User’s Guide PF8d/PF8t Printers
User’s Guide PF8d/Pf8t Printers
Intermec Technologies Corporation Worldwide Headquarters 6001 36th Ave.W. Everett, WA 98203 U.S.A. www.intermec.com The information contained herein is provided solely for the purpose of allowing customers to operate and service Intermec-manufactured equipment and is not to be released, reproduced, or used for any other purpose without written permission of Intermec Technologies Corporation.
Document Change This page records changes to this document. The document was originally released as version 001. iii Version Date Description of Change 002 8/07 Removed listing of accessories. Revised information about installing and using a compact flash card. Made a few minor format corrections.
iv PF8d/PF8t Printer User’s Guide
Contents Contents Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Global Services and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Web Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Loading an Media from an External Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon (PF8t Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3 Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Upgrading the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Tags and Strip with Black Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Plain Continuous Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Before You Begin Before You Begin This section provides you with safety information, technical support information, and sources for additional product information. Safety Information Your safety is extremely important. Read and follow all warnings and cautions in this document before handling and operating Intermec equipment. You can be seriously injured, and equipment and data can be damaged if you do not follow the safety warnings and cautions.
Global Services and Support Warranty Information To understand the warranty for your Intermec product, visit the Intermec web site at www.intermec.com and click Service & Support > Warranty. Web Support Visit the Intermec web site at www.intermec.com to download our current manuals (in PDF). To order printed versions of the Intermec manuals, contact your local Intermec representative or distributor. Visit the Intermec technical knowledge base (Knowledge Central) at intermec.custhelp.
Outside the U.S.A. and Canada, contact your local Intermec representative. To search for your local representative, from the Intermec web site, click Contact. Who Should Read This Manual This user’s guide is for the person who is responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining the PF8d and PF8t printers. This user’s guide provides you with information about the features of the PF8d and PF8t printers, and how to install, configure, operate, maintain, and troubleshoot them.
1 Using the PF8 Printers Use this chapter to familiarize yourself with the PF8 printers.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Introducing the PF8 Printers The PF8 are lightweight, reliable, and easy-to-use printers. Both printers are designed to print a low volume of labels per day (less than 1000 labels per day). There are two models of the PF8 printer: • The PF8d is a 203 dpi direct thermal printer. • The PF8t is a direct thermal/thermal transfer printer that is available in 203 and 300 dpi models. Both PF8 printers are provided with parallel, serial RS-232, and USB ports.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Features of the PF8 Printers This section describes the front controls and indicators, components of the media compartment, and connections located on the rear of the PF8d and PF8t printers. Front Controls and Indicators The PF8 printers are controlled by using a Power switch, a Feed button, and a multi-color status LED. The Power switch is located on the side of the PF8d and on the back of the PF8t.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Media Compartment The PF8t is a thermal transfer/direct thermal capable printer. The media compartment for thermal transfer printers accommodates the media supply and the transfer ribbon supply. In direct thermal printers like the PF8d, the top cover and the print mechanism are combined into a single unit.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Cover open button Label roll core Ribbon rewind wheel Print mechanism Locking mechanism (2 places) Rewind shaft and empty ribbon take up core Label guide (2 places) Black mark sensor Print line adjustment gear Ribbon supply shaft Platen roller PF8t Media Compartment PF8d/PF8t Printers User’s Guide 5
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Other Features and Connections The rear and underside of the printers contain provide USB, serial, and parallel connections and additional features. PF8d PF8t Power switch Power socket USB port Parallel Serial port port (RS-232) Fan-fold label slot Power socket USB port Parallel port Serial port Fan-fold label slot PF8d and PF8t Rear View Connections and Controls The bottom of the PF8d also has hanger holes that allow you to wall-mount the printer.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers Understanding the LED Indicators When power to the printer to the printer is switched on, the status LED turns green indicating that the printer is ready to accept print commands. If the printer runs out of media and/or ribbon during printing, the LED glows red.
Chapter 1 — Using the PF8 Printers 8 PF8d/PF8t Printers User’s Guide
2 Installing the Printer Use this chapter to install your PF8d and PF8t printers.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer Connecting the Printer to Your Network All PF8 models are fitted with a 36-pin connector for the parallel interface port, a 9-pin connector for the RS-232 serial interface port, and a USB connector. Note: The PF8 printers ship with a USB cable. Connecting the Printer Through the USB Interface To use the USB connection, you need to install the Intermec InterDriver software on your computer. To ensure you get the latest version, check the Intermec web site first.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 3 Click the Install InterDriver link. 4 The File Download - Security Warning screen appears. Click the Run button to run the .exe or the Save button to save it to your PC to be run later. In this procedure, the Run button was selected.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 5 The Internet Explorer - Security Warning screen appears. Click the Run button to start the InterDriver installation. 6 The Intermec End User License Agreement appears. To continue with the installation, read the agreement and select the radio button to accept the agreement, and then click the Next button.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 7 The Installation Directory screen appears. The default installation directory is c:\Intermec\InterDriver7. Click the Next button to use the default directory or specify a different location to install the files. 8 Clear the Run Add Print Wizard after unpacking drivers check box and click the Finish button. 9 On the New Hardware Wizard screen, click the Install from a list or specific location radio button and then the Next button to continue.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 10 Click the Next button on the Search and Installation Options screen. 11 Click the Continue Anyway button on the Hardware Installation warning screen.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 12 Click the Finish button to exit the New Hardware Wizard. InterDriver files are now installed on your PC. Turning On the Printer To power the printer 1 Place the printer on a stable surface. Danger of personal injury if the printer and power supply are operated in an environment where they can get wet. Only use with Intermec power supply adapter P/N 1-092363-xx. 2 Place the power supply adapter in a suitable location between the printer and an electrical outlet.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 7 The status LED will cycle from red to green indicating that the power is turned on. Installing the Compact Flash (PF8t Only) The PF8t is supplied with 4MB flash memory and 8MB of SDRAM memory. The built-in memory can be expanded by using a compact flash card if more memory is required for your application. You will need to purchase and install a compact flash adapter to use a CF card. You can select which memory source you want to use: built-in memory or compact flash.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer Compact flash card slot cover 5 Insert the compact flash card in the compact flash adapter. Make sure that the card is oriented correctly to fit in the slot. Push firmly to seat the card. 6 Install the compact flash card slot cover. 7 Close the top cover and turn on the printer power.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 3 The printer automatically adjusts the label gap sensor and media feed according to the characteristics of the media. The printer may feed three to four labels before the adjustment is completed. If you are using peel-off media, remove the labels as they are fed out. After a short delay, a test label will print and the printer will enter Dump mode.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer Tear-Off Tear-Off (straight-through) media is fed out the front of the printers and can be torn off by pulling it upwards against the edge of the top cover. Cut-Off Cut-Off media requires an optional paper cutter fitted on the front of the printer. The cutter is not designed to cut through adhesive and doing so will cause the adhesive to stick to the cutting shears and prevent the cutter from operating.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer PF8d PF8t Note: The PF8d spindle lifts up, but remains attached to the printer while the PF8t spindle lifts completely out of the spindle compartment. 3 Insert the spindle into the core of a fresh media roll. Rotate the spindle to fit the inside diameter of the core (see the core diameter markings on the spindle).
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 4 Put the label between the label guides and pull it forward. Note: On the PF8t you will also need to press the locking mechanism and open the print mechanism/ribbon container to load media and access the media adjustment tabs. PF8d PF8t 5 Adjust the label guide to fit the media you are using.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 6 Close the top cover. On the PF8t you will first need to close the print mechanism/ribbon container before closing the cover. Note: If you are loading media for the first time or changing from another type or size of media, perform a label gap sensor adjustment as described on page 34. Loading Media for Peel-Off Operation To load peel-off media 1 Press the cover open buttons on both sides of the case to open the top cover. Fold the cover upwards/rearwards.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer Loading Media for Cut-Off Operation The cutter (optional accessory) cannot be used to cut through labels, only through the liner between the labels. Cutting through the labels will cause the adhesive to stick to cutting parts and prevent the cutter from working properly. Media rolls must be wound with the printable side facing upward to prevent jamming the cutter. To load cut-off media 1 Press the release buttons on both sides of the case to open the top cover.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon (PF8t Only) Thermal transfer ribbons are required when you print on thermal transfer (non-heat sensitive) media. The type of transfer ribbon you use should match the face materials of the media to obtain the best durability and print quality. To load a fresh ribbon roll 1 Press the cover open buttons on both sides of the case to open the top cover. Fold the cover upwards/rearwards.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 3 Lift the print carriage halfway up while keeping the top cover fully opened. Insert a new ribbon roll onto the ribbon supply shaft. 4 Feed the transfer ribbon from the ribbon supply shaft under the printhead. 5 Wrap the ribbon around the ribbon shaft. Using the tape fitted at the front of the ribbon leader, attach the leader to the top of the rewind core. Be careful to center align the ribbon leader with the core.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 6 Close the print carriage by pressing firmly down on both sides. A loud click indicates the print carriage locked into place. 7 Firmly close the printer’s top cover. 8 Tap the Feed button until the status LED glows green. When you switch between direct thermal and thermal transfer printing, or when you switch between different types of transfer ribbon, you can remove a partially used transfer ribbon and save it for later use.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 5 Remove the rewind roll by pushing it to the left until the right end disengages, then lift out. Dispose of the used ribbon. Note: Keep the ribbon core. You will need it the next time you load ribbon.
Chapter 2 — Installing the Printer 28 PF8d/PF8t Printers User’s Guide
3 Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer Use this chapter to troubleshoot and maintain your PF8d and PF8t printers.
Chapter 3 — Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer Troubleshooting Problem Solution or Reason LED not green when power is on. LED is green but printer will not feed. Make sure connections on the power supply are securely plugged into the AC receptacle on the printer and to an AC outlet. • Label taken sensor active, label not removed. • Make sure correct type of interface cable is securely plugged in to both the printer and computer.
Chapter 3 — Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer Upgrading the Firmware To upgrade the printer firmware you will need the following: • The Intermec ESim Config Tool for the PF8, which is on the PrinterCompanion CD that ships with the printer, or can be downloaded at www.intermec.com. You can use the Config Tool to download a new firmware version directly to the printer. The Config Tool also supports font downloading and memory partitioning.
Chapter 3 — Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer 6 Use one hand to hold the printer and the other hand to pull the cleaning card forward until you pull the card out of the printer. 7 Repeat Steps 4-6 to complete a second cleaning pass. 8 Dispose of the used cleaning card and reload media and ribbon supplies.
Chapter 3 — Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer Adjusting the Printhead Alignment You can improve the print quality by adjusting the alignment between the printhead and the platen roller. • Turn the printhead adjusting screw counterclockwise or clockwise to adjust the contact surface (alignment) between the printhead and the platen roller.
Chapter 3 — Troubleshooting and Maintaining the Printer • Tear-off • Peel-off with label taken sensor enabled • Peel-off with label taken sensor disabled Adjusting the Label Gap Sensor The PF8 printers are fitted with a label gap sensor that detects the slots between tickets and tags or gaps between labels as media if fed past the sensor during printing. The label gap sensor determines the length or tag or labels and controls the media/ ribbon feed accordingly.
A Specifications This appendix provides technical specifications for the PF8d and PF8t printers and their available features and options.
Appendix A — Specifications PF8d Specifications Resolution 8 dot/mm (203 dpi) Print Mode Direct Thermal CPU 32 bit Memory 4MB flash, 8MB SDRAM Print Speed 2, 3, and 4 ips Print Length Max. 1727 mm (68 in) Min. 12.0 mm (0.47 in) Print Width Max. 104 mm (4.09 in) Sensor Type Adjustable reflective sensor, Fixed transmissive sensor center aligned Sensor Detection Label gap and black mark sensing, Label length autosensing and/ or program command setting Media Label roll outside diameter: Max.
Appendix A — Specifications Fonts Download Windows bitmap font: Can be rotated in 8 orientations and expandable 8 times horizontally and vertically TrueType Font: v2.xx can be rotated in 4 orientations Image Handling BMP, PCX, Support ICO, WMF, JPG, EMF files through software.
Appendix A — Specifications Communication Interfaces Serial Interface Connections Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Host - DB9 Socket Printer - DB9 Plug RXD TXD DTR GND DSR RTS CTS RI +5V, max 500ma TXD RXD N/C GND RTS CTS RTS N/C Note: The total current output from the serial port cannot exceed 500 ma.
Appendix A — Specifications Parallel Interface Pin Function Transmitter 1 2-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19-30 31 32 33 34-35 36 /Strobe Data 0-7 /Acknowledge Busy /Paper empty /Select /Auto line feed N/C N/C N/C +5V, max 500ma Signal GND /Initialize /Error Signal GND N/C /Select in host/printer host printer printer printer printer host/printer host host/printer printer host/printer Handshake: DSTB connects to the printer, BUSY connects to the host Interface cable: Parallel cable compatible with PC
Appendix A — Specifications Internal Interface Pin UART1 Wafer Ethernet Module 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 N.C TXD RXD CTS GND RTS E_MD RTS E_RST +5V GND +5V N.C RXD TXD RTS GND CTS E_MD CTS E_RST +5V GND +5V PF8t Specifications Resolution 8 dot/mm (203 dpi) or 12 dot/mm (300 dpi) Print Mode Direct Thermal/Thermal Transfer CPU 32 bit Memory 4MB flash, 8MB SDRAM Print Speed 2, 3, and 4 ips Print Length 203 dpi 300 dpi Max. 1727 mm (68.0 in) Min. 12 mm (0.47 in) Max. 900 mm (35.43 in) Min.
Appendix A — Specifications Sensor Detection Label gap and black mark sensing, Label length autosensing and/ or program command setting Media Label roll outside diameter: Max. 127 mm (5.00 in) Core diameter: 25 mm, 38 mm (1 in, 1.5 in) Width: 25 mm to 118 mm (1 in to 4.65 in) Thickness: 0.05 to 0.18 mm (.0025 to .0098 in) Firmware ESim (v7.x) Software ActiveX Controls (v1.3) InterDriver (v7.06 M5) ESim Config Tool (v2.1) LabelShop Patch (v6.
Appendix A — Specifications Power Input: ~100-240V 1,6A 50/60 Hz Output: 24V 2,5A Environment Operation: 5°C to 40°C (40°F to 104°F) Storage: -20°C to 50°C) (-4°F to 122°F) Certification cULus, FCC Class A, CCC, CE, cUL, BSMI Humidity Operation: 30% to 85%, non-condensing. Free air Storage: 10% to 90%, non-condensing. Free air Printer Dimensions Length: 285 mm (11.2 in) Height: 172 mm (6.8 in) Width: 226 mm (8.9 in) Weight: 2.5 Kg (5.
Appendix A — Specifications RS-232 Housing: 9-pin to 9-pin USB Interface Pin Function 1 2 3 4 VBUS DD+ GND Connector Type: B Parallel Interface Pin Function Transmitter 1 2-9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19-30 31 32 33 34-35 36 /Strobe Data 0-7 /Acknowledge Busy /Paper empty /Select /Auto line feed N/C N/C N/C +5V, max 500ma Signal GND /Initialize /Error Signal GND N/C /Select in host/printer host printer printer printer printer host/printer host host/printer printer host/printer Handshake: DSTB
Appendix A — Specifications Internal Interface Pin UART1 Wafer Ethernet Module 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 N.C TXD RXD CTS GND RTS E_MD RTS E_RST +5V GND +5V N.C RXD TXD RTS GND CTS E_MD CTS E_RST +5V GND +5V Pin UART2 Wafer Expansion Module 1 2 3 4 5 6 +5V CTS TXD RTS RXD GND +5V RTS RXD CTS TXD GND Accessories You can use these accessories (sold and ordered separately) with the PF8 printers. Installation instructions are provided in each kit.
Appendix A — Specifications Stripper Module The self-strip feature peels the label away from the liner (backing paper) and presents the label to the operator for easier and faster on-demand labeling.
Appendix A — Specifications 46 PF8d/PF8t Printers User’s Guide
B Media Specifications This appendix explains the different types of media that the PF8 printers can use and indicates the allowed dimensions of that media.
Appendix B — Media Specifications Direct Thermal Media Intermec offers a premium and an economy grade of direct thermal media for the PF8 printers: Premium Quality Top-coated media with high demands on printout quality and resistance against moisture, plasticizers and vegetable oils. Examples of Premium Quality Media Europe North America Thermal Top Board Thermal Top Thermal Top High Speed Duratherm Ltg.
Chapter B — Media Specifications Coated Papers Coated papers have various coat-weight, smoothness, and gloss. To be used with HP/TMX2200 and GP/TMX1500 ribbons. Examples of Coated Papers Europe North America TTR Matte TTR Premium TTR Premium Board Duratran II Duratran II Tag Polyethylene Plastics Good resistance to water and many common chemicals. Can be used outdoors and offers good tear resistance. Most often used in combination with HP/TMX2200 ribbons.
Appendix B — Media Specifications Transfer Ribbons Intermec offer three types of thermal transfer ribbons optimized for different purposes: General Purpose (GP/TMX1500) General purpose transfer ribbons allow high speed printing and give a good printout, but are somewhat sensitive to smearing. These are best suited choice for uncoated and coated papers.
Chapter B — Media Specifications Labels Media width includes liner (a) Maximum:116.0 mm (4.57 in) Minimum: 25.0 mm (1 in) Label length (b) Minimum: 6.35 mm (0.25 in) Label gap height (c) Maximum: 10 mm (0.39 in) Minimum: 2 mm (0.
Appendix B — Media Specifications Tags and Strip with Slots Tag or strip width (a) Maximum: 116.0 mm (4.57 in) Minimum: 25.0 mm (1.00 in) Tag length (b) Minimum: 6.35 mm (0.25 in) Detection slot width (c) Minimum: 14 mm (0.55 in) Detection slot height (d) Maximum: 10 mm (0.39 in) Minimum: 1 mm (0.08 in) The label gap sensor is offset 4.5 mm (0.177 in) to the right of the center of the media path.
Chapter B — Media Specifications Tags and Strip with Black Marks Tag or strip width (a) Maximum: 116.0 mm (4.57 in) Minimum: 25.0 mm (1.00 in) Tag length (b) Minimum: 6.35 mm (0.25 in) Detection slot/Black mark width (c) Minimum: 28 mm (1.10 in) Black mark height (d) Maximum: 10 mm (0.39 in) Minimum: 3 mm (0.12 in) The black mark sensor is offset 10 mm (0.394 in) to the right of the center of the media path. Max. reflectance 5% at 940 nanometer. Carbon black.
Appendix B — Media Specifications Plain Continuous Stock The PF8 printers can use continuous stock without any detection slots or black marks. The printer must be set for continuous stock by using the ESim Q command (see ESim Programmer’s Reference Manual). The length of each copy is decided by the size of the print image and any additional media feed is decided by the Q command. Continuous stock cannot be used in the Auto-Sensing mode. Tag or strip width (a) Maximum: 116.0 mm (4.57 in) Minimum: 25.
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