Zebra Technologies GX430D, GX420D User Manual

Zebra® GX420d™ / GX430d™

Desktop Thermal Printer

User Guide

ii

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

©2010 ZIH Corp. G-Series,GX420d, GX430d, ZBI, ZBI 2.0, ZBI-Developer,
ZebraDesigner, Uni-Ribbon, ZebraNet, EPL, EPL2, ZPL, ZPL II, OpenACCESS and all
product names and numbers are Zebra trademarks, and Zebra, the Zebra head graphic, and
ZebraNet are registered trademarks of ZIH Corp. All rights reserved. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.

iii

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 Zebra 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, Inc. 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
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 T echnologies 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.

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

iv

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 li mits 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 cau se 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 ra dio 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 dif fere nt from that t o which the receiver
is connected.

• 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.

Caution • The optional RTC assembly has a three volt lithium battery. Battery replacement
must be performed by a qualified service technician. Only use a Zebra approved replacement
battery.

Important • Recycle batteries according to local your guidelines and regulations. Wrap the
battery when disposing (or storing) to avoid a short circuit.

DO NOT short circuit the battery. Short circuiting the battery may result in heat
generation, fire or bursting.

DO NOT heat, disassemble or dispose of battery in fire.

Environmental Management

Do not dispose of this product in unsorted municipal waste. This product is recyclable, and
should be recycled according to your local standards.

For more information, please see our website at:

Web address: www.zebra.com/environment

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

About This Document

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

Contents

Who Should Use This Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

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 13 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 31 This section provides media and print handling,

font and language support, and the set up of less
common printer configurations.

Printer Options on page 45 This section covers the common printer options

and accessories with brief descriptions and how to
get you started using or configuring your printer
option or accessory.

Control Panel Operation on page 69 This section describes the operation, navigation

and parameters displayed by printers equipped
with the LCD control panel option.

Maintenance on page 75 This section provides routine cleaning and

maintenance procedures.

Troubleshooting on page 85 This section provides information about printer

error reporting that you might need for printer
troubleshooting. Assorted diagnostic tests are
included.

Appendix: Interface Wiring
on page 99

Appendix: Dimensions on page 105 This section provides external printer dimensions

This section provides additional interface
information and wiring diagrams to assist with
printer to host system integration (typically a PC).

for the standard printer and printer with options.

Appendix: ZPL Configuration
on page 109

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

This section briefly covers printer configuration
and includes a cross-reference to ZPL printer
configuration commands.

Contacts

About This Document

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

Contacts

vii

Web Site:
E-mail Back Technical Library:

•

•

Self Service Knowledge Base:
Online Case Registration:

Which Department

Do You Need?

Regional Headquarters

Technical Support

For questions on the
operation of Zebra
equipment and software,
please call your distributor.
For additional assistance,
contact us.

Please have your model and
serial numbers available.

Repair Service
Department

For back-to-base service and
repair.

Technical Tr aini ng
Department

For Zebra product training
courses.

Inquiry Department

For product literature and
distributor and dealer
information.

Customer Service
Department (US)
Internal Sales
Department (UK)

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

Key:

T: Telephone
F: Facsimile
E: E-mail

www.zebra.com

E-mail address:
Subject line:

[e-mail]

Emaillist

www.zebra.com/techrequest

The Americas

Zebra Technologies In ternational, LLC
333 Corporate W oods Parkway
Vernon Hills, IL 60061-3109
U.S.A.

T: [phone]
Toll-free [phone]
F: [phone]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
F: [phone]

Hardware: [e-mail]
Software: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]
To request a repair in the U.S.,

go to www.zebra.com/repair
T: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
E: [e-mail]

T: +1 877 ASK ZEBRA (275 9327)
E: [e-mail]

www.zebra.com/knowledgebase

Europe, Africa,

Middle East, India

Zebra Technologies Europe Limited
Dukes Meadow
Millboard Road
Bourne End
Buckinghamshire, SL8 5XF
United Kingdom

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

.

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

New requests: [e-mail]
Status updates:

[e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: [e-mail]

Asia Pacific

Zebra Technologies Asia
Pacific Pte. Ltd.
120 Robinson Road
#06-01 Parakou Building
Singapore 068913

T: + 65 6858 0722
F: [phone]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

T: + 65 6858 0722
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

AP [e-mail]

T: [phone]
F: [phone]

E: China: [e-mail]

All other areas:

[e-mail]

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

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 g uide 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

ZTools

to get to the Post-Install scripts in the

Zebra<version number>.tar

bin

file and the

directory.

/root

directory.

Caution •

Caution •

Caution •

Caution •

harm to you.

Caution •

physical harm to the hardware.

Important •

Note •

Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.

Warns you of a potential electric shock situation.

Warns you of a situation where excessive heat could cause a burn.

Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical

(No icon) Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in

Advises you of information that is essential to complete a task.

Indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or supplements important

points of the main text.

Example •

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

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

Contents

About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Who Should Use This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

How This Document Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

Document Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

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

GX Series Thermal Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Your Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Operator Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2 • Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Loading Roll Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Preparing Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Pre-install Windows® Printer Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting your Printer to a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Interface Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

After Your Printer is Connected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3 • Print Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Determining Printer Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Localizing the Printer Status Configuration Label. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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Long Term Printer In-activity or Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Modes of Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Print Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Determining Thermal Media Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Replacing Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Adjusting the Print Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Adjusting the Print Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Media Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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

Print Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

EPL Line Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

4 • Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Label Dispenser Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Moveable Blackline Sensor Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Adjusting the Moveable Sensor for Black Marks or Notches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Adjusting the Moveable Sensor for Web (Gap) Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Cutter Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Loading Media with the Cutter Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

ZebraNet® 10/100 Internal (Wired) Print Server Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

ZebraNet® Internal Wireless Print Server Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Bluetooth Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Printer Network Configuration Status Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

RTC and Full Flash Memory Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Asian Fonts - Printer Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Zebra® KDU — Printer Accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

KDU Plus™ — Printer Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

ZBI 2.0™ — Zebra Basic Interpreter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

5 • Control Panel Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

LCD Display Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Menu Customization and WML. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Normal Operation Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Printer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

802.11 WLAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Bluetooth Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

6 • Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Cleaning the Printhead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Media Path Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Platen Cleaning and Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Other Printer Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Replacing the Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

7 • Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Status Light Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Status Light Error Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Print Quality Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Manual Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Troubleshooting Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Printing a Configuration Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Recalibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

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

Communications Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Feed Button Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

xi

A • Appendix: Interface Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Parallel Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Serial Port Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

B • Appendix: Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

External GX Printer Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

C • Appendix: ZPL Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Managing the ZPL Printer Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross-reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

ZPL Programming for Memory Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

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xii

Notes •

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980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

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?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Unpack and Inspect the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Printer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Operator Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Introduction

2

GX Series Thermal Printers

GX Series Thermal Printers

The Zebra® GX models are the Best in Class™ desktop thermal printer with the widest range
of features. The GX420d™ printer provides direct thermal printing at speeds up to 6 ips
(inches per second) at a 203 dpi (dots per inch) print density. The GX430d™ printer provide
direct thermal printing at speeds up to 4 ips at a 300 dpi print density. Both the GX420d™ and
GX430d™ 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.

• Zebra™ Global Printing Solution – su pports Mic rosoft Windows keyboard encoding (and
ANSI), Unicode UTF-8 and UTF 16 (Unicode Transformation Formats), XML, ASCII (7
and 8 bit used by legacy programs and systems), basic single and double byte font
encoding, JIS and Shift-JIS (Japanese International Standa rds), Hexadecimal encoding,
and custom character mapping (DAT table creation, font linking, and character
remapping).

• On–The –Fly OpenType and TrueType font scaling and import, Unicode, prelo aded Swiss
721 Latin 1 font, one resident scalable font, and a selection of resident bitmap fonts.

• Improved printer performance: faster print speeds and a 32-bit processor.

• Adaptive auto serial port cable sensing and configuration for plug-and-play integration.

• A complete suite of free software applications and drivers to configure printer settings,
design and print labels and receipts, get printer status, import graphics and fonts, send
programming commands, update firmware, and download files. Clone printer settings and

®

send graphics, files, fonts, and firmware (updates) to one or more Zebra

Ethernet and

locally connected printers with ZebraNet™ Bridge.

• Printhead test and maintenance reporting enabled and customizable by the user.

• The G-Series™ direct thermal printer models also include support for Li ne Mode printing
to support EPL1 legacy programming based printing applications.

The GX printers offer a wide range of printer options:

• Label Dispense (Peel-Off).

• Internal 10/100 Print Server and Ethernet Interface.

• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) with user display.

• Bluetooth with user display.

• Moveable Blackline Sensor: A full width moveable black mark sensor and multi position
transmissive (label gap) sensor.”

• General purpose media cutter .

• On-board RTC (Real Time Clock) and 68MB Full Flash memory
(12MB Full Flash Memory prior to July 24, 2009).

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Introduction

GX Series Thermal Printers

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

®

•Zebra

ZBI™ 2 (Zebra BASIC Interpreter) programming language. ZBI allows you to

create custom printer operations that can automate processes, use peripherals (i.e.

®

scanners, scales, keyboards, Zebra

KDU or KDU Plus™, etc.) all without being attached

to a PC or network.

This users guide provides all the information you need to operate your printer on a daily basi s.
T o crea te labe l formats, re fer to your programming guides or l abel design appl ications such as
ZebraDesigner™.

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

3

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.

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

Introduction

Power Cord

varies by locale or region

Documentation

and Software

Power

Supply

USB Cable

Printer

Cleaning

Pen

4

What’s in the Box?

What’s in the Box?

Save the carton and all packing materials in case you 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.

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

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 to the printer incurred
during shipment, and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty
policy.

• Keep all packaging material for shipping company inspection.

• Notify your authorized Zebra

®

reseller .

Your Printer

Interface

Connectors

Feed

Button

Status

Light

Release
Latches

Release
Latches

DC Power

Receptacle

Power

Switch

Fan-Fold

Media

Entry Slot

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

5

Opening the printer

To access the media compartment, you must open the printer. Pull the release latches towards
you and lift the cover. Check the media compartment for loose or damaged components.

Caution •

human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the printhead or electronic
components used in this device. You must observe static-safe procedures w hen working
with the printhead or the electronic components under the top cover.

The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of the

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

Introduction

Sensor

Peel Bar

Platen

Roller

Dispenser Option

Black-Line

Sensor

Gap

Sensor

Roll Holder and

Media Guides

Head-Up Sensor

(inside)

Pinch Roller

Dispenser Door

(open)

Printhead

6

What’s in the Box?

Printer Features

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Introduction

Moveable Blackline

Sensor (Option)

Media Cutter

(Option)

What’s in the Box?

7

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Introduction

Wireless Printer Display and Controls

(Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Options)

8

What’s in the Box?

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Operator Controls

Power OFF

Power ON

Power Switch

Power Switch

Power Switch

Press up to turn ON or down to turn OFF the printer.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

9

Caution •

communications and power cables.

Feed Button

• Tap the Feed button once to force the printer to feed one blank label.

The printer power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the

• 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 86 in the Troubleshooting chapter.

• Use the Feed button for printer setup and status (see Feed Button Modes on page 96 in the
Troubleshooting chapter).

Scroll Button (Wireless Printers Only)

Press the Scroll button to step through the menu, displayed printer parameters or settings.

Select Button (Wireless Printers Only)

Press the Select button to choose a menu branch or select a printer setting.

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

Introduction

Feed

Button

Status

Light

Feed Button

Scroll Button Select Button

Display

Status Light

10

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 Status Light Descriptions on page 86).

Wireless Printer Display and Controls (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Options)

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Closing the printer

1.

Lower the top cover.

Introduction

What’s in the Box?

11

2.

Press down until the cover snaps closed.

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Introduction

Notes •

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12

What’s in the Box?

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

2

Getting Started

This section describes how to set up your printer for the first time and use the most common
operating procedures for loading media.

Contents

Attaching Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Loading Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Printing a Test (Printer Configuration) Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Pre-install Windows® Printer Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting your Printer to a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

After Your Printer is Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

Getting Started

Power
Connector

Power

Switch

Plug Varies
by Country

Active Power Light

Power

Receptacle

AC
Power
Cord

Printer

Power
Supply

IEC 60320
C-13

14

Attaching Power

Attaching Power

Important •

Set up your printer so that you 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 •

Serious personal injury could result!

1.

2.

3.

Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet.

Make sure the printer’s power switch is in the off position (down).
Insert the AC power cord into the power supply.
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.

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.

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

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 print er 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

15

8/4/10 GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 980611-001 Rev. C

Getting Started

16

Loading Roll Media

Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment

1.

Open the printer . Remember that you need to pull the release latch le vers toward the front
of the printer.

2.

Open the media roll holders. Pull the media guides open wi th 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.

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10

Printer Optional:

Moveable

Blackline Sensor

Off Center

Blackline Sensing Only

Default - Gap (Web) Sensing

Standard Operating Position

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 posi tion. This is the standard operating position for media
sensing. When the sensor is moved from the default label web (gap) sensing area, the
printer will only detect blackline, black mark and die-cut notched media. See Moveable

Blackline Sensor Option on page 49 for more details on adjusting this sensor option.

17

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Getting Started

Under Media

Guides

18

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 the media’s
printing surface is facing up.

5.

Push the media under both of the media guides.

6.

Close the printer. Press down until the cover snaps closed.

980611-001 Rev. C GX420d™ / GX430d™ User Guide 8/4/10