MTD TLP 2824-Z User Manual

Zebra® TLP 2824-Z™

User Guide

© 2004 ZIH Corp.

The copyrights in this manual and the label printer described therein are owned by

Zebra Technologies. Unauthorized reproduction of this manual or the software in

the label printer may result in imprisonment of up to one year and fines of up to

$10,000 (17 U.S.C.506). Copyright violators may be subject to civil liability.

All product names and numbers are Zebra trademarks, and Zebra, the Zebra logo,

ZPL, ZPL II, ZebraNet, ZebraLink, are registered trademarks of ZIH Corp. All

rights reserved.

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective

holders.

Customer Order # 980533-001 A

Proprietary Statement

This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation and its

subsidiaries (“Zebra Technologies”). It is intended solely for the information and use of parties

operating and maintaining the equipment described herein. Such proprietary information may

not be used, reproduced, or disclosed to any other parties for any other purpose without the

expressed written permission of Zebra Technologies.

Product Improvements

Continuous improvement of products is a policy of Zebra Technologies. All specifications and

designs are subject to change without notice.

FCC Compliance Statement

This device complies with Part 15 rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B Digital

Devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limi ts are designed to provide reasona ble

protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential

environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if

not installed and used in accordance with the product manuals, may cause harmful in terference

to radio communications. Howe ver, there is no guarantee that interferen ce will not occur in a

particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television

reception, the user is encouraged to do one or more of the follow ing measures:

• Reorient or relocate the re ceiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outle t o n a circu it different from that to which the receiver

is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 3

Proprietary Statement

The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by Zebra

Technologies could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. To ensure compliance,

this printer must be used with Shielded Communication Cables.

Canadian DOC Compliance Statement

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Liability Disclaimer

Zebra Technologies takes steps to ensure that its published Engineering specifications and

manuals are correct; however, errors do occur. Zebra Technologies reserves the right to correct

any such errors and disclaims liability resulting therefrom.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Zebra Technologies or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or

delivery of the accompanying product (including hardware and software) be liable for any

damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, consequential damages including loss of

business profits, business interruption, or loss of business information) arisi ng out of t he use

of, the results of use of, or inability to use such product, even if Zebra Technologies has been

advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or

limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the abov e limitation or exclusion may

not apply to you.

4 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Contacts

Preface

This section provides you with contact information, documen t struc ture and organization, and

additional reference documents.

You can contact Zebra Technologies at any of the following:

Visit us at: www.zebra.com

Our Mailing Addresses:

Zebra Technologies Corporation

333 Corporate Woods Parkway

Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061.3109 U.S.A

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited

Zebra House

The Valley Centre, Gordon R oad

High Wycombe

Buckinghamshire HP13 6EQ, UK

Telephone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 5

Preface

Environmental Management

Support

You can contact Zebra support at:

Web Address: www.zebra.com/SS/service_support.htm

Note • The web address is case-sensitive.

US Phone Number +1 847.913.2259

UK/International Phone Number [phone]

Environmental Management

Do not dispose of this product in unsorted municipal waste. This product is recyclable, and

should be recycled according to your local standards.

For more information, please see our website at:

Web address: www.zebra.com/environment

Document Conventions

The following conventions are used throughout this document to convey certain information:

s

Alternate Color (online only) Cross-references contain links to other sections in this guide.

If you are viewing this guide online, click the blue text

Command Line Examples All command line examples appear in Courier New font.

For example, type the following to get to the Post-Install scripts in the

to jump to its location.

bin directory:

Ztools

Files and Directories All file names and directories appear in Courier New font. For

example, the

Cautions, Important, Note, and Example

Caution • Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.

Caution • Warns you of a potential electric shock situation.

Zebra<version number>.tar file and the /root directory.

6 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Preface

Related Documents

Caution • Warns you of a situation where excessive heat could cause a burn.

Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical

harm to you.

Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical
harm to the hardware.

Caution • Advises you need to wear protective eyeware.

Important •

Note • Indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or supplements important

Advises you of information that is essential to complete a task.

points of the main text.

Example • Provides an example, often a scenario, to better clarify a section of text.

Tools • Tells you what tools you need to complete a given task.

Video • (online only) Links to a motion picture that demonstrates a procedure.

Related Documents

The following documents might be helpful references:

• ZPL II

• ZebraNet

• ZebraNet 10/100 Print Server User and Reference Guide (part number 47619L-001)

• ZebraNet PrintServer II™ Installation and User Guide (part number 45537L)

• Universal Serial Bus Specification available from the USB Implementation Forum

®

Programming Guide Volume I (part number 45541L) and Vol um e I I (part

number 45542L).

®

Wireless Print Server User Guide (part number 13422L)

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 7

Preface

Related Documents

8 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Contents

Proprietary Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Environmental Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1 • Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Inspecting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2 • Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Modes of Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Attaching Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Loading Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Adjusting the Roll Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Adjusting the Guides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Loading Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Install the Ribbon Supply Roll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Install the Take-Up Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Attach and Tighten the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Operator Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Printing a Test Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Hooking Up the Printer and Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Communicating with the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 9

Contents

Adjusting the Print Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Adjusting the Print Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3 • Operations & Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Replacing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Adding a New Transfer Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Replacing a Partially Used Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Printing in Peel-Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Printing on Fan-Fold Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using the Cutter Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

4 • Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Print Head Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Media Guide Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Platen Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Replacing the Platen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Replacing the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Thermal-Transfer TLP Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

5 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Troubleshooting Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Printing a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Recalibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Resetting the Factory Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Communications Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Feed Button Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

6 • Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

ZebraNet® PrintServer II for Ethernet Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Serial (RS-232) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

10 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

1

Introduction

This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer

parts. This section also has procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and

report any problems.

Hello!

Thank you for choosing a Zebra® desktop printer, a high-quality on-demand printer

manufactured by the industry leader in quality, service, and value—Zebra Technologies

Corporation. For over 25 years, Zebra Technologies Corporation has provided customers with

the highest caliber of products and support.

Your printer i s a high-quality on-demand printer. The printer provides thermal-transfer

printing (which uses ribbon) and direct-thermal print in g.

This manual provides all of the information you will need to operate your print er on a daily

basis. To create label formats, refer to your programming guide. This guide is available by

contacting your distributor or dealer.

Your printer, when connected to a host computer, functions as a complete system for printing

labels and tags.

Note • Many printer settings may also be controlled by your printer’s driver or label

preparation software. Refer to the driver or software documentation for more information.

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 11

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

What’s in the Box?

Save the carton and all packing materials in case you need to ship or store the printer later.

After unpacking, make sure you have all parts. Follow the procedures for inspecting the

printer to familiarize your self with printer parts so yo u can follow the instructions in t his book.

Sample

Labels

Cleaning

Pen

Documentation

and Warranty

Ribbon

Take-Up Core

Printer

Power Supply

and Cords

12 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Inspecting the Printer

Look at the outside of the printer and make sure that all parts are present.

Feed

Button

Introduction

Inspecting the Printer

Status

Light

Opening the printer

To access the media compartment, you must open the printer. Pull the release levers towards

you and lift the cover.

Release
Latches

Power

Switch

Power

Supply

Receptacle

Interface

Connectors

(vary by option)

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 13

Introduction

Inspecting the Printer

After opening the printer, check the media compartment.

14 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Closing the printer

1. Hold the top cover and press the “kick-stand” cover lock to release.

2. Lower the top cover. The ribbon carriage automatically folds up into place.

Introduction

Inspecting the Printer

3. Press down until the cover snaps closed.

Reporting Damage

If you discover damage or missing parts:

• Immediately notify and file a damage report with the shipping company. Zebra

Technologies Corporation is not responsible for any damage incurred during shipment of

the printer and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty policy.

• Keep the carton and all packing material for inspection.

• Notify the authorized reseller.

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 15

Introduction

Inspecting the Printer

16 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

2

Getting Started

This section describes how to set up your printer for the first time and use the most common

operating procedures for loading media in tear-off mode and loading ribbon.

Modes of Printing

You can operate this printer in different modes:

• Standard tear-o ff mode allows you to tear off each label (or a strip of labels) after it is

printed.

• In optional peel-off mode, the backing material is peeled away from the label as it is

printed. After this label is removed, the next one is printed.

• In optional cutter mode, an attached unit cuts through the media.

The printer typically uses roll media, but you can use fan-fold or other continuous medi a as

well.

For procedures to use optional modes and features, refer to the Operation and Options section.

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 17

Getting Started

Attaching Power Supply

Attaching Power Supply

Check the power supply to make certain it is appropriate fo r your input voltage.

Caution • Use the power supply that came with your printer. Never operate the printer
and power supply in an area where they can get wet. Serious personal injury could result!

1. Make sure the power switch is in the off position (forward).

2. The DC power supply has a barrel connector on one end that must be inserted into the

power supply receptacle on the back of the printer.

3. Insert the separate AC power cord into the power supply.

4. Plug the other end of the cord into an appropriate AC electrical outlet.

Power

Switch

Power

Supply

Receptacle

Barrel

Connector

Power

Indicator

Plug Varies
by Country

AC Power

Cord

Power

Supply

18 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A

Loading Roll Media

When you load media, you must place the roll on the me dia hanger s and then adjust the media

guides.

You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require. When printing without a

ribbon, you must use direct thermal media. When using ribbon, you must use thermal transfer

media. The printer's ribbon sensor detects motion of the supply spindle.

Adjusting the Roll Holders

Check the core of the media roll and adjust the holders if necessary.

• For a narrow core, lift the adjusters up.

• For a wide core, press the adjusters down.

Getting Started

Loading Roll Media

980533-001 A TLP 2824-Z User Guide 19

Getting Started

Loading Roll Media

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment

Whether your roll media is inside or outside wound you load it into the printer the same way.

1. Open the printer. Remember that you need to pull the release levers toward the front of

the printer.

2. Remove the outside length of media. During shipment, the roll may become dirty when

handled or dusty when stored. Removing the outside length avoids dragging adhesive or

dirty media between the print head and platen.

3. Separate and hold open the media hangers.

4. Orient the media roll so that its printing surface will be up as it passes over th e pl aten.

5. Lower the roll between the hange rs and close them onto the core.

20 TLP 2824-Z User Guide 980533-001 A