Zebra ZM400 User Manual

ZM400/ZM600

Industrial/Commercial Printer

User Guide

© 2007 ZIH Corp. The copyrights in th is 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 liabil ity.

This product may contain ZPL

3®

, 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

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 Technolog ies”). It is inten ded solely for t he information and use of parties ope rating and maintaining the equipment describ ed he rein . Such proprie tary in formati on may n ot b e used , reprod uced, or disclosed to any other parties for any other purpose withou t the express, written permission of Zebra Technologies Corporation.

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

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

Limitation of Liability In no event shall Zebra Technologies Corporation 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 Corporation has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion o r limitation of inc idental or consequ ential damage s, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

Part Number: 79695L-001 Rev. A

Declaration of Conformity

I have determined that the Zebra printers identified as the

iii

ZM™ Series

Z4M, Z6M, Z4Mplus, Z6Mplus, R4Mplus, ZM400, ZM600

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.

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

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 Corporation could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. To ensure compliance, this printer must be used with Shielded Communication Cables.

FCC Rules and Regulations for Data Cables

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.

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.

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

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

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

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

Printer Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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

Control Panel Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Control Panel Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Printer Language Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Firmware Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Additional Printer Language Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Contents

2 • Printer Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Handling the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Store the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Ship the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Select a Site for the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Select a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide Proper Operating Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Allow Proper Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide a Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide a Power Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Select a Data Communication Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Data Cables and Wireless Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connect the Printer to the Computer or Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connect the Printer to a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Power Cord Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Types of Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Ribbon Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

When to Use Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Coated Side of Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

3 • Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Print Modes and Printer Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Print Mode Descriptions and Printer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Media Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Load Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Beginning Steps for all Print Modes and Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Additional Steps for Tear-Off Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Additional Steps for Peel-Off Mode (with or without Liner Take-Up). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Additional Steps for Cutter or Delayed Cut Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Additional Steps for Rewind Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Load Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Remove Used Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Calibrate the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Auto Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Adjust Printhead Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Contents

4 • Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Setup Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Enter Setup Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Exit Setup Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Change Password-Protected Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Default Password Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Disable the Password Protection Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Print a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Print a Network Configuration Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Control Panel Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

How to View or Modify Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Additional Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Standard Printer Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

5 • Routine Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Replacing Printer Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Ordering Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Recycling Printer Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Cleaning Schedule and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Clean the Exterior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Clean the Printhead and Platen Roller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Clean the Media Compartment and Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Clean the Cutter Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Routine Maintenance for the Rewind Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Remove Printed Labels or Liner from the Rewind Spindle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Adjust Media Alignment for Rewind Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

vii

6 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Troubleshooting Checklists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

LCD Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Calibration Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Communications Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Ribbon Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Miscellaneous Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Contents

viii

Printer Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Power-On Self Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

CANCEL Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

PAUSE Self Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

FEED Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

FEED and PAUSE Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119

Communications Diagnostics Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Sensor Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

7 • Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Agency Approvals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Printing Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Media Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Ribbon Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

About This Document

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

Contents

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

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

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

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

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

About This Document

Who Should Use This Document

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

How This Document Is Organized

The User Guide is set up as follows:

Section Description

Introduction on page 7 This section shows the operational controls and

Printer Setup on page 15 This section provides the tasks that you must

Operations on page 29 This section provides the procedures for loading

location of major components used when loading media.

complete and the issues that you must consider before you load and configure your printer.

and calibrating the printer.

Configuration on page 55 This section describes the control panel parameters

that are used to configure the printer for operation.

Routine Maintenance on page 87 This section provides routine cleaning and

maintenance procedures.

Troubleshooting on page 99 This section provides information about errors that

you might need to troubleshoot. Assorted diagnostic tests are included.

Specifications on page 123 This section provides the features of and

specifications for the printer.

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Contacts

Web Site

The Americas

About This Document

Contacts

You can contact Zebra Technologies Corporation at the following:

http://www.zebra.com

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

http://www.zebra.com/support.

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Service Dept.

Zebra Technologies International, LLC 333 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061.3109 U.S.A T: +1 847 793 2600 Toll-f ree +1 800 423 0422 F: +1 847 913 8766

T: +1 847 913 2259 F: +1 847 913 2578

Hardware: hwtsamerica@zebra.com Software: swtsamerica@zebra.com

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

T: +1 866 230 9494 E: VHCustServ@zebra.com

Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Internal Sales Dept.

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

T: +44 (0)1494 472872 F: +44 (0) 1494 450103

T: +44 (0) 1494 768298 F: +44 (0) 1494 768210 Germany: Tsgermany@zebra.com France: Tsfrance@zebra.com Spain/Portugal: Tsspain@zebra.com All other areas: Tseurope@zebra.com

Asia Pacific

Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Service

Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, LLC 16 New Industrial Road #05-03 Hudson TechnoCentre Singapore 536204

T: +65 6858 0722 F: +65 6885 0838

T: +65 6858 0722 F: +65 6885 0838 E: tsasiapacific@zebra.com

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

T: +44 (0) 1494 768316 F: +44 (0) 1494 768244 E: mseurope@zebra.com

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

T: +65 6858 0722 F: +65 6885 0837

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

About This Document

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 .p df 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

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

Icons Used

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

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

Caution • Warns you of 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 informatio n that is essential to complete a task.

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

points of the main text.

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

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

About This Document

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

FEED button

CANCEL button

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

About This Document

Document Conventions

Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Introduction

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

Contents

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

Printer Media Compartment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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

Control Panel Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Control Panel Lights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Printer Language Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Introduction

External View

Figure 2 and Figure 3 show the components and connections on the outside of the printer.

Figure 2 • Front of Printer

1 2

Power switch (O = off, I = on)

AC power connector

Wireless print server card slot (Ethernet)

Wireless card ejector button

Control panel Media door

Figure 3 • Rear of Printer

Serial port

Internal wired print server port (Ethernet)

USB port

Parallel port

6 7

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Printer Media Compartment

Figure 4 shows the components inside the media compartment of your printer. Depending on

installed options, your printer may look slightly different.

Note • For optimal printing quality and proper printer performance across our product line,

Zebra strongly recommends the use of genuine Zebra™ supplies as part of the total solution. Specifically, the ZM400 and ZM600 are designed to work only with genuine Zebra™ printheads, thus maximizing safety and print quality.

Figure 4 • Printer Components

Introduction

Printer Media Compartment

Printhead assembly

Control panel

Media door

Media supply guide

Media supply hanger

Ribbon take-up spindle

Ribbon supply spindle

Dancer assembly

Printhead release latch

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Introduction

Control Panel

The control panel contains the ligh ts that indicate basic operation a nd the buttons th at you may need to press during basic operation. The control panel buttons and lights are labeled in

Figure 5. Descriptions for each are located in Table 1 and Table 2.

Figure 5 • Control Panel

1 2 3 4

Power LED

Pause LED

Error LED

Data LED

LCD

CANCEL button

PLUS (+) button

SETUP/EXIT button

MINUS (–) button

SELECT button

FEED button

PAUSE button

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Control Panel Buttons

Button Function

Table 1 • Control Panel Buttons

Introduction

Control Panel

FEED

PAUSE

CANCEL

SETUP/EXIT SELECT

PLUS (+)

(scroll mode)

PLUS (+)

(change mode)

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. 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. Cancels print jobs when the printer is paused.

• 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.

Enters and exits the configuration mode. 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. Scrolls to the next selection.

• Increases the value.

• Performs the action on the bottom right of the LCD.

MINUS (–)

(scroll mode)

MINUS (–)

(change mode)

Scrolls to the previous selection.

• Decreases the value.

• Moves to the next available digit in a number.

• Performs the action on the bottom left of the LCD.

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Introduction

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 pr inter has stopped all printing operations. Flashing The Pause light flashes when initializing FLASH memory and in

Peel-Off Mode when the label is available.

ERROR Off Normal printer operation (no errors).

On An error condition is preventing printing. This includes

OUT

and RIBBON OUT errors.

Flashing An error condition exists, but printing is allowed to continue. This

includes and

DATA Off Normal printer operation (no data be ing received or processed).

One flash 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.

CANCEL was pressed and a format is successfully cancelled.

RIBBON IN warning, HEAD UNDER TEMP warning,

HEAD OVER TEMP error.

MEDIA

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Printer Language Modes

Depending on how your printer was ordered, it came from the factory with firmware that operates in or allows you to use certain commands for one of the following printer languages:

• Zebra Programming Language (ZPL

•Eltron

Firmware Downloads

You may download firmware to the printer at any time to change from one printer language to another. For the latest firmware versions and instructions for downloading them, go to

http://www.zebra.com/firmware.

Note • When the printer changes from one printer language to another, error messages may

appear on the LCD, and some control panel lights may activate in error mode. You may ignore these error messages and lights. When the firmware download is complete, reboot the printer and then load printer defaults to return the printer to Operating mode.

Programming Language (EPL™)

Introduction

Printer Language Modes

)

Additional Printer Language Information

The following manuals contain specific information about the different printer language modes. Copies of these manuals are on the CD that came with your printer and at

http://www.zebra.com/manuals.

•ZPL II

• EPL2™ Programming Guide

Programming Guide

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Introduction

Printer Language Modes

Notes • ___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Handling the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Store the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Ship the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Select a Site for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Select a Surface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide Proper Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Allow Proper Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide a Data Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Provide a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Select a Data Communication Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Data Cables and Wireless Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connect the Printer to the Computer or Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connect the Printer to a Power Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Power Cord Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Types of Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Ribbon Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

When to Use Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Coated Side of Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Printer Setup

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

 Select a Site Have you selected an appropriate location for the printer? If y ou have no t,

 Connect to a Data Source Have you determined how the printer will connect to a

 Attach a Power Cord Do you have the correct power cord for your printer? If you are

 Select Media Do you have the correct media for your application? If you are unsure,

 Select Ribbon Do you need to use ribbon, and is the appropriate ribbon available, if

damage? If you have not, see Unpack and Inspect the Printer on page 17.

see Select a Site for the Printer on page 18.

data source (usually a computer)? For more information, see Select a Data

Communication Interface on page 19.

unsure, see Power Cord Specifications on page 24. To attach the power cord and connect the printer to a power source, see Connect the Printer to a Power Source on page 23.

see Types of Media on page 25.

needed? If you are unsure, see Ribbon Overview on page 27.

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

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 Corporation is not responsible for any damage incurred

during the shipment of the equipment and will not repair this damage under warranty.

Printer Setup

Handling the Printer

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 conditions shown in Table 3.

Temperature Relative Humidity

–40°F to 140°F (–40° to 60°C) 5% to 85% non-condensing

Ship the Printer

If you must ship the printer:

• Turn off (O) the printer, and disconnect all cables.

• Remove any media, ribbon, or loose objects from the printer interior.

• Close the printhead.

• 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.

Table 3 • Storage Tempe rature and Humidity

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Printer Setup

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. For the printer’s weight and dimensions, see General Specifications on page 124.

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 124. Table 4 shows the temperature and relative humidity requirements for the printer when it is

operating.

Table 4 • Operating Temperature and Humidity

Mode Temperature Relative Humidity

Thermal Transfer 40° 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 (such as a computer), the selected site must provide the appropriate connections to that data source. For more information on the types of communication interfaces and their limitations, see Select a Data Communication

Interface on page 19.

Provide a Power Source

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

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Select a Data Communication Interface

Table 5 provides basic information about data communication interfaces that you can use to

connect your printer to a computer. Yo u may send la bel formats to th e printer throug h any data communication interface that is available. Select an interface that is supported by both your printer and your computer or your Local Area Network (LAN).

Table 5 • Characteristics of the Data Communication Interfaces

Standard or

Interface

RS-232 Serial Standard • Maximum cable length of 50 ft (15.24 m).

Optional on Printer

Characteristics

• You may need to change printer parameters to match the host computer.

• You need to use a null-modem adaptor to connect to the printer if using a standard modem cable.

Printer Setup

IEEE 1284 Bidirectional Parallel

Standard • Maximum cable length of 10 ft (3 m).

• Recommended cable length of 6 ft (1.83 m).

• No printer parameter changes required to match the host computer.

USB Standard • Maximum cable length of 16.4 ft (5 m).

• No printer parameter changes required to match the host computer.

Internal wired Ethernet print server

Optional • Can print to the printer from any computer on your LAN.

• Can communicate with the printer through the printer’s web pages.

• Computer must be equipped with an Ethernet board.

• The printer must be configured to use your LAN.

Wireless Ethernet print server

Optional • Can print to the printer from any computer on your Wireless

Local Area Network (WLAN).

• Can communicate with the printer through the printer’s web pages.

• Computer must be equipped with an Ethernet board.

• The printer must be configured to use your WLAN.

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Printer Setup

Select a Data Communication Interface

Data Cables and Wireless Cards

You must supply all data cables or wireless cards for your application.

Data Cables Ethernet cables do not require sh ielding, but all o ther data cabl es must be fully shielded and fitted with metal or metallized connector shells. Unshielded data cables may increase radiated emissions above the regulated limits.

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.

Wireless Cards For supported wireless cards, refer to the ZebraNet Wireless Print Server and Wireless Plus Print Server User Guide. A copy of the manual is available at

http://www.zebra.com/manuals or on the user CD that came with your printer.

Connect the Printer to the Computer or Network

Table 6 shows how to connect the different types of data cables to your printer and computer.

The connectors on the back of your computer may be in different locations than on the sample computer shown in this section. For another view of the connectors on the printer , see Figure 3

on page 8.

Caution • Ensure that the printer power is off (O) before connecting data communications

cables. Connecting a data communications cable while the power is on ( printer.

I) may damage the

Table 6 • Connecting the Printer to a Computer or Network

Interface Connection and Configuration

RS-232 Serial The baud rate, number of data and stop bits, the parity, and the

XON/XOFF or DTR control must match those of the host computer. See

Control Panel Param eters on page 61 to view or change these parameters.

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

Select a Data Communication Interface

Table 6 • Connecting the Printer to a Computer or Network (Continued)

Interface Connection and Configuration

Printer Setup

IEEE 1284

No additional configuration is necessary. Bidirectional Parallel

USB No additional configuration is necessary.

Caution • Be careful not to plug the USB cable into the wired Ethernet

print server connector on the printer because doing so will damage the

connector.

3/27/07 ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 79695L-001 Rev. A

Printer Setup

Select a Data Communication Interface

Table 6 • Connecting the Printer to a Computer or Network (Continued)

Interface Connection and Configuration

Internal wired Ethernet print server

Wireless Ethernet print server

Refer to the ZebraNet 10/100 Print Server User and Reference Guide for

configuration instructions. A copy of this manual is available at

http://www.zebra.com/manuals or on the user CD that came with your

printer.

Refer to the ZebraNet Wireless Print Server and Wireless Plus Print

Server User Guide for configuration instructions. A copy o f this manual is

available at http://www.zebra.com/manuals or on the user CD that came

with your printer.

79695L-001 Rev. A ZM400/ZM600 User Guide 3/27/07

+ 116 hidden pages