Kiosk Printer Setup (Star SK5-31)

This page will go over how to setup the Star Micronics SK5-31 Kiosk Thermal Printer on a new kiosk.

Hardware Overview

The SK5-31 Kiosk Printer will be pre-installed in the kiosk, but you will need to decide between a USB or Ethernet (network) connection for the hardware.

Typically, if you are installing the Fastweigh software on the kiosk directly, you can use the USB connection.

If you are "piggybacking" off of an existing Fastweigh installation, then you'll want the printer to be accessible on the network to both systems using an Ethernet connection.

Here is the manufacturer's video showcasing the SK5-31 Kiosk Printer: High Class Kiosk Printer SK5-31 Product Introduction Video

The image below shows the backside of the printer, as it can be hard to see when it's installed in the kiosk.

Starting from left to right, here are the buttons and connectors:

1. Feed Button

2. Select Button

3. Small Connection Port for Paper Roll Holder Attachment

4. USB Port

5. Ethernet (Network) Port

6. 2-Prong Power Cable Port

Driver Software Installation

Here we will walk through installing the printer software so it can work properly with Fastweigh and Windows.

If the printer software driver is not already downloaded to the device, you can download it here: https://starmicronics.com/support/download/starprnt-intelligence-for-kiosk-sk-series-software-full/

Since this is a .zip file, you will need to extract it before use.

To do so, simply right-click on the file, select Extract All, and then select Extract.

Once the file has been extracted to a new folder, follow these steps:

1. Open the main folder "StarPRNT_Kiosk_SKSeries_v1.2.0_setup".

   1. Open the "setup" folder.

   2. Double-click on the file "Setup.exe" to start the installation.

      1. Hit Next through all of the prompts in the install process.

      2. Use the Typical selection for the Setup Type, then select Install.

Printer Setup via Driver Software

Now that we have the printer software installed, we can use it to properly setup the printer for use in Windows and Fastweigh.

For this, we will need to open the printer software to proceed. You can find it via the Start Menu in Windows labelled "Printer Utility Kiosk (SK Series)".

1. Select the SK5-31 Presenter from the list and select Next.

   
2. Now, we need to select the connection type. We will go over both options for USB and Ethernet.

USB Connection Type

1. Select the USB connection type from the list.

   1. The printer should automatically show as selected. If not, double check the connections and use the Refresh button to try to detect it again.

1. Select Done to proceed and then name the printer however you'd like and click Okay.

2. Select Windows Printer Queue Management option.

1. The printer should appear in the list. Here you can set it as the Default Printer and can try a Test Print to confirm it's properly working.

1. After this, it will need to be setup in the Fastweigh Ticketing application.

Ethernet Connection Type

1. Select the Ethernet connection type, then select "Search Network". This will begin a scan of your network for the device.

1. If the printer is properly connected to the network, it will appear during the network search.

   1. Select Done to proceed and then name the printer however you'd like and click Okay.

1. Select the Windows Printer Queue Management option.

1. Select Add, then give the Printer a name or leave it as is.

1. Here you can set the printer as the Default Printer and try printing a test page to confirm functionality.

1. After this, it will need to be setup in the Fastweigh Ticketing application.

Optimal Printer Device Options

There are some recommended device options that should be set on the printer to have it print in an optimal fashion for the kiosk. Here we will show how to adjust those options on the device.

1. Open the Windows Start Menu and search for Printers & Scanners.

1. Select the device from the list.

1. Select the option for Printer Properties.

1. In this window, select the tab for Device Settings.

   1. Expand the Presenter section using the + (Plus) icon and change these settings to the following options.

      1. Mode: NoLoop - NoHold

      2. Paper Retract Function: Eject

      3. Paper Hold Time: 2 seconds

1. Select Apply or OK and close the window.

It's now ready to get setup in Fastweigh as a device!