SATO CL608VA, CL612VA User Manual

®

CL Series

Thermal Transfer Printers

Operator and Technical

Reference Manual for

CL408, CL412, CL608VA &

CL612VA

PN9001035Rev.E

SATO America, Inc.

10350-A Nations Ford Rd.

Charlotte, NC 28273

MainPhone:[phone]

Technical SupportHotline:[phone]

Fax:[phone]

www.satoamerica.com

© Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999

SATO America, Inc.

Warning: This equipment complies with the requirements in Part 15 of
FCC rules for a Class A computing device. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area may cause unacceptable interference to radio and TV
reception requiring the operator to take whatever steps are necessary to
correct the interference.

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or issued
to third parties in any form whatsoever without the express permission of
SATO America, Inc. The materials in this document is provided for general
information and is subject to change without notice. SATO America, Inc.
assumes no responibilities for any errors that may appear.

SATOCLSeriesPrinters PN9001035RevE

PREFACE

CL SERIES PRINTER OPERATOR’S MANUAL

The CL Series Printer Operator’s Manual contains basic information about the printer
such as setup, installation, cleaning and maintenance. It also contains complete
instructions on how to use the operator panel to configure the printer. The following
is a brief description of each section in this manual.

SECTION 1. PRINTER OVERVIEW

This section contains a discussion of the printer specifications and optional
features.

SECTION 2. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

This section contains instructions on how to unpack and set up the printer,
load the labels and ribbon, and how to use the operator panel to configure the
printer.

SECTION 3. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

This section contains instructions on how to clean and maintain the printer.

SECTION 4. PROGRAMMING

This section introduces the SATO printer programming language. It contains
the commands that are used with the printer to produce labels with bar codes,
alphanumeric data and graphics.

SECTION 5. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

This section contains the printer’s interface specifications, which include
detailed information on how to properly interface your printer to the host
system.

SECTION 6. TROUBLESHOOTING

This section contains troubleshooting procedures to follow in the event you
have printer problems.

SATOCLSeriesPrinters9001035Rev.E Page-i

Preface

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Command Code Quick Reference

APPENDIX B: Bar Code Specifications

APPENDIX C: Custom Characters and Graphics

APPENDIX D: Optional Features

APPENDIX E: Custom Protocol Command Codes

APPEDDIX F: Label Wizard Support

Page-ii9001035Rev.E SATOCLSeriesPrinters

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. PRINTER OVERVIEW

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

General Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Character Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

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

Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

SECTION 2. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

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

Unpacking and Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Setting Up the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Loading Labels, Tags and Ribbon in the CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . 2-4

Loading Labels, Tags and Ribbon in the CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . 2-8

Operator Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Switches and Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Printer DIP Switch Configuration, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Printer Adjustments, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24

Potentiometer Adjustments, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39

Printing Hex Dump Diagnostic Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41

Preface

SECTION 3. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

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

Procedures, CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Adjusting the Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

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

Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Cleaning the Print Head, Platen and Rollers . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Replacing the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Cleaning the Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Replacing the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

SATOCLSeriesPrinters9001035Rev.E Page-iii

Preface

Procedures, CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Adjusting the Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Cleaning the Print Head and Platen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Replacing the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

Cleaning the Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Replacing the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

SECTION 4. PROGRAMMING

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

The SATO CL Programming Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Selecting Protocol Control Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Using Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

The Print Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Rotated Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Command Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Command Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Bar Codes, Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Bar Codes, Variable Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19

Characters, Custom Designed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

Character Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23

Character, Fixed Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25

Character Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26

Character, Proportional Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28

Clear Print Job(s) and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29

Continuous Forms Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30

Copy Image Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31

Cutter Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33

Fonts, U, S, M, OA, OB, XU, XS and XM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34

Fonts, Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36

Fonts, WB,WL, XB and XL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38

Form Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40

Form Overlay Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41

Form Overlay Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42

Graphics, Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43

Graphics, PCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45

Job ID Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46

Journal Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47

Lines and Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48

Line Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50

Mirror Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52

Off-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54

Postnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55

Print Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56

Print Length, Expanded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57

Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59

Page-iv9001035Rev.E SATOCLSeriesPrinters

Preface

Print Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61

Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62

Repeat Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63

Replace Data (Partial Edit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-64

Reverse Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66

Rotate, Fixed Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68

Rotate, Moving Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70

Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72

Start/Stop Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-74

Calendar Option Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-75

Calendar Increment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76

Calendar Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-78

Calendar Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-80

Memory Card Option Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81

Clear Card Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-82

Expand Memory Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-83

Fonts, TrueType Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-85

Fonts, TrueType Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86

Format/Field Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-87

Format/Field Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-88

Graphics, Custom Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-89

Graphics, Custom Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90

Graphics, PCX Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-92

Graphics, PCX Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-93

Initialize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94

Slot Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95

Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-96

Custom Protocol Codes Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-97

Two-Dimensional Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-99

Data Matrix, Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-100

Data Matrix, Data Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-102

Dat Matrix Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-103

Maxicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-105

PDF417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-107

SECTION 5. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

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

Interface Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

The Receive Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

RS232C Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Ready/Busy Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

X-On/X-Off Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Bi-Directional Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Centronics Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Accessory (EXT) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

External Output Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

SATOCLSeriesPrinters9001035Rev.E Page-v

Preface

SECTION 6. TROUBLESHOOTING

Initial Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Using the Centronics (Parallel) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Using the RS232C (Serial) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Error Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Command Code Quick Reference

APPENDIX B: Bar Code Specifications

Bar Code Symbologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Codabar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Code 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Interleaved Two of Five (I 2/5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

UPC-A/EAN-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

EAN-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6

Industrial Two of Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8

Matrix Two of Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9

Code 128 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

MSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

Code 93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12

UPC-E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-13

Bookland (UPC/EAN Supplements) . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-14

UCC-128 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15

Postnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-17

Data Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-18

Maxicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-20

PDF417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-21

Code 128 Character Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-22

APPENDIX C: Custom Characters and Graphics

Custom Designed Characters Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Custom Graphics Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

PCX Graphics Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

Page-vi9001035Rev.E SATOCLSeriesPrinters

APPENDIX D: Optional Accessories

Label Rewinder, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Label Cutter, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

Label Dispense Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-4

Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

CL608 and CL612 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

CL408 and CL412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8

Interface Cards, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D10

Calendar, All Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-10

APPENDIX E: Custom Protocol Command Codes

Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Download Command Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Download Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2

Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2

APPENDIX F: Label Wizard Support

About Label Wizard F-1
Printers Supported F-2

Preface

SATOCLSeriesPrinters9001035Rev.E Page-vii

Preface

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Page-viii9001035Rev.E SATOCLSeriesPrinters

INTRODUCTION

The SATO CL Series Thermal Transfer Printers are complete, high-performance
on-site labeling systems. All printer parameters are user programmable using the
front panel controls and the DIP switches. All popular bar codes and 12
human-readable fonts, including a vector font, are resident in memory providing
literally thousands of type styles and sizes.

The Operator’s Manual will help you understand the basic operations of the printer
such as setup, installation, configuration, cleaning and maintenance.

The major differences in the CL408 and the CL412 printers is the resolution of the
head. The CL408 with its 203 dpi head provides an economical labeling solution for
most applications. It can print labels up to four inches wide. If a wider label is
needed, the CL608 can print labels up to six inches wide at the same resolution. The
CL412 provides a higher print resolution, 305 dpi, to give laser-quality printing. It is
useful when higher resolution is needed for detailed graphic images. The six inch
wide companion printer to the CL412 is the CL612.

SECTION 1.

PRINTER OVERVIEW

All of the CL Series printers use the same command codes. The only differences are
the allowable values representing the print positions on the label. These values are
specified in “dots” and will vary depending upon the resolution of the printer and the
amount of memory available for imaging the label. The allowable range for each
printer is specified in a table for those command codes.

This commonalty makes it very easy to convert labels from one CL printer to another
without having to create an entirely different command stream. There are some
caveats that must be observed though to compensate for the different resolution print
heads. The effect of the different printer resolutions are best illustrated by taking a
label designed for a 203 dpi printer and sending the command stream to the its 305
dpi counterpart. The label printed will be an exact two-thirds scale, including the
fonts, bar code dimensions and line lengths/widths. The only exception is the PostNet
bar code which has only one legal size and the printer resolution is automatically
compensated for by the printer. Conversely, a label designed for a 305 dpi printer and
sent to its 203 dpi cousin will be one-third larger. It probably will be “truncated” if
the label size is larger than the maximum allowable for the printer.

The following general information is presented in this section:

• General Printer Specifications

• Optional Accessories

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. E Page 1-1

Section 1. Printer Overview

GENERAL PRINTER SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATION CL408 CL412 CL608 CL612

PRINT

Method Direct or Thermal Transfer
Speed (User Selectable) 2 to 6 ips

50 to 150 mm/s

Print Module (Dot Size) .0049 in.

.125 mm

Resolution 203 dpi

8 dpmm

Maximum Print Width 4.1 in.

104 mm

Maximum Print Length
(Expanded Print Length)

Maximum Print Length
with 2MB Memory Card

MEDIA

Minimum Width .87 in. (22 mm) 1.96 in. (50 mm)
Minimum Length .24 in. (6 mm) .78 in. (20 mm)
Maximum Width 5.1 in. (131 mm) 7 in. (178 mm)
Type Die Cut Labels, Fan-Fold, Tag Stock or Continuous
Caliper .010 in. (.25 mm)

49.2 in.

1249 mm

14 in.

356 mm

.0033 in.
.083 mm

305 dpi

12 dpmm

32.8 in.

833 mm

.0049 in.
.125 mm

203 dpi

8 dpmm

6.0 in.

152 mm

14 in.

356 mm

49.2 in.

1249 mm

4 to 8 ips

100 to 200 mm/s

.0033 in.
.083 mm

305 dpi

12 dpmm

6.5 in.

164mm

14 in.

356mm

27.7 in.

704 mm

Roll OD (max) 8.6 in. (218 mm), Face-In Wind
Core ID (min) 1.5 in. (38 mm)
Core ID (Recommended) 3 in. (76 mm)

SENSING

See-Thru for labels or tags Movable
Reflective Eye-Mark Movable Fixed
Continuous Form Sensor not used

RIBBON

Maximum Width 4.4 in. (111 mm) 6.75 in. (172 mm)
Length 1475 ft. (450 m) 1345 ft (410 m)
Thickness 4.5 micron, Face-In Wind

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page 1-29001035 Rev. E SATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

SPECIFICATION CL408 CL412 CL608 CL612

CONTROLS AND SIGNALS

On-Line LED Status = Green

(1)

Power LED None Green
Media Out LED Status = Red
Ribbon Out LED Status = Red
Error LED Status = Red

(1)
(1)
(1)

LCD Panel 2 Line x 16 Character
On/Off-Line Switch Front Panel
Label Feed Switch Front Panel
Power On/Off Switch Rear Panel

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENTS

Print Darkness Front Panel

Green

Red
Red
Red

Pitch Front Panel
Offset Front Panel
Display None Front Panel

INTERFACE CONNECTIONS

Parallel Centronics Compatible
Serial RS232C (2400 to 19.2K bps)

RS422/485 (2400 to 19.2K bps)

(2)

(2)

(2)

Serial Protocol Hardware Flow Control (Ready/Busy)

Software Flow Control (X-On/X-Off)

Bi-directional (ENQ/Response)

Data Transmission ASCII Format

PROCESSING

CPU 32 Bit RISC
ROM 1 MByte (2 x 4M bit)
DRAM 2 MByte
Programmable 8 KByte EEPROM

(1) Single two color (Red, Green) LED.

(2) Interface Adapter Card required.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 1-3

Section 1. Printer Overview

CHARACTER FONTS

SPECIFICATION CL408 CL608 CL412 CL612

MATRIX FONTS

U Font (5 dots W x 9 dots H)
S Font (8 dots W x 15 dots H)
M Font (13 dots W x 20 dots H)
XU Font (5 dots W x 9 dots H) Helvetica
XS Font (17 dots Wx 17 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
XM Font (24 dots W x 24 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
OA Font (15 dots W x 22 dots H) OCR-A (22 dots W x 33 dots H) OCR A
OB Font 20 dots W x 24 dots H) OCR-B (30 dots W x 36 dots H) OCR B

AUTO SMOOTHING FONTS

WB WB Font (18 dots W x 30 dots H)
WL WL Font (28 dot W x 52 dots H)
XB XB Font (48 dots W x 48 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
XL XL Font (48 dot W x 48 dots H) Sans Serif

VECTOR FONT

Proportional or Fixed Spacing

Font Size 50 x 50 dots to 999 x 999 dots

Helvetica, 10 Font Variations

DOWNLOADABLE FONTS

TrueType Fonts with Optional Memory Card

CHARACTER CONTROL

Expansion up to 12X in either the X or Y coordinates

Character Pitch control

Line Space control

Journal Print facility

0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Rotation

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page 1-49001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

BAR CODES

SPECIFICATION CL408 CL608 CL412 CL612

SYMBOLOGIES

Bookland (UPC/EAN Supplemental)

EAN-8, EAN-13

CODABAR

Code 39
Code 93

Code 128

Interleaved 2 of 5

Industrial 2 of 5

Matrix 2 of 5

MSI

POSTNET

UCC/EAN-128

UPC-A and UPC-E

Data Matrix

Maxicode

PDF417
Ratios 1:2, 1:3, 2:5 User definable bar widths
Bar Height 4 to 600 dots, User programmable
Rotation 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°

OTHER FEATURES

Sequential Numbering Sequential numbering of both numerics and bar codes
Custom Characters RAM storage for special characters
Graphics Full dot addressable graphics, SATO Hex/Binary or .PCX formats
Form Overlay Form overlay for high-speed editing of complex formats.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 1-5

Section 1. Printer Overview

PHYSICAL

SPECIFICATION CL408 CL412 CL608 CL612

DIMENSIONS

Wide 10.7 in. (271 mm) 13.8 in. (352 mm)
Deep 16.9 in. (430 mm) 16.9 in. (429 mm)

High 12.6 in. (321 mm) 11.7 in. (298 mm)
WEIGHT 28.7 lbs (13 Kg) 41.9 lbs (19 Kg)
POWER REQUIREMENTS

Voltage

Power Consumption 50W Idle

130W Operating

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating Temperature 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C)

Storage Temperature -0° to 104°F (-20° to 40°C)

Operating Humidity 15-85 % RH, non-condensing

Storage Humidity Max 90% RH, non-condensing

Electrostatic Discharge 8KV

REGULATORY APPROVALS

Safety UL, CSA

RFI/EMI FCC Class A

All specifications subject to change without notice.

110 V (±10 %)

220V (±10 %)

50/60 Hz (±1%)

50W Idle

210W Operating

Page 1-69001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

ACCESSORY CL408 CL412 CL608 CL612

MEMORY EXPANSION Two slots for PCMCIA Memory Cards (up to 2MB each). Can be used

for Graphic File storage, print buffer expansion, format storage and
downloaded TrueType fonts.

CALENDAR An internally mounted Date/Time clock that can be used to date/time

stamp labels at the time of printing.

LABEL CUTTER Internal attachment allowing labels to be cut at specified intervals.

Controlled through programming.

LABEL DISPENSER Internal attachment allowing

labels to be peeled from backing
for immediate (on demand)
application. Internal backing
take-up.

LABEL REWINDER External option rewinds labels onto a roll after they are printed.
PARALLEL INTERFACE Parallel I/F card must be installed.
SERIAL INTERFACE Serial I/F card must be installed.
COAX/TWINAX INTERFACE Coax/Triax I/F card must be

installed in the interface slot.
Coax I/F emulates an IBM
3287-2 printer with a standard
Type A BNC connector. Twinax
I/F emulates IBM 5224, 5225,
5226 or 4214 printers with
auto-terminate/cable-thru
capabilities.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Internal attachment allowing
labels to be peeled from backing
for immediate (on demand)
application. Backing take-up
mounted externally to rear of
printer.

Coax/Twinax adapter card must
be installed. Coax I/F emulates
an IBM 3287-2 printer with a
standard Type A BNC connector.
Twinax I/F emulates IBM 5224,
5225, 5226 or 4214 printers with
auto-terminate/cable-thru
capabilities. Allows the
Centronics interface to remain
operational.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 1-7

Section 1. Printer Overview

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Page 1-89001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

INTRODUCTION

This section is provided to assist you in taking the CL Series Printer from the shipping
container to the application environment. Where the physical differences between the
printer models are significant (such as loading paper and ribbons), separate sections
for each of the models are used for clarity.

The following information is provided in this section:

SECTION 2.

• Unpacking and Parts Identification

• Setting Up the Printer

• Loading Labels or Tags

• Loading the Ribbon

• Operator Panel

• Printer Configuration

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-1

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

UNPACKING AND PARTS IDENTIFICATION

Consider the following when unpacking the printer:

• The box should stay right-side up.

• Lift the printer out of the box carefully.

• Remove the plastic covering from the printer.

• For the CL4XX printers, remove the Front Access Door from its protective

bag and attach it to the printer.

• Remove the accessory items from their protective containers.

• If the printer has been stored in a cold environment, allow it to reach room

temperature before powering it on.

• Set the printer on a solid, flat surface. Inspect the shipping container and

printer for any signs of damage that may have occurred during shipping.

NOTE: The following illustrations are representative only. Your printer may not be
packed exactly as shown here, but the unpacking steps are similar.

CL4XX Packaging CL6XX Packaging

Page 2-29001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Verify that you have the following materials when unpacking:

• Printer

• Power Cord

• Extra Ribbon Core

• Operator’s and Technical Reference Manual

CL Printer

Operator Manual

SETTING UP THE PRINTER

Consider the following when setting up the printer:

• Locate a solid flat surface with adequate room to set the printer. Make sure

there is enough room at the top and right-hand (facing the printer) side to
provide clearance for the label access door to swing open.

Power Cable

Extra Ribbon Core

• The location should be near the host computer or terminal. The maximum

distance for RS232 cables is 50 feet and six feet for Centronics Parallel
cables. Cables can be purchased locally, and their configuration will depend
upon the host system being used.

• For information on interfacing the printer to a host system, see

Section 5: Interface Specifications.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-3

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING LABELS, TAGS AND RIBBON CL608 and CL612

LOADING LABELS OR TAGS

1. Open the Side Access Door by

swinging it up and to the left. The
hinge system automatically
dampens the movement to
prevent the door from
inadvertently falling and possibly
causing injury to the operator.

2. Open the Print Head Assembly
by pushing the Head Latch
toward the rear of the printer. The
Print Head Assembly is
spring-loaded and will
automatically open as soon as the
Head Latch is disengaged.

Head Latch

3. Push the Label Supply Guide to the outside of the printer to give the maximum
label width.

4. Release the Label Roll Support by pulling outward at the top and swing it down
and out of the way.

5. If using roll labels (or tags), load the roll onto the Label Supply Spindle so that
the printing side of the labels faces upwards as it unwinds from the roll. The
labels should be wound face-in. Push the roll all the way to the inside of the
printer and push the Label Supply Guide snugly against the outside of the
label roll.

6. If using fanfold labels (or tags) set them on a flat surface behind the printer. Pass
the labels (printing side up) through the slot and under the Label Supply
Spindle.

7. Open the Label Hold-Down by
squeezing the green tab and the
release tab together. The Label
Hold-down is spring loaded and
will open automatically when the
latch is disengaged. Feed the

Sensor Adjust

Cap Screw

Sensor Adjust

Tab

labels under the Label Guide,
under the Label Hold-Down,
through the Print Head
Assembly and out the front of
the printer.

8. Inspect the label routing and verify
that the path matches that
illustrated in the Label Loading

Label Hold-Down

diagram. Set the Adjustable

Page 2-49001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Label Guide to keep the labels
against the inside of the printer.

9. Close the Label Hold-Down by

pushing downward on the green
tab until it latches closed.

NOTE: If the Label Dispenser option
has been purchased, see Appendix D,
for proper label routing instructions.

10. Adjust the Label Sensor
Assembly to the correct position
by loosening the Sensor Adjust
Cap Screw located on the front side of the Label Hold-Down and moving the
Sensor Adjust Tab to the correct position. After it is correctly positioned,

retighten the Sensor Adjust Cap Screw.

11. If the ribbon is already loaded, close the Print Head Assembly by pushing
downward on the green tab until it latches closed.

12. If the ribbon is not loaded, see the following description for loading instructions.

Media Knob

Printed Labels

Dispenser Routing

Label Guide

Cutter Routing

Label Supply

Guide

Label Roll

Support

Label Roll

Label Backing

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-5

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

12. Adjust the Media Knob based on the media you have loaded. For media up to

2.3 inches wide, use the “1” position, for media between 2.3 and 4.6 inches wide,
use the “2” position. For media wider than 4.6 inches, use the “3” position. If you
use media narrower than 7 inches, using the wrong setting can void the print
head warranty due to the excessive pressure.

Caution: Using media narrower than the maximum print width may cause excess
head wear due to the label edge. See page 2-7 for precautions.

LOADING THE RIBBON

1. Open the Side Access Door by swinging it up and to the left. The hinge system

automatically dampens the movement to prevent the door from inadvertently
falling and possibly causing injury to the operator.

2. Open the Print Head Assembly by pushing the Head Latch toward the rear of
the printer. The Print Head Assembly is spring-loaded and will automatically
open as soon as the Head Latch is disengaged.

3. Locate the Extra Ribbon Core supplied with the printer. Place the core on the
Ribbon Rewind Spindle, pushing it all the way to the inside of the spindle.

Note that the new empty core of each subsequent roll becomes the next rewind core.

4. Load the ribbon onto the Ribbon Supply Spindle, also pushing it all the way to
the inside of the spindle. The dull side of the ribbon should be facing down as it
travels through the Print Head Assembly.

5. Feed the leader portion of the
ribbon through the Print Head

Assembly and up to the Ribbon
Rewind Spindle following the

routing shown in the diagram.

6. Load the ribbon behind and over the
top of the Ribbon Rewind

Spindle and tape it to the Extra
Ribbon Core. Make sure it

matches the ribbon path shown in
the diagram.

7. Manually turn the Rewind
Spindle to wrap the ribbon onto
the core one to two turns to
secure it.

8. If the labels or tags are already
loaded, close the Print Head
Assembly by pushing downward
on the green tab until it latches
closed.

Page 2-69001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Ribbon Roll

Ribbon Rewind

Spindle

Print Head

Assembly

Ribbon Path

Head Latch

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Ribbon Supply

Spindle

NOTE: Run a test print to ensure that the labels and ribbons were loaded correctly.
See the “User Test Print” section of this chapter on page 2-37 for instructions on
how to run test prints.

CAUTION: If your labels are less than the full width of the print head, the outside
edge will eventually wear out a small portion of the print head, resulting in an area
that will not print. Special care must be taken if you plan to use multiple widths of
labels, since the damaged portion of the print head caused from edge wear on a
more narrow label may affect the printing on a wider label. We suggest you plan
your print formats carefully to avoid using the area of possible damage on the print
head when using a wider label. The small area of damage will have no effect on
printing with the undamaged part of the print head.

Damage from a label edge is physical damage and is unavoidable. It is not covered
by warranty. It is possible to delay such damage by always ensuring that the ribbon
used is wider than the label stock. This will help to protect the print head from label
edge damage.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-7

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING LABELS, TAGS AND RIBBON CL408 and CL412

LOADING LABELS AND TAGS

1. Open the Top Access Door by
swinging it up and to the left. Open
the Front Access Door by pushing
down on the green Front Cover Latch
and swinging the door forward and to
the left. This gives access to the print
mechanism on three sides

Note: The Top Access Door must be
open before the Front Access Door
can be opened.

2. Open the Print Head Assembly by
rotating the green Head Latch
counter clockwise. The head is spring
loaded and will automatically raise to
the opened position

3. Push the Label Supply Guide to the
outside of the printer to give the
maximum label width.

Top Access

Door

Front Access

Door

Front Access

Door Latch

4. Clear access is provided to the label path
by pulling the top of the Outside
Label Guide down.

5. If using roll labels (or tags), load the roll
onto the Label Supply Spindle so
that the printing side of the labels faces
upwards as it unwinds from the roll.
Push the roll all the way to the inside of
the printer, raise the Label Supply
Guide and adjust its position until it
fits snugly against the outside of the
label roll.

Label Supply

Label Supply

Spindle

Head Latch

Outside Label

Guide

Guide

Feed Slot

Outside Label Guide

Page 2-89001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

6. If using fanfold labels (or tags) set
them on a flat surface behind the
printer and remove the cover from
the Feed Slot on the rear panel.
Pass the labels (printing side up)
through the slot and over the
Label Supply Spindle.

7. Route the labels under the Label

Hold-Down, through the Label
Sensor Assembly, under the

Print Head and out the front of the
print mechanism. Push the labels all the way to
the inside of the printer until they touch the
Inside Label Guide.

Note: Make sure the labels are routed
through the Label Sensor Assembly. If they
are not, the printer will react as if there are
no labels loaded and will refuse to print.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Sensor

Assembly

Sensor

Adjust

Knob

Inside

Label Guide

Label Hold

Down

8. Adjust the Label Sensor Assembly loosening
the green Sensor Adjust knob located on the
bottom side of the Label Transport
Assembly and moving the assembly to the
correct position. After it is correctly positioned,

Sensor

Assembly

retighten the green Sensor Adjust knob.

9. Raise the Outside Label Guide to the closed
position and push the guide inward until it
barely contacts the outside edge of the labels.

Head Latch

10. If Ribbon is already loaded in the printer,
close the Print Head and latch it in the
down position.

11. Inspect the label routing and verify that the
path matches that illustrated in the Label
Loading diagram on the inside of the Top
Access Door.

12. Carefully feed several labels through the opening in the Front Access Door and
close it. After the Front Access Door is closed, the Top Access Door may be
closed. These covers have interlock switches and the printer will not operate if
either is open.

NOTE: If the Label Dispense Option has been purchased, see Appendix D, Optional
Accessories for instructions on how to route the label backing. For information on
how to enable this option, see the Printer Configuration section in this chapter.

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-9

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING THE RIBBON

1. Open the Top and Front Access
Doors.

2. Open the Print Head Assembly by
rotating the green the Head Latch
counter clockwise. The print head is
spring loaded and will raise to the open
position as soon as the latch is released.

3. Locate the Extra Ribbon Core supplied
with the printer. Place the core on the
Ribbon Rewind Spindle, pushing it
all the way to the inside of the spindle.

Note that the new empty core of each
subsequent roll becomes the next rewind core.

4. Load the ribbon onto the Ribbon Supply Spindle, pushing it all the way to the
inside of the spindle. The dull side of
the ribbon should be facing down as it
travels through the Print Head
Assembly.

Ribbon Supply

Roll

Empty Core

Head Latch

Tape

5. Feed the leader portion of the ribbon
through the Print Head Assembly
and up to the Ribbon Rewind
Spindle following the routing shown
in the diagram.

6. Load the ribbon behind and over the top
of the Ribbon Rewind Spindle and
tape it to the Extra Ribbon Core.
Make sure it matches the ribbon path
shown in the diagram.

7. Manually turn the Ribbon Rewind
Spindle to wrap the ribbon onto the
core one to two turns to secure it.

8. If the labels or tags are already loaded,
close the Print Head Assembly by
rotating the green Head Latch
clockwise until it latches closed and
close the Front and Top Access

Doors.

NOTE: Run a test print to ensure that the
labels and ribbons were loaded correctly.
See the “User Test Print” section of this
chapter on page 2-37 for instructions on how to run test prints.

Page 2-109001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Ribbon Roll

Ribbon Rewind

Spindle

Print Head

Assembly

Head Latch

CAUTION: If your labels are less than the full width of the print head, the outside
edge will eventually wear out a small portion of the print head, resulting in an area
that will not print. Special care must be taken if you plan to use multiple widths of
labels, since the damaged portion of the print head caused from edge wear on a
more narrow label may affect the printing on a wider label. We suggest you plan
your print formats carefully to avoid using the area of possible damage on the print
head when using a wider label. The small area of damage will have no effect on
printing with the undamaged part of the print head.

Ribbon Supply

Spindle

Ribbon Path

Label Supply

Spindle

Label Path

Damage from a label edge is physical damage and is unavoidable. It is not covered
by warranty. It is possible to delay such damage by always ensuring that the ribbon
used is wider than the label stock. This will help to protect the print head from label
edge damage.

LABEL SENSOR ADJUSTMENTS CL608 and CL612

The Gap (transmissive) sensor on the CL608 and CL612 can be adjusted over a
limited range. It is located in the Label Hold-Down Assembly and can be
adjusted by loosening the Sensor Adjust Cap Screw on the front of the Label
Hold-Down (see page 2-5) and sliding the Sensor Adjust Tab to the desired
position. The Gap sensor can be adjusted from a minimum of 1.0 in. (25mm) to a
maximum of 3.5 in. (90mm). The Eye Mark sensor is fixed at 0.33 in. (9mm).

LABEL SENSOR ADJUSTMENTS CL408 and CL412

Both the Eye-Mark (refelective)and Gap (transmissive) sensors on the CL408 and
CL412 can be adjusted over a limited range. They are both located in the Label
Sensor Unit. The assembly can be adjusted by loosening the green Sensor Adjust
knob located underneath the Label Transport Assembly (see page 2-9) and
sliding the Label Sensor Unit to the desired position. The Gap sensor can be
adjusted from a minimum of 0.67 in. (17mm) to a maximum of 2.5 in. (64 mm), and

SATOCL Series Printers9001035 Rev. EPage 2-11

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

the Eye-Mark from a minimum of 0.25 in. (6mm) to a maximum of 2.1 in. (53mm).
See page 2-21 for sensor position range.

OPERATOR PANEL CL608 and CL612

LCD

DISPLAY

PANEL

LINE LABEL RIBBON ERRORPOWER

LINE FEED

DISPLAY

PITCH

PRINT

Reserved

DSW2 DSW3

OFFSET

The CL608/CL612 Operator Panel consists of five LED indicators, two
momentary contact switches, three DIP switches, four adjustment potentiometers and
one LCD Display. All of these are accessible from the front of the printer. They are
used to set the printer operating parameters and to indicate the status of the printer
to the operator. After you power on the printer, familiarize yourself with the keys and
indicators as it will help you understand the configuration process.

PRINT: Potentiometer to adjust print darkness (fine tuning).
OFFSET: Potentiometer to adjust amount of back/forward feed

for dispenser/cutter/tear-off bar position (+/-3.75 mm)

PITCH: Potentiometer to adjust home position of the label

(+/- 3.75 mm). Affects stop position of label feed, print
position and dispense position.

DISPLAY: Potentiometer to adjust the contrast of the LCD.
POWER: LED, illuminated when the power is on.

Page 2-129001035 Rev. ESATOCL SeriesPrinters