Zebra KR403 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide (en)

P1016701-001 Rev. C

Zebra® KR403

Kiosk Receipt Printer

Hardware Integrator

Guide

© 2016 ZIH Corp. The copyrights in this manual and the software and/or firmware in the printer

described therein are owned by ZIH Corp. Unauthorized reproduction of this manual or the software and/or
firmware in the 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.

This product may contain ZPL

3®

E

; and Monotype Imaging fonts. Software © ZIH Corp. All rights reserved worldwide.

®

, ZPL II®, and ZebraLink™ programs; Element Energy Equalizer® Circuit;

ZebraLink and all product names and numbers are trademarks, and Zebra, the Zebra logo, ZPL, ZPL II,
Element Energy Equalizer Circuit, and E

3

Circuit are registered trademarks of ZIH Corp. All rights reserved

worldwide.
All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. For additional

trademark information, please see “Trademarks” on the product CD.

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 no t 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.

Contents

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

KR403 Kiosk Receipt Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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

Who Should Use This Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 • Design Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Design Considerations Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3 • Printer Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Basic Printer Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Printer Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Opening the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

General Printing Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

KR403 Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Basic Printer Mounting (printe r only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Design Your Own Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Print Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Looping Presenter (Kiosk Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Vertical Presenter (Kiosk Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Receipt (Page) Imaging Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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ii

Contents

Controls, Indicators, and Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Feed Button Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Power Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sensing, Status and Error Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Feed Button Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Ambient Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Cooling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Manual Printer Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Printer Configuration Methods and Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Fonts and Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Identifying Fonts in Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Localizing the Printer with Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Getting Asian Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Stand Alone Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

4 • Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Cabling and Cable Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Large Media Roll Adapter Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Attaching Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Electrostatic Discharges and Earth Currents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Connecting the Printer to the Host. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Communicating with the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5 • Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Designing Your Own Media Dispensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Designing a Roll Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Designing Media Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Designing for Fan-Fold Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Basic Media Mounting Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Media Supply Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Media Input Aperture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Mounting Orientations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Media Guide - Required Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Installing the Media Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Determining Thermal Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Black Mark Media Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Preparing a Media Roll for Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Automated Media Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Manual Media Loading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Clearing Paper Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Contents

Printing a Test Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

6 • Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Accessories Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Nozzle Bezel – P1011185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Nozzle Bezel Mounting Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Shutter Bezel – 104591 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Shutter Mounting Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Small Core Media Adapter – G105156. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Quick-Fit Hubs – 103939 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Quick Fit Leaf Spring Retainer – 01473-000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Roll Support – P1014124. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Media Roll Low Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Universal Roll Holder – P1014125. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Printer Mounting Plate – 104208 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Wall Mount Roll Holder – P1014123 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Printer Power Supply – 808099-004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Attaching the Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Cable – P1027715. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Large Media Roll Adapter – P1026858 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Attaching to the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Loading Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Mounting Plate for Large Media Roll Adapter – P1027728 . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Attaching to the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Using other Accessories with the Large Media Roll Adapter . . . . . . . . . . 84

Universal Roll Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Routing Cables with the Larg e Me dia Roll A dapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Media Roll Low Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Power Cable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Serial, USB, and Ethernet Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

iii

7 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Status Light Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Application LED States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Application User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Media Sensing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Other Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Resetting the Factory Default Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Contact Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

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Contents

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

KR403 Kiosk Receipt Printer

The Zebra KR403 model is the best-in-class thermal kiosk printer with the widest range of
features. The KR403 printer provides direct thermal printing at speeds up to 150 mm/s
(5.9 ips) at a 203 dpi print density. The KR403 supports the ZPL printer programming
language and a wide variety of interface and feature options.

1

Introduction

The KR403 printer features:

• Patented Looping Presenter – To reduce jamming and print image distortion
caused by the user attempting to withdraw the receipt before imaging is finished,
the KR403 employs an innovative “looping station”. The receipt is retained inside
the print mechanism until imaging is complete, then it is presented to the user for
removal.

• Media Pull Detection – When the user grasps the receipt and applies force to
remove it, the KR403 senses the force and dispenses the receipt in a controlled
fashion to prevent tearing or jamming.

• Retract and Retain – If the receipt is not taken within a specified time, the KR403
withdraws it and dumps it out the bottom of the printer, typically into a catch bin
within the kiosk. The number of retracts are counted an d reported back to the
host.

• Easy Media Loading – Automatic media loading and preparation for printing.
Optional supply low sensing.

• Flexible Media Support – Supports continuous, fanfold and black line receipt
media and label media with automatic media sensing and calibration.

• Flexible Mounting – Horizontal and vertical printer mounting covering 180° of
printer orientation and up to 360° with optional media adapter.

• Printhead Life Monitoring – Printhead element testing and print length odometer
reporting.

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Introduction

2

KR403 Kiosk Receipt Printer

• Industry Leading Bar Code Support – Largest set of common and specialized
linear and 2-dimensional bar code symbologies resident in a kiosk printer.

• Powerful Font Support – One scalable and 16 bitmap fonts resident with support
for downloadable and Unicode fonts.

• Interface Support – The KR403 is available with two interface configurations:
USB / Serial, and USB / Ethernet.

• Storage – 4MB of flash memory with the largest in class 1.5MB available for
programming, graphics and fonts with 8MB of SDRAM for fast image processing.

The KR403 printers offer a wide range of printer options and accessories:

• 58, 60, 80, and 82.5mm media guide w idth s

• 70 watt external printer power module

• Multiple printer media roll mounting accessory configurations and options

• Media Roll Low Sensor for use with Zebra and custom media roll mounting

• Large Media Roll Adapter to prevent motor strain when using large media rolls

• Full Flash (64MB) memory for storing large Unicode font sets, multiple fonts,
graphics and programming

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

• Zebra’s ZBI 2.0 (Zebra BASIC Interpreter) pr ogramming language. ZBI allows you
to create custom printer operations and software language emulation

This integrators guide provides information you will need to install and operate your printer
on a daily basis. To create receipt (label) formats, refer to your programming guides or
receipt (label) design applications such as Zebra Designer.

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

Note • Many printer settings may also be controlled by your printer’s driver or receipt
(label) design software. Refer to the Software Integrator Guide (P1026208) for more
information.

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Package Contents

• The KR403 printer

• Warranty information

Note • To minimize cost and reduce waste, the KR403 does not include unneeded
components or accessories. Additional items are required to make the printer operational.

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 and close the printer and remove any media or test prints in the printer.

If you discover shipping damage upon inspection:

Introduction

Package Contents

3

• 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.

Who Should Use This Document

This guide is intended for use by any person who needs to develop a kiosk using the
KR403 printer and operate, or troubleshoot the printer.

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Introduction

4

How This Document Is Organized

How This Document Is Organized

The manual is set up as follows:

Chapter Description

Introduction What is covered in this document, contact information
Design Overview Introduction to the KR203 Printer and packag e co nt en ts,

design considerations overview

Printer Overview Dimensions, orientation, and other features
Connections Power and communication connections
Media Loading, mounting, and feed angles
Accessories Available options to enhance the kiosk design
Troubleshooting Covers operational issues and resolutions for status

indicator codes and poor print quality

This manual will be updated from time to time as printer functions and features may be
added or amended. You will always find the latest edition on our website
(http://www.zebra.com). If you require information for functions not found in this manual
edition, please contact Technical Support for your region or the Zebra partner the printer
was purchased from.

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Contacts

Technical Support

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

www.zebra.com. You can also email or call us using the following contact information.

The Americas - [e-mail]
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) - [e-mail]
China - [e-mail]
Asian Pacific (except China) and India - [e-mail]

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Zebra Technologies Corporation
475 Half Day Road, Suite 500
Lincolnshire, IL 60069 USA
T: [phone]
Toll-free [phone]
F: [phone]

Introduction

Contacts

5

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited

Dukes Meadow
Millboard Road
Bourne End
Buckinghamshire, SL8 5XF, UK

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, LLC

120 Robinson Road
#06-01 Parakou Building
Singapore 068913
T: [phone]
F: [phone]

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Introduction

6

Document Conventions

Document Conventions

The following conventions and symbols are used throughout this document to convey
certain information:

Alternate Color – Cross-references contain links to other sections in this guide. If you are
viewing this guide online, click the blue text to jump to its location.

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

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

Important • Advises you of information that is essential to complete a task.
Note • Indicates information that emphasizes or supplements important points of the main

text.

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Design Overview

Design Considerations Overview

The kiosk designer needs to consider how the printer is being used, operated (media
supply and maintenance), serviced, integr a ted with othe r kiosk co mp one nt s, an d
integrated into the enclosure itself. The KR403 printer needs some basic design elements
to function properly, safely, and easily for the operator. The general issues are:

2

• The KR403 printer should always be installed in some kind of locking enclosure.
The customer or untrained personnel should not operate or service the printe r.

• Mounting orientation, use of the Loo pin g or Vertical Presenter modes, and media
waste bin considerations. See "Print Modes" on page 20.

• Simple mounting of the printer to the kiosk. See "Basic Printer Mounting (printer

only)" on page 17.

• The printer base plate must be mounted to a flat surface in the kiosk.

• Max. screw penetration 4mm (see "Basic Printer Mounting (printer only)"

on page 17).

• Printer power requirements – use of wired kiosk power (see "Attaching Po wer" on

page 34) or use of the 70 watt power supply accessory ("Printer Power Supply –
808099-004" on page 77).

• Media Handing Roll or fan-fold, roll mounting or fan-fold tray, and media and
printer mounting (design your own or use a KR403 printer mounting accessory ­see "Accessories" on page 61). Media location in the kiosk relative to the printer
(and its effects on maximum media roll diameter).

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Design Overview

8

Design Considerations Overview

• Operator access to the printer. The operator needs to view, service and maintain
the printer. The operator needs access to:

• The operator needs to be able to see the printer' s co ntro l panel for status
lights and also press the Feed button while observing the status lights for
media loading, setup and servicing the printer (see "Controls, Indicators,

and Sensors" on page 24).

• Open and clean the printhead or remove jams. Refer to the Service
Manual (P1026223).

• The media path between the printer and media (roll or fan-fold). A
minimum clearance of 250 mm on one or the other side of the printer,
printer controls, and media is needed.

• Service and printer replacement; access to mounting hardware.

• Designing for the operator; ideas for a more intuitive media loading,
media preparation and use of media loadi ng labe ls an d do cu m en ts .

• Cabling, power and electrical noise sources

• Ambient Lighting and external light sources

• Cooling

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Printer Overview

143

122

45

7.5

5

107

51

45.2

114

64.2

25

25

86

8.25

8

Basic Printer Dimensions

The illustration below outlines the basic printer mounting dimensions to install the printer
in a kiosk. These basic printer dimensions do not illustrate the unique integration
requirements needed to use the printer with specific printer accessories, operator
servicing access, media mounting, power and cabling access, and printer media handling.

3

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Figure 3-1 • Printer Dimensions

Printer Overview

REAR

Media IN

FRONT

Media Out

LEFT

RIGHT

10

Printer Orientation

Printer Orientation

Figure 3-2 • Printer Orientation

Table 3-1 • Printer Orientation

Output Horizontal Mount Output Vertical Mount

Media Exit and Present

Media Retract and Retain

(in kiosk)

Media Retract and Retain

(in kiosk)

Media Exit and Present

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Printer Features

Printer Overview

Printer Features

11

Figure 3-3 • Printer Features

Table 3-2 • Printer Features

Printhead Retractor
Platen (drive) Roller Control Panel (right)
Cutter Retract Sensor
Presenter Media Sensors

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

Figure 3-4 • Printer Features (Serial/USB)

Figure 3-5 • Printer Features (USB/Ethernet)

12

Printer Features

Printer Features (continued)

Table 3-3 • Printer Features

Serial Connection Power Connection
USB Connection Paper Low Sensor Connection
Ethernet Connection Control Panel (left)

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Printer Features (continued)

Figure 3-6 • Printer Features (Serial/USB)

Printer Overview

Printer Features

13

Waste Sensor

Table 3-4 • Printer Features

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

14

Printer Features

Opening the Printer

When cleaning or servicing the printer, it is sometimes necessary to access the printhead.

1. Press the green printhead release bar to unlock the printhead.

2. Rotate the printhead assembly upward.

Figure 3-7 • Opening the Printhead

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

General Printing Information

Printer control • Printer Control Panel – Allows very basic printer

configuration setup that include: configuration status
(label) receipt, non-default print widths, print darkness
(density)

• ZPL (Zebra Programming Language), a page (receipt)

description language.
The printer also supports the Zebra SGD (Set Get Do)
printer configuration language that uses a natural
language.

• Windows Driver and Zebra Setup Utility

• Zebra Designer – A receipt (label) design and print

application for Zebra printers. Designer include support
for graphics and logos, barcodes, text, downloading fonts.
etc.

• ZBI 2.0 (Zebra Basic Interpreter) – ZBI allows the

software integrator to create custom commands and
functions, and emulate other programming languages.

Print method Direct thermal page printing using thermal sensitive media

Printer Overview

General Printing Information

15

Resolution 8 dots/mm (203 dpi)
Print speed 150 mm/s (5.9 inches/sec.) – Default

Present speed 300 mm/s in kiosk mode the uses the Looping or Vertical

Print duty cycle Up to 33%
Media Sensors Out of paper, paper in presenter, paper in retract path, black

Maximum print width 80 mm = 640 pixels

Auto Selected Print Widths

58 and 60mm guide 58 mm = 464 pixels maximum
80 and 82.5mm guide 80 mm = 640 pixels maximum

127 mm/sec.(5 inches/sec. )

101.6 mm/sec. (4 inches/sec.)

76.2 mm/sec. (3 inches/sec.)
Note: Printer media is rated for specific speed ranges and
some media types and materials will print better at slower
speeds

Presenter modes.
Non kiosk modes presenter speed matches the print speed.

mark, and an optional external paper-lo w sen so r.

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

16

General Printing Information

KR403 Media Types

Receipt Media Supply Type Outside Wound Continuous Roll: Plain receipt,

receipt with black marks, and pre-printed receipt
media with black marks.
Fanfold: Stacked receipt media with black marks and
pre-printed receipt media with black marks.

Outer Roll diameter 250 mm (9.84 inches) maximum

Note: The maximum roll diameter is dependent upon
roll holder in use and the kiosk design.

Spindle (core) diameter 25 mm minimum (typical core size)

40 mm maximum

12 mm minimum with Small Core Media Roll Adapter
Paper width 58, 60, 80, and 82.5 mm (common receipt roll widths)
Paper Thickness or Caliper 0.054 – 0.11 mm
Paper Density or Grammage 55 –110 g/m

Note - This is an approximate area density

measurement that varies by country, paper type and

measurement method applied.

2

(or gsm)

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Basic Printer Mounting (printer only)

The printer can only be mounted to the kiosk using the four printer mounting screw holes
shown in the illustration below. The printer is most secure when using all four of the
mounting positions connecting the printer’s base to a rigid metal base plate in the kiosk.
The kiosk’s metal printer mounting plate should be connected to the kiosks electrical
(earth) ground for purposes of controlling static discharge and electrical noise.

Printer Overview

Basic Printer Mounting (printer only)

17

Figure 3-8 • Printer Mounting

Table 3-5 • Mounting Configuration

Mounting Positions Kiosk’s Print Base Mounting Variation Details

• Minimum mount positions

and

Full coverage of printer’s
base plate

• Supports the Quick-Fit Hubs

• Supported by most Zebra

accessory mounting solutions
and
and and

Partial (and Full) coverage
of the printer’s base plate

• Minimum three point mounting

to fight torsional forces.

For information on ordering accessories, refer to "Contacts" on page 5.

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

X

YZ

18

Basic Printer Mounting (printer only)

X + Y = minimum length
X + Y + Z = maximum length

Figure 3-9 • Printer Mounting

Table 3-6 • M3 Metric Mounting Screw Length

M3 Screw

X 1.5mm minimum Printer mounting surface
Y 1.5mm Printer base plate thickness
Z 2mm maximum Penetration into circuit board area

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Design Your Own Mounting

20 mm

Paper width

+ 10 mm

44 mm

10 mm



12 mm



6.5 mm

10 mm

90.8 mm

132 mm

156 mm

Leaf spring
01473-000



11 mm

10 mm

1.

5

m

m

Add material for corner radius

Min. 100 mm

Center

10 mm

The illustration below gives an example of a printer-mounting shelf.

Printer Overview

Design Y our Own Mounting

19

Additional space is required for paper loading and ser vice access. Co nsider moun tin g the
printer on a movable platform so that the printer can be maintained outside the printer

Figure 3-10 • Printer Mounting

enclosure.
Note • We recommend making the output slot 97 mm wide. This width should

accommodate all paper widths that the KR403 printers can handle.

Caution • NEVER use screws that go into the printer more than 4 mm! This will damage
the electronics inside.

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

20

Print Modes

Print Modes

The KR403 is a versatile printer and can print in several modes: Kiosk (the default
horizontal with looping presenter or configurable vertica l p rese nter mo de), r ewind (receip t
only with no cut or kiosk mode features supported), and cutter (simple mode to support
label media, many kiosk features are supported, except looping, retract and partial cut)
modes.

In Kiosk mode, the printer stores the printed receipt in the loop area (horizontal mounting)
or hanging below the printer (vertical mounting) while finishing printing and cutting the
receipt. The printer then presents the receipt to the kiosk client . Whe n the c lient pu lls the
receipt, the printer immediately detects the roller movement and causes the printer to
accelerate the receipt out of the printer. This helps prevent damage to the receipt. The
kiosk mode also has programable options to retract the forgotten receipt back into the
kiosk’s internal waste bin below the printer.

Figure 3-11 • Printing Sequence

Table 3-7 • Printing Sequence

Media Input - Use Auto or Manual
media loading procedures

Loop area (horizontal mode) - stores
printed receipt is complete.

Media Present and Retract Roller ­Roller pivots on change of direction.
Detects a media pull with motor.

Media Present Exit (horizontal mode)
Printed Media Storage and Retract to
Waste Bin (vertical mode)

Retract to Waste Bin Exit (horizontal mode) Media Present Exit (vertical mode)

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Printhead and Platen (Drive) Roller
Media Drive Roller and Loop Stop

(forward only)
Media Cutter - Full or partial media

cuts at receipt page or cut immediate.
Internal Media Drive Roll - Ejects the

media out of the printer when
retracting (horizontal mode). Ejects
the paper when pulled (vertical mode).

Cut

Print

Media

In

Loop

Present

Retract

Waste Bin

Area

Print

Cut

Looping Presenter (Kiosk Mode)

The loop generating presenter mechanism has many benefits:

It handles documents of various lengths by
storing the printed paper in a loop.

It holds the printout until fully printed and cut
before presenting the completed printout to the
customer. This eliminates issues many other
printers have when the kiosk client tries to
remove media before printing has finished.

Printer Overview

Looping Presenter (Kiosk Mode)

21

A portion of the printout is presented . When the
customer takes the receipt, the printer detects a
movement and issues the rest of the receipt at
300 mm/s to help ensure receipt is removed
undamaged. The amount of media presented
can be customized to account for differences in
the kiosk wall.

The retract-and-retain function can retract
uncollected printouts and throw them in a
wastebasket inside the kiosk. Retracts are
reported to the driver so any remaining data for
that printout can be deleted. Retraction can be
initiated by an internal timer or issued directly
by the application.

2016/4/12 KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide P1016701-001 Rev. C

Printer Overview

Cut

Print

Store

Present

Orient

Retract

Media In

Waste Bin

Area

22

Vertical Presenter (Kiosk Mode)

Vertical Presenter (Kiosk Mode)

The vertical presenter operation has many benefits:

It handles documents of various lengths by
storing the printed paper below the printer.

It holds the printout until fully printed and cut
before presenting the completed printout to the
kiosk client. This eliminates print issues caused
by kiosk clients trying to remove media before
printing has finished.

It stores the entire receipt to re-orient the
printout to face up for presentation to your
client.

A portion of the printout is presented . When the
customer takes the receipt, the printer detects a
movement and issues the rest of the receipt at
a speedy 300 mm/s to help ensure receipt is
removed undamaged. The amount of media
presented can be customized to account for
differences in the kiosk wall.

The retract-and-retain function can retract
uncollected printouts and throw them in a
wastebasket inside the kiosk. Retraction can be
initiated by an internal timer or issued directly
by the application.

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12

Receipt (Page) Imaging Modes

The printer sets the following modes with programming commands or with the Windows
driver.

The KR403 printer uses ZPL ‘Page’ mode programming to assemble and print receipts.
Page mode printing describes the receipt margins and the image to be placed between
the margins and then printed. The image is assembled in the image (memory) buffer and
then printed as one continuous print.

Printer Overview

Receipt (Page) Imaging Modes

23

Continuous

(Kiosk Mode)

Continuous - Variable

(Default - Kiosk Mode)

Black Mark or Line

(Kiosk Mode)

Cut Only

(Cutter Mode)

Basic Printing

(Rewind mode)

Table 3-8 •

Prints the image buffer and cuts the media at the end of the
image defined by Label Length parameter.

If the image is larger that the preset image buffer size, then
the printer expands the image buffer to accommodate the
larger image up to the printer’s maximum allowed size (set by
programming, available memory, and print with). The printer
then prints the larger image with print margin and cut the
receipt. The next receipt will return to the preset image/receipt
size if the next image is the same size or smaller.

Prints receipts that match the receipt length set by the
distance between the black marks or lines, and cuts the
receipt at the black mark or line by default.

Can be used for printing labels, but it is not recommended for
receipt use.

Typica lly used for printing liner backed labels that use black
marks or black lines media to identify label ‘gap’ boundaries.
Requires additional programming to ensure that only the
media liner is cut. Cutting labels and their adhesive backing
will eventually jam the cutter and require a service technician
to correct.
Prints the image and cuts the receipt. Does not use the kiosk
mode ‘Looping’ or ‘Vertical’ presenter functions.
Cut mode does not support the ‘Retract’ media function.
Does not do ‘partial’ cut in Cutter Mode.

Not Recommended for kiosk use.
Rewind Mode has a deceptive name, it could be described as
Rewind Disabled as it relates to other Zebra tabletop printers
that share the ZPL programming language. Rewind Mode
does not allow cutting the media (including Cut Now
commands), the kiosk mode ‘Looping’ or ‘Vertical’ presenter
operations, retract or eject command options.

Receipt Imaging Modes

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Printer Overview

24

Controls, Indicators, and Sensors

Controls, Indicators, and Sensors

The KR403 printer has integrated controls, indicators, and sensors to enhance the
usability of the printer for the client’s kiosk experience, the kiosk operator’s service and
maintenance duties, and expand the developer’s ability to provide printing and service
information to the host kiosk system. The controls, indicators and sensors include:

• Media ‘Feed’ button with configuration and diagnostic functionality.

• Media detection and control sensors.

• Printhead temperature, sensor operation failure, and printhead testing.

• Cutter operation sensing and jam detection.

• Media output pull detection sensing.

• Support for an external low media (roll) detection sensor accessory option.

• Virtual sensing and report of printer operations to the host to simplify reporting and
kiosk integration and design process.

• Programming configurable maintenance and service warnings for printhead cleaning,
printhead life, printer life, and count of media retracted back into the kiosk. These
features are off by default and must be set by Set/Get/Do (SGD) or ZPL programming.

The printer has redundant printer control and indicator panels on each side of the printer
to provide the integrator greater flexibility for designing printer mounting for servicing the
printer.

Feed Button Control

The Feed button has several functions:

• Press and Release will feed media, cut, and present a
complete receipt page in the default kiosk mode. All the other
integrator set modes and variations of the kiosk mode will at
minimum, feed a page length of media when the Feed button is
pressed and released.

• Any data in the print buffer will be printed.
If the buffer is empty the page will be blank.
In black-mark mode, the page will be synchronized with the black-mark.

• Press and Hold with the Printer ON will cause the printer to enter the user interface
mode, a set of manual setup and configuration operations used by the integrator.
Refer to Table 7-2, “Application User Interface,” on page 89.

Power Indicator

The Power Indicator is green when the printer has the 24 VDC power applied to the
printer.

P1016701-001 Rev. C KR403 Hardware Integrator Guide 2016/4/12