Avery 9855 Quick Reference

QUICK REFERENCE

This Quick Reference contains supply loading and genera l
maintenance procedures for the Monarch® 9855® RFID
printer. Additional RFID documents are available on the
Monarch® Printer’s Documentation CD-ROM and on our
Web site (www.monarch.com
Utility at http://www.servisource1.com/prnutil/rfidsetup for
illustrations to determine which type of RF ID supplies you
are using and basic printer configura tion information. For
information about creating formats, configuring the printer,
or programming the printer, refer to the Packet Reference
Manual available on our Web site.

Note: Information in this document supercedes

information in previous versions. Check our Web
site for the latest d ocumentation and release
information.

RFID Overview

Your printer has been engineered to program (encode) an
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) label (commonly
called “RFID tags”) before the label’s format is printed.
RFID tags contain an embedded RFID inlay (ch ip and
antenna).

). Refer to the RFID Setup

RFID is only available using die cut or black mark sup plies.
Linerless supplies are not currently supported. The RFID
printer is also capable of pr inting standard (non-RFID)
supplies.

The printer supports Class 1 Generation 2 (C1Gen2)
protocol encoding.

RF Specifications

The UHF radio operates in the 902 – 928 MHz frequency
range in accordance with FCC Rules and Regulations.

Note: The limited warranty on knives used in or w ith

RFID printers is one (1) year from the date of
shipment, or 500,000 cuts, whichever occurs first.

Monarch and 9855 are registered trademarks of Avery Dennison Corp.
TC9855RFIDQR Rev. AT 9/12 2007 Avery Dennison Corp. All rights reserved.

Connecting the Cables

The power supply automatically switches between 115V or
230V. There are no operator settings required .

1. Review the safety information in the Regulatory
Compliance document included with your prin ter.

2. Plug the power cable into the socket. Plug the other
end of the cable into a grounded electrica l outlet.

3. Connect the communication cable into the appropr iate
port. Secure the cable with the connecting screws
(serial) or spring clips (parallel).
If you are communicating with the host through the
serial port, make sure the printer's communication
values match those at the host. The factory default
values are 9600 Baud, 8 b it data frame, 1 stop bit, no
parity, and DTR flow control (9600, N, 8, 1, DTR) . Set
the communication values on the printer to match
those at the host.
The printer also has a USB (Universal Serial Bus)
version 2.0 communications port, which is compatible
with version 1.1. Drivers are available on our Web site
for a variety of operating systems.

Parallel Port

Power Switch

USB Port

Serial Port

Power Cable
Goes Here

4. Turn on the printer. Press ( I ) to turn on and ( O ) to
turn off the printer.

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Using the Control Panel

The control panel has a two-line LCD disp lay, two status
lights, and five buttons. The control panel displays error
codes/messages, and allows you to setup/configure the
printer.

Power:

Fault: The printer shows a

Feed/
Cut:

Enter/
Pause:

Escape/
Clear:

The printer shows a
steady green light
when it is on.

steady amber light
when it is out of
labels or ribbon, or
when you have a
supply jam.

Prints a label in the on-demand mode,
feeds a blank label if there is no print job,
and prints a label with error informat ion
that is useful to your System Administrator
if an error is displayed. When the pr inter
is offline, changes the displaye d value by
one or ten.

Pauses the current print job or resumes a
paused print job. Selects the displayed
menu item.

When an error is present, clears the err or.
When a job (batch) is printing, cance ls the
print job (batch). Enters the offline menu
mode or returns the display to the ne xt
higher menu.




 and 

Displays the previous menu item.
Displays the next menu item.
Prints a test label when you press the

buttons at the same time. Hold for on e
second and release.

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Loading RFID Labels

The RFID supplies are sensitive to static
electricity and can be damaged by sta tic
electricity. Ground yourself by touching some
metal, such as the printer’s metal base, before
handling the supplies.

Refer to the 9855 Operator's Handbook for additional
supply loading instructions if using non-RFID supplies in
your RFID printer.

1. Open the cover.

2. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

3. Lift the printhead assembly using the printhead tab

until the assembly locks into place.

4. Place the roll of supply on the supply holder . For
labels, the supply unrolls from the top or the bottom.
For tags, make sure the supply unrolls from the
bottom, because tag rolls are wound face in. Do not

pick up the printer by the supply holder.

Printhead
Tab

Deflector
Tab

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5. Adjust the supply holder guides so the sides barel y
touch the roll. Make sure the supply roll turns fr eely.

If you are using fan-fold supplies, place the
supply stack behind the printer, label side facing
up.

Supply
Holder
Guides

Supply Lever

6. Push down on the supply lever to unlock the supply
guides.

7. Lay the label strip across the supply guid e so that a
few inches extend past the front of the printer. Tuck
the supply under the nibs and in between the die cut
sensor. Do not feed supply between the sup ply roller
and deflector.

For fan-fold supplies, lay the label strip over the
supply holder and across the supply guide so that
a few inches extend past the front of the printer.
Tuck the supply under the nibs and in between the
die cut sensor.

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8. For tag supplies using the optional knife, feed the
supply through the knife. Make sure at least 0.5 inches
of supply is past the knife.

Tag

9. Adjust the supply guides so they touch the supply.
Push up on the supply lever to lock the supply guides
into place.

Deflector

Die Cut Sensor

Supply
Lever

Supply Roller

10. Hold the printhead assembly by the prin thead tab while
pressing down on the printhead release .

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11. Close the printhead by
pressing down on the
thumb well until you
hear it click into place.

12. Close the cover.

13. Press Feed/Cut several

times to feed at least
three labels/tags to
properly position the
supply and the ribbon.

Loading Labels for the Optional Peel Mode

Peel mode (on-demand) must be purchased separately. In
peel mode, the printer separates the b acking paper from
the label. The next label is not pr inted until the completed
one is removed from the pr inter. Make sure the prin ter is
configured for on-demand mode and the correct supply
type is installed. The minimum feed length is 1.5 inches
for peel mode. Hold the leading edge of p eeled labels
when printing labels longer than six inches. You must use
non-perforated supplies for peel mode. Fo llow the steps
for loading supplies from the previous section. Then,
follow these steps after you close the printhead.

1. Remove the labels from the first 10 inches of the

backing paper.

2. Press down on the exit cover tabs to open the exit

cover on the front of the printer.

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3. Feed the backing paper over the peel bar.

Peel
Bar

Lower
Opening

4. Feed the backing paper through the lower opening of

the exit cover. Close the exit cover. Pull down on the
backing paper to remove any slack.

Tear
Edge

Backing
Paper

When removing the backing paper, pull up
across the saw-toothed tear edge. Make sure

the backing paper tears at the edge.

5. Close the printer's cover.

6. Press Feed/Cut several times to feed at least three

labels/tags to properly position the supply and the
ribbon.

8

Adjusting the Wide/Narrow Knobs

You may need to adjust the two wide /narrow knobs
according to the width of your supply. For supply that is
more than two inches, adjus t the knobs to the wide set ting.
For supply that is two inches or less, adjust the knobs to
the narrow setting.

You must adjust both of the knobs to the same position.
If you experience ribbon smudging in cold, dr y

environments, adjust the wide/narrow knobs to the wide
setting.

For wide supplies, push down and turn the wide /narrow
knobs clockwise with a screwdriver.

For narrow supplies, turn the wide/narrow knobs coun ter­clockwise with a screwdriver until it pops back up.

The adjustment is shown in the wide positio n.

Wide/Narrow Knobs

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Loading Ribbon

1. Open the cover.

2. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

3. Lift printhead assembly using the pr inthead tab until

the assembly locks into place.

4. Push the deflector tab down.

Printhead
Tab

Deflector
Tab

5. Slide the extra ribbon core on the take-up r eel as far

as it will go with the "This End Out" writing fac ing out.
Use your empty ribbon core as the take-up core. The
take-up core only fits on the take-up reel one way.

6. Remove the new ribbon from the package. Do no t

wrinkle or crush the new ribbon.

7. Slide the ribbon onto the back reel as far as it will go.

Carefully unwind a few inches of ribbon from the
bottom of the roll.

Note: Make sure the “This End Ou t” writing is facing

out. The ribbon roll only fits on the reel one way.

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8. Carefully feed the ribbon under bo th ribbon rollers and

printhead.

Take-up Core

Take-up Reel

Ribbon
Rollers

9. Align the ribbon and make sure it is straight and

centered throughout the path.

10. Tape the ribbon to the take-up core. Do not tape the

ribbon to the take-up reel.

11. Rotate the take-up core until the leader is past the

printhead.

12. Remove any slack in the ribbon by turning the take-up

reel clockwise.

13. Hold the printhead assembly by the prin thead tab while

pressing down on the printhead release .

14. Close the printhead by pressing down on the thumb
well until you hear it click into place. Close the cover.

15. Press Feed/Cut several times to feed at least three
labels/tags to properly position the supply and the
ribbon.

Printing

Before you print, make sure the printer is connected and
ready to receive data.

When you turn on the RFID printer, “Monarch Initializing”
flashes briefly and then you see “Print Mode Ready.” If an
error occurs while the printer is initializing, the error
message flashes briefly on the displa y and then you see
“Print Mode Ready.” The prin ter displays “Not available”
when you try to select the RFID menus if the module is
inoperative.

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The printer accepts RFID and non-RFID ba tches once you
see “Print Mode Ready.”

1. Download a format and a batch. Refer to the Packet
Reference Manual for information on downloading print

jobs.

2. The printer prints a strip of labels or labels in on-
demand mode. If printing RFID supp lies, you see

RFID Printing…
1 of 10

If the RFID tag is not programmable for any
reason, the label may print with an overstrike
pattern, indicating that it should not be used . Your
System Administrator should set the desired Error
Action accordingly.

When printing on non-RFID supplies, you may also
see a label with an overstrike pattern. Do not use
that label. When using “overstrike” as the Error
Action, the data prin ts on the non-RFID label, but
there is no data printed on the RFID label.

Note: The RFID printer pauses while programming the

RFID tag.

3. Remove the printed labels. If the pr inter will be
unused for extended periods of time, we reco mmend
leaving the printhead unlatched.

Clearing Jams

When you are printing and a jam occurs, the Fault light on
the printer's front panel blinks.

1. Turn off the printer and open the cover and printhead

assembly.

2. If necessary, remove the label roll and ribbon.

3. Remove the jammed labels and reload the label roll.

4. Close the printhead assembly and turn on the printer.

5. Press Feed/Cut several times to feed at least three

labels/tags to properly position the supply and the
ribbon.

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Cleaning

You must clean the printhead as described below to
maintain printhead life.

CAUTION: Do not use sharp objects to clean the

printhead or touch the prin thead. This may
damage the printhead and require a service
charge.

The rate and frequency at which you print determines how
often you must clean the pr inter. You may need to clean
the printhead, sensor, and platen roller:

 if there is any adhesive build-up in the supply path.
 after printing approximately three rolls

of thermal transfer/thermal direct
supplies or after each ribbon.

 daily if your printer is in an excessively

dirty, hot, or humid environment.

 if you frequently receive supply error

codes or when you see voids or
streaking in the print as shown.

1. Turn off the printer and open the

cover and printhead assembly.

2. Remove the label roll and ribbon (when clean ing the

printhead).

3. Press down on the exit cover tabs to open the exit

cover on the front of the printer.

Voids

Streaks

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4. Clean the platen roller when you see significant
adhesive build-up or a label is wrapped around the
platen roller. Use a dry, soft-bristle brush, such as a
toothbrush, to clean the
platen roller.

If the brush does not
remove all the adhesive,
use isopropyl alcohol on
the platen roller. Moisten
a cotton swab with
isopropyl alcohol and run
the cotton swab across

Platen Roller

the platen roller.
Turn the platen roller with your finger to make sure
the platen roller is clean all the way around. After
cleaning, feed several inches of supply through
without printing to remove any remaining isopropyl
alcohol.

5. Rub the cotton swab moistened with isopropyl a lcohol
across the peel bar and remove any bu ild-up.

6. Moisten another cotton
swab with isopropyl

Printhead

alcohol. Rub the cotton
swab across the
printhead and remove
any build-up. You may
need to use a printhead
CLEAN-STRIP if the
printhead is extremely
dirty or you see streaks
on the supply.

7. Rub the cotton swab
across the supply
sensor and die cut sensor and remove any build-up.

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Supply
Sensor

8. Clean the build-up in the supply path.

9. Let the printer dry before you reload supplies.

10. Push on the exit cover firmly to close it. Both latches

will click into place. Close the cover and printhead
assembly.

11. Turn on the printer and press Feed/Cut several times
to feed at least three labels /tags to properly position
the supply and the ribbon. Resend your format, batch,
and check digit packets.

Troubleshooting

This section lists common problems an d their solutions.
For more detailed information, refer to the Operator’s
Handbook available on our Web site.

Problem Action

Error message
appears during
startup

Does not print.

Does not feed. Set wide/narrow knobs correctly.
Partially printed

data.
Printing shadows/

smears. Light or
Heavy Printing.

Voids in printing. Clean printhead, change supplies.
Serial bar codes

do not scan.

Backing paper is
wrapped around
platen/peel roller.

Blank labels print
or 750 errors.

Printer does not
read or program
the RFID tag.

Turn OFF the printer, wait fifteen
seconds and then turn ON the
printer. Call Service.

Check supply and ribbon, send a
corrected format and batch.

Clean printhead, send a corrected
format packet.

Clean printhead, change
supply/ribbon, adjust print contrast,
check wide/narrow knobs.

Unlatch printhead when not in use,
set print speed to 2.5 IPS, adjust
print contrast.

Carefully remove the backing
paper. Tear backing paper at the
tear edge in peel mode.

Clean supply sensors.

See your System Administrator.

15

Common Errors

If the action does not resolve the problem, call Ser vice.

Error Action
002

005
018
025
101
400
403
409
410
411
412
413
611
612
613
614
703
704
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
763
765

768

Name must be 1 to 8 characters inside quo tes.
Supply width is invalid.
Code page selection defined in the field is invalid.
Data length is too long.
Format referenced by batch not in memory.
Invalid character following {.
Field separator was not found.
Delete unused formats or graphics from memory.
Parity mismatch.
Framing error (baud rate mismatch).
Flow control mismatch.
Check for a flow control problem.
Font, bar code, or density in the batch is invalid .
The batch data is missing or invalid.
Reference point off supply.
Field off supply or invalid character in packet.
Calibration error. Load the correct supply type.
Supply error. Press Escape/Clear. Load supply.
Supply error. Press Escape/Clear. Load supply.
Printer sensed a mark in the wrong place.
Printer sensed a mark that is too long.
Ribbon jam. Load ribbon.
Printhead is open. Close the printhea d.
Load supplies.
Load supplies. Press Feed/Cut.
Check for a label jam or reload supplies.
Waiting to dispense label. Press Fe ed/Cut.
Less than 8 bad dots in format area. Press

Escape/Clear.
More than 8 bad dots in format area. Replace or

connect printhead.

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RFID Errors

See the RFID Application No tes for more information.
Check with your System Administrator abou t the format.
The printer does not recalibrate (feed a blank label) after
an RFID error.

Error Description/Action
052
053

226
228
229
230
715

732

740
741

742

743

744

746

747

748

749

Data type in the RFID Data Field is invalid.
The starting block in the RFID Data Field is invalid.
Rule Record Line xx. Upload device is invalid .
Memory class identifier is invalid .
Byte code is invalid.
Lock code is invalid.
Invalid data length/da ta mismatch in the RFID Da ta

Field. This error also occurs when there is an error
in the Expanded C1Gen2 fields.

RFID Hardware Error. A non-RFID printer received a
format containing an RFID Da ta Field.

Command, hardware, or memory allocation error.
RFID tag missing - not found in the area inside the

printer where the RFID tag is programmed. Check
supply loading. Make sure the RFID tag was not
moved out of the programmable range.

Tag erase failed. The RFID tag was found in the RF
Field, but could not be erased.

Program tag failed. The RFID tag was found in the
RF Field, but could not be programmed.

Tag locked fail. The RFID tag is unable to be
programmed because it is already locked.

Lock tag fail. The RFID tag has not been locked to
prevent reprogramming.

Time out failure. An RFID command (read, program,
etc.) has failed to complete in the maximum amount
of allowed time.

Invalid data length/da ta mismatch from RFID
interrogator module.

RFID Verify Fail. The RF ID verification process
failed after writing (programming) tag.

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