GX420t
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Zebra GX420t / GX430t
Desktop Thermal Printer
User Guide
ii
©2008 ZIH Corp. The copyrights in this manual and the software and/or firmware in the
label printer described therein are owned by ZIH Corp. Unauthorized reproduction of this
manual or the software and/or firmware in the label printer may result in imprisonment of
up to one year and fines of up to $10,000 (17 U.S.C.506). Copyright violators may be
subject to civil liability. All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners. All rights reserved.
This product may contain ZPL®, ZPL II®, and ZebraLink™ programs; Element Energy
3
Equalizer™ Circuit; E
®; and Monotype Imaging fonts. Software ©ZIH corp. All rights
reserved worldwide.
ZebraLink and all product names and numbers are trademarks, and Zebra, the Z ebra logo,
ZPL , ZPL II, Element Energy Equalizer circuit, and E3 Circuit are registered trademarks
of ZIH Corp. All rights reserved worldwide.Monotype®, Intellifont® and UFST® are
trademarks of Monotype Imaging, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
CG Triumvirate is a trademark of Monotype Imaging, Inc. and may be registered in some
jurisdictions.
TrueType® is a trademark of Apple Computer, I nc. registered in the United States Patent
and Trademark Office and may be registered in certancertain jurisdictions.
Proprietary Statement
This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation and its
subsidiaries (“Zebra Technologies”). It is intended solely for the information and use of
parties operating and maintaining the equipment described herein. Such proprietary
inform ation 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.
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.
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
FCC Compliance Statement
This device complies with Part 15 rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B Digital
Devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the product manuals, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, the user is encouraged to do one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.
iii
• Consult the dealer or an experienced RF service technician for help.
The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by Zebra
Technologies could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. To ensure compliance,
this printer must be used with fully shielded communication cables.
G Series Printers
Caution • CLA SS 1M LAS ER PRODUC T
• Vi ewin g th e la ser outpu t wi th certai n opt ical i nstru men ts (f or exam pl e, eye l oops, magnifiers and mi croscopes) within
a dis tance of 100mm m ay pose an ey e h azard.
• Use of cont rol s or adjust men ts or perf ormance of procedu res oth er than thos e specif ied herei n may resul t in haza rdous
radi ati on ex posure.
• Do not tam per or attem pt to repai r any se nsor i nside this product. No servi ceable sensors insi de.
• Do not star e into Gap ( Web) or Dis penser ( Peel) s ensors . Avoid pos sibl e exposure t o haz ardous lase r radi ati ons.
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iv
Environmental Management
Do not dispose of this product in unsorted municipal waste. This product is recyclable, and
should be recycled according to y our local standards.
For more information, please see our website at:
Web address: www.zebra.com/environment
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
About This Document
This section provides y ou with contact information, document structure and organization, and
additional reference documents.
Contents
Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
12/14/07 GX420t / GX430t U ser Guide 980612-001 Rev. A
About This Document
vi
Who Should Use This Document
Who Should Use This Document
This User Guide is intended for use by any person who needs to operate or to troubleshoot
problems with the printer.
How This Document Is Organized
The User Guide is set up as follows:
Section Description
Introduction on page 1 This section describes what you get in your
Getting Started on page 11 This section describes how to set up your printer
shipping box and provides an overview of printer
features. This section also has procedures that
describe how to open and close the printer and
report any problems.
for the first time and use the most common
operating procedures for loading media.
Print Operations on page 29 This section provides media and print handling,
font and language support, and the set up of less
common printer configurations.
Printer Options on page 47 This section covers the common printer options
and accessories with brief descriptions and how to
get y ou started using or configuring your printer
option or accessory.
Maintenance on page 65 This section provides routine cleaning and
maintenance procedures.
Troubleshooting on page 79 This section provides information about printer
error reporting that you might need for printer
troubleshooting. Assorted diagnostic tests are
included.
Appendix on page 91 This section provides additional interface
information and wiring diagrams to assist with
printer to host system integration (typically a PC).
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
Contacts
Web Site
The Americas
About This Document
Visit us at: http://www.zebra.com
Technical Support via the Internet is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
Go to http ://w ww.zeb ra.com/support.
Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Ser vice Dept .
Zebra Tech nol ogi es Intern ati onal ,
LLC
333 Corporate Woods Parkway
Vernon Hi ll s, Il li nois 60061.3109
U.S.A
T: +1 847 793 2600
Toll -free +1 800 423 0422
F: +1 847 913 8766
T: +1 877 A SK ZEBR A (275 9327)
F: +1 847 913 2578
Hardwar e: t s1@zebra.com
Softw are: ts3@ze bra.com
For prin ters, par ts, medi a, and ribbon ,
pleas e call your di stribu tor, or
contact us.
T: +1 877 A SK ZEBR A (275 9327)
E: cl ien tcare@z ebra.com
Contacts
vii
Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India
Regional Headquarters Technical Support Internal Sales Dept .
Zebra Tech nol ogi es Europe L im ited
Zebra H ouse
Th e Val ley Cen tre, G ordon R oad
Hi gh Wycomb
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: Ts fran ce@zebr a.com
Spain /Portu gal : Tsspai n@z ebra.com
Al l ot her are as: Tseu rope@z ebra.com
Asia Pacific
Regional Headquarters Technical Support Customer Ser vice
Zebra Techn ologies Asi a Paci fic, LLC
120 Robi nson Road
#06-01 Parakou Bu i ldi ng
Sin gapore 068913
T: +65 6858 0722
F: +65 6885 0838
T: +65 6858 0722
F: +65 6885 0838
E: China: tschi na@zebra.com
Al l ot her are as:
tsasi apaci fi c@zebra.com
For prin ters, par ts, medi a, and ribbon ,
pleas e call your di stribu tor, or
contact us.
T: +44 (0) 1494 768316
F: +44 (0) 1494 768244
E: cseur ope@zebra.com
For prin ters, par ts, medi a, and ribbon ,
pleas e call your di stribu tor, or
contact us.
T: +65 6858 0722
F: +65 6858 0836
12/14/07 GX420t / GX430t U ser Guide 980612-001 Rev. A
About This Document
viii
Document Conventions
Document Conventions
The following conventions are used throughout this document to convey certain information.
Alternate Color (online only) Cross-references contain hot links to other sections in this
guide. If you are viewing this guide online in .pdf format, you can click the cross-reference
(blue text) to jump directly to its location.
Command Line Examples Command line examples appear in Courier New font. For
example, type
Files and Directories File names and directories appear in Courier New font. For
example, the
Icons Used
Caution • Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.
ZTools to get to the Post-Install scripts in the bin directory.
Zebra<version number>.tar file and the /root directory.
Caution • Warns you of a potential electric shock situation.
Caution • Warns you of a situation where excessive heat could cause a burn.
Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical
harm to you.
Caution • (N o 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.
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
Contents
About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
The Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
Asia Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
1 • Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
GX Series Thermal Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Operator Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 • Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Loading Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Preparing Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Loading Transfer Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Hooking Up the Printer and Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Communicating with the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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3 • Print Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Determining Printer Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Modes of Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Print Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Determining Thermal Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Replacing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Adding a New Transfer Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Replacing a Partially Used Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adjusting the Print Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adjusting the Print Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Media Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Ribbon Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
When to Use Ribbon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Coated Side of Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Printing on Fan-Fold Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Fonts and Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Identifying Fonts in Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Localizing the Printer with Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Getting Asian Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Stand Alone Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Sending Files to the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Transferring files with the Firmware Downloader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Print Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4 • Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Label Dispenser Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Moveable Blackline Sensor Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Adjusting the Moveable Blackline Sensor for Black Mark or Notches . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Cutter Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Loading Media with the Cutter Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
ZebraNet® 10/100 Internal Print Server Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
RTC and Full Flash Memory Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Asian Fonts - Printer Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
KDU — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
KDU and G-Series Printer Serial Port Adapter Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
KDU Plus — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
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5 • Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Cleaning the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Media Path Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Platen Cleaning and Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Other Printer Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
6 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Status Light Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Status Light Error Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Troubleshooting Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Printing a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Recalibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Resetting the Factory Default Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Communications Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Feed Button Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
xi
A • Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Serial Port Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
1
Introduction
This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer
features. This includes procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report
any problems.
Contents
GX Series Thermal Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What’s in the Box?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Operator Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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Introduction
2
GX Series Thermal Printers
GX Series Thermal Printers
The Zebra GX model is the best in class desktop thermal printer with the widest range of
features. The GX420t printer provides thermal transfer and direct thermal printing at speeds up
to 6 ips (inches per second) at a 203 dpi (dots per inch) print density. The GX430t printer
provide thermal transfer and direct thermal printing at speeds up to 4 ips at a 300 dpi print
density. Both the GX420t and GX430t support both ZPL and EPL Zebra printer programming
languages and a wide variety of interface and feature options.
The G-Series™ printer features:
• Automatic printer language detection and switching between ZPL and EPL programming
and label formats.
• OpenAccess™ design for simplified media loading.
• The industry’s easiest ribbon loading design.
• Color-coded operator controls and media guides.
• Resident scalable font, supports font download, Unicode fonts and resident bitmap fonts.
• Improved printer performance: faster print speeds, 32-bit processor, and VCSEL laser
media sensing.
• Printhead test and maintenance reporting.
The GX printers offer a wide range of printer options:
• Label Dispense (Peel-Off)
• Internal 10/100 Print Server and Ethernet Interface
• Moveable Black Mark Sensor
• Receipt and general media cutters
• On-board RTC (Real Time Clock) and Full Flash memory
• Asian Language support with printer configuration options for the large Simplified and
Traditional Chinese, Japanese, or Korean character sets.
This users guide provides all of the information y ou will need to operate your printer on a daily
basis. To create label formats, refer to your programming guides or label design applications
such as Zebra Designer.
Your printer, when connected to a host computer, functions as a complete system for printing
labels and tags.
Note • Many printer settings may also be controlled by your printer’s driver or label design
software. Refer to the driver or software documentation for more information.
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
What’s in the Box?
Save the carton and all packing materials in case y ou need to ship or store the printer later.
After unpacking, make sure you have all parts. Follow the procedures for inspecting the
printer to familiarize yourself with printer parts so you can follow the instructions in this book.
Documentation
and Software
Prin ter
Introduction
What’s in the Box?
3
Cl ean in g
Pen
varies by locale or region
Unpack and Inspect the Printer
When you receive the printer, immediately unpack it and inspect for shipping damage.
• Save all packing materials.
• Check all exterior surfaces for damage.
• Open the printer and inspect the media compartment for damage to components.
If you discover shipping damage upon inspection:
• Immediately notify the shipping company and file a damage report. Zebra
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.
Power
Supply
Powe r Cord
• Keep all packaging material for shipping company inspection.
• Notify your authorized Zebra reseller
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Introduction
d
4
What’s in the Box?
Your Printer
Status
Light
Fee
Button
Release
Latches
Release
Latches
Opening the printer
To access the media compartment, y ou must open the printer. Pull the release latches towards
you and lift the cover. Check the media compartment for loose or damaged components.
Interface
Connectors
DC Power
Receptacle
Power
Switch
Caution • The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of the
human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the printhead or electronic
components used in this device. You must observe static-safe procedures when working
with the printhead or the electronic components under the top cover.
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Printer Features
Ribbon Roll Holders
Take Up Spindles
Supply Spindles
Printhead
Introduction
What’s in the Box?
5
Ribbon Trailer Sensor
Roll Holders and
Media Guides
Black-Line
Sensor
Plat en
Roller
Head-Up Sensor
(inside)
GAP
Sensor
Dispenser Option
Dispenser Door
(open)
Sensor Peel Bar
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Pinch Roller
Introduction
6
What’s in the Box?
Moveable Blackline
Sensor (Option)
Media Cutter
(Option)
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Operator Controls
Power Switch
Press up to turn ON or down to turn OFF the printer.
Caution • The printer power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the
communications and power cables.
Power Switch
Introduction
What’s in the Box?
7
Feed Button
• Tap the Feed button once to force the printer to feed one blank label.
• Press the Feed button to take the printer out of a “pause” condition. The printer is put into
“pause” by either a programming command or an error condition. See What the Status
Light is Telling You on page 80 in the Troubleshooting chapter.
• Use the Feed button for printer setup and status (see Feed Button Modes on p age 89 in the
Troubleshooting chapter).
Power Switch
Power OFF
Power ON
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Introduction
8
What’s in the Box?
Status Light
Located on the top case next to the feed button, the status light functions as a printer
operational indicator (see See Rev. A in the Troubleshooting chapter).
Feed
Button
Status
Light
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Closing the printer
1. Lower the top cover.
Introduction
What’s in the Box?
9
2. Press down until the cover snaps closed.
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Introduction
10
What’s in the Box?
Notes • ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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2
Getting Started
This section describes how to set up y our printer for the first time and use the most common
operating procedures for loading media.
Contents
Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Loading Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Loading Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Hooking Up the Printer and Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
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Getting Started
12
Attaching Power
Attaching Power
Important • Set up your printer so that y ou can handle the power cord easily if needed. To
make certain the printer cannot carry electrical current, you must separate the power cord
from the power supply receptacle or AC electrical outlet.
Caution • Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet.
Serious personal injury could result!
1. Make sure the printer’s power switch is in the off position (down).
2. Insert the AC power cord into the power supply.
3. Plug the other end of the cord into an appropriate AC electrical outlet. Note: The active
power light will go on if power is on at the AC outlet.
4. Insert the power supply’s power connector into the printer’s power receptacle.
Printer
Power
Receptacle
Power
Switch
Power
Connector
Active Power Light
Plug Varies
by Country
AC
Powe r
Cord
Powe r
Suppl y
IEC 60320
C-13
Note • Ensure the appropriate power cord with a three (3) prong plug and an IEC 60320-C13
connector are used at all times. These power cords must bear the relevant certification mark of
the country in which the product is being used.
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Loading Roll Media
When you load media, you must place the roll onto the media hangers.
You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require.
Preparing Media
Whether your roll media is inside or outside wound, you load it into the printer the same way.
• Remove the outside length of media. During shipment, handling, or storage, the roll may
become dirty or dusty. Removing the outside length of media avoids dragging adhesive or
dirty media between the printhead and platen.
Getting Started
Loading Roll Media
13
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Getting Started
14
Loading Roll Media
Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment
1. Open the printer. Remember that you need to pull the release latch levers toward the front
of the printer.
2. Open the media roll holders. Pull the media guides open with your free hand and place the
media roll on the roll holders and release the guides. Orient the media roll so that its
printing surface will face up as it passes over the platen (drive) roller.
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Getting Started
Loading Roll Media
3. If your printer includes the moveable blackline sensor option, verify that the sensor is
aligned in the center default position. This is the standard operating position for media
sensing. When the sensor is moved from the default position, the printer will only detect
blackline, black mark and notched marker media.
Printer Optional:
Moveable
Blackline Sensor
15
Off Center
Blackline Sensing Only
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Default - Gap (Web) Sensing
Standard Operating Position
Getting Started
16
Loading Roll Media
4. Pull the media so that it extends out of the front of the printer. Verify the roll turns freely.
The roll must not sit in the bottom of the media compartment. Verify that media’s printing
surface is facing up.
5. Push the media under both of the media guides.
Under Media
Guides
6. Close the printer. Press down until the cover snaps closed.
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
Loading Transfer Ribbon
Transfer ribbons come in several varieties and in some cases colors to match y our application
needs. Zebra brand transfer ribbons are specifically designed for your printer and Zebra brand
media. Using non-Zebra brand or media or ribbon not approved for use in your Zebra printer
may damage your printer or printhead.
• The media and ribbon types should be matched to provide y ou with optimal print results.
• Alway s use ribbon that is wider than the media to protect the printhead from wear.
• For direct thermal printing, do not load ribbon in the printer.
Your printer needs to use Zebra Uni-Ribbons (universal ribbon). Uni-Ribbons have a ribbon
out trailer (reflector) to stop printing when empty. Zebra Uni-Ribbons will work on older
model Zebra desktop printers too.
Uni-Ribbons are identified with a color coded leader.
• Blue - Performance Wax (5319)
• Silver - Premium Wax/Resin (3200)
• Gold - Performance Resin (5095) for sy nthetics (6 ips max. speed)
and coated paper (4 ips max. speed)
Getting Started
Loading Transfer Ribbon
17
• Red - Premium Resin (5100) for synthetics (4 ips max. speed)
Before following these steps, prepare the ribbon by removing its wrapping and pulling its
adhesive strip free.
Notch
Adhesive Strip
Right Side
(printer and roll)
See Ribbon Overview on page 36 for more information on ribbon use.
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Getting Started
18
Loading Transfer Ribbon
1. With the printer open, place a new ribbon roll on printer’s lower ribbon supply spindles.
Rotate the roll until the notches align and lock into the left side of the supply hub.
2. Place an empty ribbon core on printer’s take-up spindles. Rotate the ribbon core until the
notches align and lock into the left side of the take-up hub.
You can find your first ribbon take-up core in the packing box. Subsequently, use the
empty supply core to take up the next roll of ribbon.
980612-001 Rev. A GX420t / GX430t User Guide 12/14/07
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