Get Up and Running with the A6500 in Brady Workstation
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Print Labels to the A6500 From Brady Workstation - Full Setup Guide
This guide is designed to assist first-time or existing A6500 users with with installation, license recovery, activation and operation of their A6500 and Brady Workstation software.
The License ID will determine which suite to download. The majority of A6500 users will use the Product Wire and Identification suite. Installing the wrong suite for your license will result in the "invalid license" error.
If you already have your license and password or you're using the Basic Design Suite, you can skip this step.
These links will provide the installation files for each respective suite of apps. Even if your software came on a disk, we recommend installing using the links below which provide the latest bug fixes and features. These installations will launch as an unactivated 30 trial until you enter your license information. Make sure to download the correct suite that corresponds with the license information you located in the first step. If you're not sure which suite you should buy, see: Brady Workstation - SFID vs. PWID vs. Basic Design Suite - What's the Difference?
If you've installed any software in Windows 10 before, this setup will be straightforward. If you'd like step-by-step video instructions, see the next section.
Once Workstation is installed, simply launch any of the paid apps in your suite (for example, Custom Designer) and enter your license information. Activating a single app activates all paid apps in the suite. For detailed instructions see: How to Activate Your Brady Workstation Suite License
The A6500 does not require a driver for use with Brady Workstation. The A6500 can be connected to Brady Workstation via USB or hardline network connections.
USB Connection
Simply connect the orange square end of the USB cable into the square USB type-B port on the printer. Then connect the rectangular USB type-A end of the USB cable directly to your PC. Don't connect the printer to a docking station or USB splitter, connect it to a part directly on the PC.
Network - Ethernet & Wifi
If you are not an authorized network administrator for your company, we do not recommend attempting to setup a device on your network without contacting your IT. Brady Technical Support cannot add devices to your corporate network. Reference these articles to configure the A6500 for a network connection in Brady Workstation:
The A6500 is a thermal transfer (THT) printer, this means it requires label material and a corresponding thermal ribbon. The A6500 takes only Brady label material formed around a circular core.
In this step we'll create a very basic label and print it to the A6500. This simple test will confirm the printer is loaded correctly, has a good connection to the PC, and the software can detect the printer. More advanced label creation topics are covered elsewhere in this knowledge base, or see the resources section at the end of this article.
1. Launch Workstation if it is not already open. This is what the icon will look like on your desktop.
2. Launch the Custom Designer app.
3. Select the A6500 from the dropdown list.
Note: If the A6500 is connected via USB, choose the option with the USB number in brackets [USB001]. If the printer is networked, select the option with the printer name in brackets.
4. Select the Installed option. Loaded ribbon and label supplies should be automatically detected by the software.
5. Make sure Label is selected from the dropdown, click Create.
This knowledge base contains thousands of articles to address error messages, how-to processes and workarounds for your A6500 and Brady Workstation. Use the links below to get started.
Q: What if I need more people to create labels, do I need to purchase more licenses? A: Licenses can be active on one PC at a time, however Brady Workstation's functionality is versatile and some options exist for free/trial use. See this article to determine if additional licensing is the best option for your needs: Brady Workstation - Pricing and Licensing Multiple PCs
Q: What if someone leaves and I need to recover or re-register my license? A: The software self-service portal provides license holders the option to manage their own license information without contact Brady Technical Support. See this article for all functionality available in the self-service portal: Managing Your Licenses in the Brady Software Self-Service Portal
This covers only a few of the most common problems new users face, use the search functionality of this knowledge base if you're experience a specific error message or symptom.
I clicked print and nothing happened
Check the printer first - does it have any error messages? Can it feed labels? Then work your way back to the PC checking each component - USB/network connection, selecting the right printer in the software. See this article for detailed troubleshooting: Unable to Print from Software - Troubleshooting Driver Communication Issues
Workstation says "Warning, unknown part"
This error occurs when the software cannot establish bidirectional communication with the printer. With the A6500 this will be more common with network connections, since networks may block bidirectional communication protocols. Bidirectional communication is not required to print labels, but it can be an indicator of communication issues: Troubleshooting Bidirectional Communication Issues
When I try to launch the driver or software nothing happens or I get a prompt for login credentials
