Setting up the local print server

EQUOS Print is a standalone Windows application that acts as a local print server. When someone in your team clicks “Send to Printer” in the EQUOS web app, the job is queued in Firestore and picked up by EQUOS Print on your local machine, which routes it to the correct printer automatically.

Why use a local print server?

Without EQUOS Print, printing labels involves downloading a PDF and manually sending it to a printer. For warehouse teams printing dozens of labels per day, this adds up. EQUOS Print eliminates the manual step — labels print automatically as soon as they’re requested.

Requirements

Before setting up EQUOS Print, ensure you have:

• A Windows 10 or later PC on the same network as your printers
• An EQUOS account with an active subscription
• At least one supported printer installed on the PC:
  • Thermal: Zebra ZPL-compatible printer (e.g., GK420t, ZD420) connected via network (TCP port 9100)
  • Label: DYMO LabelWriter or similar, installed as a Windows printer
  • Standard: Any A4 printer installed as a Windows printer

Supported job types

EQUOS Print handles the following job types:

Installing EQUOS Print

1. Download the EQUOS Print installer from your admin portal.
2. Run the installer on your warehouse workstation PC.
3. Follow the setup wizard to complete installation.
4. EQUOS Print appears in your Start menu and system tray.

Signing in

On first launch, EQUOS Print opens a login screen:

1. Enter your EQUOS email address and password.
2. Click Sign In.
3. The app verifies your account has an active subscription and a valid business ID.
4. You’re redirected to the queue screen once authenticated.

Configuring your workstation

After signing in, navigate to Settings (gear icon in the top bar) to configure your workstation.

Workstation name

Give your workstation a meaningful name so you can identify it in logs and job history. For example:

• WAREHOUSE-PC-01 — Main warehouse packing station
• DISPATCH-DESK — Dispatch office printer
• SHOPFLOOR-TABLET — Production floor device

Setting up printer profiles

EQUOS Print supports three printer profile types. Configure each one to map to a system printer installed on your Windows PC.

Standard printer (A4)

For invoices, pick lists, packing slips, and reports:

1. In the Standard Printer section, open the printer dropdown.
2. Select your A4 printer from the list of Windows system printers.
3. Click Test Print to verify — a test page prints with the printer name, workstation ID, and timestamp.

Thermal printer (ZPL)

For zone labels, bin labels, and bin location labels via Zebra printers:

1. In the Thermal Printer section, select your Zebra printer from the dropdown.
2. Enter the printer’s network address in the format host:port (e.g., 192.168.1.100:9100).
3. Click Test Print to verify — a test label prints with a Code128 barcode of your workstation ID.

Label printer (DYMO)

For inventory product labels:

1. In the Label Printer section, select your DYMO LabelWriter from the dropdown.
2. Click Test Print to verify — a small test label prints at 89mm x 36mm with printer details.

Printer discovery

EQUOS Print automatically discovers printers installed on your Windows system. If a printer doesn’t appear in the dropdown:

1. Check that the printer is installed in Windows Settings > Printers & scanners.
2. Ensure the printer driver is installed and the printer shows as “Ready”.
3. Restart EQUOS Print to refresh the printer list.

The print queue

The queue screen is the main view of EQUOS Print. It shows all print jobs sent from the web app to your workstation’s business.

Queue layout

• Filter tabs at the top: All, Pending, Done, Failed
• Job list showing each job with an icon, summary (e.g., “5x Inventory Labels”), copy count, time received, and status badge
• Connection status bar at the bottom showing connection health, your email, and workstation name

Auto-print mode

When auto-print is enabled (the default), jobs are processed automatically as soon as they arrive. Toggle auto-print from the queue screen header.

When auto-print is disabled, jobs accumulate in the Pending tab. Use this during:

• Initial setup and testing
• Printer maintenance or paper changes
• Situations where you want to review jobs before printing

To manually print a pending job, tap it and click the Print button.

Job statuses

Handling failed jobs

When a job fails (e.g., printer offline, paper jam), it moves to the Failed tab. To resolve:

1. Tap the failed job to open the detail drawer.
2. Review the error message.
3. Fix the issue (reconnect printer, reload paper, etc.).
4. Click Retry to attempt the job again.

To clear all failed jobs at once, click the Clear Failed button that appears when failed jobs exist.

Job detail drawer

Tapping any job opens a side drawer with full details:

• Job type and description
• Number of copies
• Created timestamp and processing time
• Current status with error details (if failed)
• Retry and reprint actions

Sending print jobs from EQUOS

Print jobs are triggered from the main EQUOS web app. Anywhere you see a Send to Printer option, clicking it creates a job in the Firestore print queue that EQUOS Print picks up.

Printing inventory labels

1. Open Inventory in the web app.
2. Select one or more items.
3. Click Print Labels and choose Send to Printer.
4. The label job appears in EQUOS Print and is routed to your configured label printer.

Printing warehouse labels

Zone, bin, and bin location labels can be sent to print from the Warehouse module:

1. Navigate to your warehouse location.
2. Select zones, bins, or bin locations.
3. Click the Print action and choose Send to Printer.
4. Labels are routed to your configured thermal printer.

Printing documents

Invoices, pick lists, and packing slips can be sent to your standard printer:

1. Open the relevant document in the web app.
2. Click the print action and choose Send to Printer.
3. The PDF is generated, stored temporarily, and sent to your A4 printer.

System tray operation

EQUOS Print is designed to run continuously in the background. The system tray icon provides:

• Connection status — The tooltip shows whether the app is connected and processing jobs
• Quick access — Right-click for a context menu with Open and Quit options
• Unobtrusive operation — Minimise the app and it continues processing from the tray

Starting with Windows

For always-on printing, add EQUOS Print to your Windows startup applications so it launches automatically when the PC starts.

Troubleshooting

Printer not found

• Verify the printer appears in Windows Settings > Printers & scanners
• Restart EQUOS Print to refresh the printer list
• For thermal printers, check the network address and port are correct

Jobs stuck in pending

• Check that auto-print is enabled
• Verify the connection status bar shows a green indicator
• Ensure you’re signed in with the correct business account

Thermal printer not responding

• Confirm the printer is reachable on the network (try ping 192.168.1.100)
• Check that port 9100 is open and not blocked by a firewall
• Use the Test Print button in Settings to diagnose connectivity
• Ensure the printer has labels loaded and is in “Ready” state

Connection issues

• The status bar at the bottom shows real-time connection health
• A red indicator means the Firestore connection is interrupted
• Check your internet connection and try signing out and back in

Related documentation

• Warehouse module — Zone and bin management
• Inventory module — Product catalog and labels
• Setting up products — Adding products and barcodes
• Shipping orders — Outbound picking and packing