Home Kiosk & Hardware Badge Printer Setup

Badge Printer Setup

Last updated on Apr 25, 2026

Overview

KyberAccess supports automatic badge printing so every visitor receives a professional, branded badge with their name, photo, host, and check-in time the moment they complete check-in. The system works with Dymo LabelWriter and Brother QL-series printers, the most common label printers used in lobby and reception environments.

This guide covers selecting the right printer, connecting it to your network, installing the print service, configuring badge templates, and printing your first test badge.

Supported Printers

KyberAccess is compatible with the following printer families:

Dymo LabelWriter Series

  • LabelWriter 450 — USB connection, labels up to 2.31 inches wide. Legacy model, widely available and affordable.
  • LabelWriter 550 — USB connection, labels up to 2.31 inches wide. Newer and faster than the 450.
  • LabelWriter 550 Turbo — USB and network connection. Recommended for most deployments due to network capability.
  • LabelWriter 4XL — USB connection, labels up to 4.16 inches wide. Best for larger badges with photos.
  • LabelWriter 5XL — USB and network connection, labels up to 4.16 inches wide. Top recommendation for photo badges with network printing.

Brother QL Series

  • QL-810W — USB and Wi-Fi. Good wireless option for flexible placement.
  • QL-820NWB — USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet. The most versatile connectivity options.
  • QL-1110NWB — USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet with labels up to 4 inches wide. Best for large-format badges.

Recommendation: For most deployments, the Dymo LabelWriter 550 Turbo or the Brother QL-820NWB offer the best balance of print quality, speed, and network connectivity. Network-connected printers can serve multiple check-in stations without a direct USB connection to each one.

Step 1: Connect Your Printer

USB Connection (Direct to Computer)

  1. Unbox the printer and install the label roll per the manufacturer's instructions
  2. Connect the USB cable to your front desk computer
  3. Install the manufacturer's printer driver:
    • Dymo: Download from dymo.com/support
    • Brother: Download from support.brother.com
  4. Print a test page from the manufacturer's software to verify the connection works

Network Connection (Recommended)

For network-connected models:

  1. Connect the printer to your local network via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi
  2. For Wi-Fi setup, use the manufacturer's companion app or the printer's built-in control panel to join your Wi-Fi network
  3. Note the printer's IP address — usually shown on the printer's display or found in your router's connected devices list
  4. Verify connectivity by pinging the printer's IP from your computer

Important: The printer must be on the same local network as the computer running the KyberAccess print service. If your organization uses VLANs or network segmentation, ensure the printer and print service computer can communicate.

Step 2: Install the KyberAccess Print Service

Because web browsers cannot directly access printers, KyberAccess uses a lightweight print service application that runs on your front desk computer and acts as a bridge between the web app and your printer.

  1. Log in to app.kyberaccess.com
  2. Navigate to Settings > Badge Printer
  3. Click Download Print Service
  4. Choose your operating system: Windows (.exe installer) or macOS (.dmg installer)
  5. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts
  6. The print service starts automatically and runs in the background
  7. A small KyberAccess icon appears in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS)

After installation, refresh the KyberAccess web app. A green Print Service Connected indicator should appear under Settings > Badge Printer.

Step 3: Configure the Printer in KyberAccess

  1. Go to Settings > Badge Printer in the KyberAccess dashboard
  2. The system automatically detects printers connected to the print service computer. Select your printer from the dropdown
  3. For network printers not auto-detected, click Add Network Printer and enter the printer's IP address
  4. Set the Label Size to match the labels loaded in your printer — common sizes include 2.25 by 4 inches for standard name badges and 4 by 6 inches for large photo badges
  5. Click Test Print to print a sample badge and verify alignment
  6. Click Save

Step 4: Design Your Badge Template

KyberAccess includes a drag-and-drop badge template designer:

  1. Go to Settings > Badge Printer > Badge Template
  2. Choose a preset template or click Create Custom Template
  3. The visual editor opens with a badge canvas

Available Badge Elements

You can drag the following elements onto the badge canvas and position them freely:

  • Visitor Name — auto-populated from check-in data with configurable font size and weight
  • Visitor Photo — the selfie captured during check-in
  • Company/Organization — the visitor's stated company or affiliation
  • Host Name — who the visitor is seeing
  • Check-In Date & Time — timestamp of arrival
  • Visitor Type — color-coded label (Visitor, Contractor, Delivery)
  • QR Code — a unique code linking to the visitor's digital record for security verification
  • Organization Logo — your company or school logo
  • Custom Text — any static text such as "VISITOR - Escort Required" or "Authorized Area: Lobby Only"
  • Expiration Time — when the badge expires, configurable per visitor type
  • Background Color and Border — color-code badges by visitor type for easy visual identification
  1. Resize and position elements by dragging them on the canvas
  2. Use the Properties Panel on the right to adjust fonts, colors, alignment, and sizes
  3. Click Preview to see a rendered sample badge with placeholder data
  4. Click Save Template

Tip: Create different badge templates for different visitor types. A contractor badge might show company name and project area, while a delivery badge could be minimal with just a name and timestamp. Assign templates per visitor type under Settings > Visitor Types > Badge Template.

Step 5: Configure Automatic Printing

Set up when and how badges are printed:

  1. Go to Settings > Badge Printer > Automation
  2. Choose your printing trigger:
    • Print on Check-In — badge prints automatically as soon as check-in is complete
    • Print on Approval — badge prints only after a staff member approves the visitor (for facilities requiring manual review)
    • Manual Only — badges are printed on demand from the Visitors log
  3. Enable the Reprint Button — adds a reprint option to visitor records for jams or errors
  4. Set Print Copies — usually 1, but some sites print 2 (one for the visitor, one for the logbook)
  5. Click Save

Step 6: Test Badge Printing

Run a complete end-to-end test:

  1. Start a test check-in from the web dashboard or kiosk device
  2. Complete all workflow steps including the selfie capture
  3. Confirm the badge prints automatically at the trigger point you configured
  4. Inspect the printed badge for correct name, photo, readable QR code, proper alignment, and clear text

If anything is off, adjust the badge template margins and element positions in the template editor and test again.

Label Supplies

Recommended Labels

  • Dymo 30856 — 2.31 by 4 inch non-adhesive name badges (peel and clip style)
  • Dymo 1744907 — 4 by 6 inch shipping labels (usable for large photo badges)
  • Brother DK-1202 — 2.4 by 3.9 inch address labels (standard badges)
  • Brother DK-1241 — 4 by 6 inch large format labels (photo badges)

Low Supply Alerts

KyberAccess can monitor label usage and alert you before you run out:

  1. Go to Settings > Badge Printer > Alerts
  2. Enable Low Label Alert
  3. Set the threshold (e.g., alert when fewer than 20 labels remain on the roll)
  4. Choose notification method: dashboard alert, email, or push notification
  5. Save

Troubleshooting

Print service shows "Disconnected": Check that the KyberAccess Print Service application is running by looking for its icon in your system tray or menu bar. Restart the print service if needed. Ensure your browser is accessing KyberAccess via HTTPS.

Badge prints but is misaligned: Confirm the label size setting in KyberAccess matches the actual labels loaded in the printer. Run the printer's built-in calibration from the manufacturer's software. Adjust margins in the badge template editor.

Badge is blank or missing data: Ensure the check-in captured all required fields (name, photo). Verify that badge template elements are mapped to the correct data fields. Run a test print from Settings > Badge Printer > Test Print.

Printer not detected: Reinstall the printer driver from the manufacturer's website. Try a different USB port or cable. For network printers, verify the IP address is correct and the printer is reachable on the network.

Printing is slow: Network printers may be slower than USB-connected ones. Check network bandwidth and signal strength. The Dymo 550 Turbo and Brother QL-820NWB are optimized for speed.

For persistent issues, see the Badge Printer Not Working troubleshooting guide.