Brother PT-BB4 User Manual

LA6024001

®

Printed in China

Installing/changing the
tape cassette

Before using the P-touch, read this instruction leaflet, and
then keep it in a handy place for future reference.
With this machine, use only tape cassettes bearing the logo.

For a list of the tape cassettes that can be used with this machine,
refer to “ CAUTION 11

11

” at the bottom of the following page.

TAPE

With the P-touch BB4, you can quickly and easily print storage labels for any of your food containers. Once the date and time
have been set in the P-touch BB4, simply switch it on, select a food icon and the food storage period if desired, and then print out
your label. With these labels on your food containers, you will always know when the food was stored and how long it will keep.

Canadian Department of Communications Compliance

Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for
radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the
interference-causing equipment standard entitled “Digital
Apparatus”, ICES-003 of the Department of Communications

Installing/replacing batteries

1) Remove the back cover by pressing in the rough area
at the top end of the machine and pulling off the cover.

Back cover

1) Remove the back cover by pressing in the rough
area at the top end of the machine and pulling off
the cover.

2) If a tape cassette is already installed, remove it by
pulling it straight out.

3) Make sure that the end of the tape feeds under the
tape guides as shown below.

If you are installing a new tape cassette, be sure to
remove the paper tab.

Care and precautions

•

Clean the machine using only a soft, dry cloth.

•

Use only AA-size (LR6) alkaline batteries .

•

Do not expose the machine or the tape cassettes to
high temperatures, high humidity, or excessive dust.

•

If you do not intend to use the machine for an
extended period of time, remove the batteries.

•

Do not touch the tape cutter button while printing
or replacing the cutter unit.

•

Do not touch the cutter blade.

•

Do not block the tape exit slot.

•

Do not put labels in your mouth.

•

Do not affix labels to skin.

•

If the machine “ locks up ” (i.e., it does not respond when
a key is pressed), remove all six batteries, and leave it
without the batteries installed for at least ten minutes.

Holster

When the P-touch BB4 is not being used, it can be stored in
the enclosed holster, attached to a wall using the enclosed
mounting screws.

Be sure to mount the holster securely to a sturdy support or wall;
otherwise, the P-touch may fall down and break.

2) If batteries are already installed, remove them.

When removing batteries, always remove them negative
pole first, and remove the top row before removing the
bottom row.
The tape cassette can be removed for easier access to the
batteries. For details on removing and installing the tape
cassette, refer to Installing/changing the tape cassette.

3) Insert six new AA-size (LR6) alkaline batteries as shown
below. Be sure first to insert the bottom three batteries
with their positive poles pointing to the right side of the
machine, then to insert the top three batteries with their
positive poles pointing to the left side of the machine.

Left sideRight side

When inserting batteries, always insert them positive
pole first. Always replace all six batteries at the same
time using brand new ones.

Be sure to install the new batteries within three minutes
of removing the old ones; otherwise, the date and time
will be reset.

4) Attach the back cover by inserting the two hooks on
the bottom end of the cover into the matching slots
on the bottom end of the machine, then pushing
down firmly on the cover until it snaps into place.

4) Insert the tape cassette, making sure that it snaps
into place.

Make sure that the tape cassette fits properly around the
two metal guides in the cassette compartment.

Metal guides

5) Attach the back cover by inserting the two hooks on
the bottom end of the cover into the matching slots
on the bottom end of the machine, then pushing
down firmly on the cover until it snaps into place.

The amount of tape remaining in the cassette is visible
through the window in the back of the P-touch.

When green tape is fed out, the tape cassette is empty.

• Be sure to use only the tape cassettes listed in

Accessories . The following tape cassettes

can NOT be used with the P-touch BB4: M­531, M-731, M-831, M-931, M-E31, M-521, M­721, M-821, M-921, M-E21.

• Do not affix labels directly to food.

• Be sure to remove any labels from the food
container before heating it.

CAUTION 11

11

Tape guides

Tape cutter
button

Replacing the cutter unit

When the cutter blade becomes blunt and cannot cut the tape
cleanly, replace the cutter unit.

1) Turn off the P-touch.

2) Remove the back cover by pressing in the rough
area at the top end of the machine and pulling off
the cover, and then remove the tape cassette.

3) Grasp the tab on the top of the cutter unit and pull
out the cutter unit, taking care not to touch the
blade.

4) Grasp the tab on the new cutter unit and insert the
cutter unit as shown below.

Tab

Cutter unit

Tape exit slot

CAUTION 22

• When changing the cutter unit, be sure not to
touch the cutter blade.

• Keep the cutter unit in a safe place out of the
reach of small children.

22

Cleaning the print head

When dust accumulates on the print head, blank horizontal
lines appear through the printed label. If this occurs, clean
the print head.

1) Turn off the P-touch.

2) Remove the back cover by pressing in the rough
area at the top end of the machine and pulling off
the cover, and then remove the tape cassette.

3) Use a dry cotton swab to gently wipe the print
head and the rubber pinch roller with an up-and­down motion.

Thermal print head

4) Insert the tape cassette, and then attach the back
cover by inserting the two hooks on the bottom
end of the cover into the matching slots on the bot­tom end of the machine, then pushing down firmly
on the cover until it snaps into place.

5) Turn on the machine, and then press .

6) If blank lines still appear in the printed label,
repeat steps 1 through 4 using a cotton swab
dipped in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

Rubber pinch roller

Accessories

The following accessories are available for the P-touch BB4.

Tape cassettes 1/2”

(12 mm)

Black characters on white adhesive
Red characters on white adhesive
Blue characters on white adhesive
Black characters on blue adhesive
Black characters on yellow adhesive

Replacement cutter unit TC7

Most Brother retailers and distributors carry a full line of tape cas­settes. If you wish to order accessories for your P-touch directly
from Brother, refer to the enclosed Accessory Order Form.

M-K231
M-K232
M-K233
M-K531
M-K631

3/8”
(9 mm)

M-K221
M-K222
M-K223
M-K521
M-K621

General description

LCD display

Food indicator

Storage period
indicator

Tape cutter
lever

Power key

Function key
Indicator

Dial

Turning on/off the P-touch

To switch the P-touch on or off, press . When the
P-touch is turned on, the power indicator comes on below

, and the current day of the week and the date appear.

The P-touch conserves battery power by automatically
switching itself off if no key is pressed within a minute.
When the batteries are low, the message “BATTERY”
appears on the display. When the batteries are empty, the
P-touch turns itself off and the display stays blank.

Power indicator

Time indicator

Print key

Enter button

Setting the language,
display mode, date and time

Before printing storage labels with the P-touch BB4, the dis­play language, display mode, and the current date and time
should be set in the Function mode. The language in which
messages appear can be switched between English and
French. In addition, you can select whether the time, the date
or nothing appears in the display while the P-touch is off.
After setting the current date and time, the correct date is
automatically printed each time storage labels are made.

1) Press . The indicators below and come on,
and the current language setting flashes in the display.

It is not necessary to press if the batteries are
inserted after resetting the P-touch (i.e., leaving it with-

out batteries installed for ten minutes).

can be pressed to enter the Function mode without

turning the P-touch on first.

2) Rotate the dial until the desired language (“ENGLISH”

or “FRANÇAIS”) is displayed, and then press . The
current display mode flashes in the display.

If it is not necessary to change the display mode, date and

time (steps 3 through 9), press to change the language.

3) Rotate the dial until the desired display mode
(“ShowTime”, “ShowDate” or “LCD OFF”) is dis-

played, and then press . The current date set­ting appears with the month flashing.

4) Rotate the dial until the desired month setting is

displayed, and then press . The day flashes.

5) Rotate the dial until the desired day setting is dis-

played, and then press . The year flashes.

6) Rotate the dial until the desired year setting is dis-

played, and then press . The current time set­ting appears with the hours flashing.

7) Rotate the dial until the desired hour setting is dis-

played, and then press . The minutes flash.

8) Rotate the dial until the desired minutes setting is

displayed, and then press . The AM/PM setting
flashes.

9) Rotate the dial until the desired AM/PM setting is

displayed, and then press . The current day of
the week and the date appear.

Printing storage labels

The following types of storage labels can be printed:

•

containing only the stored date

•

containing the stored date and a food icon

•

containing the stored date and “Best before” date/
“Use within” period

•

containing the stored date and a food icon together
with the “Best before” date/“Use within” period

Make sure that the date has been set correctly. For infor­mation on changing the date, refer to Setting the lan-

guage, display mode, date and time.

Stored date only

1) Press to turn on the P-touch. The current day
of the week and the date appear.

2) Press . The message “PRINTING” appears
while the label is being printed.

Stored date and food icon

1) Press to turn on the P-touch. The current day
of the week and the date appear.

2) Rotate the dial until the desired food setting is dis­played, and then press . The food indicator
below above the LCD display comes on.

3) Press . The message “PRINTING” appears
while the label is being printed.

Stored date, food icon and “Best
before” date/“Use within” period

1) Press to turn on the P-touch. The current day
of the week and the date appear.

2) Rotate the dial until the desired food setting is dis­played, and then press . The food indicator
below comes on.

To print the storage label without a food icon, select
“NO ICON”.

3) Rotate the dial until the desired storage period is
displayed, and then press . The storage period
indicator below comes on.

Make sure that the information on the printed label is
correct.

Brother accepts no responsibility for the printed storage
date.

4) Press . The message “ PRINTING ” appears
while the label is being printed.

The “Use within” period is printed if you select a range
of dates (e.g. 1-2 Days).

The “Best before” date is printed if you select a specific
time frame (e.g. 3 months).

The name of the day appears in the “Best before” date if
you select a specific storage period which is less than 7
days.

Cutting storage labels

Cut off the label that is fed from the tape exit slot by press­ing in the tape cutter button.

Food icons

Icon LCD displays Explanation

None NO ICON

RASPBRRY Raspberries

STRWBRRY Strawberries

TOMATO Tomatoes

MUSHROOM Mushrooms

PICKLE Pickles

JUICE Juices

SODA Sodas

MILK Milk

WINE Wine

CHICKEN Chicken

ROAST BF Roast beef

STEAK Steak

LNCHMEAT Lunchmeat

HAM Ham

FISH Fish

SAUSAGE Sausage

BREAD Bread

CAKE Cake

JAM Jam

PIE Pie

MUFFIN Muffins

SALAD Salad

SOUP Soup

RICE Rice

PASTA Pasta

CHINESE Chinese food

BURGER Hamburger

HOT DOG Hot dog

MEDICINE Medicines

BABYFOOD Baby foods

FORMULA Baby formula