🖨️ Setting up the printer

Printer Setup Guide – Check-in Pax + Brother QL-820NWB (iPad)

This guide walks you through setting up your Brother QL-820NWB printer with the Check-in Pax App on an iPad. Follow each step in order to avoid common issues.

Equipment needed

Before you begin, make sure you have the following equipment:

Recommended: Use a dedicated pocket Wi-Fi for each printer + iPad pair for the best performance. Hotel Wi-Fi often does not work reliably due to additional login pages (captive portals), 5 GHz-only networks, or connection timeouts. For a smooth event day, bring and control your own closed network.

Before you start – quick checklist

To avoid 90% of common issues, make sure:

• Brother printer is plugged into power and switched ON
• Paper roll is correctly loaded
• Your Wi-Fi network is ready to connect iPad and printer
• Check-in Pax App is installed and updated from the App Store
• You are logged in and see your event

1. Prepare the Brother printer

1. Press the power button for 2 seconds to switch it on.
2. Open the top cover, insert the paper roll, then pull the paper end manually forward and guide it through the paper slot until it emerges from the front of the printer.
3. Close the cover, then press the scissors button once. The printer should feed and cut out a small blank label.

Important: If no label comes out, the paper may already be cut (pull the paper further out so it extends past the cutting blade) or the roll may be empty.

Troubleshooting

2. Connect printer to your Wi-Fi network

On the Brother printer

1. Press the Menu button.
2. Use the down arrow to find WLAN and press OK.
3. Select WLAN (On/Off), choose On, and press OK.
4. Navigate back to the WLAN menu and select Infra Manual Setting.
5. The printer will search for networks. Use the arrow keys to select your network name (SSID) and press OK.
6. Enter your Wi-Fi password using the arrow keys and OK button (passwords are case-sensitive).
7. • Tip: Use the Menu button to switch between letters, numbers, and symbols.
7. Select OK to connect. The screen should display "Connected!"
8. Press Back or Menu to return to the main screen. The Wi-Fi icon should now appear in the top-right corner.

💡 Tip: A blinking Wi-Fi symbol means the printer is not connected. A solid (non-blinking) Wi-Fi symbol means the connection is successful.

On the iPad

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi.
2. Verify you are on the same network as the printer.

Important notes

• Wi-Fi only. Check-in Pax does not support Bluetooth connections. For the most reliable and stable printing experience, use Wi-Fi only.
• 2.4 GHz network required. The Brother QL-820NWB only supports 2.4 GHz wireless bands, not 5 GHz. Make sure your venue's Wi-Fi broadcasts a 2.4 GHz network.

Troubleshooting

3. Open Check-in Pax and select your event

1. Log into the Check-in Pax App (you should already be logged in from the checklist).
2. Tap your event from the dashboard.
3. You are now on the guest list overview.
4. Make sure you have some sample guests on the list to test print later.

Troubleshooting

4. Connect the app to your printer

1. In the Check-in Pax App, tap the settings icon in the lower left corner (the hamburger icon ☰).
2. Select Printer Setup → tap Please select a printer.
3. Tap Network.
4. Select the Brother QL-820NWB from the list.
5. Go back to printer overview and press Print Settings.
6. Select the correct paper size from the dropdown (keep all other settings unchanged).
7. Press Save and confirm the dropdown.
8. Close all menus.

Your iPad is now connected to the printer.

Troubleshooting

5. Test print (do this before guests arrive)

1. Find any test guest or a dummy entry on your guest list.
2. Tap the name to open the profile.
3. Tap Print badge.

One label should print immediately.

Troubleshooting

Useful links

Related Articles

• Configuring the printer in the Check-in App
• Printing badges in the Check-in App
• Creating badge templates
• Using the Badge designer