Zebra 282P-101120-000 User Manual

Zebra TLP 2824 Plus™

Desktop Thermal Printer

User Guide

ii

©2009 ZIH Corp. The copyrights in this manual and the software and/or firmware in the
label printer described therein are owned by ZIH Corp. Unauthorized reproduction of this
manual or the software and/or firmware in the label printer may result in imprisonment of
up to one year and fines of up to $10,000 (17 U.S.C.506). Copyright violators may be
subject to civil liability. All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.

This product may contain ZPL®, ZPL II®, and ZebraLink™ programs; Element Energy

3

Equalizer™ Circuit; E

®; and Monotype Imaging fonts. Software ©ZIH corp. All rights

reserved worldwide.

ZebraLink and all product names and numbers are trademarks, and Zebra, the Zebra logo,
ZPL, ZPL II, Element Energy Equalizer circuit, and E3 Circuit are registered trademarks
of ZIH Corp. All rights reserved worldwide.Monotype®, Intellifont® and UFST® are
trademarks of Monotype Imaging, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.

CG Triumvirate is a trademark of Monotype Imaging, Inc. and may be registered in some
jurisdictions.

TrueType® is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the United States Patent
and Trademark Office and may be registered in certancertain jurisdictions.

Proprietary Statement

This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation and its
subsidiaries (“Zebra Technologies”). It is intended solely for the information and use of
parties operating and maintaining the equipment described herein. Such proprietary
information may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed to any other parties for any other
purpose without the express written permission of Zebra Technologies.

Product Improvements

Continuous improvement of products is a policy of Zebra Technologies. All specifications
and designs are subject to change without notice.

Liability Disclaimer

Zebra Technologies takes steps to ensure that its published Engineering specifications and
manuals are correct; however, errors do occur. Zebra Technologies reserves the right to
correct any such errors and disclaims liability resulting therefrom.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Zebra Technologies or anyone else involved in the creation, production,
or delivery of the accompanying product (including hardware and software) be liable for
any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, consequential damages including
loss of business profits, business interruption, or loss of business information) arising out
of the use of, the results of use of, or inability to use such product, even if Zebra
Technologies has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do
not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above
limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

Canadian DOC Compliance Statement

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

FCC Compliance Statement

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

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

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

undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B Digital
Devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the product manuals, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, the user is encouraged to do one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.

iii

• Consult the dealer or an experienced RF service technician for help.

The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by Zebra
Technologies could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. To ensure compliance,
this printer must be used with fully shielded communication cables.

Environmental Management

Do not dispose of this product in unsorted municipal wa ste. This product is recyclable, and
should be recycled according to your local standards.

For more information, please see our website at:

Web address: www.zebra.com/environment

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iv

Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

About This Document

This section provides you with contact information, document structure and organization, and
additional reference documents.

Contents

Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

3/31/09 TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 980643-001 Rev. A

About This Document

vi

Who Should Use This Document

Who Should Use This Document

This User Guide is intended for use by any person who needs to operate or to troubleshoot
problems with the printer.

How This Document Is Organized

The User Guide is set up as follows:

Section Description

Introduction on page 1 This section describes what you get in your

Getting Started on page 11 This section describes how to set up your printer

shipping box and provides an overview of printer
features. This section also has procedures that
describe how to open and close the printer and
report any problems.

for the first time and use the most common
operating procedures for loading media.

Print Operations on page 31 This section provides media and print handling,

font and language support, and the set up of less
common printer configurations.

Printer Options on page 45 This section covers the common printer options

and accessories with brief descriptions and how to
get you started using or configuring your printer
option or accessory.

Maintenance on page 61 This section provides routine cleaning and

maintenance procedures.

Troubleshooting on page 73 This section provides information about printer

error reporting that you might need for printer
troubleshooting. Assorted diagnostic tests are
included.

Appendix on page 87 This section provides additional interface

information and wiring diagrams to assist with
printer to host system integration (typically a PC).

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

Contacts

About This Document

Technical Support via the Internet is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Web Site: www.zebra.com

E-mail Back Technical Library:

• E-mail address: [e-mail]

• Subject line: Emaillist

Self Service Knowledge Base: www.zebra.com/knowledgebase

Online Case Registration: www.zebra.com/techrequest

Contacts

vii

Which Department

Do You Need?

Regional Headquarters

Technical Support

For questions on the
ope ra tion o f Zebr a
equipment and software,
please ca ll you r distr ibu tor.
For additional assistance,
contact us.

Please have your model and
serial numbers available.

Repair Service
Depa rtme nt

For back-to-base service and
repair.

Technical Traini ng
Depa rtme nt

For Zebra product training
courses.

Inquiry Department

For product literature and
distribu tor and d ealer
information.

Customer Service
Depa rtme nt (US)
Internal Sales
Department (UK)

For printers, parts, media,
and ribbon, please call your
distribu tor or cont act us.

Key: T: Telephone

F: Facsimile
E: E-mai l

The Americas

Zebra Technologies International, LLC
333 Corporate Woods Parkway
Vernon Hills, IL 60061-3109
U.S.A.

T: [phone]
Toll-free [phone]
F: [phone]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
F: [phone]

Hardware: [e-mail]
Software: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

To request a repair in the U.S.,
go to www.zebra.com/repair.

T: [phone]
T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)

E: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)

E: [e-mail]

Europe, Africa,

Middle East, India

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited
Dukes Meadow
Millboard Road
Bourne End
Buckinghamshire, SL8 5XF
United Kingdom

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

New requests: [e-mail]
Status updates:

[e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

Asia Pacific

Zebra Technologies Asia
Pacific Pte. Ltd.
120 Robinson Road
#06-01 Parakou Building
Singapore 068913

T: + 65 6858 0722
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

T: + 65 6858 0722
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China : [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

3/31/09 TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 980643-001 Rev. A

About This Document

viii

Document Conventions

Document Conventions

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

Alternate Color (online only) Cross-references contain hot links to other sections in this
guide. If you are viewing this guide online in .pdf format, you can click the cross-reference
(blue text) to jump directly to its location.

Command Line Examples Command line examples appear in Courier New font. For
example, type

Files and Directories File names and directories appear in Courier New font. For
example, the

Icons Used

Caution • Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.

ZTools to get to the Post-Install scripts in the bin directory.

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

Caution • Warns you of a potential electric shock situation.

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

Caution • Warns you of a situation or area where a cut could occur.

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

harm to you.

Caution • (No icon) Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in

physical harm to the hardware.

Impo rtan t • Advises you of information that is essential to complete a task.

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

points of the main text.

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

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

Contents

About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

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

TLP 2824 Plus™ Thermal Printers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Your Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Operator Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Printer Storage and Prolonged Inactivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2 • Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Loading Roll Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Preparing Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Loading Transfer Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connecting the Printer to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Installing Printer Drivers and Communicating with the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

3 • Print Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Determining Printer Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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Modes of Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Print Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Determining Thermal Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Replacing Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Adding a New Transfer Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Replacing a Partially Used Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Adjusting the Print Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Adjusting the Print Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Media Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Ribbon Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

When to Use Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Coated Side of Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Printing on Fan-Fold Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Print Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Fonts and Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Identifying Fonts in Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Localizing the Printer with Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Getting Asian Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Stand Alone Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Sending Files to the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

4 • Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Label Dispenser Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Cutter Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Loading Media with the Cutter Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

ZebraNet® 10/100 Internal (Wired) Print Server Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

RTC and Full Flash Memory Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Asian Fonts - Printer Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

KDU — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

KDU Plus — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

5 • Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Cleaning the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Media Path Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Platen Cleaning and Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Other Printer Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Replacing the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

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6 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Status Light Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Status Light Error Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Troubleshooting Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Printing a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Recalibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Resetting the Factory Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Communications Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Feed Button Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Using the Printer’s Reset Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

A • Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Parallel Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Serial Port Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

xi

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Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

1

Introduction

This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer
features. This includes procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report
any problems.

Contents

TLP 2824 Plus™ Thermal Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Operator Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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Introdu ction

2

TLP 2824 Plus™ Thermal Printers

TLP 2824 Plus™ Thermal Printers

The Zebra TLP 2824 Plus™ model is the best in class desktop thermal printer with the widest
range of features. The TLP 2824 Plus™ printer provides thermal transfer and direct thermal
printing at speeds up to 4 ips (inches per second) at a 203 dpi (dots per inch) print density,
supports both ZPL and EPL Zebra printer programming languages and a variety of interface
and feature options. The TLP 2824 Plus™ printer features:

• Automatic printer language de tection and switching between ZPL and EPL programming
and label formats.

• OpenAccess™ design for simplified media loading.

• Ultra compact printer footprint.

• Color-coded operator controls and media guides.

• Resident scalable font, supports font download, Unicode fonts and resident bitmap fonts.

• Improved printer performance with true 4 ips (inches per second) print speed and a 32-bit
processor.

• Adaptive automatic serial port cable sens ing and configuration for plug-and-play
integration.

• Printhead test and maintenance reporting.

• Reset Button to set the printer to factory defaults while maintaining customer parameters.

• Backwards compatible with legacy Zebra 2824 printer models.

The TLP 2824 Plus™ printers offer a wide range of printer options:

• Label Dispense (Peel-Off)

• Internal 10/100 Print Server and Ethernet Interface

• General media cutter

• On-board RTC (Real Time Clock) and Full Flash memory

• Asian Language support with printer configuration options for the large Simplified and
Traditional Chinese, Japanese, or Korean character sets.

• Zebra’s ZBI 2 (Zebra BASIC Interpreter) programming language. ZBI allows you to
create custom printer operations that can automate processes, use peripherals (i.e.
scanners, scales, keyboards, Zebra KDU or KDU Plus, etc.) all without being attached to a
PC or network.

This users guide provides all of the information you will need to operate your printer on a daily
basis. To create label formats, refer to your programming guides or label design applications
such as Zebra Designer.

Your printer, when connected to a host computer, functions as a complete system for printing
labels and tags.

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

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

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

What’s in the Box?

Power Cord

varies by locale or region

Documentation

and Software

Power SupplyCleaning Pen

PrinterRibbon Core

Save the carton and all packing materials in case you need to ship or store the printer later.
After unpacking, make sure you have all parts. Follow the procedures for inspecting the
printer to familiarize yourself with printer parts so you can follow the instructions in this book.

Unpack and Inspect the Printer

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

3

3/31/09 TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 980643-001 Rev. A

When you receive the printer, immediately unpack it and inspect for shipping damage.

• Save all packing materials.

• Check all exterior surfaces for damage.

• Open the printer and inspect the media compartment for damage to components.

If you discover shipping damage upon inspection:

• Immediately notify the shipping company and file a damage report. Zebra
Technologies Corporation is not responsible for any damage incurred during shipment
of the printer and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty policy.

• Keep all packaging material for shipping company inspection.

• Notify your authorized Zebra reseller

Introdu ction

Interface

Connectors

Feed

Button

Status Light

Ring

Release

Latches

Release
Latches

DC Power

Receptacle

Power

Switch

Reset Button

Access Pinhole

4

What’s in the Box?

Your Printer

Opening the printer

To access the media compartment, you must open the printer. Pull the release latches towards
you and lift the cover. Check the media compartment for loose or damaged components.

Caution • The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of the

human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the printhead or electronic
components used in this device. You must observe static-safe procedures when working
with the printhead or the electronic components under the top cover.

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

Printer Features

Sensor Peel Bar

Platen
Roller

Printhead

Black-Line

Sensor

Ribbon Motion Sensor

Media Guides

Head-Up Sensor
(inside)

Pinch Roller

Dispenser Door

(open)

Take Up Spindles

Supply Spindles

Dispenser Option

Web (GAP)

Sensor

Printhead

Roll Holders

Media Guide

Adjustment

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

5

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6

Media Cutter

(Option)

Introdu ction

What’s in the Box?

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

Operator Controls

Power Switch OFF

Power Switch ON

Power Switch

Power Switch

Press the rear of the switch to turn ON or front of the switch to turn OFF the printer.

Caution • The printer power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the

communications and power cables.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

7

Reset Button (hidden)

Use a opened paper clip as a probe to press the hidden reset button below the power switch.
See Using the Printer’s Reset Button on page 86 for details on this multi-function feature.

Caution • Do NOT reset the printer power during defragmentation (status light indicator

flashing Red-Amber-Green). Doing so can damage the printer.

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Introdu ction

Feed Button

Status Light

Ring

8

What’s in the Box?

Feed Button

Status Light

• Tap the Feed button once to force the printer to feed one blank label.

• Press the Feed button to take the printer out of a “pause” condition. The printer is put into
“pause” by either a programming command or an error condition. See What the Status

Light is Telling You on page 74 in the Troubleshooting chapter.

• Use the Feed button for printer setup and status (see Feed Button Modes on page 84 in the
Troubleshooting chapter).

Located on the top case next to the feed button, the status light functions as a printer
operational indicator (see Status Light Descriptions on page 74).

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Closing the printer

1

2

1. To lower the top cover, first press the top cover’s latching stand towards the center of the

printer. Gently swing the top cover down onto the printer’s base.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

9

2. Press down on both sides until the cover snaps closed, typically with an audible sound.

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Introdu ction

10

What’s in the Box?

Printer Storage and Prolonged Inactivity

• If you are not placing the printer into immediate operation, repackage it using the original
packing materials.

• Storage Temperature Range: –40° to 60°C (–40°F to 140°F)

• Storage Humidity Range: 5% to 95% non-condensing

• When storing the printer or if the printer is going to be inactive for more than a day, please
place a label on the platen (drive) roller before closing the printer. This keeps the printhead
from sticking onto the platen roller.

• When removing the printer from storage or after transportation, allow the printer to adjust
to the ambient environment’s temperature and humidity conditions.

• Operating Temperature Range: –5° to 40°C (23°F to 104°F)

• Operating Humidity Range: 10% to 90% non-condensing

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2

Getting Started

This section describes how to set up your printer for the first time and use the most common
operating procedures for loading media.

Contents

Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Loading Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Loading Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Connecting the Printer to the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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Getting Started

Power
Connector

Power Switch

Plug Varies
by Country

Active Power Light

Power
Receptacle

AC
Power
Cord

Printer

Power
Supply

IEC 60320
C-5

12

Attaching Power

Attaching Power

Impo rtan t • Set up your printer so that you can handle the power cord easily if needed. To

make certain the printer cannot carry electrical current, you must separate the power cord
from the power supply receptacle or AC electrical outlet.

Caution • Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet.

Serious personal injury could result!

1. Make sure the printer’s power switch is in the OFF position (0).

2. Insert the AC power cord into the power supply.

3. Plug the other end of the cord into an appropriate AC electrical outlet. Note: The active

power light will go on if power is on at the AC outlet.

4. Insert the power supply’s power connector into the printer’s power receptacle.

Note • Ensure the appropriate power cord with a three (3) prong plug and an IEC 60320-C5

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09

connector are used at all times. These power cords must bear the relevant certification mark of
the country in which the product is being used.

Loading Roll Media

When you load media, you must place the roll onto the media hangers.

You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require.

Preparing Media

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

• Remove the outside length of media. During shipment, handling, or storage, the roll may
become dirty or dusty. Removing the outside length of media avoids dragging adhesive or
dirty media between the printhead and platen.

Getting Started

Loading Roll Media

13

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Getting Started

1 inch

(25.4 mm)

diameter

1.5 inch

(38.1 mm)

diameter

14

Loading Roll Media

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment

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

of the printer.

2. Check the core of the media roll and adjust the roll holder’s slide adjustment, if necessary.

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Getting Started

Loading Roll Media

3. Open the media guides wider than the media width. Turn the media guide’s thumb wheel

towards the rear of the printer to open the guides wider.

15

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Getting Started

16

Loading Roll Media

4. Open the media roll holders. Pull the media guides open with your free hand and place the

media roll on the roll holders and release the guides. Orient the media roll so that its
printing surface will face up as it passes over the platen (drive) roller.

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Getting Started

Under Media

Guides

Loading Roll Media

5. Pull the media so that it extends out of the front of the printer. Verify the roll turns freely.

The roll must not sit in the bottom of the media compartment. Verify that media’s printing
surface is facing up.

17

6. Push the media under both of the media guides.

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Getting Started

18

Loading Roll Media

7. Adjust the media guides so that the both sides of the media are just touching the inside of

the guides. Turn the media guide’s thumb wheel towards the front of the printer to made
the guides tighter (narrower).

8. Close the printer. To lower the top cover, first press the top cover’s latching stand towards

the center of the printer. Gently swing the top cover down onto the printer’s base. Press
down on both sides until the cover snaps closed, typically with an audible sound.

980643-001 Rev. A TLP 2824 Plus™ User Guide 3/31/09