This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation. 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 par ties for any other purpose without the expressed written permission
of Zebra Technologies Corporation.
Product Improvements
Since continuous product improvement is a policy of Zebra Technologies Corporation, all
specifications and signs are subject to change without notice.
Agency Approvals and Regulatory Information
• Design certified by TUV • FCC par t 15 Class B
• Canadian STD RSS-210 • EN55024:2003 European Immunity Standard
• EN60950: 2006 Safet y Standard • NOM (Mexico)
• C-Tick (Australia) • EN55022:2006 Class B European
Electromagnetic Radiation St andard
Liability Disclaimer
Inasmuch as every effor t has been made to supply accurate information in this manual,
Zebra Technologies Corporation is not liable for any erroneous information or omissions.
Zebra Technologies Corporation reserves the right to correc t any such error s and disclaims
liability resulting therefrom.
No Liability for Consequential Damage
In no event shall Zebra Technologies Corporation or anyone else involved in the creation,
production, or delivery of the accompanying product (including hardware and sof tware)
be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of
business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary
loss) arising out of the use of or the results of use of or inability to use such product, even
if Zebra Technologies Corporation has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Because some states do not allow the exclusion of liability for consequential or incidental
damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.
Monot ype®, Intellifont® and UFST® are trademarks of Monotype Imaging, Inc. registered in
the United States Patent and Trademark Of fice and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
AndyTM , CG PalacioTM, CG Century SchoolbookTM, CG TriumvirateTM, CG TimesTM, Monot ype
KaiTM, Monot ype MinchoTM and Monotype SungTM are trademarks of Monotype Imaging,
Inc. and may be registered in some jurisdictions.
HY Gothic HangulTM is a trademark of Hanyang Systems, Inc.
AngsanaTM is a trademark of Unity Progress Company (UPC) Limited.
Andale®, Arial®, Book Antiqua®, Corsiva®, Gill Sans®, Sorts® and Times New Roman® are
trademarks of The Monotype Corporation registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
Century Gothic™, Bookman Old StyleTM and Century SchoolbookTM are trademarks of The
Monot ype Corporation and may be regis tered in certain jurisdictions.
HGPGothicB is a trademark of the Ricoh company, Ltd. and may be registered in some jurisdictions.
UniversTM is a trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, which may be registered in
certain jurisdictions, exclusively licensed through Linotype Library GmbH, a wholly owned
4
QLn Series User Guide
subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.
Futura® is a trademark of Bauer Types SA registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in some jurisdictions.
TrueType® is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the United St ates Patent and
Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
All other product names are the propert y of their respective owners.
The following conventions are used throughout this docu-
ment to convey certain information:
Cautions, Important, and Note
Caution • Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.
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 specic action
could result in physical harm to you.
Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specic action
could result in physical harm to the hardware.
Important • 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.
6
QLn Series User Guide
Introduction to the QLn™ Series Printers
Thank you for choosing our Zebra® QLn™ Series Mobile
Printers. You will find these rugged printers will become a productive and efficient addition to your workplace thanks to their
innovative design. Zebra Technologies is the leader in industrial printers with world-class support for all of your bar code
printers, software, and supplies.
This user’s guide gives you the information you will
need to operate the QLn420, QLn320 and QLn220 printers. These printers use CPCL and ZPL programming languages. To create and print labels using the CPCL and
ZPL languages, refer to the Mobile Printing Systems
CPCL Programming Manual and ZPL Programming Guide (See
Appendix G for instructions on how to access manuals.)
QLn Series Software Utilities:
• Zebra Net Bridge™ : printer configuration, fleet management
• Zebra Setup Utility: single printer configuration, quick setup
• Zebra Designer Pro: label design
• Zebra Designer Drivers: Windows® driver
• OPOS Driver: Windows driver
• Multiplatform SDK
(These utilities can be found on the product CD that comes
with the printer and at www.zebra.com . See Appendix G.)
Unpacking and Inspection
• Check all exterior surfaces for damage.
• Open the media cover (refer to “Loading the Media” in
the Getting Ready to Print section) and inspect the media
compartment for damage.
In case shipping is required, save the carton and all packing mate-
rial.
Reporting Damage
If you discover shipping damage:
• Immediately notify and file a damage report with the shipping company. 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 the carton and all packing material for inspection.
• Notify your authorized Zebra re-seller.
7
QLn Series User Guide
QLn Series Technology
The QLn420, QLn320 and QLn220 use several technologies
made popular in other Zebra Mobile Printer product lines.
Smart Battery
The QLn Series battery pack is a high capacity, smart
Lithium Ion battery that contains electronics which allow the
printer to monitor its operating parameters. Among these are
the number of charge cycles it has undergone and its date of
manufacture. Using these parameters, the printer’s software
can monitor the battery’s condition and alert the user when to
recharge or remove the battery from service.
Operating TemperatureCharging TemperatureStorage Temperature
-200C to +500C
The QLn Series printers will only function properly with genuine
Zebra smart battery packs.
The smart battery’s health has three states: GOOD, REPLACE, and
POOR. The battery health factor determines whether or not the printer can operate and what is communicated to the user via the display.
00C to +400C
-250C to +650C
# of Charge CyclesHealthPower-up Message
<300GOODNone
<550 but >300
>550 but <600
>600
REPLACE
REPLACE
POOR
“Bat tery Diminished
Consider Replacing” *
“Warning-Battery
is Past its Useful Life” **
“Replace Battery
Shutting Down” ***
* Warning accompanied by three beeps in rapid succession.
** Warning accompanied by a series of three double beeps in rapid
succession.
*** Warning will ash on and o and be accompanied by beeping at
a rate of once per second. After 30 seconds the printer will shut down.
8
QLn Series User Guide
Printing Technology
The QLn Series printers use the Direct Thermal method to
print human readible text, graphics and barcodes. It incorporates a sophisticated print engine for optimal printing under all
operational conditions.
Direct Thermal
Direct thermal printing uses heat to cause a chemical reaction on specially treated media. This reaction creates a dark
mark wherever a heated element on the printhead comes in
contact with the media. Since the printing elements are arranged very densely at 203 d.p.i. (dots per inch) horizontal
and 200 d.p.i. vertical, highly legible characters and graphic
elements may be created a row at a time as the media is advanced past the printhead. This technology has the advantage
of simplicity, as there is no requirement for consumable supplies such as ink or toner. However, since the media is sensitive to heat, it will gradually loose legibility over long periods
of time, especially if exposed to environments with relatively
high temperatures.
9
QLn Series User Guide
QLn Series Overview
Figure 1: QLn320 Shown
13
11
1
2
14
4
12
9
3
5
6
7
8
10
1 Platen Roller
2. Bar Sensor
3. Media Support Disks
4. Tear Bar
5. Label Presence Sensor
6. Peeler Lever
7. Peeler Bail
8. Latch Release Lever
9. Key Pad
10. Strap Post
11. Status Screen
12. Printhead
13. Media Cover
14. Gap Sensor
10
QLn Series User Guide
15. Belt Clip
16. Bat tery
17. USB/ RS-232 Comm Ports
18. MAC Address Label
19. Docking Contacts
20. DC Input
17
15
16
18
19
20
11
QLn Series User Guide
Figure 2: QLn420 Shown
13
4
1
2
3
14
5
7
11
9
1 Platen Roller
2. Bar Sensor
3. Media Support Disks
4. Tear Bar
5. Label Presence Sensor
6. Peeler Lever
7. Peeler Bail
8. Latch Release Lever
9. Key Pad
10. Strap Post
11. Status Screen
12. Printhead
13. Media Cover
14. Gap Sensor
12
6
8
10
12
QLn Series User Guide
15
16
17
15. Belt Clip
16. Bat tery
17. DC Input
18. MAC Address Label
19. Docking Contacts
20. USB/ RS-232 Comm Ports
18
19
20
QLn Series User Guide
13
Getting Ready to Print
Battery
Installing the Battery
Important • Batteries are shipped partially charged. Remove
protective shrink-wrap and labels from new battery packs prior to use.
1. Locate the battery compartment on the bottom of the
printer.
2. Swivel the belt clip (if present) to access battery compartment.
3. Insert the battery into the printer as shown in Figure 3. (It
is not possible to insert the pack in an incorrect orientation.)
4. Rock the battery into the compartment as shown until it
locks in place.
When the battery is first installed, the control panel indicators may briefly turn on and then go off which indicates the
battery is not fully charged (see “Charging the Battery” below
and “Operator Controls”).
You must charge the batteries fully before using them for the
first time. To ensure maximum battery capacity, new batteries
should go through two or three complete charge/discharge cycles when first put into service.
Figure 3: Installing the Battery (QLn220 Shown)
Battery
Belt Clip
14
QLn Series User Guide
Battery Safety
Caution • Avoid accidental short circuiting of any battery. Allowing
battery terminals to contact conductive material will create a short
circuit which could cause burns and other injuries or could start a re.
Important • Always refer to the Important Safety Information data
sheet shipped with each printer and the Technical Bulletin shipped
with each battery pack. These documents detail procedures to
ensure maximum reliability and safety while using this printer.
Important • Always dispose of used batteries properly. Refer to
Appendix E for more battery recycling information.
Caution • Use of any charger not approved specically by Zebra for
use with its batteries could cause damage to the battery pack or the
printer and will void the warranty.
Caution • Do not incinerate, disassemble, short circuit, or expose to
temperatures higher than 60oC (140oF).
Charger Safety
Do not place any charger in locations where liquids or metallic
objects may be dropped into the charging bays.
15
QLn Series User Guide
Smart Charger-2 (SC2) Single Battery Charger (All QLn Series Printers)
The Smart Charger-2 (SC2) is a charging system for use with
the 2-cell and 4-cell lithium-ion smart batteries used in the
QLn Series printers.
Charging Status Indicators
The SC2 uses a LED indicator to indicate the charge state in either
Green, Yellow, or Amber as detailed below.
DC Power InputIndicatorBattery Status
PresentGreen
PresentGreenFully charged
PresentYellowCharging
PresentAmberFault
PresentOffPresent and Battery
Battery not present
Health = POOR
There will also be a battery charging graphic to indicate that
this LED is the charging status indicator .
Battery Health Indicator
The SC2 features a tri-color (Yellow/Green/Amber) LED to indicate
the health of the battery pack. An evaluation of the battery health begins upon insertion of the battery in the charger and results in the appropriate LED being illuminated as shown below. The LED will remain
illuminated as long as input power is applied.
BatteryIndicator
None or non-smartOff
Smart battery presentGreen
Smart battery presentYellow
Smart battery presentFlashing yellow
Smart battery presentAmber
QLn Series User Guide
Health Status
GOOD
CAPACITY DIMINISHED
PAST USEFUL LIFE
UNUSABLE- REPL ACE
(discard per Instructions in
Appendix E
16
Figure 4: Smart Charger-2 (SC2)
Smart Battery
Charge Status LED
Indicator
Health Status LED
Indicator
Figure 5: SC2 Dimensions
HeightWidthLength
65,1 mm (2.56 in.)101,5 mm (4 in.)120,9 mm (4.75 in.)
17
QLn Series User Guide
Model UCLI72-4 Quad Charger (All QLn Series Printers)
The UCLI72-4 Quad Charger is designed to charge up to
four QLn battery packs simultaneously. Batteries must be removed from the printer to be charged in the Quad Charger.
1. Ensure that the charger has been installed properly per
the Quad Charger instruction manual. Ensure that the
power indicator on the front panel is on.
2. Remove any protective shrink-wrap and labels from all
battery packs prior to use. Plug a battery pack into any one
of the four charging bays as shown in Figure 6, noting the
orientation of the battery pack. Slide the battery pack into
the charging bay until it stops and then rock the battery
pack back until it snaps into place. The amber indicator directly under the battery being charged will turn on if the
battery is properly inserted.
The indicators under the battery will allow you to monitor
the charging process per the table below:
Amber Green Battery Status
OnOffCharging
OnFlashing
OffOn
FlashingOffFault
80% charged (O.K.
to use)
Completely
Charged
Important • A fault condition is caused by a problem with the battery.
The charger may indicate a fault because the battery is too hot or
cold to charge reliably. Try to charge the battery again when it returns
to the room’s ambient temperature. If the amber indicator starts
ashing on the second attempt, the battery should be discarded.
Always dispose of batteries in a proper manner as described in
Appendix F.
18
QLn Series User Guide
Quad Charger Cycle Times :
Battery StatusQLn220/320 QLn420
Battery 80% Charged1.5 Hrs.
Battery Fully Charged3 Hrs.
3 Hrs 40 min..
4 Hrs. 50 min.
Note • These times are for completely discharged batteries.
Battery packs which are only partially discharged will take
less time to reach their charged state. Batteries which have
reached 80% of their charge capacity may be used, however,
it is recommended that you allow the batteries to reach a full
charge to maintain maximum battery life.
The UCLI72-4 Quad Charger has a safety feature which stops charging
a battery after six hours regardless of its charge state. If not fully
charged, it might be indicative of a battery that needs to be replaced.
Use care when installing the UCLI72-4 Quad Charger so that you
do not block the ventilating slots on the top and bottom covers.
Ensure that the charger is plugged into a power source which will not
accidently be turned o if you will be charging batteries overnight.
19
QLn Series User Guide
Figure 6: Quad Charger
1. Slide Battery Pack into
Charger bay.
2. Rock Battery Pack into place.
Amber
Indicator
Green
Indicator
Power Supply
Charger Bay
Power Indicator
20
QLn Series User Guide
continued
Ethernet and Charging Cradles
The cradle is an expansion base intended for use with the
QLn Series printers. There is a four bay cradle (QLn-EC4) or
a single bay option (QLn-EC) for use with the QLn220 and
320, as shown on pages 23 and 24. There is also a single bay
Ethernet and charging option for the QLn420 (QLn420-EC) as
shown on page 24.
The QLn-EC/EC4 cradles provide charging power to the
docked printer as well as providing a standard 10/100Mb/S
Ethernet port for communication to the printer. The QLn420EC also provides charging power to the docked printer, as well
as a standard 10/100Mb/T Ethernet port for
communication to the printer. All cradles also supply battery
charging power to the docked printer and acts as a supplementary power source for a functioning QLn printer.
All QLn Ethernet cradles feature two LED’s to indicate the
status of the cradle: Solid green to indicate when power is
provided to the input of the cradle; and blinking green to indicate Ethernet activity.
The cradle allows the user to dock the printer easily and remove
it with the push of a button. The printer shall remain operable while
docked, i.e. display is viewable, charge LED status is viewable, and
printer controls and data entry are available. The printer will still print
while docked and the user shall be able to replace the media as well.
LED StatusIndication
Solid GreenPower On
Blinking GreenEthernet Activity
21
QLn Series User Guide
Note • Remove the “Docking Cradle Access” label on the bottom of
the QLn320 or 220 printers before docking the printer in the cradle.
DOCKING CRADLE ACCESS
Note • Clean the docking contacts with a Zebra cleaning pen to
remove any residue left behind by the label.
The QLn420 does not use the above label over the docking
contacts, but instead includes a plastic docking contacts cover secured by two screws. Remove the screws to remove the
docking contacts cover from the printer and expose the docking contacts (as shown below).
Docking Contacts
Docking Contacts
Cover
22
QLn Series User Guide
Figure 7: Ethernet Cradle (Four Bay for QLn220 & 320)
Docking Bay
Ethernet Status
Indicator
Release Button
Power Status Indicator
Figure 8: QLn-EC4 Dimensions
HeightWidthLength
66,7 mm (2.62 in.)579,9 mm (22.83 in.)150,57 mm (5.93 in.)
Note • The QLn220 and 320 extended battery capacity battery is not
compatible with the QLn-EC and EC4 Ethernet cradles.
23
QLn Series User Guide
Figure 9: Ethernet Cradle Single Bay (QLn220/320)
Ethernet Status
Indicator
Power Status
Indicator
Release Button
Figure 10: QLn Series Ethernet Cradle Dimensions
CradleHeightWidthLength
QLn-EC66,7 mm (2.62 in.)171,28 mm
(6.74 in.)
QLn420-EC66,2 mm (2.60 in.) 137,7 mm
(5.42 in.)
150,57 mm
(5.93 in.)
219,6 mm
(8.64 in.)
Figure 11: Ethernet Cradle (QLn420)
Ethernet Status
Indicator
QLn Series User Guide
Release Button
Power Status
Indicator
24
Printer Operation with Cradle
• All QLn Series printers will charge when placed in their
supported cradles.
• Only QLn Series printers that have the Ethernet option installed will connect to an Ethernet network. Check the
PCC code on the back of the printer (see Appendix D
for location). Codes of the form QNX-XXXXX0XX-XX
do not support Ethernet, and codes of the form QNXXXXXXEXX-XX do support Ethernet (where “X” means
don’t care). You can also check the “Communications”
sub-menu on the LCD (see Main Menu Screen on page
17). After selecting this sub-menu, any communication
options not installed will be so indicated.
• When power is applied to the cradle and the printer is
docked, the printer charge LED indicates the charge status of the printer (see Figure 17).
• Docking the printer in the cradle will automatically turn
the printer on to ensure it is available to be managed remotely.
• When the printer detects input power from the cradle, and
the presence of a live Ethernet link, it will automatically
reboot and connect to the Ethernet network.
• For printers with an 802.11 radio, this interface will be
turned off when the Ethernet link is active. It will turn
back on if the Ethernet link is no longer active.
• For printers with a Bluetooth radio, this interface will remain active while the printer is in the cradle.
• The serial and USB ports will remain active while the printer is in the cradle.
• The DC input barrel jack connector (see Figure 12) cannot
be used while the printer is in the cradle. The DC barrel
jack should be plugged directly into the cradle insted.
25
QLn Series User Guide
AC Power Adapter (included in kit p/n P1031365-024 for all QLn Series
Printers)
Figure 12: Charging the Battery Pack with the AC Power Adapter)
Qln Series
AC Adapter
AC Power Cord
(varies with
geographic
DC Input
location)
• Open the protective cover on the QLn Series printer to
expose the DC input charger jack.
• Connect the appropriate AC power cord for your location to the
adapter and then plug the power cord into an AC receptacle.
• Plug the barrel plug from the P1029871 AC adapter into the
charger jack on the printer.
• The printer will power up and begin charging. The printer can
be left on or turned off at this point. Charging will continue in either state.
Batteries are shipped uncharged. Remove battery packs from the
packaging and allow them to charge completely prior to initial use.
While it’s possible to charge the battery when using the printer,
charge times will increase under this condition.
26
QLn Series User Guide
Loading the Media in the QLn Series Printers
You can operate QLn Series printers in one of two different
modes: Tear-Off or Peel-Off. Tear-Off mode allows you to tear
off each label (or a strip of labels) after it is printed. In Peel-Off
mode, the backing material is peeled away from the label as it
is printed. After you remove this label, the next one is printed.
1. Open the printer.
• Press down on the latch release lever on the side of the
printer as shown at “1” in Figure 13 below. The Media
Cover will open automatically as shown at “2” below, exposing the Media Compartment and the adjustable Media
Supports.
Figure 13: Opening the QLn Series Printer
Media Cover
Media Compartment
Media Support
(opposite support
not visible)
Latch Release
Lever
27
QLn Series User Guide
2. Load the media:
4
• Grasp the media supports where shown in Figure 14 and
pull them apart. Insert the roll of media between them,
and let the media supports close. Ensure that the media
pulls off the core in the direction shown below. The supports will adjust themselves to the width of the media,
and the media should be able to spin freely on the supports.
Figure 14: Loading Media
Media Roll
Note direction media
pulls o the roll.
Grasp Media Supports where shown
and pull apart.
3. Close the Media Cover.
• If you plan to use the printer in the tear-off mode, close the media cover as shown below.
Pull Media out of
Printer.
28
QLn Series User Guide
Close Media
Cover.
continued
Loading Media in Peel-o Mode (QLn320 & QLn220)
• If you plan to use the printer in the peel-off mode, peel a few labels off of the media and load the media as previously described.
• Push the peeler lever forward to release the peeler bail
into the “up” position as shown at “3” and “4” in Figure
15.
• Close the media cover to lock the peeler bail in place. The media
will feed between the peeler bail and platen.
Figure 15: Activating Peeler Bar (QLn320 Shown)
Peeler Bail
Pull up and ip down if
using media in the peelo mode.
4
Peeler Lever
Latch Release
Lever
• Turn on the printer or press the Feed button on the front of the
printer if the printer is already on.
The printer will advance the media to the next label, if printing
labels. If you are printing on journal media, the printer will advance a short strip of media.
To disengage the peeler bail, first open the media cover as previ-
ously described. The peeler bail will automatically return to the
Up position.
Press straight down on the peeler bail to lock it in place in its origi-
nal home position.
29
QLn Series User Guide
Loading Media in Peel-o Mode (QLn420)
• If you plan to use the printer in the peel-off mode, peel a
few labels off of the media and load the media as previously described.
• Close the media cover.
• Lift up on the peeler lever located on the side of the print-
er below the media cover button.
• Lock the peeler lever in the “up” position to fully engage
the peeler bail.
Figure 16: Activating Peeler Bar (QLn420 Shown)
Peeler Bail
Media Cover
Button
Peeler
Release
Peeler Lever
• Turn on the printer or press the Feed button on the front
of the printer if the printer is already on. The printer will
advance the media to the next label, if printing labels.
If you are printing on journal media, the printer will advance a short strip of media.
Note: Peeler will not work with most synthetic label stock since that
media is softer and tends to adhere to its liner. However, the QLn420
printer is fully capable of printing on synthetic labels.
30
QLn Series User Guide
Loading...
+ 73 hidden pages
You need points to download manuals.
1 point = 1 manual.
You can buy points or you can get point for every manual you upload.