Discussion TSP800 Printer

I have been off for a few days. Just wondering what the status is with the Star Micronics printer.

I have managed to get it to work on all of my computers but have had to do it in three different ways.

And, I wish Star hadn't come out with the TSP800 II. Very confusing when looking for drivers.

Bert,

In a previous thread you mentioned you had gotten your tsp 800 to print correctly on v6, but you had to do it in "three different ways". Can you elaborate on that? I'm on 6.09 and no matter what I do, every script I print to the TSP800 looks tiny, regardless of state selected, format, twips, etc.

Luis,

Yes, my method should work for most anyone. I have the correct drivers, but there is one little trick. I won't be able to post it until after my afternoon patients.

What OS and what are you using: 32-bit or 64-bit?

The TSP is on a network; all of the exam room and front-office computers (including my "server" PC) are Vista 64-bit; I just bought a computer for myself from Dell which is Windows 7 with XP, 64-bit as well. Thank you, no rush (I was hoping this would get fixed in the next version but am going through toner like crazy while the TSP sits idlely)

Luis
Sebastian, FL

OK. I must tell you right off you need a little bit of luck. With a mixed back of computers it may be a little harder. As those of us with TSP800s (legacy), it's hard to live without them. So, even if you can't fine every single one working. The key is to get just one.

The Star Micronics website is about the most disorganized thing I have seen. It would be nice if they just listed the XP, Vista 32/64, WIN 7 32/64 drivers, etc. in a list or table. But, they hide them in all sorts of paragraphs and links. Anyway, after much looking, I believe the you can find the correct drivers here.

But, the easiest way is to use the drivers which Microsoft embedded into Vista 32/64, Win7 32/64 and Server 2008 32/64.

You simply click on Add Printer, select the port and when it asks for a print driver, choose Microsoft Update. It will then find all the printers on the OS. You choose the TSP800(847)and install it.

After installation, you configure it as your normally would with the key being to select 104 x receipt. There are drivers which give the old 104 x 140, but these don't. I am going to assume you are comfortable with configuration of the driver given you have used it so long.

Now, here is the tricky part and what can be a bit frustrating for your staff especially if they are used to using a regular printer forever and it is selected as their default printer.

You can pull up a medication in preview, it will occupy most of the left part of the window, and you can select TSP800, and you will likely get a postage stamp for your script. I have been able to configure one computer to be able to print the old way and that has since gone away.

The key is to make the TSP800 your default printer. If it is, then when you preview the prescription before printing, it will occupy the middle of the window in practically the actual size of the resulting script.

The next key is getting lucky and finding the computer for whatever reason prints perfectly when the print driver is the default. I was able to do that on two out of five computers. Once you find that computer hopefully , you simply share it out to everyone who then has to make that the default.

I have HP printers in both rooms, which I used to use a lot for printing 8 1/2 by 11 scripts. I will occasionally print an article or progress note, but not as much as I print CII scripts. So, for me selecting a print driver when I print isn't an issue and, in fact, I am quite used to it. For the staff person who has been printing superbills for two years, you will likely get very long superbills printing on the Star.

But, for me, this works, and I am just happy I can print to the TSP again.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you or anyone has questions.

AC advised me today that the most current beta that is in limited release (6.0.10) has the TSP 800 printer working, but they are working on the TSP 800 II printer which is problematic.

I know that does not help right now but is encouraging.

P.S. I don't have this printer but just discussed with them to let people know.

Thanks Steven,

But, I find it not encouraging at all. It was supposed to be fixed a while back. I have spent countless hours fixing it myself as well as talking to Star Micronics themselves.

Thanks for talking to them, but they definitely know. Support has even sent drivers to us, but they are very old legacy drivers for XP. The actual correct drivers can be found embedded in Vista, WIN 7, 2008 and are on my web site. Even then, you must do a workaround.

I simply don't understand how you can advertise the product and the paper on your site and have it not be compatible.

But, I am shooting the messenger. Sorry.

Wow, thanks Bert, that worked great!!!
YOU DA MAN

Glad I could help.

Bert, sorry to keep picking your brain, but sounds like you'd been working on this a while so you might know the answer....

I got the script to print on the TSP using the methods above, but what I get is a long script the length of 2 regular scripts; the top half is blank, then the actual script prints out on the bottom half. Any thoughts on what printer settings might need to be changed so it spits out on one script only?

Thanks again,

Luis

No problem. The key is to find at least one computer where you set up the driver preferably by Windows Update. Then do the settings on the TSP. If that print driver will print to the TSP as the DEFAULT PRINTER, then you are all set. Keep it the default printer ALWAYS and share it. Then, have all the other computers search for it and use that print driver on their machine as the DEFAULT print driver as well.

If your preview does not look like this then it will not print properly.

Lastly, in the admin section, you have to have TSP and Format 1 selected.

If you can't get it to work, I can remote in tonight.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work on my pc's..... on my Windows 7 PC, I get the script in the upper left corner of a large piece of paper on preview. On my Vista PC's, I get a small script broken up into 3 separate pages in the upper left corner of the preview screen; in all instances I have the tsp800 set as the default printer....

Guess I'll wait for 6.0.10 ....

Luis

6.0.10 won't help. I tried it.

Which driver are you using?

What settings are you using in the driver?

Hopefully, you are using an Ethernet connection and not USB.

Yes, its an ethernet connection, and the driver is the one you outlined above (tsp 800 (847)). As far as the settings on the driver, there are several (I assume you mean Device Settings?)... seems like I've tried them all... 140xreceipt, 140x200, A4, letter, etc. Are there other settings I should be looking at?

Luis,

Hang in there. There are so many combinations, one is bound to work. When you say (TSP 800 847), they will all end up saying that. So, the print drivers could be named OEMPRINT.inf or prnst.inf

For XP 32-bit, use the OEM driver. For WIN 7 32 bit use the prnst.inf for 32 - bit, etc. All drivers are located above.

You should also try the Windows Update first.

Settings should be, go to:

1. Printer properties
2. Select preferences
3. Select Advanced on lower right
4. Paper size = 104 x Receipt (always that size) for some reason it may change back to letter; that's OK.

Then:

1. Device Settings
2. FRICTION: 104 x Receipt
3. Raster
4. Black Mark (paper must have black marks)
5. Power On: Enable
6. Top Search: Disable
7. Page Cut Type: Full Cut
8. Document Cut Type: Full Cut
9. Leave the rest as defaults

Obviously make sure that in the admin section it is TSP and Format 1. Don't worry about the twips.

Go to each computer and depending on the OS and 32/64 bit, install a print driver, you should be able to install two (those above) and Windows Update driver. Make default, and try to print. Print preview has to show like above: | Script |

If you have 20 computers, you will have 20 chances that one will work. I got two out of five to work.

I know when you used it before it worked, but just to be safe:

Hold down the feed button on the TSP in the recessed area in the front. While held down, turn the Star off, then back on. Keep pushing down on the button. It will start to print the settings of the Star printer. After it starts, remove your finger from the button. It will print and stop, then print some more. Look at the settings and mainly make sure that black mark detect is enabled.

Thanks, Bert for your detailed explanation. Unfortunately, it just hasn't worked out. I have spent most of the last 3 hours working on this. The drivers indeed correctly installed, and I also did the Windows update drivers. No matter what , it gives me the same configuration on the previewed (and printed) scripts, both on my Windows 7 pc and the Vista 64-bit pc's.
I just think AC needs to get on it and fix it in the next iteration.... I can't imagine it being so difficult, esp since it was working fine on v5 and before.... frustrating, indeed.
I thank you again for your efforts and assistance....

Luis

Luis,

I completely understand your frustration. I don't even want to go into the situation with the prescription writer and the Star Printer. Apparently, no beta testers had Star Printers.

I have tried v6.0.10, and it didn't change anything. I hope there is a final version which fixes both.

The only thing I can come up with now for you would be to set up a standalone computer using v5 connected to the printer. Get it working. Then you could possibly share that driver out. Not sure.

Do you know if 6.0.9 or 6.0.10 work with the new TSP800 II ?

I thought of that, but I am certainly not going to pay for it when I don't know. My guess is no. It is the software which formats the script, the driver that sets up the printer.

This is purely an AC issue. Frankly, when I call Star Micronics, they don't seem to care.

I am using Amazing charts Version 6.0.10 beta and can't get my Star TSP800 to print correctly. It print prescription, but prints them postage stamp size (see link to example below along with my printer settings).

The printer was working fine with AC version 5.1.7

As others have mentioned this seems to be software issue with SAP crystal reports.

Any tips on how to get the printer working right? Thanks.

Here is the link to what is printing out and the printer settings.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...jI4LTlmMjAtZTFlYjM1NDA5NDFl&hl=en_US

Ken,

As it states above, have you been able to find ANY computer in your office that when set up as above and made the DEFAULT printer will print correctly?

I could not get the Star TSP800 printer to work with version 6.0.10 of amazing charts despite trying Bert's tricks. None of the 7 computers in my office would print anything but a postage stamp sized prescription.

Hopefully a future version of amazing charts will resolve this bug.

In the meantime, I have reverted to just printing out prescriptions (that I can't electronically prescribe), 4 to a letter sized security paper page. That works, but not as slick as the TSP800.

I feel bad that neither of you could get lucky on at least one computer. If you really want the capability of printing to a Star, you would have to have one computer with v5 that would NOT be on the database, but its own and print from there. Of course, then the meds would not be recorded in the computer.

Excuse me, but I would like to take a moment to rant...I would really like to know why the programmers and developers at AC cannot get to the bottom of the TSP800 printing issue? This is obviously a major problem with many users and I for one had to roll back to 5.29 because of it. There were no printing issues with previous versions, and although I am not a programmer, it does not seem like it would be rocket science to determine what programming change created the issue. It is a matter of priorities. If a print bug caused AC to crash and become unusable every time you wanted to print something, it would have been fixed immediately. It seems to me that a number of people are complaining about this on the User Board, but the squeaky wheel doesn't seem to be getting the grease!

Actually, I don't even know if that would be fixed anymore. Can't fix the EMR when we have to get that PM out.

I feel your pain Ed. I am working with Star Micronics development to look for an answer. Scary that we would have to do all the work.

On the list of fixes in V6.10 is "Corrected an issue with TSP printed prescription formats to prevent printing more than 1 prescription per page".
Is this the issue you guys are discussing, or something different? Did 6.10 fix the problem?

No. It is that rather than printing a script, it prints a sheet which is probably two scripts long (not what they are referring to). And, on that script, you will see your prescription. If you wrote 44 cents for the sig, you would have a nice postage stamp.

The driver they sent me and confirmed by Star Micronics, is a driver intended for 32-bit programs and generally used by XP.

The strange thing is (and confirmed by our former mod, Adam) is that some workarounds work but oddly differently on different computers. Maybe I will give 6.0.10 another shot and apologize if I am wrong.

What is strange is that I have been successful with the workaround of using the default method, and Adam was immediately successful with it. This workaround is on 64-bit OS with 64-bit Windows embedded drivers.

LOL - This is hilarious!

I thought so.

Here is a possible solution for customers having the TSP issue where the script is printing very small in the lower left hand corner of the paper. We have confirmed that this works with the TSP800 and the TSP800II with a Windows 7 64 bit pc. We have also successfully made these changes for one practice and verified that the changes worked for them.

For the TSP800, the driver that we are using is the one supplied by the Microsoft Operating System for Windows 7 when you plug in the printer and turn it on via the USB port. For the TSP 800II E3RX printer, we used the driver and software from the installation cd that shipped with the printer.

The only settings that we then changed are listed in the steps below. We are hopeful that these steps will help out some of the practices who have reported this issue.

Just as a precaution, please save your work in Amazing Charts and then exit out of the application.

01. From your window?s operating system, click on Start and select ?Devices and Printers?.
02. Select your TSP printer from the list and do a right mouse click, and select printer properties.
03. Click on the ?Preferences? button near the bottom of the window.
04. Click on the ?Advanced? button near the lower right hand corner of the window.
05. For the option ?Paper Size?, use the pull down menu and select 104mm x 200mm.
06. Click on the ?OK? button.
07. Click on the ?Apply? button.
08. Click on the ?OK? button again to close the ?Preferences? window.
09. Click on the ?Device Settings? tab.
10. For the ?Friction? option, use the pull down menu and select 104mm x 200mm.
11. Under ?Installable Options?, for the ?Paper Type?, use the pull down menu to select ?Black Mark?.
12. Click on the ?Apply? button.
13. Click on the ?OK? button.

If you have more than one printer that you use in your office, you may want to set the TSP printer as the default printer as well to see if that helps.

Launch Amazing Charts. If you have not already set your printer format for TSP, please do so in the Amazing Charts Administration Options by clicking on the ?Set Prescription Format? button and selecting the TSP 800 printer and the layout type that you wish to use.

When you are ready to print, if you do not have the TSP800 printer set as the default printer, you will have to preview the script and then select the TSP printer from there.


John

QA Department
Amazing Charts, Inc.

John / Tech Support
Thanks for the post. Unfortunately, didn't work for me. Still getting postage stamp size prescriptions. Windows 7 64 bit. Amazing charts 6.0.10. TSP 800.

I dont think this will work for New York Because the size of the printed page is not full size, its only upper left or 4 per page.

If they give New York an option for full page, it will probably work in a limited fashion.

But, that's the whole idea of the TSP printer. It would be equivalent to the top 1/4 part of the page. Do you have a TSP printer?

I don't have a TSP printer, so I can't comment on this fix. I will say this: I VERY much appreciate Tech Support's appearance here. At the very least this is a means to disseminate fixes and other information to users who are struggling with problems and have not heard the answer from Tech Support. At best it can provide some synergy towards finding solutions.

As I said, I don't have a TSP now, but based on Bert's post ("If you wrote 44 cents for the sig, you would have a nice postage stamp") my plan is to buy one and start using it for postage for the office.

This did not work for me... can you post the driver your using to the user board?

@stylnchris

The drivers are actually already on your computer IF you are using WIN 7. You would do your regular install of the printer and when you get to the window that asks you to browse to the print driver or select Windows Update, you select Windows Update. Windows will then find all of the drivers embedded in your OS from Star Micronics and then give you the option of choosing one. You would then select TSP800 (847).

It looks like this:

http://www.box.net/shared/static/fh763ulqk2epu6fbhk1v.jpg

If you simply want the "correct" driver, then you can get it here:

http://www.box.net/shared/static/ffsdojkg560xlkardi9v.zip

On the post above, don't forget in device settings to set the Full Cut for both options. Unless you prefer partial cut. We have always used full cut in the past, but we are now using partial cut as we do not want to lose a 44 cent stamp.

As you know, I have spearheaded this effort and have spent literally hours working on it. The method above will, well, either work or not. Most of the time, it will not work. I tend to use 104 by Receipt as that is what was recommended by Star themselves.

Of course, it doesn't matter as it will default back to Letter anyway, which is possibly part of the issue. Star is working on a new driver, but basically Software trumps driver trumps printer, so it may not help. It is dependent on the software for the most part which is born out by the fact that it used to work. For whatever reason, when TSP800 print driver is selected, AC does not seem to be able to pick up the settings or maybe not quickly enough. This is why default can work.

I am not sure why, but I am able to get it to work on three to four WIN 7 64-bit machines. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the difference as all of the computers are pretty much exactly the same right down to which president is on the postage stamp.

I am baffled that no one else has had any success. And, of course, if you can get one to work either on its own or when it is set to default, you can share it out to any other computer, and they will work.

The two biggest differences I have notices is that in Add/Remove programs, some computers show Star Micronics in it and some don't. I have also noticed that one the computers which work the print preview comes up immediately whereas the ones that don't have a slight delay and you can see a really cool ghost flash by which is the Crystal Reports ghost. Crystal is Casper's sister.

I can't recall if I have uninstalled C.R. from a computer. I thought I did, and I think AC didn't work well after. But, it's been a while. I am really not in the mood to try it now. If anyone has WIN 7 on a sandbox connected to a Star Printer that isn't working, you may want to delete it and see what happens. Of course, it is there for a reason.