Paxar 9855 User Manual

Paxar



9855 Printer

TC9855OH Rev. AB 4/03 ©2003 Paxar Americas, Inc. All rights reserved.

Each product and program carries a respective written warranty, the only
warranty on which the customer can rely. Paxar reserves the right to make
changes in the product, the programs, and their availability at any time and
without notice. Although Paxar has made every effort to provide complete and
accurate information in this manual, Paxar shall not be liable for any omissions
or inaccuracies. Any update will be incorporated in a later edition of this
manual.

©2003 Paxar Americas Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language in any form by any means, without the prior written permission of
Paxar Americas, Inc.

WARNING

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.

CANADIAN D.O.C. WARNING

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le Réglement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique édicte par le ministère des Communications du Canada.

Trademarks

926, 932, 938, 939, 9800, 9855, and 9860 are trademarks of Paxar Americas, Inc.
Paxar® and Paxar Americas are registered trademarks of Paxar Corporation.

Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Windows and NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft in the U.S. and other countries.
NetWare is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Centronics is a registered trademark of Centronics Data Computer Corporation.
TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Hewlett-Packard is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Inc.
HP Jet Admin and HP Web Jet Admin are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard, Inc.
Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain
jurisdictions.
Other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective countries and are hereby
acknowledged.

Paxar Americas, Inc.
170 Monarch Lane
Miamisburg, OH 45342

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GETTING STARTED

Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Shipping the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

9445 Printer Online Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Ordering Programmer’s Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

About Monarch® MPCL Toolbox Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Connecting the Power Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Establishing Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Connecting the Communication Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Using the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Printer Status Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Button Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Selecting a Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Exiting an Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

LOADING SUPPLIES

Loading Labels or Tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Using the Optional Tear Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Using Linerless Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Adding the Peel Edge or Shelf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Using String Tag Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

String Tag Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Adjusting the Wide/Narrow Knobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

i

LOADING RIBBON

Loading Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Using a High Energy Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

High Energy Ribbon Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

SETTING SUPPLY OPTIONS

Supply Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Feed Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Backfeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Supply Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Margin Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Cut Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Dispense Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

Backfeed Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13

Batch Separators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Skip Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Setting Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Verifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18

COMMUNICATION VALUES

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Baud Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Word Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Stop Bits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Parity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Reset to Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

ii

Parallel Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

SETTING DEFAULTS

Monetary Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Secondary Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

Decimal Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

Slashed Zero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Power-Up Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Prompt Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Flash Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Using Flash Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9

Formatting Flash Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9

Checking Available Flash Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10

Packing Flash Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11

Memory Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Setting Batch Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13

USING SCRIPTS

Initial Script Startup Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Viewing Script Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

Downloading a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Enabling a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Deleting a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Enabling Status Polling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Enabling Immediate Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

iii

PRINTING

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

On-Demand Mode Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Printing an Error Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Pausing a Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Restarting a Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Canceling a Paused Batch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Repeating a Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

Offline Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7

Special Printing Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8

Printing TrueType® Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Licensing Your Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Clearing Label Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Replacing the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6

DIAGNOSTICS & TROUBLESHOOTING

Factory Set Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

Checking the Software Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

Printing a Test Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

Checking Supply Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3

Using Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Enabling the Password (System Administrators only) . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Service Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6

Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Common Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1

iv

SPECIFICATIONS

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

String Tag Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

Ribbon Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Tag Cut Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

Linerless Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

About Ribbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5

ACCESSORIES & OPTIONS

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Packaging Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Factory-Installed Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Ethernet Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

RF Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

GLOSSARY

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

v

vi

GETTING STARTED

The Paxar® 9855 printer lets you print text, graphics, and bar
codes on thermal transfer (ribbon) and thermal direct labels or
tags. The 9855 printer prints labels continuously (in one strip) or
on-demand (one label at a time).

You can print on aperture, die cut, black mark, or continuous
(non-indexed) supplies. Continuous supply must be used in
continuous mode. See "Supply Type" in Chapter 4 for more
information about the supply types.

This chapter includes information about

N

unpacking the printer.

N

connecting the power cord.

N

connecting the communication cable.

N

using the printer’s control panel.

Several chapters of this manual have one or more charts showing
the printer’s menu structure. For example:

MAIN MENU

1

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

BATCH

ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

SETTINGS

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

SCRIPTS

VERIFIER

The black boxes show where you are; the bordered boxes show
how you got there.

Getting Started

1-1

Audience

The Operator’s Handbook is for the person who prints and applies
labels.

Unpacking the Printer

After you unpack the printer, you should have the printer, a power
cord, and a ribbon take-up core (may already be on take-up reel).
Keep the box and packaging material in case the printer ever
needs repair.

Shipping the Printer

If you need to ship the printer to a different location:

1. Remove the ribbon roll, if one is loaded.

2. Remove the supply roll, if one is loaded.

3. Close the printhead by pressing down on the thumb well until

you hear it click into place.

Thumb Well

Getting Started

1-2

4. Place the printer in the original box and secure with
packaging material. Make sure the printer is adequately
packed to avoid damage during shipment. See Appendix
B, "Accessories and Options" for the packaging materials part
numbers.

9445 Printer Online Emulation

The 9855 printer using 203 dpi (dots per inch) printing supports
94x5 emulation. You can send 94x5 data streams to this printer.

Refer to your 9445 Programmer’s Manual for information about
94x5 data streams.

Ordering Programmer’s Manuals

The Packet Reference Manual, which describes how to create
format and batch packets for printing labels, how to configure the
printer online, how to diagnose printer error messages, and how
to perform other advanced techniques can be downloaded from
our Web site (www.paxar.com). You can print this manual or
order a hard-copy version (part number TC9800PM).

About Monarch® MPCL Toolbox Utilities

The Monarch® MPCL Toolbox utilities are available on our Web
site and are free to download. This group of development utilities
helps you configure the printer, customize fonts, and download
files. Monarch MPCL Toolbox utilities are not label production
software. Call Customer Service for information about label
production software.

Connecting the Power Cable

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

1. Plug the power cable into the socket. Plug the other end of
the cable into a grounded electrical outlet.

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

Getting Started

1-3

Establishing Communications

Before the printer can accept print jobs from the host, you must:

N

Connect the communication cable to the printer and to the
host.

N

Set the communication values on the printer to match those at
the host. (Only required if you are using the serial port.)

N

Make sure the printer is off before connecting the cable to the
communication port.

Ask your System
Administrator which
method you will use to
communicate with the
host:

Parallel Port

Serial Communication
9 to 25 pin cable

Power Cable
goes here

(Part #118364)
25 to 25 pin cable
(Part #118366)

Parallel Communication
IEEE-1284 or

USB Port

Serial Port

Centronics® mode cable (Part #118363)

Connecting the Communication Cable

Connect the communication cable into the appropriate 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 bit data frame,
1 stop bit, no parity, and DTR flow control. The printer also has a
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Version 1.1 communication
port. Drivers are available on our Web site for a variety of
operating systems.

Getting Started

1-4

The printer supports a baud rate up to

115200. Make sure your host is capable of
communicating at the speed you

select for the printer.

Using the Control Panel

The control panel has a two-line LCD display, 2 status lights, and
five buttons. The control panel displays error codes/messages,
and allows you to setup/configure the printer.

Printer Status Lights

Power :

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

The Power light blinks when the battery
needs to be recharged (only on
battery-powered/cart models).

Fault:

The printer shows a blinking amber
light when there is a printer error.

Getting Started

1-5

Button Functions

Feed/Cut:

N

Prints a label in the on-demand mode.

N

When the printer is online, feeds a blank
label if there is no print job.

N

Prints a label with error information that is
useful to your System Administrator if an
error is displayed.

N

When the printer is online, cuts the supply
when pressed and held for two seconds if
a knife is installed.

N

When the printer is offline, changes the
displayed value by one or 10.

Enter/Pause: When the printer is online, pauses the current

print job or resumes a paused print job.
When the printer is offline, selects the
displayed menu item.

N

Escape/Clear:

When an error is present, clears the error.

N

When a job (batch) is printing, cancels the
print job (batch). For more information
about canceling batches, see "Canceling a
Paused Batch" in Chapter 8.

N

When the printer is online (without errors),
enters the offline menu mode.

N

When the printer is in the offline menu
mode, returns the display to the next
higher menu.

1-6

Getting Started

l When the printer is in the offline menu mode,

displays the previous menu item.

r When the printer is in the offline menu mode,

displays the next menu item.

l and r In online mode, prints a test label when you

press the buttons at the same time. Hold for
one second and release.

Display

The display shows a three-digit error code and brief message to
identify any problem the printer may have. For a description of
the problem, look up the error code in Chapter 11, "Diagnostics
and Troubleshooting."

Selecting a Function

The Main menu has several functions (operating modes). These
functions are shown in the chart below.

MAIN MENU

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

BATCH

ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

SETTINGS

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

SCRIPTS

VERIFIER

If the printer displays PRINT MODE Ready

when you turn it on, press Escape/Clear to

display the Main menu.

To display menu options, press l or r.

N

When the screen displays a right arrow, press r to display
more options.

MAIN MENU

Cancel All r

N

When the screen displays a left arrow, press l to display
more options.

Getting Started

1-7

MAIN MENU

l Diagnostics

N

When the screen displays a left and a right arrow, press either
l or r to display more options.

MAIN MENU

l Print Mode r

N

When you see the menu option you want, press Enter/Pause
to select it.

The Main Menu controls the printer’s setup and operation.
Through the Setup Menu, you can select a sub-menu for the
supply, contrast, default, or port settings. Each of those
sub-menus have several options, such as ribbon, speed,
monetary symbols, and baud rate.

Exiting an Option

To exit an option, press Escape/Clear once. You will exit to the
next higher menu.

1-8

Getting Started

If you press Escape/Clear from a menu, your

settings are not saved. Your settings are only

saved when you press Enter/Pause from a

menu.

LOADING SUPPLIES

This chapter describes how to load:

N

a roll of supply

N

fan-fold supply

N

a roll of tag supply.

There are three types of supplies:

Thermal Direct specially treated thermal supplies that do not

use a ribbon for printing.

Thermal Transfer standard supplies that require a ribbon for

printing.

High Energy scratch, chemical, and temperature resistant

supplies that require a ribbon able to
withstand high temperatures. See "Using a
High Energy Ribbon" in Chapter 3 for more
information.

If you are using thermal direct supplies, do not load a ribbon.

2

If you switch from black mark to die cut supplies, make sure the
printer’s supply type is set correctly. See "Supply Type" in Chapter
4 for more information. Your System Administrator can also send
the supply setup packet to change the supply type. Refer to the
optional Packet Reference Manual for more information about
sending the supply setup packet.

Loading Supplies

2-1

Loading Labels or Tags

Make sure the printer is configured for the correct supply type.

1. Open the cover.

2. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

3. Lift printhead assembly using the printhead tab until the

assembly locks into place.

2-2

Loading Supplies

Printhead Tab

Deflector Tab

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.

Supply Holder
Guides

Supply Roller

5. Adjust the supply holder guides so the sides barely touch the
roll. Make sure the supply roll turns freely.

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

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

7. Lay the label strip 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. Do not

feed supply between the supply 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.

Supply Roller

Loading Supplies

2-3

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.

Ta g

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

2-4

Loading Supplies

Die Cut
Sensor

Nibs

Supply Lever

9. Hold the printhead assembly by the printhead tab while
pressing down on the printhead release.

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

Thumb Well

11. Close the cover.

12. Press Feed/Cut to position the supply under the printhead.

Loading Supplies

2-5

You may need to adjust the wide/narrow knobs depending on
the width of your supply. See "Adjusting the Wide/Narrow
Knobs" for more information.

If the printer will be unused for extended

periods of time, we recommend leaving the

printhead unlatched.

Loading Labels for the Optional Peel Mode:

Peel mode is an option that must be purchased separately. In
peel mode, the printer separates the backing paper from the
label. The next label is not printed until the completed one is
removed from the printer. Make sure the printer is configured for
on-demand mode and the correct supply type.

The minimum feed length is 1.5 inches for peel mode. We
recommend using 0.5-inch gap supplies in peel mode when
backfeed is disabled. Hold the leading edge of peeled labels
when printing on stock longer than six inches. You must use
non-perforated supplies for peel mode. Follow the steps for
loading supplies from the previous section. Then, follow these
steps after you close the printhead.

2-6

Loading Supplies

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.

Exit Cover

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.

Loading Supplies

2-7

5. Close the printer’s cover.

6. Press Feed/Cut to position the supply under the printhead.

Using the Optional Tear Bar

Note the following change to loading labels if you have purchased
the optional tear bar. Tear labels against the tear bar. You cannot
tear tags with the tear bar.

Slide the supply between the tear bar and peel bar. It may be
easier if you cut one corner of the supply first.

Tear Bar

Peel Bar

Loading Supplies

2-8

Do not tear both label and backing paper at the same time.

N

Tear labels against the tear bar.

N

Tear backing paper against the tear edge.

Tear Edge

Backing Paper

Using Linerless Supply

Linerless printing is an option that must be purchased separately
on the original printer order. The linerless option is not customer
or field-installable.

You must use thermal direct and black mark supplies for linerless
applications. The linerless printer must use on-demand mode.

For maximum platen roller life, use only wide or only narrow
supplies. Switching between wide and narrow supplies may lead
to uneven platen roller wear and possibly reduce the platen roller
life. Use the narrow setting for linerless supplies.

To prevent jams, do not leave the printhead

closed (in the locked position) longer than 30

minutes without printing. Open (unlock) the

printhead before a break period, at the end of

each shift, and at the end of each day.

Your linerless machine includes a shelf already installed. You can
remove the shelf and add the peel edge if you are not using
linerless supplies.

Adding the Peel Edge or Shelf

1. Turn off the printer.

2. Open the cover.

3. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

4. Lift the printhead assembly using the printhead tab until the

assembly locks into place.

Loading Supplies

2-9

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

6. Pull back slightly on the spring latch with your thumb or

fingernail and lift the shelf out.

CAUTION

Be careful when inserting or removing the shelf. The shelf

has sharp points.

2-10

Loading Supplies

7. If inserting the peel bar:

Insert the left edge of the peel bar into the side slot at an
angle. Then, slide the peel bar to the right and press down
until you hear it click into place. The peel bar must be lined
up with the platen roller.

8. If inserting the shelf:

Insert the left edge of the shelf into the side slot at an angle.
Slide the shelf to the right, aligning it with the spring latch,
and press down until you hear it click into place. The shelf
must be lined up with the platen roller.

Loading Supplies

2-11

The shelf must be parallel to the platen roller, not at an angle.
See the following diagrams.

Platen Roller

Shelf

Shelf inserted correctly.

Platen Roller

Shelf

Shelf not inserted correctly.

Spring Latch

CAUTION

Make sure the shelf is not misaligned with the platen roller,

or damage to the platen roller could occur.

2-12

Loading Supplies

9. Close the exit cover.

10. Load supplies by following the label loading procedures. You

may notice a different color and texture on the platen roller.
Linerless supplies do not stick to the textured platen roller.

11. Close the printhead assembly and the cover.

12. Turn on the printer.

13. Verify the alignment of the platen roller with the peel bar or

shelf. Press Feed/Cut to position the supply under the
printhead.

Using String Tag Supply

String tags are used in a variety of applications, such as jewelry
tags and item marking.

String Tag Considerations

N

Thermal direct printing, fan-fold supplies, and the knife are not
supported with string tags.

N

The maximum print speed with string tags is 6.0 inches per
second (ips).

N

A non-print zone of 0.250 inches (6.4 mm) exists on the string
side of the tag.

N

Use the wide setting for string tags.

Loading Supplies

2-13

Make sure the printer is configured for the correct supply type.

1. Open the cover.

2. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

3. Lift printhead assembly using the printhead tab until the

assembly locks into place.

4. Shake the roll of string tags down to untangle the roll.

2-14

Loading Supplies

5. Place the roll of supply on the supply holder with the strings
facing out.

6. Adjust the supply holder guides so the sides barely touch the
roll. Make sure the supply roll turns freely.

7. Push down on the supply lever to unlock the supply guides.
The supply guides have been angled slightly for string tag
supplies.

8. Lay the supply 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.

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

Die Cut
Sensor

Nib

Supply Lever

Loading Supplies

2-15

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

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 to position the supply under the printhead.

If the printer will be unused for extended periods of time, we
recommend leaving the printhead unlatched.

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,
adjust the knobs to the wide setting. For supply that is two inches
or less, adjust the knobs to the narrow setting. For linerless
supply, use the narrow setting (knobs are up). For string tag
supply, use the wide setting (knobs are down).

You must adjust both of
the knobs to the same
position.

If you experience ribbon
smudging in cold, dry
environments, adjust the
wide/narrow knobs to the
wide setting.

2-16

Loading Supplies

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

For narrow supplies, turn the wide/narrow knobs
counter-clockwise with a screwdriver until it pops back up.

The adjustment is shown in the wide position.

LOADING RIBBON

This chapter describes how to load a ribbon roll.

There are different ribbon requirements for the three types of
supplies:

3

Thermal Direct
Supplies

Thermal Transfer
Supplies

High Energy
Supplies

If you are using thermal direct supplies, do not load a ribbon. If
you are using high energy supply, be sure to use a high energy
ribbon. See "Using a High Energy Ribbon" for more information.
If you want to use a high energy ribbon, select high energy for the
ribbon every time the printer is turned on. See "Ribbon" in
Chapter 4 for more information.

do not use a ribbon for printing.

require a ribbon for printing.

require a ribbon able to withstand high
temperatures.

Loading Ribbon

3-1

Loading Ribbon

Make sure the printer is configured to use a ribbon.

To load ribbon:

1. Open the cover.

2. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

3. Lift printhead assembly using the printhead tab until the

assembly locks into place.

Printhead
Assembly

Deflector
Ta b

Loading Ribbon

3-2

4. Push the deflector tab down.

5. Slide the extra ribbon core on the take-up reel as far as it will

go with the "This End Out" writing facing out. Use your empty
ribbon core as the take-up core. The take-up core only fits on
the take-up reel one way. (An extra take-up core is available
by ordering part number 117961.)

6. Remove the new ribbon from the package as shown. Do not
wrinkle or crush the new ribbon.

7. Slide the ribbon onto the back reel as far as it will go. The
ribbon roll only fits on the reel one way. Carefully unwind a
few inches of ribbon from the bottom of the roll.

8. Carefully feed the ribbon under both ribbon rollers and
printhead as shown.

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.

Ta k e - up C o r e

Take-up Reel

Ribbon Rollers

Loading Ribbon

3-3

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

13. Hold the printhead assembly by the printhead 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.

Thumb Well

3-4

Loading Ribbon

Using a High Energy Ribbon

High energy ribbon is an option for this printer. It enables you to
print on high energy (TUFF-MARK®) supplies.

When you select high energy ribbon for the printer setting, you
are setting the printer to a higher printing temperature. Select
this setting only after you have loaded a high energy ribbon and
supply or it may damage your printhead. Select a high energy
ribbon every time you turn on the printer. See "Ribbon" in
Chapter 4 for more information.

The high energy setting is lost when you turn

off the printer.

High Energy Ribbon Limitations

When using the high energy ribbon option:

N

Use a print speed of 2.5IPS (inches per second).

N

Printhead warranty is reduced to 100,000 inches.

N

Serial bar codes cannot be printed.

N

Do not use peel mode.

N

No more than 20% of the supply should have print (black
coverage).

CAUTION

The high energy ribbon may break or stick to the

supply when more than 20% of the supply

contains print.

N

Only white high energy supply should be used for bar code
printing.

N

Reverse fonts cannot be used.

N

A non-printing area of at least .1 inch (2.54 mm) must exist on
the left and right edge of the ribbon.

N

Do not print horizontal lines or bars.

N

Graphics are limited.

Loading Ribbon

3-5

3-6

Loading Ribbon

SETTING SUPPLY OPTIONS

This chapter explains how to select the supply type, ribbon, speed,
feed mode, backfeed, print position, supply position, margin
position, cut position, dispense position, backfeed distance,
separators, and skip index mode. This chapter also explains how
to adjust the print contrast and enable the verifier.

MAIN MENU

4

CANCEL

ALL

SUPPLY

TYPE

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

RIBBON SPEED

BATCH
ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

FEED
MODE

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

SETTINGS

BACKFEED POSITIONING SEPARATORS S KIP INDEX

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

SCRIPTS

VERIFIER

The options are listed in the table below.

Option Choices Default

Supply Type Aperture/Die Cut/Black

Mark/Continuous
Ribbon No/Yes/High Energy Yes
Speed 2.5/4.0/6.0/8.0/10.0/12.0/Default Default
Feed Mode Continuous/On-Demand Continuous
Backfeed Off/On/Extended Off
Print Position -99 to 99 0
Supply Position -300 to 300 0
Margin Position -99 to 99 0
Cut Position -300 to 300 0
Dispense Position 50 to 200 65
Backfeed Distance 10 to 200 65
Separators No/Yes/Long No
Skip Index No/Yes No
Contrast -699 to 699 0

Die Cut

Setting Supply Options

4-1

To exit an option without changing the setting, press
Escape/Clear.

Supply Type

You can print on aperture, black mark, die cut, or continuous
supplies. You have to tell the printer which supplies you are
using.

If you are using edge aperture supplies, use

the die cut setting. If you are using center

aperture supplies, use the aperture setting.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. If password protection in enabled, press Feed/Cut three
times, then press Enter/Pause before you see the Setup Menu
options. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SUPPLY

l Supply Type r

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the supply type option. The current

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the

Setting Supply Options

4-2

setting is displayed, for example:

SUPPLY TYPE

l Black Mark r

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

Ribbon

You have to tell the printer if your supplies require a ribbon. To
change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SUPPLY

Ribbon r

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the ribbon option. The current

setting is displayed, for example:

RIBBON

l Ye s r

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

If you set the Ribbon option to Ye s , install a

ribbon before printing.

If you want to use a high energy ribbon,

select high energy for the ribbon every time

the printer is turned on.

Setting Supply Options

4-3

Speed

You can change the print speed for bar codes or graphics. If you
select "default" for speed, formats with serial bar codes
automatically print at 2.5 ips and formats with parallel bar codes
print at 6.0 ips. 12.0 ips printing is an option that must be
purchased separately.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SUPPLY

l Speed r

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the speed option. The current

setting is displayed, for example:

SPEED

l Default

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

Setting Supply Options

4-4

For additional high speed printing information,

see Chapter 8, "Printing."

Feed Mode

You can use continuous or on-demand printing. On-demand
printing allows you to remove a label before printing the next one.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SUPPLY

l Feed Mode r

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the feed mode. The current setting

is displayed, for example:

FEED MODE

Continuous r

3. Press l or r to see the other option. After you display the

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

Setting Supply Options

4-5

Backfeed

Backfeed works by advancing each printed label to the desired
dispense position. Once that label is removed, the next label to
be printed is backed up underneath the printhead. In continuous
mode, only the last label in the batch is advanced to the dispense
position. Extended backfeed is available on this printer with a
knife installed. Extended backfeed feeds a tag far enough out to
be cut and backfeeds the next tag to the printhead line.

Extended backfeed eliminates printed tags being left between the
printhead and knife. Extended backfeed works with the selected
cut modes. Refer to the optional Packet Reference Manual to
learn how to define the Backfeed Control Packet. Extended
backfeed does not work with non-indexed (continuous)
supply/mode. Do not use backfeed (normal or extended) with
supplies less than 0.75 inches.

We recommend using 0.5-inch gap supplies in

peel mode when backfeed is disabled.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the backfeed option. The current

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the

Setting Supply Options

4-6

SUPPLY

l Backfeed r

setting is displayed, for example:

BACKFEED

l On r

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

Positioning

This menu includes selections to change the print, supply, margin,
cut, and dispense positions along with the backfeed distance.

When you see

Enter print pos
[-99/99]: +0

Feed/Cut acts as a toggle switch to change the value by 10 or 1.
For example, to make the print position 23 (from the default of 0),
press Feed/Cut, then press r twice (20), press Feed/Cut again
and press r three times (23).

Print Position

This function adjusts where data prints vertically on the supply.
Adjust the print if it is too close to the top or bottom of the supply,
or overtypes the pre-printed area. One dot is 0.0049 inch.

N

If the data is too close to the bottom, increase the number.

N

If the data is too close to the top, decrease the number.

Changing this setting only affects new

formats sent to the printer.

Setting Supply Options

4-7

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Print Pos r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

Enter print pos
[-99/99]: +0

3. Press l or r to change the print position. Pressing l
decreases the value (moves the image down); rincreases it
(moves the image up).

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.
Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Setting Supply Options

4-8

Supply Position

This function adjusts the machine to print at the vertical 0,0 point
on the supply.

The supply position adjustment should only

be made on inital printer setup. For format

adjustments, change the print position.

You may need to adjust the supply in or out to allow

N

tags and labels to be removed.

N

die cut labels to be removed easily.

The adjustments are in dots (0.0049 inch).

N

Increase the number to feed more supply out of the chute.

N

Decrease the number to feed less supply out of the chute.

This option takes effect on the next label or tag printed.
Changing supply position may also affect print position.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Supply Pos r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

Enter supply pos
[-300/300]: +0

Setting Supply Options

4-9

3. Press l or r to change the supply position. Pressing l
decreases the value (feeds less supply); r increases it
(feeds more supply).

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.
Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Margin Position

This function adjusts where the format prints horizontally on the
supply. The adjustments are in dots (0.0049 inch), which is the
smallest measurement the printer recognizes.

The width of the print area depends on your supply size.
Maximum width is four inches. When you move the image to the
right or left on the supply, avoid moving the image too close to

either edge, because it may not print.

N

N

Setting Supply Options

4-10

Print too far to the left. Print too far to the right.

If the data is too close to the left side, increase the number.

If the data is too close to the right side, decrease the number.

Changing this setting only affects new

formats sent to the printer.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Margin Pos r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

Enter margin pos
[-99/99]: +0

3. Press l or r to change the margin position. Pressing l

decreases the value (moves the image toward the left side of
the supply); r increases it (moves the image toward the right
side of the supply).

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.
Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Cut Position

This function adjusts where the tag is cut. The printer adjusts the
cut position according to the black marks on the supply. You may
need to adjust for aperature supplies. Increase to move the cut
up; decrease to move the cut down.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Cut Pos r

Setting Supply Options

4-11

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

Enter knife adj
[-300/300]: +0

3. Press l or r to change the cut position. Pressing l
decreases the value (moves the cut down); r increases it
(moves the cut up).

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.
Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Dispense Position

This function adjusts the stopping point of the label.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Dispense Pos r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

3. Press l or r to change the dispense position. Pressing l

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.

Setting Supply Options

4-12

DISPENSE POS
[50/200]: +65

decreases the value; r increases it.

Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main menu.

Backfeed Distance

This is the amount to move the label backwards. The backfeed
distance can not be greater than the dispense position. If you
make the backfeed distance greater than the dispense position,
the dispense position automatically changes to match the
backfeed distance.

The backfeed distance should equal the dispense position. An
exception is when you are tearing labels, instead of peeling.
Then, the backfeed distance must be 30 dots (0.15 inches) less
than the dispense position to account for improper tearing of butt
cut supplies. You will have a 30-dot non-print zone on your
supply, but this prevents exposed adhesive under the printhead.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, Supply,
then Positioning. Follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

POSITIONING

l Backfeed Dis

2. Press Enter/Pause.

BACKFEED DIS
[10/200]: +65

3. Press l or r to change the dispense position. Pressing l
decreases the value; r increases it.

4. Press Enter/Pause when the number you need appears.
Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main menu.

Setting Supply Options

4-13

Batch Separators

A batch separator is an extra tag printed in between batches with
a pinstripe pattern. If you select "Long" for the separator, a
double-length (two tags) separator prints. For non-indexed
supply, the batch separator is always six inches long. If you have
the Paxar
inches long. The name of the batch is shown on the batch
separator.

®

928 stacker installed, the batch separator is 3.66

Batch Separator

Changing this setting only affects new

formats sent to the printer.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Supply. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the batch separators option. The

Setting Supply Options

4-14

SUPPLY

l Separators r

current setting is displayed, for example:

SEPARATORS

No r

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the
option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

Skip Index

You can use the skip index mode to skip (or ignore) a sense mark
and print an image over multiple labels, if necessary. For
example, if you have 4.0" long supplies loaded, but your image is

8.0" long, enable skip index mode to print the 8.0" long image on
two labels. The image length is determined by the format header.
See your System Administrator or the optional Packet Reference
Manual for more information. The skip index feature is useful
when you have a single format that contains two labels, such as
a shelf label and a carton label.

When designing the format, make sure text or

graphics do not print in the gap of label rolls.

To change the setting, from the Main menu, select Setup, then
Supply.

1. Press l or r until you see

SUPPLY

l Skip Index

2. Press Enter/Pause to set the skip index mode. You will see
the current setting, for example:

SKIP INDEX

No r

3. Press l or r to see the other options. After you display the
option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main menu.

Setting Supply Options

4-15

Setting Contrast

The print contrast controls the darkness of the printing on your
supply. The range is -699 to +699 and the default is 0 . You may
need to increase the print contrast for linerless supplies. Having
the correct print contrast setting is important because it affects
how well your bar codes scan and how long your printhead lasts.
You can use a verifier to check the bar code print quality.

MAIN MENU

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

BATCH
ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

SETTINGS

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

SCRIPTS

High contrast settings may

N

require additional printhead cleaning.

N

create bar code growth, leading to reduced scanning.

1. From the Main Menu, press l or r until you see

MAIN MENU

l Setup r

2. Press Enter/Pause. You will be at the Setup menu. Press l
or r until you see

SETUP

l Contrast r

3. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

Setting Supply Options

4-16

Enter contrast
[-699/+699]: +0

4. Press l or r to change the contrast. Pressing r darkens
the print; l lightens the print.

Feed/Cut acts as a toggle switch to change the value by 10 or 1.
For example, to make the contrast 50 (from the default of 0),
press Feed/Cut, then press r five times (50).

5. Press Enter/Pause to select either "Yes" or "No" to print a
test label and check the print contrast. Press Enter/Pause.

6. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

We recommend you check the bar code print quality with a bar
code verifier. If you do not have a bar code verifier or scanner,
check the bar code visually. A bar code that is in spec has
complete bars, clear spaces, and small alphanumeric characters
look complete. An in spec bar code may not look as good as one
that is too dark, but it has the highest scan rate.

Dark

IN SPEC

Light

Setting Supply Options

4-17

Verifier

The verifier scans and checks the quality of bar codes as they are
printed. The optional verifier must be purchased separately. The
verifier scans parallel bar codes; it can not scan serial bar codes.

The verifier must be enabled and set up before you can scan
bar codes. For additional set up procedures, refer to your
verifier’s Operating Instructions for more information.

To enable the verifier, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Verifier. Then follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

VERIFIER

l State

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

VERIFIER

Disabled r

3. Press l or r to see the other option. After you display the

Setting Supply Options

4-18

option you want, press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear
until you see the Main Menu.

COMMUNICATION VALUES

This chapter tells you how to set the serial or parallel
communication values. These values provide the link for normal
online printing.

MAIN MENU

5

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

BATCH

ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

SETTINGS

SERIAL

COMM

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

PARALLEL

COMM

SCRIPTS

VERIFIER

You need to set your Serial Comm values to match your
computer’s online communications. Before entering the
communication values, see your System Administrator.

The serial communication values are listed in the table below.

Option Choices Default

Baud rate 1200/2400/4800/9600/19200/

38400/57600/115200

Word length 7/8 8

Stop bits 1/2 1

Parity None/Odd/Even None

Flow control None/Xon/Xoff/DTR/CTS DTR

Reset No/Yes No

9600

Communication Values

5-1

Baud Rate

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. If password protection in enabled,
press Feed/Cut three times, then press Enter/Pause before you
see the Setup Menu options. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SERIAL COMM

Baud Rate r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

BAUD RATE

l 9600 r

3. Press l or r to display the baud rate you need, then press
Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
Menu.

Word Length

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

Communication Values

5-2

SERIAL COMM

l Word Length r

example:

WORD LENGTH

l 8

3. Press l or r to display the word length you need, then

press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the
Main Menu.

Stop Bits

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SERIAL COMM

l Stopbits r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

STOPBITS

1 r

3. Press l or r to display the number of stop bits you need,
then press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see
the Main Menu.

Parity

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SERIAL COMM

l Parity r

Communication Values

5-3

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

PARITY

None r

3. Press l or r to display the parity you need, then press

Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
Menu.

Flow Control

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SERIAL COMM

l Flow Control r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for

example:

3. Press l or r to display the flow control you need, then

Communication Values

5-4

FLOW CONTROL

l DTR r

press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the
Main Menu.

XON is 17; XOFF is 19. Set flow control to DTR for PC
computers (unless you have XON/XOFF software).

Reset to Default Values

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Serial Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press r until you see

SERIAL COMM

l Reset

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Are you sure?

No r

3. Press l or r to make your selection, then press
Enter/Pause. If you select "Yes," the following defaults are
restored: 9600 baud, No parity, 8 bit word length, and 1 stop
bit. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Parallel Communications

The parallel communications menu allows you to set the values
for the active parallel port. The values are listed in the table
below.

Option Choices Default

Port External/Internal External

Mode Compatible/IEEE-1284 Compatible

(Centronics mode)

Port

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Parallel Comm. Then, follow these steps.

Communication Values

5-5

1. Press l or r until you see

PARALLEL COMM

Port r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

PORT

External r

3. Use l or r to select either "External" or "Internal." Press

Enter/Pause. The internal port is used for printer options
installed inside the printer, such as the Ethernet
communication port. The external port is used to connect a
printer cable or external device directly to the parallel port.

4. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Mode

To change the setting, from the Main Menu select Setup, Port
Settings, then Parallel Comm. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

2. Press Enter/Pause.

3. Use l or r to select either "Compatible" or "IEEE1284."

4. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Communication Values

5-6

PARALLEL COMM

l Mode

MODE

Compatible r

Press Enter/Pause. Use compatible mode for a computer
connection to the printer with a parallel cable. Use
IEEE-1284 for bi-directional Ethernet communications. See
Appendix B, "Accessories and Options" for more information
about Ethernet options.

SETTING DEFAULTS

This chapter explains how to select the monetary sign, secondary
sign, decimal places, slashed zero, power-up mode, and prompt
set. This chapter also explains how to format flash, check the
available flash memory, and pack flash memory.

MAIN MENU

6

CANCEL

ALL

MONETARY

PRINT
MODE

SUPPLY CONTRAST DEFAULTS

SIGN

SECONDARY

SIGN

BATCH

ENTRY

DECIMAL

PLACES

REPEAT

BATCH

SETTINGS

SLASHED

ZERO

BATCH

OPTIONS

PORT

POWER-UP

SETUP DIAG.

FLASH

MEMORY

MODE

PROMPT

SET

SCRIPTS

VERIFIER

FLASH

STORAGE

You can set your printer configurations to fit your daily operation,
using either the offline menus or the online configuration option.
After an option is selected in the online configuration or offline
Setup Menu, the option is saved when the printer is turned off.

Setting Defaults

6-1

The monetary formatting options are listed in the table below.

Option Choices Default

Monetary sign None/USA/UK/Japan/

Germany/France/Spain/
Italy/Sweden/Finland/
Austria/India/Russia/

Korea/Thailand/China/Euro-Dollar
Secondary Sign No/Yes No
Decimal Places 0/1/2/3 2
Slashed Zero No/Yes No
Power-up Mode Online/Offline Online
Prompt Set English/French/German/

Spanish-ES/Japanese/Portuguese/

Italian/Swedish/Spanish 2-MX/

Danish/Dutch/Finnish/Norwegian
Flash Storage Disabled/Enabled Disabled

USA

English

The monetary sign, secondary sign, and decimal places options
are used in conjunction with option 42. Refer to the optional
Packet Reference Manual for more information.

The settings for Monetary Sign, Secondary

Sign, Slashed Zero, and Decimal Places are

applied when a format is downloaded.
Changing the settings does not affect

batches already in the printer.

6-2

Setting Defaults

Monetary Sign

You can also select None if you do not want a monetary sign to
print in price fields. The monetary signs available for 15 countries
are shown in the table below.

Country Currency Description

USA
UK
Japan
Germany
France
Spain
Italy
Sweden
Finland
Austria
India
Russia
Korea
Thailand
China
Euro-Dollar

$ dollar
£ pound
¥yen

1

F franc
P peseta
L. lira
Kr krona

2
6

Rs rupee

3
4
5

¥ yuan

c

deutsche mark

markka
schilling

ruble
won
baht

euro-dollar

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. If password protection in enabled, press Feed/Cut
three times, then press Enter/Pause before you see the Setup
Menu options. Then, follow these steps. To exit an option without
changing the setting, press Escape/Clear.

1. Press l or r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Monetary Sign r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

Setting Defaults

6-3

MONETARY SIGN

l USA r

3. Press l or r until you see the country’s monetary sign you

want.

4. Press Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the
Main menu.

Secondary Sign

If you select USA as the monetary sign, you can print amounts
less than $1.00 either by using a dollar sign and decimal ($0.30)
or by using a cent sign (30¢).

N

If you set the secondary sign option to No, prices under $1.00
will print like this: $ .45

N

If you set the secondary sign option to Yes , prices under $1.00
will print like this: 45¢

The same option applies to the appropriate secondary sign for
monetary signs other than USA.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. Then, follow these steps.

6-4

Setting Defaults

1. Press l or r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Secondary Sign r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

SECONDARY SIGN

No r

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press

Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

Decimal Places

You can set the printer for 0, 1, 2, or 3 places after the decimal in
a price field. In U.S. currency, you might print prices like this:
$24.00 (2 decimal places) or like this: $24 (0 decimal places).

1. Press l or r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Decimal Places r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

DECIMAL PLACES

l 2 r

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press
Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

Setting Defaults

6-5

Slashed Zero

The slashed zero feature lets you select how you want the zero
character printed; either without a slash, 0 or, with a slash, ø.

Standard or reduced fonts print the slashed zero character (ø).
Bold and OCR fonts print the standard zero (0) only. The slashed
zero selection will not be in effect until the format is sent to the
printer again. If you change the way zero is printed, you must
resend your formats.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Slashed Zero r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

SLASHED ZERO

No r

Power-Up Mode

Power-up mode lets you decide how your printer starts each time
you turn it on. If you want the printer to be ready to start printing
when it is turned on, use the Online power-up mode. If you want
the operator to perform some other task first, use the Offline
power-up mode.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. Then, follow these steps.

6-6

Setting Defaults

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press

Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

1. Press l or r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Powerup Mode r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

POWER UP MODE

Online r

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press
Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

Prompt Set

Prompt set determines which language displays on the printer’s
menu. You can select English, French, German, Spanish-ES,
Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Spanish 2-MX, Danish,
Dutch, Finnish, and Norwegian. Some prompts may remain in
English, even if you select a different language.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Prompt Set r

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

PROMPT SET

English r

Setting Defaults

6-7

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press

Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

This option only affects the displayed

prompts. It does not change what is printed

by the printer.

Flash Storage

Flash storage allows packets (with "R" or "N" selectors) to be
stored in flash memory, instead of volatile RAM. Packets stored
in flash memory are saved when the printer is turned off.
However, flash memory storage is limited.

You must format flash memory before

enabling this option. Formatting flash

memory is only required once during initial

printer setup.

To change the setting, from the Main Menu, select Setup, then
Defaults. Then, follow these steps.

6-8

Setting Defaults

1. Press r until you see

DEFAULTS

l Flash Storage

2. Press Enter/Pause. The current setting is displayed, for
example:

FLASH STORAGE

Disabled r

3. Press l or r until you see the option you want. Then press
Enter/Pause. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main
menu.

Using Flash Memory

The flash memory options are listed in the table below.

Option Choices Default

Format Flash No/Yes No
Unused Flash NA NA
Pack Flash No/Yes No

Formatting Flash Memory

Before storing packets in flash memory, downloading a script, or if
the printer’s firmware is updated, you must format the flash
memory. Formatting flash memory is only required once
during initial printer setup.

When you format flash memory, the script and

®

any downloaded TrueType

fonts saved in the

printer’s flash memory are deleted and must

be resent to the printer.

To format flash memory, from the Main Menu, select Setup. Then,
follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SETUP

l Flash Memory r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

FLASH MEMORY

Format Flash r

3. Press Enter/Pause.

Setting Defaults

6-9

Are you sure?

No r

4. Press r to display "Yes" and press Enter/Pause.

CREATING FLASH

FILE SYSTEM 1

The printer’s flash memory is cleared and reformatted. This
process may take several minutes. The printer reboots
automatically after formatting flash memory. You need to resend
any fonts you want to use to flash memory again. You return to
the "Print Mode Ready" menu.

Checking Available Flash Memory

If you receive errors when downloading a script or other packets,
make sure you have enough flash memory available.

When you format flash memory, the script and

any downloaded TrueType fonts saved in the
printer’s flash memory are deleted and must

be resent to the printer.

6-10

Setting Defaults

To check available flash memory, from the Main Menu, select
Setup. Then, follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SETUP

l Flash Memory r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

3. Press l or r until you see

FLASH MEMORY

l Unused Flash r

4. Press Enter/Pause. You see the number (in bytes) of
available flash memory.

Unused Flash

l 1006216_

5. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main menu.

Packing Flash Memory

Packing flash memory permanently removes any deleted files
from memory. Periodically select this option to "clean up" the
printer’s memory. Any deleted files are removed from memory
when you pack flash.

To pack flash memory, from the Main Menu, select Setup. Then,
follow these steps.

1. Press l or r until you see

SETUP

l Flash Memory r

2. Press Enter/Pause. Press l or r until you see

FLASH MEMORY

l Pack Flash

3. Press Enter/Pause.

Are you sure?

No r

Setting Defaults

6-11

4. Press r to display "Yes" and press Enter/Pause.

All the deleted files in flash memory are permanently erased.

5. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main menu.

Memory Guidelines

Use these basic guidelines when storing files in your printer’s
memory.

N

Your printer may have volatile RAM (packets deleted when the
printer is turned off), non-volatile RAM (packets saved when
the printer is turned off), and flash memory (packets saved
when the printer is turned off). Each printer has a different
limit of available memory.

N

Before you save any packets in flash memory, you must format
flash memory first. See "Formatting Flash Memory" for more
information.

N

Formats, graphics, and check digits can be saved in flash (but
they are also duplicated in RAM). Any packets saved in flash
cannot exceed the memory available in RAM.

N

Fonts are stored differently in flash. For example, the 9825
printer has very limited flash font memory and one TrueType
font may exceed that limit. If you print TrueType or
double-byte Asian fonts, use a 9855 or 9860 printer with the
extended memory option.

N

There is not a 1-to-1 ratio between the memory in your printer
and the memory in your PC. For example, a file that is 5K in
Windows may require 15-20K to store in your printer.

N

When using graphics, use the lowest-resolution graphic
possible. If your printer uses a 203 dpi printhead, the
graphic’s resolution should be 150 to 200 dpi. In fact, 96 dpi
may work. Try to create the smallest file size possible.

6-12

Setting Defaults

N

Use temporary storage for graphics that are only used once or
twice. However, if you have a logo that is used on multiple
formats, save the graphic in flash. Once again, try to create
the smallest file size possible for your graphic.

N

Each line in a packet requires the same amount of memory.
The smaller the format, the less memory required to save it.

Setting Batch Options

You can select Batch Options to change which prompts appear
during Batch Entry mode and set default values for those
prompts. Customizing which prompts appear during batch entry
can reduce the time it takes to enter data for a format. If the
optional knife is not installed, you can prevent those prompts from
appearing during batch entry mode. If you set a new default
value for an option, that value is used even if the prompt is not
displayed. If you do not change a default value for an option, the
system default is used if the prompt is not displayed.

Setting batch options requires the optional

keypad, which must be purchased separately.

Refer to your keyboard’s Operating Instructions for more
information.

Setting Defaults

6-13

6-14

Setting Defaults

USING SCRIPTS

This chapter explains how to load, enable, and delete scripts. You
can also enable status polling and immediate commands.

Using the Scripts menu requires custom software from Paxar. It
allows you to print data streams written for other printers.

Ignore these menus if you do not use Scripts.

MAIN MENU

7

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

LOAD

SCRIPT

BATCH

ENTRY

ENABLE

SCRIPT

REPEAT

BATCH

SCRIPT

INFO

BATCH

OPTIONS

DELETE

SCRIPT

SETUP DIAG.

STATUS

POLLING

SCRIPTS

IMMED

COMMANDS

Initial Script Startup Procedures

Before you can start using a script, check the following items:

N

Check to see if a script is already loaded in the printer.
See "Viewing Script Information" to continue.

N

Format flash memory, if needed. See "Formatting Flash
Memory" in Chapter 6.

N

Download a script to the printer, if needed. See
"Downloading a Script" to continue.

Using Scripts

7-1

Viewing Script Information

1. To see if your printer has a script loaded from the Main menu,

press l or r until you see

MAIN MENU

l Scripts r

2. Press Enter/Pause. If password protection in enabled, press
Feed/Cut three times, then press Enter/Pause before you

see the Scripts Menu options.

3. Press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

l Script Info r

4. Press Enter/Pause. What you see depends on the script. If
a script is not loaded, you see "No script loaded." If a script
is loaded, you see the script name and version number, for
example,

MYSTORE

Version 1.0

7-2

Using Scripts

If a script is already loaded, see "Enabling a Script," to
continue. If you need to download a script, see "Formatting
Flash Memory" in Chapter 6.

Downloading a Script

Follow these instructions to download a script from the MS DOS
prompt. Set the communication parameters using the MODE
command. Then, prepare the printer to accept a script.

1. From the printer’s Script Menu, press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

Load Script r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Script Load

Ready

Only one script can be loaded in the printer at

a time.

When downloading a script, if you receive an error:

N

Check the available flash memory. See "Checking Available
Flash Memory" in Chapter 6.

N

Format flash memory. See "Formatting Flash Memory" in
Chapter 6.

After downloading a script, if the script does not appear to be
loaded, try formatting flash memory and download the script again.

Using Scripts

7-3

Enabling a Script

The script must be enabled before you can use it.

To enable or disable a script:

1. From the Script Menu, press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

l Enable Script r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Enable Script?

l Yes

3. Use l or r to select either "Yes" or "No" and press
Enter/Pause. Selecting "Yes" starts the script. Selecting
"No" stops the script. If you select "Yes," when you turn off
the printer and turn it back on, the script automatically starts.

Once the script is enabled, you will see

Print Mode

S Ready

7-4

Using Scripts

The "S" in the lower left-hand corner of the screen indicates
the printer has a script loaded and enabled (the script is
running).

Deleting a Script

You can delete a script from the printer’s memory.

To delete a script:

1. From the Script Menu, press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

l Delete Script r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Are you sure?

l Yes

3. Use l or r to select either "Yes" or "No" and press

Enter/Pause. Selecting "Yes" deletes the current script.

The flash memory used by the script is not
available for other scripts or fonts until the

flash memory is reformatted. However, when

you format flash memory, you must resend
the script and any downloaded fonts to the

printer.

4. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

Using Scripts

7-5

Enabling Status Polling

Status polling allows you to obtain information about the
readiness of the printer and the current (or last received) print
job. Your System Administrator can enable status polling while
the printer is running in Script mode. To enable status polling:

1. From the Script Menu, press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

l Status Polling r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Enable Polling

No r

3. Use l or r to select either "Yes" or "No" and press
Enter/Pause. The default is "No."

Enabling Immediate Commands

Your System Administrator can use immediate commands to reset
the printer or cancel and repeat batches. To enable immediate
commands:

7-6

Using Scripts

1. From the Script Menu, press l or r until you see

SCRIPTS

l Immed Commands

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Enable Immed?

No r

3. Use l or r to select either "Yes" or "No" and press
Enter/Pause. The default is "No."

4. Press Escape/Clear until you see the Main Menu.

PRINTING

This chapter explains how to

N

use on-demand mode printing.

N

print an error label.

N

print, pause, restart, cancel, and repeat a batch.

You can send format, batch, and graphic data to the printer from a
host. When the printer receives the data, batches begin printing
automatically. The optional Packet Reference Manual tells how to
create, store, and download the data necessary to print batches.
You can also use the Monarch® MPCL Toolbox utilities to create
and download packets.

MAIN MENU

8

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

PRINT
MODE

READY

BATCH

ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

SETUP DIAG.

SCRIPTS

Printing

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

1. Turn on the printer. Your printer is ready to receive and print
batches when you see "PRINT MODE Ready."

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

3. The printer prints a strip of labels.

4. Remove the printed labels.

Printing

8-1

If the printer will be unused for extended

periods of time, we recommend leaving the

printhead unlatched.

An optional keyboard is also available to enter offline batch data.
The keyboard must be purchased separately. If there are offline
batches in the print queue, the offline batches print after the
downloaded batches have printed.

On-Demand Mode Printing

When this printer is operating in the on-demand mode, the next
label prints when the previous label is removed from the printer or
when Feed/Cut is pressed. The display shows "Printing X of Y"
until all the labels in the batch are printed.

If you have purchased the optional peel module, you must use
on-demand printing with peel mode. If you are using peel mode,
remove the excess backing paper by pulling up across the
saw-toothed tear edge. Make sure the backing paper tears at the
edge. Hold the leading edge of peeled labels when printing on
stock longer than six inches. The minimum feed length for peel
mode is 1.5 inches. You must use non-perforated supplies for
peel mode. The maximum speed for peel mode is 8.0 ips.

8-2

We recommend using 0.5-inch gap supplies in

peel mode when backfeed is disabled.

Printing an Error Label

If the printer displays a data error (errors
0-499), press Feed to print an error label
and continue printing. See your System
Administrator about the error label.

Printing

Pausing a Batch

You can pause printing by pressing Enter/Pause. You may want
to interrupt a batch to make adjustments for:

N

Loading a different roll of supply or a ribbon. See Chapter 2,
"Loading Supplies" or Chapter 3, "Loading Ribbon."

N

Adjusting the supply position or contrast using the Setup
menu. See Chapter 4, "Setting Supply Options."

When you press Enter/Pause you will see

PAUSE MENU

l Print Mode r

You can press Enter/Pause to resume printing or press l or r
to display the Pause Menu options.

The following chart shows the Pause Menu options.

PAUSE MENU

CANCEL

BATCH

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

RESTART

BATCH

Restarting a Batch

You can reprint a paused batch from the beginning (using the
original quantity).

1. When you press Enter/Pause, you will see

PAUSE MENU

l Print Mode r

Printing

8-3

2. Press l or r until you see

PAUSE MENU

l Restart Batch r

3. Press Enter/Pause. The batch starts printing from the

beginning.

Canceling a Paused Batch

You can cancel a paused batch, delete a format, graphic, or font
in memory, or all the batches waiting to print.

Before any format, graphic, or font in memory

can be deleted, you must cancel all batches.

PAUSE MENU

8-4

Printing

CANCEL

BATCH

CANCEL

ALL

CANCEL

BATCH

CANCEL

FORMAT

CANCEL

GRAPHIC

CANCEL

FONT

PRINT
MODE

RESTART

BATCH

You can cancel a batch by pressing Escape/Clear while the batch
is printing, or you can use the Pause menu to cancel a batch.

1. Press Enter/Pause to interrupt printing.

PAUSE MENU

l Print Mode r

N

If you want to cancel only the paused batch, skip step 3.

N

If you want to cancel all the batches, skip step 2.

2. To cancel only the paused batch, press l or r until you see

PAUSE MENU

Cancel Batch r

Then press Enter/Pause. The batch is deleted and the printer
prints any remaining batches.

3. To cancel all the batches (including the paused batch), press

l or r until you see

PAUSE MENU

l Cancel All r

and press Enter/Pause.

Cancel Batches?

No r

4. You c an

N

exit without canceling any batches. Press Escape/Clear or
press r to display No and then press Enter/Pause. The
printer returns to the Pause menu. Press l or r to select
another function from the Pause Menu, or to return to Print
Mode and print all the batches.

N

cancel all batches in the print queue. Press r to display Ye s,
then press Enter/Pause.

Cancel Format?

No r

Press l or r then press Enter/Pause.

Printing

8-5

If password protection is enabled, you will be prompted to
enter a password before the formats, graphics, and fonts are
deleted. Press Feed/Cut three times and then press
Enter/Pause.

All formats are deleted. If you enter the wrong password, you
return to the Main menu. For more information about password
protection, see "Using Password Protection" in Chapter 10. If
password protection is disabled, you will see

Cancel Graphic?

No r

Press l or r then press Enter/Pause.

Cancel Font?

No r

Press r , then press Enter/Pause. You return to the Pause
menu. If you select "Yes," these prompts delete ALL

formats, graphics, and/or fonts in the printer.

5. Press l or r to select another function from the Pause

menu, or to return to Print mode.

8-6

Printing

Repeating a Batch

Before you start printing a new batch, you can reprint the last
batch. The batch can be either the last one you printed
completely or one that you canceled after starting to print.

MAIN MENU

CANCEL

ALL

PRINT
MODE

BATCH
ENTRY

REPEAT

BATCH

BATCH

OPTIONS

SETUP DIAG.

SCRIPTS

1. From the Main Menu, press l or r until you see

MAIN MENU

l Repeat Batch r

2. Press Enter/Pause.

Printing
xxxx of xxxx

The number increments until the entire batch has printed. When
it is finished, you will see

PRINT MODE

Ready

Offline Printing

Offline printing requires the optional keyboard, which must be
purchased separately. Refer to your keyboard’s Operating
Instructions for more information about offline printing and batch
entry.

Printing

8-7

Special Printing Considerations

Keep in mind the following special printing considerations.

Maximum
Print Speed

2.5/4.0/6.0
ips (inches
per second)

8.0 ips Thermal Direct

10.0 ips Thermal

12.0* ips Thermal

Printing Method Printhead

Thermal Direct
Thermal Transfer

Thermal Transfer

Direct/Thermal
Transfer

Direct/Thermal
Transfer

Density

203/300 dpi
dots per inch

203/300 dpi Not

203 dpi only Not

203 dpi only Not

Knife Peel Mode

Supported Supported

Supported

Supported

Not

Supported

Supported

Supported

Not
Supported

* 12.0 ips is the high speed option, which must be purchased

separately.

N

The minimum label feed length is 0.75 inches (19 mm) using

8.0 ips or higher.

N

94x5 emulation is not supported using 300 dpi.

N

The maximum supply and image length with the optional 300
dpi printhead is 12.0 inches (305 mm).

N

You may need to clean the printhead and platen roller more
frequently when printing at high speeds. See Chapter 9,
"Care and Maintenance," for more information.

8-8

Printing

Printing TrueType® Fonts

TrueType® fonts are available on this printer. TrueType fonts are
scalable and the characters print smoothly, without the jagged
edges you see on bitmap fonts. When downloading a TrueType
font, you download the entire font. You cannot specify a subset
(particular characters or point size) of the font.

These font files may be very large and image

slower than bitmap fonts. The size of the font

file, in bytes, is the minimum amount of

memory you must have available for fonts in

the printer’s memory.

Your System Administrator may need to reconfigure the printer’s
memory to use downloaded TrueType fonts. Refer to the optional
Packet Reference Manual (available on our Web site) to learn
how to reconfigure the printer’s memory. After reconfiguring
memory, resend the font, format, and batch packets.

This printer can accept a TrueType font file that has been
converted to Hex or Run-Length encoding using the version of
Font Utility. Font Utility is available on our Web site
(www.servisource1.com). Font Utility is a part of the Monarch
MPCL Toolbox Utilities. You can also use a wide variety of Code
Pages with International (Turkish, Latin, Spanish, etc.) characters.
Using TrueType fonts allows you a greater range of fonts for your
formats. TrueType fonts are designed to be regionally specific;
therefore, all Code Pages may not be supported in a given font.
Check with your System Administrator if you need to use
TrueType fonts.

Printing

8-9

Licensing Your Fonts

We provide the Font Utility to help you create and download
international code pages/characters. However, it is your
responsibility to license the fonts you purchase and download to
your printer. Contact your font supplier for licensing information.

Additional fonts that are compatible with this printer can be
purchased from:

The Electronic Font Foundry
11 Silwood Road
Ascot
SL5 OPY
England
(0)1344 875 201
www.eff.co.uk

8-10

Printing

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

This chapter tells you how to

N

clear label jams and clean the printer

N

replace a printhead

N

adjust print contrast.

CAUTION

Do not use sharp objects to clean the printhead or

touch the printhead with your fingers. This may

damage the printer and require a service charge.

Clearing Label Jams

When you are printing and a jam occurs, the Fault light on the
printer’s front panel blinks. To clear the jam:

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 to position the supply under the printhead.

9

Cleaning

The rate and frequency at which you print determines how often
you must clean the printer.

You must clean the printhead as described below to

maintain printhead life.

Care and Maintenance

9-1

You may need to clean the printhead, sensor, and platen roller:

N

if there is any adhesive build-up in the supply
path.

N

after printing approximately 3 rolls of thermal
transfer/thermal direct/linerless supplies or
after each ribbon.

Voids

N

daily if your printer is in an excessively dirty,
hot, or humid environment.

N

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

When you are using higher speeds (with 203 or
300 dpi), and/or increased print contrast, we
recommend cleaning the printhead after each
ribbon with isopropyl alcohol. If you still notice

Streaks

build-up on the printhead or black streaks on
your supply, use the enclosed printhead CLEAN-STRIP.

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

2. Remove the label roll and ribbon (when cleaning the
printhead).

3. Press down on the exit cover tabs to open the exit cover on
the front of the printer.

9-2

Care and Maintenance

Exit Cover

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 either
the standard (black) or linerless (red/orange textured) platen
roller. If the brush does not remove all the adhesive

N

Use isopropyl alcohol ONLY on the standard (black) platen
roller.
Moisten a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol and run the
cotton swab across 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.

N

call Service to clean the linerless (red/orange textured) platen
roller.

DO NOT use alcohol or solvents on linerless

(red/orange textured) platen rollers.

5. Moisten a cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol. Rub the cotton
swab across the peel bar and remove any build-up.

6. Moisten another cotton swab with isopropyl 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.

Printhead

Care and Maintenance

9-3

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

Die Cut Sensor

Supply Sensor

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

9. Let the printer dry before you reload supplies.

10. Close the exit cover by pushing firmly on it. Both latches will

click into place.

11. Close the cover and printhead assembly.

12. Turn on the printer.

13. Press Feed/Cut to position the supply under the printhead.

9-4

Care and Maintenance

Resend your format, batch, and check digit packets.

Replacing the Printhead

You may have to replace the printhead if it is damaged or
worn-out. For example, you may see 616 (bad dot or dots) or 768
(printhead failure) error codes. See Appendix B, "Accessories
and Options" for the printhead part number.

CAUTION

The printhead is sensitive to static electricity, which can

damage the printhead or reduce its life. Ground yourself

by touching some metal, such as the printer’s metal base,

before touching the printhead. Clean the printhead to

remove any salt or oil left from handling prior to operation.

To replace the printhead:

1. Turn off the printer.

2. Open the cover.

3. Unlock the printhead by turning the retaining latch.

4. Press forward and down on the two latches on top of the

printhead assembly as shown. The printhead will drop down.

5. Lift the printhead assembly using the printhead tab and push
back until the printhead assembly clicks into place.

Care and Maintenance

9-5

6. Carefully unplug the cable from the printhead as shown. The
printhead is sensitive to static electricity, which can damage
the printhead or reduce its life. Ground yourself by touching
some metal, such as the printer’s metal base, before touching
the printhead.

7. Carefully plug the cable into the new printhead.

8. Align the new printhead with the tabs.

9. Snap the printhead into place.

9-6

Care and Maintenance

Do not
touch here

Make sure the printhead cable does not touch

the ribbon roll.

10. Clean the new printhead with a cotton swab dipped in
isopropyl alcohol to remove any salt or oil left from handling.

11. Let the printhead dry and reload your supplies.

12. Close the printhead assembly and the cover. Turn on the

printer.

13. Press Feed/Cut to position the supply under the printhead.

Care and Maintenance

9-7

9-8

Care and Maintenance