BUSY Accounting Software is widely used for accounting, GST billing, inventory management, invoicing, financial reporting, and business operations. Printing is therefore an important part of a normal BUSY installation.

A business may need to print:

• Sales invoices
• Purchase documents
• Payment and receipt vouchers
• GST invoices
• Debit and credit notes
• Ledgers
• Account statements
• Outstanding reports
• Inventory reports
• Cheques
• Barcode labels
• POS bills
• Financial reports
• Other accounting documents

When multiple printers are installed on a computer, BUSY needs to know which printer should normally receive print jobs.

BUSY provides Hardware Configuration for this purpose. In addition to choosing a default printer, this area controls several important printing parameters such as page length, lines per page, margins, printing style, and print scaling.

1. BUSY Default Printer vs Windows Default Printer

An important distinction should be understood before configuring BUSY.

Windows maintains its own default printer, while BUSY can maintain printer-related configuration within the application.

For example, Windows may have:

HP LaserJet Pro

as its default printer.

However, BUSY may be configured to use:

Canon LBP2900

for accounting print jobs.

Therefore, changing the Windows default printer does not always mean that every BUSY printing configuration or designed invoice format will automatically use the new printer.

When troubleshooting, check both Windows and BUSY printer settings.

2. Prerequisites Before Configuring a Printer in BUSY

Before making changes inside BUSY, confirm that the printer works correctly in Windows.

Step 1 – Verify Printer Installation

Open:

Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners

or, depending on your Windows version:

Control Panel → Devices and Printers

Confirm that the required printer appears.

Examples:

• HP LaserJet Pro
• Canon LBP2900
• Brother DCP series
• Epson EcoTank
• Epson Dot Matrix
• Thermal POS Printer
• Microsoft Print to PDF

Step 2 – Print a Windows Test Page

Open the printer properties and print a test page.

If Windows itself cannot print successfully, first resolve the Windows/printer/driver/network problem.

BUSY depends on the printer being correctly installed and accessible through Windows.

Step 3 – Check Printer Status

The printer should not show:

• Offline
• Paused
• Driver unavailable
• Error
• Disconnected

For network printers, also confirm that the computer can communicate with the printer or print server.

3. How to Set the Default Printer in BUSY

The normal configuration path is:

Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration

The exact wording or screen appearance can vary slightly between BUSY versions.

Step 1 – Start BUSY

Launch BUSY Accounting Software.

Step 2 – Open the Company

Select the required company and log in with a user having sufficient configuration rights.

Step 3 – Open Administration

Go to:

Administration

Step 4 – Open Configuration

Select:

Configuration

Step 5 – Open Hardware Configuration

Select:

Hardware Configuration

Step 6 – Find Default Printer Driver

Locate:

Default Printer Driver

BUSY should display the printer drivers currently available to Windows.

Step 7 – Select the Required Printer

Select the printer that should normally be used for BUSY printing.

For example:

HP LaserJet Pro MFP

Step 8 – Save the Configuration

Save the configuration.

Depending on the BUSY version, the configuration can normally be saved using the on-screen Save option or the relevant BUSY save shortcut.

Step 9 – Perform a Test Print

Open an existing invoice or report and perform a test print.

Confirm:

• Correct printer is selected
• Paper size is correct
• Complete invoice fits on the page
• Margins are correct
• No columns are cut off
• No unexpected blank page is generated

4. Understanding BUSY Hardware Configuration

Hardware Configuration controls much more than the printer name.

Common parameters include:

Default Printer Driver

Specifies the printer BUSY should normally use.

Page Length

Defines the physical page length used by the printing system.

For normal Windows printing, the printer driver's own paper configuration may also influence the final result.

Lines Per Page – Normal

Controls how many lines BUSY attempts to place on a page in normal orientation.

This is particularly important when troubleshooting invoices that spill onto a second page.

Lines Per Page – Landscape

Controls lines per page when landscape printing is used.

Printing Style

Depending on BUSY configuration/version, printing can involve different printing styles, traditionally including Windows/graphics-style printing and legacy printing modes.

For modern laser, inkjet, PDF and most Windows printers, Windows-based printing is normally the appropriate approach.

Paper Margins

Hardware Configuration may allow adjustment of margins such as:

• Top margin
• Left margin

Adjust these carefully when invoice text or borders are too close to the paper edge.

Shrink Printing Percentage

Shrink printing reduces the print output proportionally so that wide reports or invoices fit within the printable area.

For example, reducing printing to around 95% may help when the rightmost column is being cut off.

Do not immediately use extreme scaling values. Make small changes and test again.

5. Recommended Baseline Settings

There is no single perfect setting for every printer because output depends on:

• Printer model
• Driver
• Paper size
• Invoice design
• Font
• Orientation
• Windows scaling
• Printer printable area

However, when troubleshooting a standard invoice, you can begin with conservative/default settings and make small adjustments.

A commonly used starting point for standard reports is approximately:

Lines per Page (Normal): 60

Margins and shrink percentage should be adjusted only when required for the specific printer and invoice format.

Always perform a test print after changing one parameter.

6. How to Configure Different Printers for Different BUSY Users

This is particularly useful in multi-user offices.

Consider an office with:

User	Printer
Accounts	HP LaserJet
Billing	Epson Printer
Reception	Canon Printer
Store	Thermal Printer
Manager	Microsoft Print to PDF

BUSY supports user-oriented printer configuration scenarios where Hardware Configuration is configured for individual users.

The general approach is:

1. Log in with the required BUSY user.
2. Open Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration.
3. Select the required printer.
4. Configure page settings.
5. Save.
6. Log in as the next user.
7. Repeat as required.

This is extremely useful in multi-user environments where different employees sit in different departments.

7. Printer Configuration in a Multi-User BUSY Environment

In a multi-user BUSY installation, avoid assuming that every workstation should use the same printer.

For example:

Server

BUSY data is hosted centrally.

Computer 1 – Billing Department

Default printer:

HP LaserJet Billing

Computer 2 – Accounts Department

Default printer:

Canon Accounts

Computer 3 – Reception

Default printer:

Epson Reception

Each workstation/user should be tested individually.

Also remember that a printer must normally be visible and accessible to the Windows session from which BUSY is running.

8. Standard Format vs Designed Invoice Format

This is an important troubleshooting point.

BUSY printing can involve standard reports/invoice formats as well as specifically designed invoice/document formats.

A printer configured under general Hardware Configuration may not be the only printer-related setting involved in a designed invoice.

For designed formats, printer/page configuration may also exist inside the invoice/document printing configuration.

Therefore, if BUSY continues using an unexpected printer even after changing Hardware Configuration, inspect the configuration associated with the particular invoice/document format.

9. Selecting a Different Printer at Print Time

You do not necessarily need to permanently change the BUSY default printer every time you want to print one document elsewhere.

For some printing workflows, BUSY allows a different printer to be selected during the print process.

This is useful when:

• Printing one invoice on another printer
• Printing a report on a high-speed printer
• Printing temporarily to PDF
• Sending a cheque to a dedicated printer
• Testing a replacement printer

After the temporary job, the normal default configuration can remain unchanged.

10. Configuring BUSY for A4 Invoice Printing

For standard A4 invoices:

1. Configure the Windows printer for A4.
2. Open BUSY Hardware Configuration.
3. Select the correct printer.
4. Verify lines per page.
5. Check margins.
6. Keep shrink percentage near its normal/default value initially.
7. Print a test invoice.
8. Adjust only if necessary.

If the invoice is cut from the right side, first check:

• Paper size
• Orientation
• Printer driver
• Invoice format
• Margins
• Shrink percentage

11. Thermal Printer Configuration

Thermal printers are commonly used for:

• Retail bills
• POS receipts
• Small invoices
• Counter billing

Typical paper widths include:

• 58 mm
• 80 mm

Before configuring a thermal printer in BUSY:

1. Install the manufacturer's proper Windows driver.
2. Configure the correct paper width in Windows.
3. Print a Windows test page.
4. Open BUSY Hardware Configuration.
5. Select the thermal printer driver.
6. Configure the required invoice/POS format.
7. Test alignment.

Do not assume that an A4 invoice design will automatically fit an 80 mm thermal printer.

The invoice design must match the target paper width.

12. Network Printer Configuration

BUSY can print through a network printer as long as the printer is correctly available to Windows.

A network printer may be installed through:

• TCP/IP address
• Windows printer sharing
• Print server
• Network printer server
• Vendor software

Before configuring BUSY, print a Windows test page.

Then select that network printer under BUSY Hardware Configuration.

13. BUSY on Remote Desktop / RDP

Printing becomes more complex when BUSY runs on:

• Windows Server
• Remote Desktop Services
• RDP
• Cloud server
• Hosted desktop

The user's local printer may appear in the remote session as a redirected printer.

For example:

HP LaserJet Pro (redirected 3)

BUSY can normally use a printer only when the Windows session itself can see and use that printer.

If the local printer does not appear inside the RDP session, the problem should first be investigated at the RDP/printer-redirection level rather than only inside BUSY.

Check:

• RDP printer redirection
• Local Resources settings
• Windows Server policies
• Printer driver compatibility
• Print Spooler
• Easy Print configuration
• User permissions

14. Printing BUSY Invoice to PDF

If you want a PDF rather than a physical printout, a PDF printer can be used where appropriate.

For example:

Microsoft Print to PDF

General procedure:

1. Open the invoice.
2. Select Print.
3. Select Microsoft Print to PDF or another installed PDF printer.
4. Print.
5. Select the location and filename.
6. Save the PDF.

BUSY may also provide export/PDF functionality for particular reports or documents, so use the built-in PDF/export option where it better suits the workflow.

15. BUSY Is Printing to the Wrong Printer

If BUSY continues sending documents to the wrong printer:

Check 1 – BUSY Hardware Configuration

Verify:

Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration → Default Printer Driver

Check 2 – Windows Default Printer

Verify Windows:

Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners

Check 3 – Invoice Format

A designed invoice may have its own printer/page configuration.

Check 4 – User-Specific Configuration

Another BUSY user may have a different Hardware Configuration.

Check 5 – Old Printer Driver

An old or removed printer may still have driver components installed.

Remove unused printer drivers where appropriate and restart BUSY.

16. Printer Does Not Appear in BUSY

If the required printer does not appear in the BUSY printer list:

1. Close BUSY.
2. Confirm the printer exists in Windows.
3. Print a Windows test page.
4. Check the printer driver.
5. Restart Windows if necessary.
6. Reopen BUSY.
7. Check Hardware Configuration again.

If the printer still does not appear, reinstall or update the printer driver.

17. Printer Appears Offline

If BUSY cannot print because Windows reports the printer as offline:

Check:

• USB cable
• Ethernet cable
• Wi-Fi connection
• Printer power
• Printer IP address
• Network connectivity
• Windows print queue
• Printer port
• Driver status

For network printers, verify that the printer's IP address has not changed.

A static/reserved IP address is often preferable for important office network printers.

18. Invoice Is Printing on Two Pages

A common problem is an invoice that should fit on one page but prints across two pages.

Possible causes include:

• Incorrect paper size
• Incorrect lines-per-page setting
• Large margins
• Incorrect invoice format
• Printer driver differences
• Excessive font/spacing
• Incorrect page length
• Scaling problems

Check:

Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration

Review:

• Lines per Page
• Margins
• Shrink Printing
• Paper/Page Length
• Printer Driver

Make one change at a time and test again.

19. Extra Blank Page After Invoice

An extra blank page can be caused by:

• Page length mismatch
• Incorrect lines per page
• Invoice design extending beyond printable area
• Printer driver settings
• Paper size mismatch
• Margins
• Footer positioning

Increasing the effective lines-per-page value slightly can sometimes resolve a blank second page, but the correct setting depends on the printer and format.

Do not change settings blindly. Test after every adjustment.

20. Invoice Is Cut Off on the Right Side

If the rightmost column is missing:

Check:

1. Paper size
2. Portrait vs landscape orientation
3. Printer driver
4. Left/right positioning
5. Invoice design
6. Shrink printing percentage

A small reduction in print scaling may allow the complete invoice to fit.

21. Invoice Is Shifted to the Left or Right

Use the paper margin controls in Hardware Configuration where appropriate.

If content is too far left, slightly increase the left margin.

If it is too far right, reduce the left margin.

Make very small adjustments and perform a test print.

22. Print Preview Looks Correct but Actual Print Is Wrong

This usually indicates a difference between the application layout and the printer driver's printable area or configuration.

Check:

• Printer driver
• Paper size
• Printer preferences
• Scaling
• Margins
• Orientation
• BUSY Hardware Configuration

Also verify that Windows is not automatically applying printer-specific scaling.

23. Old Printer Still Appears in BUSY

If an old printer continues appearing after replacement:

1. Remove the obsolete printer from Windows.
2. Check installed printer drivers.
3. Install the new printer correctly.
4. Restart Windows if required.
5. Reopen BUSY.
6. Open Hardware Configuration.
7. Select the new printer.
8. Save.

24. BUSY Printer Setting Changes or Disappears

If a previously selected printer is no longer available, investigate whether:

• Printer was removed
• Printer driver was uninstalled
• Printer was renamed
• Network printer path changed
• RDP redirected printer name changed
• User profile changed
• Windows printer installation became corrupted

A BUSY configuration referencing a printer cannot work reliably if Windows no longer exposes that printer correctly.

25. Print Spooler Troubleshooting

If printing suddenly stops across applications, check the Windows Print Spooler.

Press:

Win + R

Enter:

services.msc

Locate:

Print Spooler

Verify that it is running.

If necessary, restart the service.

Before changing BUSY settings extensively, test printing from another application such as Notepad or a PDF viewer.

If other applications also cannot print, the problem is probably outside BUSY.

26. Recommended Troubleshooting Sequence

When BUSY printing fails, troubleshoot in this order:

BUSY → Windows → Driver → Printer → Network

More specifically:

1. Check correct printer in BUSY.
2. Check printer exists in Windows.
3. Print Windows test page.
4. Check print queue.
5. Check printer status.
6. Check driver.
7. Check USB/network connectivity.
8. Check paper size.
9. Check BUSY Hardware Configuration.
10. Check invoice-specific printer settings.
11. Restart BUSY.
12. Restart Print Spooler.
13. Restart printer.
14. Restart computer if necessary.
15. Reinstall printer driver if the issue persists.

This sequence helps prevent unnecessary changes to BUSY when the actual problem is Windows or the printer itself.

27. Best Practices for BUSY Printer Configuration

Keep Printer Drivers Updated

Use the correct driver supplied by the printer manufacturer whenever possible.

Remove Obsolete Printers

Unused printer drivers can create confusion in BUSY printer lists.

Use Clear Printer Names

For example:

ACCOUNTS-HP-M404

BILLING-EPSON-L3250

RECEPTION-CANON

POS-THERMAL-80MM

Clear names are especially helpful in multi-user offices.

Use Static IP Addresses for Network Printers

This prevents printing failures caused by changing printer IP addresses.

Document User-Wise Printer Assignments

Maintain a simple list of which user or department prints where.

Test After Driver Updates

A Windows or printer driver update can occasionally change paper size, margins, printer names, or default settings.

Avoid Changing Multiple Settings Simultaneously

Change one parameter and perform a test print. This makes troubleshooting much easier.

28. Example Multi-Department Printer Deployment

Consider a company with:

• 15 BUSY users
• 3 departments
• 4 printers

A practical setup could be:

Accounts Department

Printer: HP LaserJet

Used for:

• Ledgers
• Reports
• Account statements

Billing Department

Printer: High-speed laser printer

Used for:

• GST invoices
• Delivery documents

Retail Counter

Printer: 80 mm thermal printer

Used for:

• POS bills

Management

Printer: Microsoft Print to PDF / office laser printer

Used for:

• Reports
• PDF documents

User-wise configuration prevents invoices from accidentally being printed in another department.

29. Quick Diagnostic Table

Problem	Likely Area to Check
Wrong printer	BUSY Hardware Configuration
Printer missing	Windows printer/driver
Printer offline	Connection/network
Invoice cut off	Paper size/margins/scaling
Two-page invoice	Lines per page/page size
Blank second page	Page length/lines per page
Different users print elsewhere	User-wise configuration
RDP printer missing	RDP printer redirection
Designed invoice uses wrong printer	Invoice/document printer configuration
PDF output required	PDF export/Microsoft Print to PDF
Print queue stuck	Windows Print Spooler
Old printer remains	Remove old Windows printer/driver

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Where is the default printer setting in BUSY?

Go to:

Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration

Then select the required printer under Default Printer Driver and save.

2. Does BUSY automatically use the Windows default printer?

The Windows default printer can influence the initial/default printer selection, but BUSY also maintains its own printing configuration. Therefore, always check BUSY Hardware Configuration when troubleshooting.

3. Can different BUSY users use different printers?

Yes. User-level Hardware Configuration can be used in multi-user environments so different users can work with different printers.

4. Can BUSY print to a network printer?

Yes, provided the network printer is correctly installed and accessible from Windows.

5. Can BUSY print through Remote Desktop?

Yes, provided the printer is visible inside the remote Windows session. Local printer redirection and server printing policies may need to be configured.

6. Can BUSY print to PDF?

Yes. Depending on the workflow, use BUSY's PDF/export functionality or an installed PDF printer such as Microsoft Print to PDF.

7. Why is my printer not visible in BUSY?

Usually because Windows does not currently expose the printer correctly, the driver is missing/corrupted, or BUSY needs to be restarted after printer installation.

8. Why does BUSY keep selecting my old printer?

Check BUSY Hardware Configuration, Windows printer settings, and any invoice-specific printer configuration. Remove obsolete Windows printer drivers if they are no longer required.

9. Why is my BUSY invoice printing on two pages?

Check paper size, lines per page, margins, page length, shrink percentage, printer driver and invoice design.

10. Why is there an extra blank page?

The invoice may slightly exceed the configured printable area. Check page length, lines per page, margins, printer driver and invoice format.

11. Why is the invoice cut off on the right side?

The document may be wider than the printer's printable area. Check paper size, orientation, margins and shrink percentage.

12. Can I use a thermal printer with BUSY?

Yes. Install the correct thermal printer driver, configure the proper paper width and use a compatible invoice/POS format.

13. Can I use multiple printers with BUSY?

Yes. Different printers can be used for different users and workflows, and some printing screens allow printer selection when printing.

14. Can cheque printing and invoice printing use different printers?

Yes, depending on the BUSY configuration. Check the relevant cheque and document printing configuration and ensure the required printer is selected.

15. What should I do if BUSY shows a printer error?

First try printing from another Windows application. If that also fails, troubleshoot Windows, the printer driver, connection and Print Spooler before changing BUSY extensively.

16. Should I reinstall BUSY if printing stops?

Usually not. Printing problems are more commonly caused by printer selection, Windows drivers, page settings, network connectivity or the Print Spooler.

Reinstalling BUSY should not be the first troubleshooting step.

17. What is Lines Per Page in BUSY?

It determines approximately how many printed lines BUSY places on one page for relevant standard printing formats. Incorrect values can contribute to page-break or blank-page problems.

18. What does Shrink Printing mean?

Shrink Printing scales the document down slightly to fit within the printer's printable area. It can help when columns or borders are being cut off.

19. Why does Print Preview look correct but the physical print is wrong?

The printer driver's paper size, margins, scaling or printable area may differ from the preview assumptions. Check both BUSY and Windows printer settings.

20. Should I change BUSY settings if even Notepad cannot print?

No. If other Windows applications also cannot print, troubleshoot Windows, the printer, connection, driver or Print Spooler first.

Conclusion

Setting a default printer in BUSY Accounting Software involves more than simply choosing a printer name.

For reliable printing, the complete chain must work correctly:

BUSY Configuration → Windows Printer Driver → Print Spooler → Printer Connection → Physical Printer

For a normal installation, begin with:

Administration → Configuration → Hardware Configuration → Default Printer Driver

Then verify paper size, lines per page, margins, shrink percentage and invoice format.

In multi-user environments, configure printers according to users and departments. For network, RDP or cloud-hosted BUSY installations, also verify that the required printer is correctly available inside the user's Windows session.

Most BUSY printing problems can be resolved without reinstalling BUSY by systematically checking the application configuration, Windows printer installation, driver, Print Spooler, paper settings and network connectivity.

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