# Troubleshooting

***

#### **Why are my barcodes printing in red?**

A red outline in the barcode area usually means the item doesn't have a barcode assigned. Add a valid barcode to the item and try printing again.

If a barcode is already assigned, check whether it contains any special characters — barcodes must contain only numbers or letters.

<figure><img src="/files/YjB9SylJebAHIJH4bukv" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **My labels are misaligned. How do I fix this?**

If your labels are printing in the wrong position (e.g., shifted, sideways, or at a 90-degree angle), try these steps in order.

1. Make sure the label paper is loaded correctly and aligned inside the printer.
2. Confirm that the label size you selected in BoxHero matches the actual label sheet or roll you're using.
3. Check your printer settings:
   1. For **standard** **printers**, make sure the label sheet is inserted in the correct orientation — if it's upside down or reversed, the print position may shift.
   2. For **thermal** **printers**, verify that the correct paper size is configured in your system’s printer settings (*Control Panel* > *Bluetooth & Devices* > *Printers & Scanners* > *Printing Preferences)*.

<figure><img src="/files/vYhpuvKXBKtXypqW87eQ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **My barcode won’t scan after printing.**

Check whether the barcode printed clearly without smudging, fading, or distortion. If it looks blurry, try adjusting the print darkness and turning off dithering in your printer settings.&#x20;

If you're using an external scanner, try scanning the barcode into a text editor like **Notepad**. The barcode number should appear followed by an automatic line break. If it doesn't, check your scanner's manual to enable the <mark style="color:$primary;">`Enter`</mark> key suffix.

#### **My print preview looks different from actual print.**

Make sure the label size selected in BoxHero and the paper size in your printer settings both match your actual label dimensions. For thermal printers, the paper size must also be set at the system level in your OS printer preferences.

#### **My labels print blank or cut off.**

Check that media is loaded correctly and the label format in BoxHero matches your actual paper. For thermal printers, turn off dithering in your printer driver — this is a common cause of blank or faded output.

* On Zebra drivers, set dithering to "**Clipart**" under **Graphic** **Options** > **Dithering**.
* On BarTender drivers, set it to "**None**" under the **Graphics** tab > **Dithering**. If labels are cut off, the paper size in your system's printer settings likely doesn't match the roll you're using.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Zebra" %}

<figure><img src="/files/ZsxcJRkUPwVJrUZZ9Oxr" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="BarTender" %}

<figure><img src="/files/RZgNKTExFMcDFoCxbiWh" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://www.boxhero.io/docs/faq/barcode-labels/troubleshooting.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.