Zebra GX43-102522-000 User Manual

Zebra GX420d

Desktop Thermal Printer

User Guide

ii

©2008 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 T echnologies 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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

FCC Compliance Statement

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

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

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

undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B Digital
Devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limi ts are designed to provide reasona ble
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the product manuals, may cause harmful in terference
to radio communications. 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 outle t o n a circu it 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.

G-Series Printers

Caution • CLASS 1M LASER PRODUCT

• Viewing the laser output with certain optical instruments (for example, eye loops, magnifiers and microscopes) within

a distance of 100mm may pose an eye hazard.

• Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous

radiation exposure.

• Do not tamper or attempt to repair any sensor inside this product. No serviceable sensors inside.

• Do not stare into Gap (Web) or Dispenser (Peel) sensors. Avoid possible exposure to hazardous laser radiations.

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Environmental Management

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

For more information, please see our website at:

Web address: www.zebra.com/environment

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

About This Document

This section provides you with contact information, documen t struc ture and organization, and
additional reference documents.

Contents

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

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

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

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 25 This section provides media and print handling,

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

Printer Options on pa ge 43 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 67 This section provides routine cleaning and

maintenance procedures.

Troubleshooting on page 77 This section provides information about printer

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

Appendix on page 89 This section provides additional interface

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

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Contacts

Web Site

The Americas

About This Document

Visit us at: http://www.zebra.com

Technical Support via the Internet is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
Go to http://www.zebra.com/support.

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Service Dept.

Zebra Technologies International,
LLC
333 Corporate Woods Parkway
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061.3109
U.S.A
T: [phone]
Toll-f ree [phone]
F: [phone]

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

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

For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
please call your distributor, or
contact us.

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
E: [e-mail]

Contacts

vii

Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Internal Sales Dept.

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited
Zebra House
The Valley Centre, Gordon Road
High Wycomb
Buckinghamshire, HP13 6EQ, UK

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]
Germany: [e-mail]
France: [e-mail]
Spain/Portugal: [e-mail]
All other areas: [e-mail]

Asia Pacific

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Service

Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, LLC
120 Robinson Road
#06-01 Parakou Building
Singapore 068913

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]
All other areas:

[e-mail]

For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
please call your distributor, or
contact us.

T: [phone]
F: [phone]
E: [e-mail]

For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
please call your distributor, or
contact us.

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

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>.tar 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 • 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.

Important • Advises you of informatio n 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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Contents

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

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

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

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

Web Site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

The Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

Asia Pacific. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

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

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix

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

GX Series Thermal Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Hooking Up the Printer and Comput er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Communicating with the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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3 • Print Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Determining Printer Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Modes of Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Print Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Determining Thermal Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Replacing Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Adjusting the Print Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Adjusting the Print Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Media Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Printing on Fan-Fold Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Fonts and Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Identifying Fonts in Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Localizing the Printer with Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Getting Asian Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Stand Alone Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Sending Files to the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Transferring files with the Firmware Downloader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Print Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

EPL Line Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

4 • Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Label Dispenser Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Moveable Blackline Sensor Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Adjusting the Moveable Blackline Sensor for Black Mark or Notches . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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

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

ZebraNet® 10/100 Internal Print Server Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

RTC and Full Flash Memory Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Asian Fonts - Printer Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

KDU — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

KDU and G-Series Printer Serial Port Adapter Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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

5 • Control Panel Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

LCD Display Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Normal Operation Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Printer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

802.11 WLAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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Bluetooth Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

6 • Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Cleaning the Printhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Media Path Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Platen Cleaning and Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Other Printer Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Replacing the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

7 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Status Light Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Status Light Error Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Troubleshooting Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Printing a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Recalibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Resetting the Factory Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Communications Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Feed Button Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

xi

A • Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Parallel Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Serial Port Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

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980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

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

GX Series Thermal Printers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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

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

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

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

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

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Introduction

2

GX Series Thermal Printers

GX Series Thermal Printers

The Zebra GX model is the best in class desktop thermal printer with the widest range of
features. The GX420d printer provides direct thermal printin g at speeds up to 6 ips (inches pe r
second) at a 203 dpi (dots per inch) print density. The GX420d supports both ZPL and EPL
Zebra printer programming languages and a wide variety of interface and feature options.

The G-Series™ printer features:

• Automatic printer language detection an d switching between ZPL and EPL programming
and label formats.

• OpenAccess™ design for simplified media loading.

• Color-coded operator controls and media guides.

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

• Improved printer performance: faster print speeds, 32-bit processor, and VCSEL laser
media sensing.

• Printhead test and maintenance reporting.

• The GX direct thermal printer models also include support for Line Mode printing to
support EPL1 legacy programming based printing applications.

The GX printers offer a wide range of printer options:

• Label Dispense (Peel-Off)

• Internal 10/100 Print Server and Ethernet Interface

• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) with user display

• Bluetooth with user display

• Moveable Black Mark Sensor

• Receipt and general media cutters

• 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.

This users guide provides all of the information you will nee d 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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

What’s in the Box?

Power Cord

varies by locale or region

Documentation

and Software

Power

Supply

Cleaning

Pen

Printer

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.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

3

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Unpack and Inspect the Printer

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
T echnologies Co rporation is not re sponsible for any damage in curred 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

Introduction

Interface

Connectors

Feed

Button

Status

Light

Release
Latches

Release
Latches

DC Power

Receptacle

Power

Switch

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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Printer Features

Sensor

Peel Bar

Platen
Roller

Dispenser Option

Black-Line

Sensor

Gap

Sensor

Roll Holder and

Media Guides

Head-Up Sensor
(inside)

Pinch Roller

Dispenser Door

(open)

Printhead

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

5

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Introduction

Moveable Blackline

Sensor (Option)

Media Cutter

(Option)

6

What’s in the Box?

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Operator Controls

Power OFF

Power ON

Power Switch

Power Switch

Power Switch

Press up to turn ON or down 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

Feed Button

• 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 pri nter is put in to
“pause” by either a programming command or an error condition. See What the Status

Light is Telling You on page 78 in the Troubleshooting chapter.

• Use the Feed button for printer setup and status (see Feed Button Modes on page 87 in the
Troubleshooting chapter).

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Introduction

Feed

Button

Status

Light

8

What’s in the Box?

Status Light

Located on the top case next to the feed button, the status light func tio ns as a printe r
operational indicator (see See What the Status Light is Telling You on page 78 in the
Troubleshooting chapter).

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Closing the printer

1. Lower the top cover.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

9

2. Press down until the cover snaps closed.

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Introduction

Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

10

What’s in the Box?

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

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

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Hooking Up the Printer and Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

6/4/08 GX420d User Guide 980611-001 Rev. B

Getting Started

Power
Connector

Power

Switch

Plug Varies
by Country

Active Power Light

Power

Receptacle

AC
Power
Cord

Printer

Power
Supply

IEC 60320
C-13

12

Attaching Power

Attaching Power

Important • 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 (down).

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-C13

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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

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

14

Loading Roll Media

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment

1. Open the printer . Remembe r that you need to pu ll the release l atch levers t oward the front

of the printer.

2. Open the media roll holders. Pull the media guides open wi th 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.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Printer Optional:

Moveable

Blackline Sensor

Off Center

Blackline Sensing Only

Default - Gap (Web) Sensing

Standard Operating Position

Getting Started

Loading Roll Media

3. If your printer includes the moveable blackline sensor option, verify that the sensor is

aligned in the center default position. This is the standard operating position for media
sensing. When the sensor is moved from the default position, the printer will only detect
blackline, black mark and notched marker media.

15

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Getting Started

Under Media

Guides

16

Loading Roll Media

4. 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 print ing
surface is facing up.

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

6. Close the printer. Press down until the cover snaps closed.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label

Before you connect the printer to your computer, make sure that the printer is in proper
working order.

You can do this by printing a configuration label.

1. Make sure the media is properly loaded and the top cover of the printer is closed. Then,

turn the printer power on if you have not already done so. If the printer ini tializes with the
status light blinking green (pause mode), press the Feed button once to set the printer in
Ready (to print) mode. See the Troubleshooting on page 77 if the printer’s status light
does not turn solid green (Ready).

2. Press the Feed button two to three times to allow the printer to calibrate the printe r for the

installed media. The printer may feed several labels during this process.

3. When the status light is solid green, press and hold the Feed button until the status light

flashes once.

4. Release the Feed button. A configuration label will print.

If you cannot get this label to print, refer to Getting Started on page 11.

Getting Started

17

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Getting Started

18

Hooking Up the Printer and Computer

Hooking Up the Printer and Computer

The Zebra G-Series printers support a variety of interface options and configurations. These
include: Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, RS232 Serial, Parallel (IEEE 1284.4) and
10/100 Ethernet.

GX420 Printers

• USB, Serial and Parallel

• USB, Serial, and Ethernet

Caution • Keep the power switch in the OFF position when attaching the interface cable.

The power cord must be inserted into the power supply and the power receptacle on the
back of the printer before connecting or disconnecting the communications cables.

Important • This printer complies with FCC “Rules and Regulations,” Part 15, for Class B

Equipment, using fully shielded data cables. Use of un-shielded cable s may increase radiated
emissions above the Class B limits.

Interface Cable Requirements

Data cables must be of fully shielded construction and fitted with metal or metallized
connector shells. Shielded cables and connectors are required to prevent radiation and
reception of electrical noise.

To minimize electrical noise pickup in the cable:

• Keep data cables as short as possible (6 foot [1.83 m] recommended).

• Do not tightly bundle the data cables with power co rds.

• Do not tie the data cables to power wire conduits.

.

980611-001 Rev. B GX420d User Guide 6/4/08