VIDEOJET DataFlex 6420 Operator's Manual

Videojet

DataFlex 6420

Operator Manual

P/N 462396-01

Revision: AA, February 2013

Copyright February 2013, Videojet Technologies Inc. (herein referred to as Videojet). All rights

reserved.

This document is the property of Videojet Technologies Inc. and contains confidential and

proprietary information owned by Videojet. Any unauthorized copying, use or disclosure of it

without the prior written permission of Videojet is strictly prohibited. CLARiTY

and CLARiNET

®

are registered trademarks.

®

, CLARiSOFT®

Videojet Technologies Inc.

1500 Mittel Boulevard Phone: [phone] Offices - USA: Atlanta, Chicago
Wood Dale, IL Fax: [phone] Int’l: Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Spain,
60191-1073 USA Int’l Fax: [phone] Singapore, Netherlands, and United Kingdom

www.videojet.com Distributors Worldwide

Compliance Information

Warning

For Customers in U.S.A.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: 1) this device may not cause harmful
interference, and 2) this device must accept any interference received,
including the interference that may cause undesired operation.

Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.

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 responsible 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 such cases, the users will be required to
correct the interference at their own expense.

Shielded cables must be used with this unit to ensure compliance with
Class A FCC limits.

The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal
Communications Commission helpful: How to Identify and Resolve
Radio-TV Interference Problems. This booklet is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, 
Stock No. 004-00-00345-4. This equipment has been tested and certified for
compliance with U.S. regulations regarding safety and electrical emissions
by TRL Laboratories of UK.

For Customers in Canada

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.

This equipment has been tested and certified for compliance with
Canadian regulations regarding safety and electrical emissions by TRL
Laboratories of UK.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Pour la Clientèle du Canada

Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas de bruits radioelectriques
depassant les limites applicales aux appareils numerique de las class A
prescrites dans le Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le
ministere des Communications du Canada.

Cet équipement est certifié CSA.

For Customers in the European Union

This equipment displays the CE mark to indicate conformance to the
following legislation.

EN 61000-6-2 Generic Immunity standard, Industrial 

Environment.

EN 61000-3-3 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker
EN 55022: Class A Radio Disturbance Characteristics: Limits & 

Methods of measurement for IT Equipment.

EN 55024 Immunity Characteristics: Limits & Methods of

measurement for IT Equipment.

Following the provisions of EU EMC Directive 2004/108/EC

EC Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC

Essential health and safety requirements relating to electrical equipment desig ned for use within
certain voltage limits.

EN60950-1

Safety requirements for information technology equipment including electrical business equipment.

ii Rev AA

Support and Training

Contact Information

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Videojet
Technologies Inc. at 1-800-843-3610 (for all customers within the United
States). Outside the U.S., customers should contact their Videojet
Technologies Inc. distributor or subsidiary for assistance.

Videojet Technologies Inc.

1500 Mittel Boulevard

Wood Dale, IL 60191-1073 U.S.A.

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

International Fax: [phone]

Web: www.videojet.com

Service Program

About Total Source Commitment

Total Source® TOTAL SERVICE PLUS RELIABILITY, is the Videojet
Technologies Inc. commitment to provide you - our customer - the
complete service you deserve.

The Total Source Commitment

The Videojet Total Source® Service Program is an integral part of our
business in providing marks, codes, and images where, when, and how
often customers specify for packages, products, or printed materials. Our
commitment includes:

• Applications support

• Installation services

• Maintenance training

• Customer response center

• Technical support

• Field service

• Extended hours phone assistance

• Parts and supplies

•Repair service

Rev AA iii

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Customer Training

If you wish to perform your own service and maintenance on the printer,
Videojet Technologies Inc. highly recommends you to complete a
Customer Training Course on the printer.

Note: The manuals are intended to be supplements to (and not replacements for)
Videojet Technologies Inc. Customer Training.

For more information on Videojet Technologies Inc. Customer Training
Courses, call 1-800-843-3610 (within the United States only). Outside the
U.S., customer should contact a Videojet subsidiary office or their local
Videojet distributor for more information.

iv Rev AA

Table of Contents

Compliance Information

For Customers in U.S.A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

For Customers in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Pour la Clientèle du Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

For Customers in the European Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Support and Training

Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Service Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Customer Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Chapter 1 — Safety

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–1

Safety Conventions Used in the Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2

General Warning Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2

General Caution Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–4

Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Comply with Electrical Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Do Not Remove Warning Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–5

Placement of the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–6

Using Printer Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–6

Chapter 2 — Introduction

Equipment Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–1

About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–2

Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3

Overview of Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–4

About the CLARiTY® Operating System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–5

Creating and Adding New Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–7

Chapter 3 — Getting Started

Setting the Air Pressure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–1

Switching the Power On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–3

Setting the Screen Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–5

Starting the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–6

Stopping the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–8

Understanding Printhead LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–8

Setting the Time and Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–9

Setting the Language and Region Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–11

Printing a Test Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–12

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Chapter 4 — Viewing and Selecting a New Print Job

Viewing the Current Job or Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–1

Selecting a New Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–4

Changing Variable Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–6

Changing Variable Text Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–7

Changing Variable Date Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–14

Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–17

Changing the Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–18

Changing the Print Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–20

Changing the Print Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–21

Setting the Print Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–22

Setting the Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–22

Setting the Printhead Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–23

Setting Interleaved Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–24

Deleting a Job from the Jobs Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–24

Chapter 5 — Routine Fault Finding and Maintenance

Working with Fault Messages and Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–1

Reading a Fault Message or Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–1

Clearing a Fault Message or Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–3

Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–5

Removing the Cassette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–5

Reinstalling the Cassette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–7

Checking and Replacing the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–9

Checking the Printer Ribbon Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–9

Replacing the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–10

Using Ribbons of Different Widths, Colors and Types. . . . . . . . . . . 5–14

Viewing the Printer Performance Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5–16

Cleaning the Printhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–16

Chapter 6 — Master and Slave Printers

Group Job Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6–1

Group Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–2

Chapter 7 — Specifications

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–1

System Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–4

Print Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–4

Networking and External Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–5

Printer Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7–7

Standard Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–7

1-2 Rev AA

Safety

Warning

1

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Safety conventions used throughout this manual

• Important safety guidelines to be followed when operating the
equipment

PERSONAL INJURY. Read this chapter thoroughly before
attempting to install, operate, service, or maintain this product
otherwise, it may cause serious injury.

Introduction

The policy of Videojet Technologies Inc. is to manufacture printing/
coding systems and supplies that meet high standards of performance and
reliability. Therefore, we employ strict quality control measures to
eliminate the potential for defects and hazards in our products.

The intended use of this printer is to print information directly onto a
product. Use of this equipment for any other purpose may lead to serious
personal injury.

The safety guidelines provided in this chapter are intended to educate the
operator on all safety issues so that the operator can operate the printer
safely.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Warning

Warning

Warning

Warning

Safety Conventions Used in the Manual

Specific safety information is listed throughout this manual in the form of
Warning and Caution statements. Pay close attention to these statements
as they contain important information that help in avoiding potential
hazards to yourself or to the equipment.

General Warning Notices

The following warnings supplement the specific warnings that appear
elsewhere in the manual. These are general warnings that must be read,
completely understood, and applied by all the personnel involved in the
operation, and/or the maintenance of the machine.

PERSONAL INJURY. Only trained service or maintenance
personnel should perform the installation procedures. Qualified
personnel who have successfully completed the training courses,
have sufficient experience with this printer, and are aware of the
potential hazards to which they will be exposed.

PERSONAL INJURY. Before attempting any maintenance or repair
on any part of the product, disconnect the printer from the main
power supply and isolate the printer from any external energy
sources including other connected equipment.

PERSONAL INJURY. Before connecting the compressed air supply
to the printer, ensure that the air supply has been isolated. Turn the
regulator adjustment knob counterclockwise.

PERSONAL INJURY. The printer uses an operator control console.
Ensure that this panel is mounted at an appropriate working height
and orientation for ease of operation.

1-2 Safety Conventions Used in the Manual Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Warning

Warning

Warning

Warning

Warning

PERSONAL INJURY. Keep your hands and clothing clear of the
printer while it is on.

PERSONAL INJURY. To ensure that the connecting cables and pipes
do not become a trip hazard or become entangled in any machinery,
all the connecting cables and pipes must be secured safely during
installation.

ELECTRICAL HAZARD. Voltages used to connect the printer to
other equipment must not be greater than 50 V dc or peak ac.

ELECTRICAL HAZARD. Always wear a properly grounded wrist­ground strap when handling printed circuit boards. Failure to do so
can result in damage to the board components due to static
electricity.

PERSONAL INJURY. There are sections of the control board that are
permanently powered via the on-board lithium battery.

Therefore it is essential that the board should never be placed on, or
stored in any conductive surface (including conductive, plastic bags
etc.) as this would flatten the battery and/or potentially result in
battery overheating.

The battery is not to be replaced by the operator.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Caution

Caution

General Caution Notices

The following caution statements supplement the specific cautions that
appear elsewhere in the manual. These are general cautions which must
be read, completely understood, and applied by all the personnel involved
with the operation, and/or the maintenance of the machine.

EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. Before and after performing any
maintenance or repair on the product, check that the two safety
labels are clearly visible. One is on the power supply cover (internal
to the controller) and the other by the potential nip point next to the
pulley in the printer body.

EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. The use of incompatible ribbon can
seriously damage your printer and such damage will not be covered
by your printer warranty. Use only the ribbon approved by your
dealer.

1-4 Safety Conventions Used in the Manual Rev AA

Safety Guidelines

Warning

This section contains important safety guidelines on operating and
handling the printer and associated equipment.

PERSONAL INJURY. Always observe the following safety
guidelines when operating and handling the printer and associated
equipment otherwise, it may cause serious injury.

Comply with Electrical Codes

All electrical wiring and connections must comply with applicable local
codes. Consult the appropriate regulatory agency for further information.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Do Not Remove Warning Labels

Do not, under any circumstances, remove or obstruct any warning or
instruction labels on the printer.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Warning

Placement of the Printer

PERSONAL INJURY. Do not place the printer in a hazardous
location. Hazardous locations might create an explosion, leading to
personal injury.

Hazardous locations, as defined in the United States, are those areas that
may contain hazardous materials in a quantity sufficient to create an
explosion. These are defined in Article 500 of the National Electrical Code
ANSI/NFPA 70–1993.

Outside United States, you must ensure compliance with all local
regulations regarding the equipment placement in potentially hazardous
locations.

Using Printer Accessories

To maintain regulatory approval for the printer, use only Videojet
approved accessories when attaching any device to the equipment.

1-6 Placement of the Printer Rev AA

Introduction

Warning

Figure 2-1: Videojet DataFlex 6420 Printer

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Description about the intended use of the product

• Information contained in this manual and other manuals associated
with this printer

• Description of the CLARiTY

• Information on creating and adding new jobs

®

operating system

2

PERSONAL INJURY. Read Chapter 1, “Safety” before attempting to
operate the equipment otherwise, it may cause serious injury.

Equipment Description

The Videojet DataFlex 6420 printer uses high-resolution thermal transfer
technology with a unique electronic ribbon drive system. This system
reduces the wear on printer parts and the maintenance adjustments
normally associated with thermal transfer coders that use mechanical
ribbon drives. The printer offers greater reliability and ease of operation

Rev AA Equipment Description 2-1

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

compared to earlier systems. It can print barcodes, dates, text, and
graphics onto flexible packaging films and labels.

The printer is a suitable replacement for either hot stamp or rotary coders.
It can print in either of the following modes:

• Intermittent Mode (i.e., while the substrate is stationary)

• Continuous Mode (i.e., while the substrate is moving)

It is suitable for use on most horizontal form/fill/seal, vertical form/
fill/seal, and self-adhesive labelling machines.

The product is available in either left-handed or right-handed versions to
suit different configurations of the packaging machine.

The product is available in the following models:

• Standard - 53 mm print width option

• Standard - 107 mm print width option

About this Manual

This manual is intended for the operator and contains information on the
routine operation of the printer, including routine cleaning and
maintenance tasks. Unless noted otherwise, all procedures in this manual
can be performed by the operator of the printer.

Note: Installation and service procedures are described in the service manual
(refer “Related Documents” on page 2-3).

This manual is a supplement to (and not a replacement for) formal
training.

2-2 About this Manual Rev AA

Related Documents

Warning

The Videojet DataFlex 6420 Service Manual (P/N 462397 AA) is the other

document that is available (through Videojet Customer Service), for this
printer.

The service manual contains information on installing, maintaining,
troubleshooting, and servicing this printer. It also includes sections about
the theory of operation, component identification, and the illustrated parts
list of the printer.

This Videojet DataFlex 6420 Service Manual is intended only for the use of
trained service personnel. The service manual is a supplement to (and not
a replacement for) formal training.

PERSONAL INJURY. Customers who intend to service and
maintain the printer themselves must have only qualified personnel
perform these procedures. Qualified personnel have successfully
completed the training courses, have sufficient experience with this
printer, and are aware of the potential hazards to which they will be
exposed.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

1. CLARiTY® Controller Bracket

2. CLARiTY

®

Controller

3. Low Profile Cable Assembly

4. Air Regulator

5. 4-mm Air Tubing

6. Power Cable

7. CD

8. QA Documentation and CE Certificate

9. Cassette

10. Printer

Figure 2-2: Standard Printer Configuration Parts

10

8

6

1
2

3

5

4

9

7

Overview of Printer Parts

The main parts of the Videojet DataFlex 6420 printer is described as
follows:

•CLARiTY

®

Controller: Houses the power supply unit and touch
screen. You can access jobs, setup jobs, set the various print
parameters using the touch screen

• Printer: Houses the printhead and ribbon. The data is transferred to
the printhead from the controller. The printhead prints onto the
packaging film.

2-4 Overview of Printer Parts Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 2-3: CLARiTY® Home Screen

1

2

3

6

7

1. Machine Status Button

2. Tools Button

3. Current Job Details Button

4. Consumables Status Button

5. Production Performance
Button

6. Control Frame Buttons

7. Home Button

4

5

About the CLARiTY® Operating System

CLARiTY® is an icon-based operator control system. It has an easy-to-use
touch screen and most areas of the display are "active", that is, simply
touching an area of the screen is like pressing a "button" on a traditional

®

control panel. The CLARiTY
Figure 2-3.

home screen’s main buttons are shown in

Shortcut buttons take you directly to the key pages, regardless of the page
that you are currently viewing.

Table 2-1 provides the list of shortcut buttons to be used to access the
required pages.

Buttons Display

Tools Page for printer set
up and diagnostics

Home Page

Fault and Warning Pages

Table 2-1: List of Shortcut Buttons

Rev AA About the CLARiTY® Operating System 2-5

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 2-4: Navigation Bar

1

2

1. Back Button

2. Navigation Bar

Table 2-2 shows the buttons used to select a new job or view the current
job selected.

Buttons Display

Table 2-2: Buttons for Viewing Jobs

The navigation bar (Figure 2-4) indicates the location of the current page
in the menu tree. Use the navigation bar to do one of the following:

• Touch the Back button to go back to the previous page.

• Touch any title on the navigation bar to go to that page directly.

Job Page (to load the next
image or job to be printed,
and to enter any variable
data)

Current Job (shown as the
Current Job Name)

2-6 About the CLARiTY® Operating System Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Control Frame buttons are located on the left side of the home screen
(Figure 2-3 on page 2-5). This contains buttons (Table 2-3) that stay active
as long as the printer is powered up. These buttons are used for the
immediate control of the printer.

Button Description

Stop

Start

Test Print

Print Registration

Table 2-3: Control Frame Buttons

Touch ‘Production Performance’ and ‘Consumables Status’ buttons to go
to the pages that contain further details and statistics about production
throughput and ribbon status (see Figure 2-2 on page 2-4).

Creating and Adding New Jobs

Print jobs are created offline using the CLARiSOFT® image design
software that runs on a PC.

This is a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) package that enables
you to design the look and feel of a print image and define the content of
special fields such as complex sell by date calculations.

When the job has been designed using CLARiSOFT
unique job name onto the PC's disc. Jobs are transferred into the local
database by connecting the PC to the printer using an RS232 cable.

®

, it is saved with a

Alternatively, the printer has the ability to download a 'Job' database

®

directly from a USB device. Jobs can be created in CLARiSOFT

and saved
onto a USB device, ready for downloading into the printer. This removes
the need to take a lap top into the production area.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

For information on how to create images, refer the online help supplied

with CLARiSOFT
printer, refer the Service Manual.

Once the jobs are stored in the printer’s local database, the PC may be
removed. Jobs are then selected for printing as described in “Selecting a
New Job” on page 4-4.

The printer is supplied with two standard (default) job images:

• Default 4 Line Text

• Default Date Code

You can change the details in these two job images to suit your own needs.
Refer Chapter 4, “Viewing and Selecting a New Print Job” for instructions
on how to change an image.

Variable information such as batch codes or sell by dates can be entered by
using a mobile phone style keypad described in “Changing Variable
Information” on page 4-6.

®

. For more information on how to transfer images to the

2-8 Creating and Adding New Jobs Rev AA

Getting Started

Caution

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Setting the air pressure

• Switching the power on

• Setting the screen orientation

• Starting the printer

• Stopping the printer

• Understanding the printhead LEDs

3

• Setting the printer time and date

• Setting the language display

• Printing a test image

Setting the Air Pressure

See Table 3-1, to set the air pressure on the printer.

Printer Type Air Pressure

53 mm 3.5 to 4 bar

(50.7 to 58.0 Psi)

107 mm 4.5 to 5 bar

(65.2 to 72.5 Psi)

Table 3-1: Air Pressure

AIR PRESSURE SETTING. Do not set the pressure to a different
level without consulting Videojet Technologies Inc. Proper operation
of the machine relies on the accurate setting of the air pressure.

Rev AA Setting the Air Pressure 3-1

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Air Pressure Regulator

Figure 3-1: Air Pressure Regulator

To view and set the air pressure on the printer, proceed as follows:

1 Locate the air pressure regulator (Figure 3-1). It is close to the

printhead and connected to the printhead by a 4-mm air line.

2 Read the air pressure displayed on the regulator. It should show the

value as per Table 3-1.

3 If the dial on the regulator does not display the correct value, lift the

air regulator control knob and turn it clockwise to increase the
pressure, or counterclockwise to decrease the pressure.

4 Push the control knob down to lock it in position.

3-2 Setting the Air Pressure Rev AA

Switching the Power On

Figure 3-2: Printer Power Switch

Power Switch

To switch the printer on, turn the power switch on the CLARiTY®
controller to the I (On) position (Figure 3-2).

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Once power is switched ON, the controller will boot-up. This will take
approximately 90 seconds, during which startup screen appears.

On successful boot-up, the home page appears (Figure 3-3 on page 3-4).

An initialization process of 15 seconds begins, during which the printer
calibrates the ribbon drive. The status bar flashes the words STARTING
UP and the amber LED flashes on and off. When the process is complete,
the home page changes, as follows:

• The status panel changes from STARTING UP to OFFLINE.

• The Consumables area displays the percentage of ribbon remaining.

• In the Control Frame, the Start and Stop buttons are enabled.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 3-3: CLARiTY® Home Page in the Offline State

Figure 3-3 displays the CLARiTY® home page in the OFFLINE state.

3-4 Switching the Power On Rev AA

Setting the Screen Orientation

Figure 3-4: Control Page

Figure 3-5: Screen Orientation

Depending on the position in which the CLARiTY® controller is mounted,
it may be necessary to rotate the screen image by 180 degrees.

To change the screen orientation, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Control button on the setup page.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

4 Touch Set Screen Orientation from the list. The Screen Orientation

page appears.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Start Button

Figure 3-6: Start Button

5 Select 0 or 180 degrees depending on your requirement and touch ok.

The screen orientation changes.

6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Starting the Printer

When the printer is switched on, the printer state changes from
SHUTDOWN to STARTING UP and then to OFFLINE state. Under this
condition, all the external electrical inputs are ignored and the print sensor
signals will not trigger a print. This enables you to check if the line and the
printer are ready for production, before you switch the printer into the
RUNNING state to start printing.

To switch the printer to the RUNNING state, touch the Start button
(Figure 3-6).

3-6 Starting the Printer Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 3-7: CLARiTY® Home Page in the Running State

Figure 3-7 displays the CLARiTY® home page with the printer in the
RUNNING state.

Note: If the printer has a fault or a warning, RUNNING will be replaced with
FAULT or WARNING. If FAULT is displayed, you must fix the problem before
trying to print. Refer “Clearing a Fault Message or Warning” on page 5-3 for
further information.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Stop Button

Figure 3-8: Stop Button

Stopping the Printer

To stop the printer from printing, touch the red Stop button (Figure 3-8).
The printer returns to the OFFLINE state.

Understanding Printhead LEDs

Table 3-2 lists the printhead LEDs that indicate the status of the printer.

Color On Flashing Off

Amber Warning Signal Fault Signal No warning or fault
Green — Printhead is

printing

Blue Power On — No power to

Table 3-2: LED Indicators

Note: The amber LED also flashes when the printer is being powered on and the
printhead is initializing.

—

printhead

3-8 Stopping the Printer Rev AA

Setting the Time and Date

Figure 3-9: System Date Setup

To set the time and date in the CLARiTY® system, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Control button.
4 Touch and select Date and Time from the list.
5 Touch Date to set the Date, and the calendar page will appear, as

shown in Figure 3-9.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

6 Select the current month and year using the + and – keys.
7 Touch today's date to select it.
8 Touch OK to save the settings.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 3-10: CLARiTY® System Time Setup

9 Touch Time to set the time. The time set page appears, as shown in

Figure 3-10.

10 Use the + and – keys to give a value for each of the settings [Hours,

Minutes and (optionally) Seconds].

11 Touch OK to save the settings.
12 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

3-10 Setting the Time and Date Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 3-11: Language and Region

Figure 3-12: Region / Country List

Setting the Language and Region Display

To set the language displayed by CLARiTY®, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Control button.
4 Touch and select Internationalization from the list. The current

language and region is displayed as shown in Figure 3-11.

5 Touch the Region button. A list of available regions is displayed

(Figure 3-12).

Rev AA Setting the Language and Region Display 3-11

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 3-13: Test Print Button

Test Print
Button

6 Touch to select your region from the list (all the currently available

regions will be listed) and touch OK.

7 Touch the Language button. A list of available languages is displayed.
8 Touch to select your language from the list (all the currently available

languages will be listed) and touch OK.

9 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

The date format displayed in the home page changes according to the
region selected.

Printing a Test Image

Typically, the printer is used on a packaging machine where the print is
triggered by a sensor or a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC).

A test image can be printed before running the printer to check if the
printed image is of acceptable quality. The Test Print button 
(Figure 3-13), will appear greyed out if this feature has been disabled by
the installation engineer. Also, the printer must be set to RUNNING state
for the Test Print button to be available.

3-12 Printing a Test Image Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

To perform a test print, proceed as follows:

1 If the printer is in OFFLINE state, press the Start button to put the

printer in the RUNNING state.

2 Ensure that the packaging film is placed under the printhead, if the

printer is in an intermittent application, otherwise ensure that the
packaging film is travelling past the printhead.

3 Touch the Test Print button in the Control Frame (Figure 3-13 on

page 3-12). The printer performs the test print.

4 Examine the test print to check if the image has been printed correctly.

Rev AA Printing a Test Image 3-13

Viewing and Selecting a

Figure 4-1: CLARiTY® Home Page

New Print Job

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Viewing the current job or image

• Selecting a new job

• Changing variable information

• Changing the position or appearance of the print

• Deleting a job from the database

Viewing the Current Job or Image

4

The name of the current job is displayed on the home page (Figure 4-1).
Before starting the production line, ensure that the current job is the job
that you want to print.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-2: Current Job Details Display

2

1

1. Zoom Out Button

2. Zoom In Button

To view more details of the current job, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the current job area on the home page screen. This will display

the details of the job, as shown in Figure 4-2.

2 To magnify the image on the screen, touch the Zoom In button

(Figure 4-2). This allows you to view the details of the complicated
images easily.

4-2 Viewing the Current Job or Image Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-3: Magnified Image

Scroll Bar

Figure 4-3 shows a magnified image, along with an activated scroll
bar to enable scrolling along the length of the selected image.

If you are satisfied that the correct job is displayed, you can start
printing. If the current job is not the job that you want to print, refer to
the instructions in “Selecting a New Job” on page 4-4.

3 Touch the Back button on the navigation bar, or the Home button to

return to the home page.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-4: Job List

Selecting a New Job

If you want to print a job that is not displayed as the current job, you can
select a different one.

To select a different job, proceed as follows:

1

Touch the Job button on the home page. A list of available jobs is
displayed (Figure 4-4).

2 Touch the name of the required job in the list, as shown in Figure 4-5

on page 4-5 and then touch ok.

If the list is long, a “scroll bar” appears to the right of the list. Touch
the up or down arrow buttons on the scroll bar to move through the
list.

4-4 Selecting a New Job Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-5: Job Selection

Figure 4-6: Variable Information in Data Window

Alternatively, you can type the name of the job using the keypad
(Refer “Changing Variable Text Information” on page 4-7).

If the job includes information that you can change (i.e, job variables
such as, batch codes or expiration date), UI prompts you to choose the
information that you want to modify. In the example in Figure 4-6,
there is only one item of variable information, the Sell By date. The
current value for this date is 13 June 2013, as shown in the data
window.

Rev AA Selecting a New Job 4-5

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

• If the information shown is not correct for this job, refer “Changing
Variable Information” on page 4-6 for information on how to
change it.

• If the information shown in the data window of the printer is
correct, proceed to Step 3 and Step 4 of this procedure.

3 Touch the OK button to accept the information and view a preview of

the image.

4 Touch OK in the preview page to confirm the details. The new job

becomes the current job.

Note: You can select a new image or job while the printer is offline or while it
is running. The new job replaces the current job only after you perform step
Step 4.

5 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

To exit the job selection menu at any stage without making any changes,
touch the cancel button.

Changing Variable Information

Some jobs contain job variables. Job variables are parts of the job image
that can be changed. There are two types of job variables:

• Variable TEXT fields.
For example, they are used for batch codes, product names, and other
text labels.

• Variable DATE fields.
For example, they are used for sell by dates.

If you select a job that includes variable information, CLARiTY
you to enter the required information, or choose from a list.

Note: Each variable has a check box. The check box is unchecked initially. As you
enter the variable data and touch OK, CLARiTY
You can proceed to the next step only when all the boxes are checked.

®

prompts

®

automatically checks the box.

4-6 Changing Variable Information Rev AA

Changing Variable Text Information

Figure 4-7: Default Data Window

Data Window

To change the variable text information, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the required job variable from the list to select it (the first one in

the list is automatically selected). The default data for that job variable
appears in the data window (Figure 4-7).

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

2 If the information in the data window is the information that you

want to print, go to Step 6. If you want to change the information,
perform Step 4, Step 5, and Step 6.

3 Touch to the right of the text in the data window. A flashing line is

displayed in the data window. This is known as the ‘cursor’ and
shows your position in the window. Use the alpha numeric key pads
to enter the data.

The CLARiTY

®

Operating system supports a number of standard

languages for use with 'User Entered' text information.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-8: Default Keypad

Language Selection Key

Touch the 'language selection key', to cycle the keypad through the
language selections available (Figure 4-8).

The keypad functions the same way as the keypad on a mobile phone. For

example, to type the letter C, you must press

the key three times.

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V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Table 4-1 to Table 4-4 lists the keys available on the alphanumeric keypad
for various languages of the printer.

Default - English

Key Characters (in turn)

1.,?/:!-&;+#()'"_@$¢£€¥%<>¿¡§=¤

ABC2abcДАБВГЕЖЗдабвгежз¢

DEF3defИЙЛКийлк€

GHI4ghiОМНомн

JKL5jkl£

MNO6mnoЦФТУШСцфтушс

PQRS7pqrs$ß

TUV8tuvЬЩЫЪьщыъ

WXYZ9wxyz¥

Cursor left

0*

Cursor right

Backspace clear (hold down to
clear)

Space

Table 4-1: Alphanumeric Keypad Keys - English

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Arabic - Persian

Key Characters (in turn)

Cursor left

0*

Cursor right

Backspace clear (hold down to clear)

Space

Table 4-2: Alphanumeric Keypad Keys - Arabic

4-10 Changing Variable Information Rev AA

Hebrew

Key Characters (in turn)

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Cursor left

0*

Cursor right

Backspace clear (hold down to clear)

Space

Table 4-3: Alphanumeric Keypad Keys - Hebrew

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Russian

Key Characters (in turn)

Cursor left

0*

Cursor right

Backspace clear (hold down to clear)

Space

Table 4-4: Alphanumeric Keypad Keys - Russian

4-12 Changing Variable Information Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

4 Make the necessary changes to the information, as follows:

• Touch the C/CE key to delete text. The character to the immediate
left of the cursor is deleted.

• Touch the left or right arrow keys to move the cursor to the left or
right.

• Type the new information using the keypad to add new text.

5 Touch OK when you are satisfied that the information in the data

window is correct. CLARiTY

®

checks the check box. If there are only
two variables in the job, it automatically displays the second variable.
If there are three or more variables, it displays the list of job variables,
so that you can select one.

When you touch OK at the final variable for this job (and all the check
boxes are checked) it shows you the preview of the image.

6 At the preview, perform one of the following:

• If you are satisfied with the image and you want to run the new job,

touch OK. Products will be printed with the new image until you
make further changes or select a new job.

• If you are not ready to print the job, you can leave this screen as it

is. You can touch OK at a later stage, to select the job at that time.

• If you want to step back through the job select screens to make

alterations to the variable data, touch Cancel.

• To cancel the job selection altogether, touch Home button.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-9: Default Data Window

Changing Variable Date Information

To change the variable date information, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the required job variable to select it from the list of job

variables. The current information is shown in the data window
(Figure 4-9).

2 If the information in the data window is the information that you

want to print, go to Step 6. If you want to change the information,
perform Step 3 to Step 6.

4-14 Changing Variable Information Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-10: Calendar Page

3 Touch the data window to display the Calendar page (Figure 4-10).

4 Touch the + or - button to change the month and year.
5 Touch the date on the calendar to choose the date of the month, and

touch OK.

Note: Any dates that are not available for selection because of pre-defined

rules that may have been set in CLARiSOFT

®

are dimmed.

6 Repeat Step 3 to Step 5 for each date, if you have multiple dates in

your job.

7 Return to the Job Variables display and ensure that the check box for

each date variable is checked.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-11: Preview Screen

8 Touch OK to go to the preview display (Figure 4-11).

9 Perform one of the following, in the preview screen:

• Touch OK, if you are satisfied with the image and you want to run
the new job. Products will be printed with the new image until you
make further changes or select a new job.

• If you are not ready to print the job, you can leave this screen as it
is. You can touch OK at a later stage, to select the job at that time.

• Touch Cancel if you want to step back through the job select screens
to make alterations to variable data.

• Touch Home button to cancel the Job Select altogether.

4-16 Changing Variable Information Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-12: Printhead Setup Page for Intermittent Motion Applications

Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print

The following features can be changed and applied to modify the quality
or position of the print image:

•Print position

• Print orientation

• Darkness of the print image

• Print delay (intermittent mode applications only)

• Print speed (intermittent mode applications only)

• Printhead print position (continuous mode applications only)

• Interleaved printing

The print settings can be viewed and changed through the printhead
setup page by touching the Tools, Setup and Printhead buttons.

Figure 4-12 shows the printhead setup page for printers that have been
installed to work on an intermittent motion packaging machine (prints
only when the target material is stationary).

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-13: Printhead Setup Page for Continuous Motion Applications

Figure 4-13 shows the printhead setup page for printers that have been
installed to work on a continuous motion packaging machine (prints
while the target material is moving).

Changing the Print Position

If the image does not print in the correct position on the packaging film,
you can change the position by changing the Horizontal or Vertical
Registration. This allows you to move the image inside the printing area
window of the machine and to make small adjustments to the print
location without moving the printer on the bracket. If the image is moved
outside the print window or the available ribbon width, part of the image
will not be printed.

• The Vertical Registration determines the position across the width of
the packaging film or printhead.

• The Horizontal Registration determines the position along the length
of the packaging film.

To change the print position, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page

(Figure 4-12 on page 4-17 and Figure 4-13).

4-18 Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-14: Vertical Registration Settings

4 Touch either the Horizontal Registration button or the Vertical

Registration button on the printhead setup page to open the page for
editing the required settings.

5 Use the + or - buttons (Figure 4-14) to make small adjustments in the

parameter settings.

Alternatively, do one of the following to make changes in the settings:

• Type a new value using the keypad.

• Touch the Min, Max, or Default buttons to select the minimum,
maximum, or default (standard) values.

6 Touch OK to save the settings.
7 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Note: The same adjustments can be made via the Print Registration button
on the home screen.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-15: Print Orientation Settings

Changing the Print Orientation

You can change the orientation in which a job image is printed.

To change the print orientation, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Touch the Print Orientation bar to open the print orientation settings

page (Figure 4-15).

5 Touch the required value from the Options list to select 0or 180
6 Touch OK to set the new orientation.
7 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

4-20 Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print Rev AA

Changing the Print Darkness

Figure 4-16: Print Darkness Setting

If the print darkness is too low, it causes the printed image to appear
faded.

If the print darkness is set too high, the edges of the printed image appears
blurred. This will also overdrive the printhead and shorten its lifetime.

Choose the lowest value of darkness that achieves a satisfactory quality
print.

To set the print darkness, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Touch the Print Darkness button to open the print darkness setup

page (Figure 4-16).

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

5 Use the + or - buttons to make small adjustments in the parameter

settings. Alternatively, do one of the following to make changes in the
settings:

• Type a new number using the keypad.

• Touch on the Min, Max, or Default buttons to select the minimum,
maximum, or default (standard) values.

6 Touch OK to save the settings.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

7 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Setting the Print Delay

Note: This feature can be applied only on intermittent mode applications.

The print delay is the time interval between the printer receiving a print
signal and starting a print. It can be increased to ensure that the target
material has come to a complete stop before the printing starts. If printing
occurs while the target material is still moving, the resulting image may
appear to be stretched or squashed. To enable maximum throughput, the
print delay should be set to the shortest time that produces consistent
prints.

To change the print delay, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Select the Print Delay parameter to open the print delay parameters

setup.

5 Enter a new value using the keyboard.
6 Touch OK to save the parameter settings.
7 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Setting the Print Speed

Note: This feature can be applied only on intermittent mode applications.

The thermal transfer ribbon used by the printer adheres more readily to
some types of packaging materials than others. The print speed can be
reduced to improve the bonding and print quality, and increased to
achieve greater throughput in terms of packs per minute, by reducing the
overall print cycle time.

To change the print speed, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Touch the Print Speed button to open the print delay setup page.
5 Enter a new value using the keypad.

4-22 Changing the Position or Appearance of the Print Rev AA

6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

1. Printhead

2. Target Material

3. Roller

4. Printhead Position Adjustment

Figure 4-17: Printhead Print Position

4

2

3

1

Setting the Printhead Position

Note: This feature can be applied only on continuous mode applications.

When printing continuously, the printhead will press the target material
down against the roller, as shown in Figure 4-17.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

You can change the angle of the printhead against the target material, by
changing the printhead position. This angle affects the print quality. If the
angle is not suitable, the resulting print may appear faded.

To find a suitable printhead position, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Touch the Print Position button to open the print position parameters

setup page.

5 Enter a new value using the keypad.

Note: You should change the print position parameters in steps of 1 mm. The
print position parameter is in 0.01 mm units, so a change of 100 units will
move the printhead by 1 mm.

Examine the sample prints from each position until you find the
optimum print quality at the required print speed.

6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-18: Database Data Window

Setting Interleaved Printing

This feature allows you to select a lower ‘draft’ quality print mode which
halves the ribbon consumption of the machine.

To set to interleaved printing mode, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Printhead button to open the printhead setup page.
4 Touch Interleaved Images and select yes to switch this feature on, no

to turn it off.

5 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Deleting a Job from the Jobs Database

To remove jobs that are no longer required, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Database button on the tools page to open the database

page. This page contains a list of all the available print jobs along with
details of the space available for the storage of new jobs (Figure 4-18).

3 Touch the name of the job that you want to remove from the list of

jobs. The Delete and the Preview buttons will be activated.

4 Touch the Preview button to see the job image. Ensure that the job is

the one that you want to delete.

4-24 Deleting a Job from the Jobs Database Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 4-19: Confirmation Screen

5 Touch the Delete button either on the job preview screen or on the

database screen.

6 Confirm the job to be removed (Figure 4-19).

7 Touch Yes to remove the job.
8 Repeat Step 3 to Step 7 to remove other jobs that are not required.
9 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Rev AA Deleting a Job from the Jobs Database 4-25

Routine Fault Finding and Maintenance

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Working with fault messages and warnings

• Removing and reinstalling the cassette

• Checking and changing the ribbon

• Using different ribbon widths, colors and types

• Viewing the printer performance statistics

• Cleaning the printhead

5

Working with Fault Messages and Warnings

If CLARiTY® displays a fault or warning, perform the following:

• Read the fault or warning message.

• Follow the instructions according to the message.

• Clear the message from the display (sometimes the message clears
automatically when the fault is corrected, and sometimes you have to
clear it by touching the Clear button).

Reading a Fault Message or Warning

When a fault or warning occurs, CLARiTY® displays the fault message in
the status window at the top of all pages.

When a fault occurs, the printer’s fault output relay will open. If this relay
is wired into the packaging machine’s stop circuit, it can be used to ensure
that the packaging machine is stopped in the event of an error. This
prevents the uncoded product from being produced when the printer has
a fault.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-1: Fault Display

For example, when the entire reel of ribbon has been used, CLARiTY® will
display the red FAULT banner with the message Ribbon Break, as shown in
Figure 5-1.

Several faults and warnings may occur at the same time. Faults will
always be displayed first.

To view the faults/warnings in more detail and to view instructions on
what to do about them, touch the red or yellow area in the status window

at the top of the CLARiTY

®

display.

5-2 Working with Fault Messages and Warnings Rev AA

Clearing a Fault Message or Warning

Figure 5-2: Fault Selection

The instructions in this section provide information on how to clear a fault
message. A similar procedure is used to clear warnings.

To view the details of the fault list, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the red FAULT message to view the list of faults 

(Figure 5-2).

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

2 Touch the fault name in the list to read more details about the fault.
3 Read the details of the fault and the on screen instructions that tell you

what to do about the fault.

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Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-3: Fault Details Display

The example in Figure 5-3 shows a ribbon break fault. To correct a
ribbon break fault, you need to re-attach the ribbon to the required
spool (refer to “Checking and Replacing the Ribbon” on page 5-9).

4 When you have corrected the fault, the Clear button is activated.

Touch Clear to remove the fault message.

5-4 Working with Fault Messages and Warnings Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-4: Cassette Unlocking

Figure 5-5: Cassette Open Fault

Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette

Removing the Cassette

To remove the cassette, proceed as follows:

1 Turn the printer to the OFFLINE state.
2 Press the circular black release button on the front of the printer, as

shown in Figure 5-4. The button clicks as the cassette unlocks from the
printer body.

®

At this point, CLARiTY

Rev AA Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette 5-5

displays the Cassette Open fault (Figure 5-5).

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-6: Cassette Removal

3 Hold the recessed handles and extract the cassette away from the

printer body, as shown in Figure 5-6.

5-6 Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette Rev AA

Reinstalling the Cassette

Figure 5-7: Locating Rod Alignment

1

2

1. Ribbon Roller

2. Locating Rod

To reinstall the cassette, proceed as follows:

1 Hold the cassette above the printer body. Align the two locating rods

(Figure 5-7) that protrude from the printer body into the holes at the
ends of the two ribbon rollers.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

2 Push the cassette onto the printer body and press until it locks into

place.

Rev AA Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette 5-7

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-8: Offline State

The Cassette Open fault message clears automatically, and the status
is again shown as OFFLINE (Figure 5-8).

To continue printing, refer to “Starting the Printer” on page 3-6.

5-8 Removing and Reinstalling the Cassette Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Ribbon Meter

Figure 5-9: Printer Ribbon Supply

Checking and Replacing the Ribbon

Checking the Printer Ribbon Supply

The Consumables area of the home page (Figure 5-9) displays a ribbon
meter, showing the amount of unused ribbon remaining in the cassette.

The meter displays three different colors to help check the ribbon level at a
glance.

• BLUE = Adequate ribbon availability

• YELLOW = Approximately 50 m (164 ft) of ribbon remaining

• RED = Approximately 20 m (66 ft) of ribbon remaining

Rev AA Checking and Replacing the Ribbon 5-9

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Caution

Figure 5-10: Cassette Removal

1

2

1. Ribbon Spool (x2)

2. Ribbon Roller (x2)

Replacing the Ribbon

EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. The use of incompatible ribbon can
seriously damage your printer and such damage will not be covered
by your printer warranty. Use only the ribbon that is approved by
your dealer.

To replace the ribbon, proceed as follows:

1 Remove the cassette.
2 Put the cassette down on a flat surface with the ribbon spools facing

upwards and the ribbon rollers towards you, as shown in Figure 5-10.

5-10 Checking and Replacing the Ribbon Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-11: Ribbon Spools Removal

3 Pull the two ribbon spools (one full of used ribbon) from the cassette

firmly, as shown in Figure 5-11. The discs that are situated under each
spool can be used to lever the spool off the cassette.

4 Discard the used ribbon and spools.
5 Open a new shrink-wrapped roll of ribbon, and unwind about 12

inches of ribbon (30 cm).

The spool holders on the cassette have different colored discs:

• The black disc is for the new roll of ribbon.

• The silver disk is for the empty roll.

When the printer is running, the new ribbon unwinds from the black
holder, and winds onto the silver holder.

6 Slide the full spool onto the holder that has a black disc. The roll

should be located such that the ribbon unwinds in the direction as
shown in Figure 5-12 on page 5-12.

Note: Ensure that the spool is pushed completely down onto the holder.

Rev AA Checking and Replacing the Ribbon 5-11

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-12: Ribbon Spool Installation

7 Route the ribbon so that it:

• unspools from the outside of the full roll

• goes around the outside of the white roller that is nearest to the full
roll

• runs along the bottom of the cassette

• goes around the outside of the second white roller

• passes around the outside of the empty spool

5-12 Checking and Replacing the Ribbon Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-13: Ribbon Spool Routing

Figure 5-14: Ribbon Spool Routing

8 Slide the empty spool completely down onto the holder that has a

silver disc (Figure 5-13).

9 Turn the empty spool by hand to take up any excess ribbon. Stop

turning the empty spool when the full spool starts to rotate (Figure 5-

14).

Note: If the supplied ribbon has a transparent section or printed leader at the
start, rotate the empty spool to take up all the transparent ribbon.

Rev AA Checking and Replacing the Ribbon 5-13

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Caution

10 Replace the cassette into the printer body.

Note: Ensure the following:

• The ribbon runs in between the printhead and the printer's print roller or
print pad

• The ribbon is not twisted or caught

• The ribbon has not become loose while replacing the cassette

Sometimes you might need to remove a ribbon temporarily (perhaps
because you need a ribbon of a different width for a job). When you put a
partly used ribbon reel back into the printer, ensure that:

• You push the unused reel onto the black disc holder.

• You push the partly used reel onto the silver disc holder.

Using Ribbons of Different Widths, Colors and Types

Different widths of ribbon can be used in the 53 mm and 107 mm variants
of the printhead:

• The maximum ribbon width setting for the 107 mm printer is 110 mm.
The minimum ribbon width for the 107 mm printer is 55 mm.

• The maximum ribbon width setting for the 53 mm printer is 55 mm.
The minimum ribbon width for the 53 mm printer is 20 mm.

RIBBON SETTING. Failure to set the ribbon width correctly can
cause a Ribbon break message to be displayed (even though the
ribbon is intact). It can also cause the ribbon to wind too tightly onto
the used ribbon spool. This can make it difficult to remove the spool
of used ribbon.

When a ribbon of different width is to be inserted, the new values should

be entered in CLARiTY

®

. To do this, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Consumables button to open the consumables setup page.
4 Touch the Ribbon Width parameter.
5 Enter the new value using the keyboard.

5-14 Using Ribbons of Different Widths, Colors and Types Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-15: Ribbon Color Setting

6 Touch OK to save the settings.

Different colors of ribbon have different thickness. To ensure accurate end
of reel warnings, select the correct color of the ribbon being used by the
printer. To select ribbon color, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page.
3 Touch the Consumables button to open the consumables setup page.
4 Touch the Ribbon Color parameter and select the correct color from the

list.

5 Touch OK to save the settings.
6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

To ensure accurate consumable measurements, select the correct ribbon
type of the inserted ribbon.

To select the ribbon type, proceed as follows:

1 Touch the Tools button on the home page.
2 Touch the Setup button on the tools page
3 Touch the Consumables button to open the consumables setup page.
4 Touch the Ribbon Type parameter and select the correct ribbon type

from the list.

5 Touch OK to save the settings.
6 Touch the Home button to return to the home page.

Rev AA Using Ribbons of Different Widths, Colors and Types 5-15

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Caution

Viewing the Printer Performance Statistics

The following basic production performance details are shown on the

CLARiTY

• Product Throughput— It signifies the packs coded per minute.

• Total Count— It signifies the total packs coded by the printer.

• Batch Count— It signifies the total packs coded on the current job.

To view more information about performance statistics, touch the
Performance area on the home page.

®

home page:

This is reset to zero each time a new job is selected.

Cleaning the Printhead

EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. The use of an incompatible cleaning kit
can seriously damage your printer. Such damage will not be covered
by your printer warranty. Use only cleaning kits approved by your
dealer.

To maintain maximum print quality, you should clean the printhead
every time the ribbon is changed.

To clean the printhead, proceed as follows:

1 Switch the printer to the OFFLINE state.
2 Remove the cassette and place it aside.

Note: Do not attempt to clean the printhead with the cassette in place.

5-16 Viewing the Printer Performance Statistics Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 5-16: Printhead Cleaning

3 Clean the printhead pixel line (Figure 5-16), the white cassette rollers

and the peel roller gently, using the cleaning swabs provided with the
printer.

Note. Use only isopropanol to clean the printer. Do not touch the printhead
with sharp objects.

If you have been supplied with a cleaning kit that contains cleaning
wipes, use a wipe to clean the print line on the printhead carefully. If
you have been supplied with cotton swabs and a bottle of cleaning
solvent, take a new cotton bud and dip the bud into the solvent. Wipe
the print line on the printhead carefully.

Note: When the power is turned off, the printhead can be hinged away from
the printer body to get better access to clean the print line.

Note: Allow one minute for the excess isopropanol to evaporate. Failure to
allow this interval can result in damage to the printhead by thermal shock.

4 Replace the cassette and lock it in place.

Rev AA Cleaning the Printhead 5-17

Master and Slave Printers

CLARiTY® Master/Slave mode allows up to four printers to be connected
together and to be used as a group (the group can have only one master).
This chapter describes the use of Master/Slave mode at:

• Level 1-Group Job Select

• Level 2-Group Control

Further information on the CLARiTY
Service Manual.

Group Job Select

6

®

Master/Slave mode is given in the

Use Group Job Select to make sure that all the printers in the group are
printing the same job. You can select jobs only on the master printer. The
master printer tells the slaves which job to print.

When you use Group Job Select, the master printer shows additional
information, as described below:

• It displays a fault message for any slave printer that does not respond
to the master.

• The Printhead page (navigate to Tools > Diagnostics > Printhead)
contains a list of the printers in the group. Touch the name of a printer
to display information about the chosen printer, as given in Table 6-1.

Printer Page contains:

Master The standard set of buttons enable you to view

diagnostic information about the printer and information
about the Master/Slave level that is being used

Slave Enables you to view information about the connection

between the slave and the master

Table 6-1: Master/Slave Diagnostics

Rev AA Group Job Select 6-1

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

• The Printhead page (navigate to Tools > Setup > Printhead) enables you
to exclude one or more slaves from the group. This is useful if a slave
develops a fault and you want the other printers to continue to print
the job. When the fault has been cleared, you can assign the printer to
the group again.

Group Control

This level of operation (level 2) allows you to control the slave printers
from the master. As with Group Job Select, you can select jobs only on the
master printer. The master printer tells the slaves which job to print. The
slaves can be assigned and excluded from the group, as described in
“Group Job Select” on page 6-1.

You can use the master printer to change setup parameters for any printer
in the group.

The user interface on the master printer also displays the following
additional information:

• The Consumables information for each printer in the group.

• The Batch Count and Total Count values for the group as a whole.
Total Count values for each printer in the group are also available.

• The fault or warning messages for both the master and slave printers
(the slaves will show only their own faults or warnings).

• The diagnostics information about each printer in the group.

6-2 Group Control Rev AA

Specifications

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Technical specifications

• System specifications

• Print specifications

• Networking and external communications

• Printer dimensions

7

Technical Specifications

Table 7-1 lists the technical specifications of the printer.

Technical
Specification

Printer

Unique
SolidState
Ribbon Drive

Printhead 53 mm (2.1”), 300 dpi, 12

Print Area ­Intermittent
Motion Mode

Print Area ­Continuous
Motion Mode

Ribbon Width 20 mm - 55 mm (0.8”-

Videojet DataFlex 6420
53 mm

Intermittent Motion and
Continuous Motion

dots/mm
53 mm (W) x 75 mm (L)

(2.1” x 2.9”)

53 mm (W) x 200 mm (L)
(2.1” x 7.87”)

2.2”)

Videojet DataFlex 6420
107 mm

Intermittent Motion and
Continuous Motion

107 mm (4.2”), 300 dpi,
12 dots/mm

107 mm (W) x 75 mm (L)
(4.2” x 2.9”)

107 mm (W) x 200 mm
(L) (4.2” x 7.87”)

55 mm - 110 mm (2.2” -

4.2”)

Maximum
Ribbon Length

Table 7-1: Technical Specifications

Rev AA Technical Specifications 7-1

1200 metres (3937’) 700 metres (2296’)

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Technical
Specification

Print Speed

Intermittent
Motion Mode

Continuous
Motion Mode

Dimensions

Printhead
(including
cassette)

Controller/User
interface

Inputs/Outputs

External Inputs
(Fully software
configurable)

Videojet DataFlex 6420
53 mm

50 mm/sec - 800 mm/sec
(1.9”/sec - 31.5”/sec)

0 mm/sec - 1000 mm/sec
(0”/sec - 39.4”/sec)

204 mm (W) x 178 mm
(H) x 180 mm (D)

244 mm (W) x 170 mm
(H) x 92 mm (D)

3 PNP inputs,
configurable from:

Print sensor 1
Print sensor 2
Print sensor select
Inhibit print
External error/stop
Clear print queue

Videojet DataFlex 6420
107 mm

50 mm/sec - 630 mm/sec
(1.9”/sec - 27.6”/sec)

1

40 mm/sec - 800 mm/sec
(1.6”/sec - 31.5”/sec)

1

204 mm (W) x 178 mm
(H) x 236 mm (D)

244 mm (W) x 170 mm
(H) x 92 mm (D)

3 PNP inputs,
configurable from:

Print sensor 1
Print sensor 2
Print sensor select
Inhibit print
External error/stop
Clear print queue

Table 7-1: Technical Specifications (Continued)

7-2 Technical Specifications Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Technical
Specification

External Outputs
(Fully software
configurable)

Videojet DataFlex 6420
53 mm

2 relay outputs (1
change-over + 1 N/O)
and 2 PNP +24V outputs
(max source current =
100mA per output),
configurable from

CLARiTY

®

Configuration

Manager
On-line/Off-line

Warning
Busy
Printing (actually
energising print dots)
Labeller feed
Print cycle active (Start to
end of print and ribbon
rewind)
Update print queue full
New allocation
Print failed (i.e.
interrupted in mid print)
Fault

Videojet DataFlex 6420
107 mm

2 relay outputs (1
change-over + 1 N/O)
and 2 PNP +24V outputs
(max source current =
100mA per output),
configurable from

CLARiTY

®

Configuration

Manager
On-line/Off-line

Warning
Busy
Printing (actually
energising print dots)
Labeller feed
Print cycle active (Start to
end of print and ribbon re­wind)
Update print queue full
New allocation
Print failed (i.e.
interrupted in mid print)
Fault

Operator

8.4” TFT SVGA 8.4” TFT SVGA

Interface
(CLARiTY

Power supply
requirements

Air supply
requirements

Operating

®

)

100 -240 VAC, 50/60 Hz,

3.2-1.3 A
6 bar, 90 psi,

uncontaminated, 1.0 ml/
cycle (max)

100 -240 VAC, 50/60 Hz,

3.2-1.3 A
6 bar, 90 psi,

uncontaminated, 1.0 ml/
cycle (max)

5° - 40° C (41° - 104° F) 5°- 40° C (41° - 104° F)

Temperature

Table 7-1: Technical Specifications (Continued)

1. Print speeds and throughput are resolution, substrate, application
and set-up dependent.

Rev AA Technical Specifications 7-3

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

System Specifications

Table 7-2 lists the system specifications.

System
Specifications

Operator Interface

Password protection 3 standard User-Levels
Remote Coder

Configuration Software

Diagnostics On-Board Diagnostics as standard
On-Board Memory Compact Flash

Table 7-2: System Specifications

Print Specifications

Videojet DataFlex 6420

Full color LCD Touch-Panel CLARiTY
Interface

Job Selection and database support as
standard. WYSIWYG Print Preview

CLARiTY
Offline Set Up and Parameter Storage

available as standard

®

Configuration Manager

®

Table 7-3 lists the print specifications.

Print
Specifications

Image Design
Software

Font Support Full downloadable font support for Windows

Text Scalable text including rotation, mirror and inverse

Supported Field
Types

Videojet DataFlex 6420

CLARiSOFT

TrueType (including multiple languages and
Unicode support)

printing
Fixed, Variable (User Entered), Merged, Database,

Counters, Date, Offsets, Time, Paragraph (Text
Blocks) Basic shape drawing (circles, rectangles
and so on)

®

Package Coding Design Software

Table 7-3: Print Specifications

7-4 System Specifications Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Print
Specifications

Special
Functions

Barcode
Printing

Graphics, Images
and Logos

Print Functions Mirror image printing, image rotation and inverse

Day Code
Support

Code Options Start of Day, Shift Codes, Factory, Machine, Line ID

Videojet DataFlex 6420

Auto real time and date functions
Auto best before date calculation and concession

management
Auto incrementing, decrementing text, counters

and barcodes
EAN 8, EAN 13, UPC-A, UPC-E

Code 39, EAN 128, Code 128, RSS, ITF
D-M, QR, Micro PDF417, PDF417, GS1 databar
expanded

Multiple graphic formats supported using
CLARiSOFT

printing
Hour, Day of Week, Day of Month, Week of Year,

Month of Year, Year of Decade and Arabic Date
Support

®

. Any size up to maximum print area

Field Orientation 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°

Table 7-3: Print Specifications (Continued)

Networking and External Communications

Table 7-4 lists the networking and external communications.

Networking and
External
Communications

External Data
Communication

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Component

RS232 Point-to-Point Communications
Ethernet 10/100 Base TX network

communications
Binary and ASCII Comms Protocols and

Windows and Drivers
Host PC Mode (Remote Database) using

CLARiNET

®

USB Port

Table 7-4: Networking and External Communications

Rev AA Networking and External Communications 7-5

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Networking and

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Component
External
Communications

Master/Slave
Functionality

Network Control
Software

Group Job Selection Function and Group

Printer Control Functions

CLARiNET

®

Coder Independent

Network Management Software

Table 7-4: Networking and External Communications (Continued)

7-6 Networking and External Communications Rev AA

Printer Dimensions

Figure 7-1: Videojet DataFlex 6420 53 mm RH Printer Dimensions

204 mm

178 mm

70 mm Printhead Stoke

53 mm Printable Area

180 mm

(7.08 inches)

(8.03 inches)

(7. 0 inches)

Standard Models

Figure 7-1 shows the dimensions of the 53 mm (RH) printer.

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Rev AA Printer Dimensions 7-7

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 7-2: Videojet DataFlex 6420 53 mm LH Printer Dimensions

71 mm Printhead Stoke

204 mm

180 mm

178 mm

53 mm Printable Area

(8.03 inches)

(7.0 inches)

(7.08 inches)

Figure 7-2 shows the dimensions of the 53 mm (LH) printer.

7-8 Printer Dimensions Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 7-3: Videojet DataFlex 6420 107 mm RH Printer Dimensions

204 mm

236 mm

178 mm

75 mm Printhead Stoke

107 mm Printable Area

(8.03 inches)

(7.0 inches)

(9.29 inches)

Figure 7-3 shows the dimensions of the 107 mm (RH) printer.

Rev AA Printer Dimensions 7-9

Videojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

204 mm

236 mm

178 mm

71 mm Printhead Stoke

107 mm Printable Area

Figure 7-4: Videojet DataFlex 6420 107 mm LH Printer Dimensions

(8.03 inches)

(7.0 inches)

(9.29 inches)

Figure 7-4 shows the dimensions of the 107 mm (LH) printer.

7-10 Printer Dimensions Rev AA

V i deojet DataFlex 6420 Operator Manual

Figure 7-5: CLARiTY® Controller Dimensions

244 mm

92 mm

170 mm

(9.6 inches)

(6.69 inches)

(3. 62 inches)

Figure 7-5 shows the dimensions of the CLARiTY® controller.

Rev AA Printer Dimensions 7-11