Zebra Z4Mplus User Manual

Z4Mplus/Z6Mplus

Industrial/Commercial Printer

User Guide

© 2006 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.

This product may contain ZPL®, ZPL II®, and ZebraLink™ programs; Element Energy Equalizer® Circuit; E3®; 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.

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

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

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

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

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

Declaration of Conformity iii

Declaration of Conformity

I have determined that the Zebra printers identified as the

ZM™ Series

Z4M, Z6M, Z4Mplus, Z6Mplus, R4Mplus

manufactured by:

Zebra Technologies Corporation

333 Corporate Woods Parkway

Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061-3109 U.S.A.

Have been shown to comply with the applicable technical standards of the FCC

For Home, Office, Commercial, and Industrial use

If no unauthorized change is made in the equipment, and if the equipment is properly maintained and operated.

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Compliance Information

Compliance Information

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.

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 Shielded Communication Cables.

FCC Radiation Exposure Statement (for printers with RFID encoders)

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment. This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator and your body.

This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

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.

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Contents

Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Asia Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

1 • Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

External View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Control Panel Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Control Panel Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Printer Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2 • Printer Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Handling the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Store the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Ship the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Recycle the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Select a Site for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Select a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide Proper Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Allow Proper Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide a Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Connect the Printer to a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Power Cord Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Select a Communication Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Connector Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Types of Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Data Cable Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Types of Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Ribbon Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 When to Use Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Coated Side of Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 • Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Media Loading Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Print Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Start a Roll of Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Insert Media into the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Load Media in Tear-Off Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Load Media in Peel-Off Mode or Liner Take-Up Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Remove Liner in Peel-Off with Liner Take-up Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Load Media in Cutter Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Load Media in Rewind Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Remove Printed Labels or Liner from the Rewind Spindle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Adjust Media Alignment for Rewind Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Load Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Remove Used Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Calibrate the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Auto Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Position the Media Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Select or Position the Transmissive Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Adjust the Reflective Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Adjust Printhead Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Install Memory Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

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4 • Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Setup Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Enter Setup Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Exit Setup Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Change Password-Protected Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Default Password Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Disable the Password Protection Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Print a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Print a Network Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Control Panel LCD Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Print Server LCD Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

5 • Routine Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

101

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Cleaning Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Clean the Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Clean the Printhead and Platen Roller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Clean the Media Compartment and Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Clean the Rewind Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Clean the Peel-Off Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Clean the Cutter Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Fuse Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

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

113

Troubleshooting Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

LCD Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Calibration Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Communications Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Miscellaneous Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Printer Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Power-On Self Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

CANCEL Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

PAUSE Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

FEED Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

FEED and PAUSE Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Communications Diagnostics Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

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7 • Data Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Parallel Data Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Parallel Cabling Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Parallel Port Interconnections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Serial Data Port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Hardware Control Signal Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Pin Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

RS-232 Interface Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

8 • Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

141

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Agency Approvals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Printing Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Media Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Ribbon Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

ZPL II Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Supported Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

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About This Document

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

Contents

Who Should Use This Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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2About This Document

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 troubleshoot problems with the printer.

How This Document Is Organized

The User Guide is set up as follows:

Section	Description
Introduction on page 7	This section shows the operational controls and
	location of major components used when loading
	media and ribbon.
Printer Setup on page 13	This section provides the tasks that you must
	complete and the issues that you must consider
	before you load and configure your printer.
Operations on page 27	This section provides the procedures for loading
	and calibrating the printer.
Configuration on page 67	This section describes the control panel parameters
	that are used to configure the printer for operation.
Routine Maintenance on page 101	This section provides routine cleaning and
	maintenance procedures.
Troubleshooting on page 113	This section provides information about errors that
	you might need to troubleshoot. Assorted
	diagnostic tests are included.
Data Ports on page 133	This section describes the standard communication
	ports available to connect the printer to your
	computer or network.
Specifications on page 141	This section provides the features of and
	specifications for the printer.

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About This Document 3

Contacts

Contacts

You can contact Zebra Technologies at the following.

Web Site

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.

The Americas

Regional Headquarters	Technical Support	Customer Service Dept.
Zebra Technologies International,	T: [phone]	For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
LLC	F: [phone]	please call your distributor, or
333 Corporate Woods Parkway	Hardware: [e-mail]	contact us.
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061.3109	Software: [e-mail]	T: [phone]
U.S.A		E: [e-mail]
T: [phone]
Toll-free [phone]
F: [phone]

Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India

Regional Headquarters		Technical Support	Internal Sales Dept.
Zebra Technologies Europe Limited		T: [phone]	For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
Zebra House		F: [phone]	please call your distributor, or
The Valley Centre, Gordon Road		Germany: [e-mail]	contact us.
High Wycombe		France: [e-mail]	T: [phone]
Buckinghamshire HP13 6EQ, UK		Spain/Portugal: [e-mail]	F: [phone]
T: +44	(0)1494 472872	All other areas: [e-mail]	E: [e-mail]
F: +44	(0) 1494 450103

Asia Pacific

Regional Headquarters	Technical Support	Customer Service
Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, LLC	T: [phone]	For printers, parts, media, and ribbon,
16 New Industrial Road	F: [phone]	please call your distributor, or
#05-03 Hudson TechnoCentre	E: [e-mail]	contact us.
Singapore 536204		T: [phone]
T: [phone]		F: [phone]
F: [phone]

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4About This Document

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.

LCD Display Examples Text from a printer’s Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) appears in

Bubbledot ICG font.

Command Line Examples Command line examples appear in Courier New font. For example, type ZTools to get to the Post-Install scripts in the bin directory.

Files and Directories File names and directories appear in Courier New font. For example, the Zebra<version number>.tar file and the /root directory.

Icons Used

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 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 information that is essential to complete a task.

Note • Indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or supplements important points of the main text.

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

Tools • Tells you what tools you need to complete a given task.

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Document Conventions

Illustration Callouts Callouts are used when an illustration contains information that needs to be labeled and described. A table that contains the labels and descriptions follows the graphic. Figure 1 provides an example.

Figure 1 • Sample Figure with Callouts

1

PAUSE

2

1FEED button

2CANCEL button

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Document Conventions

Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

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Introduction

This section shows the operational controls and location of major components used when loading media and ribbon.

Contents

External View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Control Panel Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Control Panel Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Printer Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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External View

External View

Figure 2 shows the outside of the printer.

Figure 2 • External View

1

2

3

1Electronics cover

2Control panel

3Media door

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Introduction 9

Control Panel

Control Panel

The control panel display shows the printer’s operating status and allows you to change settings as needed to work with your media and label formats.

The control panel buttons and lights are shown in Figure 3. Descriptions for each are located in Table 1 and Table 2.

Figure 3 • Control Panel

1		2		3		4

12

11

10	PAUSE
9

1Power LED

2Pause LED

3Error LED

4Data LED

5LCD

6PLUS (+) button

7SETUP/EXIT button

8CANCEL button

9PAUSE button

10FEED button

11SELECT button

12MINUS (–) button

5

6

7

8

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Control Panel

Control Panel Buttons

		Table 1 • Control Panel Buttons
Button	Function
FEED	Forces the printer to feed one blank label each time the button is pressed.
	• Printer not printing: one blank label immediately feeds.
	• Printing: one blank label feeds after the current batch of labels is complete.
PAUSE	Starts and stops the printing process.
	• Printer not printing: no printing occurs. (Press PAUSE again to resume printing.)
	• Printing: printing stops after the current label is complete.
CANCEL	Cancels print jobs when in the pause mode.
	• Printer not printing: the next stored label format does not print.
	• Printing: current label completes printing, and the next label format is cancelled.
	Press and hold for several seconds to cancel all print jobs in memory.
SETUP/EXIT	Enters and exits the configuration mode.
SELECT	Toggles the function of PLUS (+) and MINUS (–) between the Scroll and Change
	Modes.
	• Press once to use PLUS (+) and MINUS (–) to change the values of the selection.
	• Press again to use PLUS (+) and MINUS (–) to scroll through the menu items.
PLUS (+)	Scrolls to the next selection.
(scroll mode)
PLUS (+)	•	Increases the value.
(change mode)	•	Answers yes.
	• Prints a label (when applicable).
MINUS (–)	Scrolls to the previous selection.
(scroll mode)
MINUS (–)	•	Decreases the value.
(change mode)	• Selects the digit you wish to change.
	•	Answers no.

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Control Panel

Control Panel Lights

Table 2 • Control Panel Lights

Light	Status	Indication
POWER	Off	The printer is off, or no power is applied.
	On	The printer is on.
PAUSE	Off	Normal printer operation.
	On	The printer has stopped all printing operations.
	Flashing	The Pause light flashes when initializing FLASH or PCMCIA
		memory and in Peel-Off Mode when the label is available.
ERROR	Off	Normal printer operation (no errors).
	Slow flashing	RIBBON IN warning, HEAD UNDER TEMP warning, or HEAD
		OVER TEMP error.
	Fast flashing	HEAD OPEN error.
	On	MEDIA OUT error
DATA	Off	Normal printer operation (no data being received or processed).
	One flash	CANCEL was pressed and a format is successfully cancelled.
	Slow flashing	The printer cannot accept more data from the host.
	Fast flashing	The printer is receiving data.
	On	A partial format has been received and no subsequent data activity.

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Printer Media Compartment

Printer Media Compartment

Figure 4 shows a simplified view of your printer. Depending on installed options, your printer may look slightly different.

Figure 4 • Media Compartment

		1		2	3	4	5

9

8

7

6

1Printhead assembly

2Transmissive sensor

3Ribbon supply spindle

4Ribbon take-up spindle

5Label supply guide

6Label supply hanger

7Dancer

8Label guide

9Printhead open lever

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Printer Setup

This section provides the tasks that you must complete and the issues that you must consider before you load and configure your printer.

Contents

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Handling the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Store the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ship the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Recycle the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Select a Site for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Select a Surface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide Proper Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Allow Proper Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide a Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Provide a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Connect the Printer to a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Power Cord Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Select a Communication Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Connector Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Types of Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Data Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Types of Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Ribbon Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 When to Use Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Coated Side of Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Before You Begin

Before You Begin

Review this checklist, and resolve any issues before you set up or use your printer.

Unpack and Inspect the Printer Have you unpacked the printer and inspected it for damage? If you have not, see Unpack and Inspect the Printer on page 15.

Select a Site Have you selected an appropriate location for the printer? If you have not, see Select a Site for the Printer on page 16.

Attach a Power Cord Do you have the correct power cord for your printer? If you are unsure, see Power Cord Specifications on page 18. To attach the power cord and connect the printer to a power source, see Connect the Printer to a Power Source on page 17.

Connect to a Data Source Have you determined how the printer will connect to a data source (usually a computer)? For more information, see Select a Communication Interface on page 19.

Select Media Do you have the correct media for your application? If you are unsure, see Types of Media on page 23.

Select Ribbon Do you need to use ribbon, and is the appropriate ribbon available, if needed? If you are unsure, see Ribbon Overview on page 25.

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Handling the Printer

Handling the Printer

This section describes how to handle your printer.

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.

•Raise the media door, 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.

•Keep all packaging material for shipping company inspection.

•Notify your authorized Zebra reseller.

Important • Zebra Technologies is not responsible for any damage incurred during the shipment of the equipment and will not repair this damage under warranty.

Store the Printer

If you are not placing the printer into immediate operation, repackage it using the original packing materials. You may store the printer under the following conditions:

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

•Relative humidity: 5% to 85%, non-condensing

Ship the Printer

If you must ship the printer:

•Remove any media or ribbon from the printer to avoid damaging the printer.

•Carefully pack the printer into the original container or a suitable alternate container to avoid damage during transit. A shipping container can be purchased from Zebra if the original packaging has been lost or destroyed.

Recycle the Printer

This printer is recyclable. If you must dispose of the printer, do not do so in unsorted municipal waste. Please recycle according to your local standards. For more information, see http://www.zebra.com/recycle.

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Select a Site for the Printer

Select a Site for the Printer

Consider the following when selecting an appropriate location for your printer.

Select a Surface

Select a solid, level surface of sufficient size and strength to accommodate the printer and other equipment (such as a computer), if necessary. The choices include a table, countertop, desk, or cart.

Provide Proper Operating Conditions

This printer is designed to function in a wide range of environmental and electrical conditions, including a warehouse or factory floor. For more information on the required conditions, see

General Specifications on page 142.

Table 3 shows the temperature and relative humidity requirements for the printer when it is operating.

Table 3 • Operating Temperature and Humidity

Mode	Temperature	Relative Humidity
Thermal Transfer	41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C)	20 to 85% non-condensing
Direct Thermal	32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C)	20 to 85% non-condensing

Allow Proper Space

The printer should have enough space around it for you to be able to open the media door. To allow for proper ventilation and cooling, leave open space on all sides of the printer.

Caution • Do not place any padding or cushioning material behind or under the printer because this restricts air flow and could cause the printer to overheat.

Provide a Data Source

If the printer will be located away from the data source, the selected site must provide the appropriate connections to that data source. For more information on the types of communication interfaces, see Select a Communication Interface on page 19.

Provide a Power Source

Place the printer within a short distance of a power outlet that is easily accessible.

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Connect the Printer to a Power Source

Connect the Printer to a Power Source

The AC power cord must have a three-prong female connector on one end that plugs into the mating AC power connector at the rear of the printer. If a power cable was not included with your printer, refer to Power Cord Specifications on page 18.

Caution • For personnel and equipment safety, always use an approved three-conductor power cord specific to the region or country intended for installation. This cord must use an IEC 320 female connector and the appropriate region-specific three-conductor grounded plug configuration.

To connect the printer to a power source, complete these steps:

1.Turn the printer power switch to the Off (O) position.

2.Refer to Figure 5. Plug the power cord into the AC power connector on the rear of the printer.

3.Plug the other end of the power cord into a power outlet near the printer.

Figure 5 • Power Connection

1

2

1Power switch

2AC power connector

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Connect the Printer to a Power Source

Power Cord Specifications

Caution • For personnel and equipment safety, always use an approved three-conductor power cord specific to the region or country intended for installation. This cord must use an IEC 320 female connector and the appropriate region-specific, three-conductor grounded plug configuration.

Depending on how your printer was ordered, a power cord may or may not be included. If one is not included or if the one included is not suitable for your requirements, refer to the following guidelines:

•The overall cord length must be less than 9.8 ft. (3.0 m).

•The cord must be rated for at least 10 A, 250 V.

•The chassis ground (earth) must be connected to ensure safety and reduce electromagnetic interference. The third wire in the power cord grounds the connection (Figure 6).

Figure 6 • Power Cord Specifications

2

3

1

4

1AC power plug for your country—This should bear the certification mark of at least one of the known international safety organizations (Figure 7).

23-conductor HAR cable or other cable approved for your country.

3IEC 320 connector—This should bear the certification mark of at least one of the known international safety organizations (Figure 7).

4Length ≤ 9.8 ft. (3 m). Rating 10 Amp, 250 VAC.

Figure 7 • International Safety Organization Certifications

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Printer Setup 19

Select a Communication Interface

Select a Communication Interface

The way that you connect your printer to a data source depends on the communication options installed in the printer. You may use any available connection to send commands and label formats from a host computer to the printer.

Caution • Turn Off (O) the printer’s power before connecting data communications cables. Connecting a data communications cable while the power is ON may damage the printer.

Note • You must supply all interface cables for your application. Refer to Data Cable

Requirements on page 22 for specific cable requirements.

Connector Locations

Refer to Figure 8. The printer comes standard with both an Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 serial interface (DB-9 connector) and an IEEE 1284 bidirectional parallel interface. You may use either of these interface methods to send commands and label formats from a host to the printer.

Figure 8 • Cable Connections

1

2

1Parallel interface connector

2DB-9 serial interface connector

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Select a Communication Interface

Types of Connections

The method of connecting the printer to a data source depends on the communication options installed in the printer and the host. This section provides basic information about common interfaces.

When communicating via the serial data port (RS-232), the baud rate, number of data and stop bits, the parity, and the XON/XOFF or DTR control should be set to match those of the host computer. See Table 9, Printer Parameters on page 73 to configure these parameters. When communicating via the parallel port, the previously mentioned parameters do not apply.

RS-232 Serial A serial communication method consisting of data and control signals; available as a standard feature on most PCs and other hosts.

•Advantages: Cables and connectors are readily available from computer equipment stores and suppliers; easy to connect; two-way communication between the host and the printer.

•Disadvantages: Slower than the parallel connection; limited to 50 feet (15.24 m) of cable.

Figure 9 • Communicating Using a Serial Data Port

Printer

2

9

Computer

3

25

9	4
	9
1	5

1Null-modem adaptor (if using a standard modem cable)

29-pin male connector, connected to printer or null-modem adaptor

325-pin female connector, connected to computer

49-pin female connector, connected to computer

5Maximum cable length = 50 ft. (15 m)

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Select a Communication Interface

IEEE 1284 Bidirectional Parallel A common communication method available on most PCs and other hosts.

•Advantages: Fastest of the communication interfaces; cables and connectors are readily available from computer equipment stores and suppliers; two-way communication between the host and the printer; easy to connect.

•Disadvantages: Shorter recommended cable length of 6 feet (1.83 m) with a maximum of length 10 ft (3 m); many computers are equipped with only one parallel port, allowing only one IEEE 1284 bidirectional device to be connected at a time.

Figure 10 • Communicating Using a Parallel Port

Printer	Computer
1

2

3

136-pin male connector, attaching to printer

225-pin male connector, attaching to computer

3Maximum cable length = 10 ft. (3 m)

Optional Print Servers Ethernet-based print servers also are available to connect your printer to a data source. Both wired and wireless options are available.

•With the ZebraNet Wireless Print Server board installed, a wireless PCMCIA card can be used to communicate with a network. For more information on this option, see the

ZebraNet Wireless Print Server User Guide.

•ZebraNet 10/100 Print Server (10/100 PS). For more information on 10/100 PS, see the

ZebraNet 10/100 Print Server User and Reference Guide.

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Select a Communication Interface

Data Cable Requirements

Data cables must be fully shielded 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.

•Do not bundle the data cables tightly with the power cords.

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

Note • Zebra printers comply with FCC Rules and Regulations, Part 15 for Class B Equipment using fully shielded, 6.5 ft. (2 m) data cables. Use of unshielded cables may increase radiation above the Class B limits.

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