Dymo 5500 User Manual

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Introduction

The Dymo 5500 Electronic Labelmaker enables you to
create a wide variety of high quality self-adhesive labels
of up to 88 characters.

The Labelmaker uses 6mm (
or 19mm (

3

/4") wide tape cassettes in a number of label

1

/4"), 9mm (3/8"), 12mm (1/2")

colours. Labels are tab-cut for easy removal from the
backing tape.

Text can be printed horizontally or

verticall

in a variety of sizes and styles and can be left-justified,
right-justified or centred on the label.

Warranty Registration

Please complete the warranty registration card and
return it to your national customer service address
within seven days – see the warranty booklet for
details.

Power Supply

BATTERIES

• Undo catch

compartment cover

A➊ then open and lift away battery

A➋ – see page 2.

• Insert five size AA alkaline or re-chargeable nickel-

cadmium batteries, observing the polarity markings

A➌, and refit cover.

• Remove batteries (pull ribbon

is to be unused for some time.

AC ADAPTOR

• Connect the AC adaptor to socket A➍. Inserting the

adaptor plug disconnects the supply from the
batteries.

• Unplug the AC adaptor from the Labelmaker before
disconnecting the mains power to the adaptor,
otherwise settings will be lost (see also ON/OFF

A➎) if the Labelmaker

).

Changing the cassette

• Slide catch C➊ as shown to open cassette door B➊
– see page 2.

• Hold the cassette as shown and use ejector

B➌ straight up and out.

cassette

• Ensure tape and ribbon

B➍ are taut across mouth of

cassette and tape passes between guide posts before
installing as shown. If necessary, turn spool
clockwise to tighten ribbon.

• Check that cassette switch

D➍ is set for the cassette

type – see page 2. A notch in the cassette will fit over
the switch when it is set correctly.

• Insert cassette with tape and ribbon positioned as
shown between pinch roller

firmly

• Push

C➋ until cassette

C➌ and print head C➍.

clicks

Ensure tape and ribbon are positioned correctly.

B➋ to lift

B➎

into place.

The Display

▲

1234567890123456

1

USER

2
3

CAPS

▲

y

Shift on

Text size

4

Line indicator

Vertical text

V
E
R

A

A

T

Italic Box Justify

Underline Barcode

The display shows:

• Up to 15 characters, plus the cursor,
at one time.

• Function indicators – as shown above.

• The display will flash if you press an incorrect

key in a function sequence.

Function keys

ON/OFF
Switches the power on and off.

• Switches off automatically after two minutes if no keys
are pressed. The last label created will be retained and
displayed when next turned on. In addition, any stored
settings will be retained.

Note: If the batteries are removed for more than a few
seconds, all text and stored settings will be lost. When
power is restored, the display will show a flashing
cursor (no text) and the settings will be medium height
normal width text with

CAPITALS

CAPS

• Press for all subsequent characters to be in UPPER
CASE (CAPITALS), as confirmed by the
in the display.

• Press again to cancel and return to lower case.

SHIFT KEY

• Press and hold down before pressing an

alphabet key to produce an UPPER CASE (CAPS)
character.

• For dual purpose keys, press and hold
produce the legend above the key.

• Pressing

while

characters.

DELETE

DEL

• Press to delete the character to the left of the cursor, or
to exit certain function key operations.

CLEAR TEXT

• Press to clear all the current text and cancel any fixed

length setting, but leave the text size and other
settings unchanged. Also use to exit or clear certain
function key operations.

CURSOR KEYS

• Press or to move the cursor along the text,

one character at a time.

3

and all other settings off.

CAPS

is set will give lower case

CLEAR

+

DEL

, , or

1234

CAPS

GB

Fixed label
length set

indicator

first to

• Press and hold to scan quickly through the text.

• Press

+ or to move the cursor to the

beginning or end of the line of text.

• When used in conjunction with certain function keys,
use

or to select options.

• To insert characters into the text, use

or to
position the cursor under the character to the right of
the insertion point, then type in the characters required.

• Press

or to move the cursor to the start of

the previous or next line of a multi-line label.

• Press

+ or to move the cursor to the

beginning or end of the label.

PRINTING

• Press

• Use cutter lever

see page 2.

INCREMENTAL PRINTING

PRINT

to print the label.

PRINT

E➊ to release and tab-cut the label –

+

123.N

PRINT

Prints the label, then increments a number label by 1,
ready for the next print command. Note that barcode
numbers are not incremented.

SPACE KEY

• Press to insert a space into the text.
SYMBOLS

SYMBOL

• Press to select a symbol character – see SYMBOLS
AND SPECIAL CHARACTERS and the symbols table

on page 2.

TEXT SIZE

SIZE

• The display shows the current selection of text print
size:

small height small height, extended
medium height medium height, extended

large height large height, extended

• Large height is available on 19mm labels only.
Medium height is available on all except 6mm labels.
Small height is available on all labels.

• Press

repeatedly to select the size symbol

SIZE

required.

JUSTIFY

JUST

Labels are normally printed with the text left-justified.
On multi-line labels, press

to select left-justified,

JUST

right-justified or centred text, as shown in the display.
See also LABEL LENGTH.

VERT

VERTICAL TEXT

+

JUST

• Rotates the text through 90° so that the label is

verticall

printed , as confirmed by the

VERT

indicator in the display.

y

• Press again to cancel and return to horizontal text.

Note: Vertical text is not available on multi-line labels.

MULTI-LINE PRINTING

• Press

to start the next line of text on a multi-line

label, e.g.

This is a two

line label in the display will be

printed as:

This is a two and the display will
line label indicate 2 lines:

Labels can be created as follows:

6mm 1 line small text
9mm Up to 2 lines

9mm 1 line medium text

12mm

12mm 1 line medium text

small text

Up to 2 lines

small text

19mm Up to

19mm Up to 2 lines

19mm

4 lines

small

text

medium text

1 line large text

The line indicator in the display will confirm the
number of lines in the label.

BOXED/UNDERLINED PRINTING

BOX/UL

The display shows the current selection.

BOX/UL

• Press

once to put a line box around the label

(confirmed by the A indicator in the display).

• Press a second time to

underline all the text on the

label (confirmed by the A indicator in the display).

• Press a third time to cancel and return to normal
text.

ITALIC

• Press once to print the label in

by the

ITALICS

+

BOX/UL

A

indicator in the display).

italic

text (confirmed

Press again to cancel and return to normal text.

LABEL LENGTH +

LENGTH

SIZE

• Press to display the current label length. The length
is normally calculated automatically, according to
the length and size of the text on the label. The
justify symbol will also be displayed.

• Press

DEL

to exit the length function without

changing the length, or:

• Press

if necessary to select the justification

JUST

required, as confirmed by the justify symbol in the
display.

• Use

or to increase (up to 5000mm max.)
or decrease the length in 2mm steps. The display
will flash if you try to make the label shorter than
the text.

• If the length displayed is preceded by the > symbol,

the length has already been fixed; the label is too
short for the text and it will not print. Either press

to increase the length in 2mm steps until the >

symbol disappears, or press

+

CLEAR

DEL

fixed length; the label is now long enough for the
text and can be printed.

• Press

to fix the length for all subsequent labels,

confirmed by the

l<->l

indicator in the display, or

4

1
2

to cancel

DEL

CLEAR

• press

• To cancel the fixed length and restore the automatic

length, press

to fix the new length and print the label.

PRINT

LENGTH

+

followed by +

SIZE

(l<->l will go off) to cancel the fixed length,

DEL

then press

to return to the current label.

PERSONALISED (USER) LABEL SETTINGS

This function enables you to store your favourite label
settings in the memory and to recall them by pressing
just a few keys.

To store personalised label settings:

• Make your personal settings, e.g.

Small height, extended width text –
Underlined text –

A

Italic text – A

• Press

; the display will stop showing the

USER

current label text and will show your personalised
settings.

• Press

to store the settings in the memory (any
settings previously stored will be replaced by these
settings) and return to the current label, or

• Press

DEL

to exit and return to the current label (any

settings previously stored will be unaffected).

To recall personalised settings:

• Press

+

RECALL

USER

(confirmed by the

USER

indicator in the display). The display will stop
showing the current label text and the settings in the
user memory will be recalled and displayed.

DEL

• Press

to exit (the user settings will remain

stored in memory) and return to the current label, or

• Press

to copy these settings into the label. Any
previous settings made on the current label will be
lost and replaced by the user settings.

Symbols and special characters

INTERNATIONAL CHARACTERS

To add a diacritical (accent) to create an international
character, enter the character first, followed
immediately by the diacritical, e.g. press

to get é.

by

'

To add a diacritical to an existing character, use

to place the cursor under the character to be

changed, then press the appropriate diacritical key.

SYMBOLS

SYMBOL

Press

to show symbols and special characters,

some of which are not available direct from the
keyboard. The display will show: A-U? or, if any
symbols have been stored in the memory: A-U / 1-9 ?
(see also ‘PERSONALISED (USER) SYMBOLS’).

Each letter selects a line of symbol characters, as
shown in the table on page 2.

DEL

Press

to cancel, or press a letter key ‘A’ to ‘U’ until

you find the line of symbols required.

or to select a symbol. Press to place

Use
the symbol in the label, or press

PRINT

print the label.

followed

E

to place it and

or

PERSONALISED (USER) SYMBOLS

You can store up to nine frequently used symbol
characters in the memory and recall a personalised
symbol by pressing just three keys.

To store a personalised symbol:

SYMBOL

• Press

. The display will show: A-U? or, if any

symbols have already been stored in the memory:

A-U / 1-9 ?

• Press letter key ‘A’ to ‘U’ as required.

• Use

• Press

or to select a symbol (eg ☎).

.The display will change to show the

USER

selected symbol and >1-9? (eg

☎ >1-9?).

• Press a number between 1 and 9. The selected
symbol will be stored in the user symbol memory
with that number and will replace any symbol
previously stored under that number.

To recall a personalised symbol:

SYMBOL

• Press

; the display will show: A-U/ 1-9 ?.

• Press number key 1-9 as required. The display will
show the stored symbol.
Note: If you press a number which does not have a
stored symbol, the display will flash once.
Press another number key if necessary until the
symbol required is displayed.

• Press

• Press

to place the symbol in the label, or

DEL

to cancel and return to the current label.

PRINT CONTRAST — may be adjusted by pressing

SYMBOL

followed by space key to display the

contrast symbols <- l l l l l +>.

or to select lighter or darker print. Press

Use

to confirm the setting. The normal contrast level is

the mid-setting.
Note: This function enables you to adjust the print
quality under extreme temperature conditions.

BARCODES

+

BARCODE

SYMBOL

Barcodes can be printed on 19mm wide labels only and
can be either full height or mixed with text on one or
two lines.

To create a bar code:

• Press

+

BARCODE

to display the barcode type

SYMBOL

previously selected.

• Press

DEL

to cancel and return to the current

label, or

• Use

or to step through the barcode types
available: EAN 8, EAN13, UPC A, UPC E, CODE 39
and CODE 128.

• Press
barcode symbol

to select the barcode type displayed. The

will appear in the display – see

1234

page 3.

• Enter the characters which will become the barcode,
eg: 1234567.

• Press

Note that the barcode symbol

to return to the label.

1234

will appear in the
display whenever the cursor is positioned under
barcode characters.

5

• To edit a barcode, press

+

BARCODE

SYMBOL

; the barcode

characters only will be displayed and the barcode
symbol

• Press

will appear in the display.

1234

or +

BARCODE

again to return to the

SYMBOL

label.

On a single line label, a bar code can be mixed with text
which is small, medium or large size:

Cleaning

• Clean the cutter blade regularly: Remove the
cassette, then press and hold down cutter lever
to expose cutter blade D➋, then use a cotton bud
and alcohol to clean both sides of the blade. Release
cutter lever

• Check and clean print head face
cotton bud and alcohol ONLY.

D➊.

D➌ regularly using a

D➊

ABC

123

1 2 3

ABC

123

1 2 3

ABC

123

1 2 3

A two-line label always has small size text when it is
mixed with a barcode.

Text entered before pressing followed by +

BARCODE

, will result in text above the barcode:

SYMBOL

Entering the text after pressing

ABC

ABC

1 2 3

at the end of a

barcode will produce text below the barcode:

ABC

1 2 3

ABC

Text can be

underlined, eg:

DYMO 5500

ABC

123

1 2 3

DEF

or

ABC

DYMO 5500

123

1 2 3

DEF

A box can be added around the complete label:

123

1 2 3

DEF

ABC
DYMO 5500

Troubleshooting

No display

• check machine is on

• replace discharged batteries

• check AC adaptor.

No printing or poor text

• replace discharged batteries

• check tape cassette installed correctly

• clean the print head

• replace the tape cassette.

Tape jammed

• lift out tape cassette carefully

• remove/release jammed tape

• DO NOT cut the ink ribbon – turn spool

tighten

• cut off excess label tape

• refit/replace the tape cassette.

Poor cutter performance

• clean the cutter blade regularly

Poor tab cuts

• replace tab cutter blade

F➋ – remove door F➊ then

locate and pull hard upwards to remove the cutter
block.
WARNING – the blade is extremely sharp!

No response to print key

• !!!!!!!! in the display indicates a printer jam. Press

any key to return to normal display. Open the
cassette compartment and free the jam.

•

flashing in the display indicates
discharged batteries. Press any key to return to
normal display. Replace the batteries.

No success?

• Call the customer service telephone number in your

country – see the warranty booklet.
In the USA, call 800-645-6051
In Canada, call [phone]

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