Fixture Labels Support
Help with opening shows, printing and your subscription. If your answer isn't here, send us a message through the contact form and it comes straight to us. We usually reply within five business days.
Requirements
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- For direct label printingA Brother QL or DYMO LabelWriter connected by USB. No printer driver is needed. Without one, you can still print A4 label sheets on any printer, or save a PDF.
Getting started
- Drop a show file or patch sheet on the window, or click Choose File. Every patched fixture appears in the list.
- Untick anything you don't want a label for. Select several rows and right-click to tick or untick them together, or pick a layer in the sidebar to work through one truss at a time.
- Set up the header, subtitle and footer in the inspector on the right. The preview shows the label as it will print.
- Click Print to Label Printer for a Brother QL or DYMO, Print for A4 sheets and other printers, or Save PDF.
Common questions
Which files can it open?
grandMA2 show files (.show.gz), grandMA3 show files (.show), MVR files, ChamSys MagicQ show files (.shw) and CSV patch sheets. A CSV needs a header row with a fixture ID or channel column and a DMX address column; other columns such as name, type, manufacturer and position are picked up when they are there. Addresses can be written as 3.001, 3/1, an absolute number, or a universe column plus an address column.
My show file won't open, or fixtures are missing
Send us a message saying which console and software version saved the file, and attach a copy if you can share it. Fixture Labels reads the show file itself, so a version we haven't seen yet may need an update. In the meantime, exporting the patch as MVR or CSV from the console usually works.
The app can't find my label printer
Connect the printer by USB cable and switch it on, then click Check in the Label Printer section of the inspector. Wi-Fi and network connections aren't used. On a Brother QL-700 or QL-800 series printer the green Editor Lite light must be off: hold the Editor Lite button until it goes out. With it on, the printer shows up as a USB drive instead of a printer.
Which label printers have been tested?
Direct printing has been tested on a Brother QL-700. The other Brother QL models and the DYMO LabelWriter 400, 450, 4XL, 550 and 5XL are supported from the makers' published command manuals but haven't printed on our bench yet. If one of them misbehaves, let us know the model and roll or label type and we'll fix it.
Which Brother rolls can I use?
Continuous rolls in 29, 38, 50 and 62 mm (and 102 or 103 mm on the wide QL-1050, QL-1060N and QL-1100 series), plus 62 × 29 and 62 × 100 mm die-cut labels and the wide die-cut sizes. Leave the roll on Whatever is loaded and the printer reports what's in it. The red and black DK-22251 roll on the QL-800 series has to be chosen by hand, because the printer can't tell it apart from plain 62 mm.
My DYMO LabelWriter 550 won't print
The LabelWriter 550 and 5XL only print on genuine DYMO labels, which they recognise from the roll. Older LabelWriters print on any compatible labels, but you need to choose the label size in the inspector.
Labels don't line up on the A4 sheet
Print at 100% scale with no “fit to page” in the print dialog. If the labels are still too high or too far left, use Move down and Move right in the Sheet Printer and PDF section; half a millimetre at a time is usually enough. The setting is remembered for next time.
Can I use the rest of a part-used sheet?
Yes. Set Start at label to the first empty label. Labels count across, then down.
How do the free trial and subscription work?
The yearly and monthly plans both start with a one week free trial, then renew until you cancel. Payment goes through your Apple Account and is handled entirely by Apple. We never see your payment details.
How do I cancel, or get a refund?
Choose Manage Subscription from the Fixture Labels menu, or go to System Settings, click your name, then Media & Purchases, Subscriptions. You can also manage it at apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions. Cancelling during the trial means you're never charged. Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
I've subscribed, but the app is asking me to subscribe again
Click Restore Purchases on the subscription screen, and make sure you're signed in to the App Store with the same Apple Account you subscribed with.
What data does the app collect?
None. Your show files are read on your Mac and never leave it. Details are in the Fixture Labels privacy policy.