Be sure to download QZ Tray before beginning these steps.
QZ Tray is available for download at qz.io/download. Choose the most recent stable version. The current version will always be on the left and the beta is on the right so be sure to choose the more stable release. If this is your first time setting up QZ Tray, you may need to download OpenJDK Temurin 11 64-bit (HotSpot JVM) from adoptium.net. This is a prebuilt package that does the legwork of connecting QZ Tray to your browser.
Microsoft Windows 10/11+:
Verify your printer is available in Settings.
Open your Windows Settings and head to Bluetooth & Devices. From there, head to Printers & scanners and look for the printer you’re setting up. In this example, we will be using a Zebra ZD420.
Zebra printers will automatically install the correct driver upon being plugged in. However, if you need to manually install it, Zebra (or your ZPL-enabled printer's manufacturer) keeps the recommended driver downloads for your specific model on their website. Be sure to use the 203dpi version.
Select Add Device and click Add Manually when it appears after searching.
This is how we're going to set up the printer for easy identification on Canix. Select "Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings". Click Next.
Select Use an existing port and change the dropdown menu to USB001: Your driver. Click Next.
Find your driver. If it is not listed, select Generic>Generic/Text Only.
Replace the current driver and click Next to get to the Printer Name. Here is where you can label the printer "Canix Printer", "Label Room Printer", or anything that fits your process. Click Next again and do not share the printer. Click Finish.
Open Canix and make sure to refresh your browser before navigating to Custom Labels. In the Printer dropdown, find your printer by the name you chose. Next, enter a valid tag and test out making a label! They should print right from Canix without needing to go through your system's print dialog.
We highly suggest testing 1 tag, then 5 tags to make sure things align properly when printing at a large volume.
Canix can handle any number of tags in a row, but we recommend doing no more than 30-50 at a time in case of misprints or ribbon misalignment.
Apple macOS 12+:
Open a Terminal window: Hit ⌘(Command) and space to pull up Spotlight search > Search for “terminal” > Hit Enter to open Terminal.
You’ll be greeted by your last log-in date to your user on your computer. The next line will say something like this:
Canix-MacBook-Pro:~ canixhardware$
Here’s the format to remember: computerName:~ userName
Enable CUPS web interface by entering this into the Terminal: sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes. Hit enter to submit.
You can copy that string and paste it into Terminal. Just make sure you don’t grab a space at the end. Terminal is going to ask for your password by showing a little key. This is the same password you use to log in to your computer. Hit enter to submit.
Note: If the user is not an admin (i.e. it’s a shared or work computer), you will likely run into issues in Terminal with permissions.
Load Chrome to the CUPS web interface localhost:631 and click the Administration tab > Add Printer
localhost:631 is going to stay the same. It’s like a webaddress, but to talk to the channel that controls printer communication. Enter in the web address bar accordingly. CUPS stands for Common UNIX Printing System and macOS was built using Unix.
You will be asked in a plain dialogue box for your username and password.
This is the admin username and password for your computer. From the example above, I would use canixhardware. Type it in exactly how it appears in Terminal.
Click AppSocket/HP JetDirect > Continue. If you see your USB raw printer in the listing, DO NOT select it.
You’re probably thinking, “Why don’t I just pick my printer here and be done with it?”, but remember you’re not setting up a connection to your printer. You’re setting up a connection to QZ Tray. This is why you choose AppSocket/HP JetDirect.
You will be prompted for a port. There are two routes: USB or Network. This guide is for USB printers. Consult your System Admin for Network setup.
Now we need to get the right port to type in the Connection box. Delete anything prefilled. To get the port you need, copy/paste lpinfo -v |grep usb into Terminal and hit enter. It will give you back something like this:
direct usb://Brother/HL-2230%20series?serial=C3N803666
You need everything up until the “?” so take the first part and paste it into the Connection box over on CUPS. In this example, that would be usb://Brother/HL-2230%20series
Please remember the following:
⚠️ UNCLICK SHARE THIS PRINTER
And click continue.
In the menu, select Raw > Continue > Raw Queue (en) > Add Printer. On the next page, set the banners to none and click Select Default Options.
Done! Ready to print in Canix. Just make sure you have QZ Tray open! Test a print with one tag first, then multiple tags to check for any initial alignment issues with your printer.
For any troubleshooting needs, please email help@canix.com