Strata Thermal Printers User’s Manual User’s Manual No. 980181-001 ©1999 Zebra Technologies Corporation Rev.
FOREWORD This manual provides installation and operation information for the Eltron Strata LP (LP2684) and Strata TLP (TLP2684) printers, manufactured by Zebra Technologies Corporation, Camarillo, California. COPYRIGHT NOTICE This document contains information proprietary to Zebra Technologies Corporation. This document and the information contained within is copyrighted by Zebra Technologies Corporation and may not be duplicated in full or in part by any person without written approval from Zebra.
WARRANTY INFORMATION We Need To Hear From You! To Establish Your Warranty Period And Provide Access To Technical Support, Send Us Your Product Registration Card Today! Zebra warrants the mechanism, control electronics and power supply, under normal use and service, to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of purchase by the end user.
Table of Contents Installation . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . Unpacking Your Printer . . . Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 2 3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The FEED Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The STATUS Indicator. . . . . . . . . . . . Loading Labels or Tags. . . . . .
General Cautions and Warnings These pages describe general safety and maintenance warnings and cautions for the printer. They are referenced throughout the manual. The manual may also include other warnings and cautions not displayed here. Warning - Shock Hazard The printer should never be operated in a location where it can get wet. Personal injury could result. Warnung - Stromschlaggefahr - Der Drucker sollte nie an feuchten Standorten in Betrieb genommen werden.
Media Cautions & Tips 1) Always use high quality Eltron approved labels and tags. Eltron approved supplies can be ordered from your ELTRON dealer. For the name of a dealer in your area, call Eltron Customer Service at one of the numbers listed on the back page of this manual.
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Installation 1 Installation This section provides information on the installation of the printer and software. Introduction The Strata printer models are low cost, manu- facturing oriented, thermal desktop printers. The Strata LP is a direct thermal printer. The Strata TLP is a thermal transfer and direct thermal printer.
Installation Unpacking Your Open the shipping carton and remove the Printer printer and its accessories. n tio nta me cu re Do wa er Soft s U & Check List 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 Printer Power Cord Media Holder and Retainers Cleaning Pen (for print head) Sample Label Roll Sample Transfer Ribbon Roll (TLP only) Ribbon Core (TLP only) Software and Documentation CD 980181-001 Rev.
Installation Installation The following steps will guide you through the installation of the printer and software. Step ➊ Attach Power Check Voltage z H 0 X /6 X 0 5 -X X X X A X X .3 X X 6 0 X 2 XX C :1 X A o. . : V 5 N o 1 rt N 1 a al r: P eri e S ow P t u p In pu In z 0H X /6 XX X 50 X- XX 3A XX XX 6. 20 XX C :1 :X o. VA N o. 15 rt l N :1 Pa ria er w Se Po t O O O = Off See Warnings - Page vi 980181-001 Rev.
Installation Step ➋ Attach Interface Cable Parallel Interface Serial Interface For additional information on serial cable wiring, refer to Appendix A. 4 980181-001 Rev.
Installation Step ➌ Apply Power O O I = On On If the indicator fails to light, refer to Appendix A - Troubleshooting. 980181-001 Rev.
Installation Step ➍ Install Start your computer. Follow the installation Software instructions on the disk label to install the software. Refer to Section 2 - Operation, for information on loading labels and using your printer. 6 980181-001 Rev.
2 Operation This section provides information on the operation of the printers. All user control (and adjustment) printer features are identified by green parts. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Your Printer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cover Release Buttons Feed Button Status Indicator Media Roll Holder Media Roll Retainers Lower Media Stand (Printing Position) Upper Media Stand (Loading Position) 8 9 : ; < = > Carriage Lock/Release Lever Media Guide Adjustment Gear Transmissive (Gap) Sensor Adjustment Gear Transmissive (Gap) Sensor Position Indicator Reflective (Black Mark) Sensor Platen Roller Media Guides 980181-001 Rev.
Operation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Batch/Dispense Select Switch Serial Interface Parallel Interface Power Cord Receptacle On/Off Switch Fan-Fold Media Entry Ribbon Take-up Spindle 980181-001 Rev.
Operation The FEED Control The FEED button controls specific printer functions: feeding media (labels, tags or continuous media), loading media, pausing printing, and initiating AutoSense (Dump Mode). Use the FEED control button in normal operation by tapping or holding the button. • Tapping the FEED Button with labels loaded will cause the paper to advance to the top of the next label. This action is referred to as a “Form Feed”.
Operation • Holding the FEED button down will cause the printer to continuously Form Feed until the button is released. The printer will feed the media until the next top of form is reached. • Holding the FEED button without media loaded will cause the printer to continuously (line) feed until the button is released or media is detected. This is useful when reloading media in the printer and is also known as “Power Media Loading”.
Operation The STATUS The STATUS indicator is a power and status inIndicator dicator. When the printer power is first switched ON (1), the STATUS indicator will glow GREEN, indicating that the printer is ready for operation. Indicator Color GREEN Meaning 1) Power ON, ready for use. 2) Printing, operation normal.
Operation Loading Labels Your printer can print on adhesive backed laor Tags bels, non-adhesive tags or continuous media (typically paper). The printer is capable of using media on a roll or fan fold media. Step 1 Open the printer. Press the two green release buttons on the sides of the printer to open the cover. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 2 Place the roll of media on the media holder tube. The media holder tube is directional and will not work properly if installed incorrectly. The media holder is keyed with a hex to be mounted on the right side of the printer when installed. CORRECT 14 INCORRECT 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 3 Center the media roll on the holder. If the media roll is narrow, then the media roll holders can be added to prevent loose (uneven) pack of the media on the roll. Media Retainers (optional) 90° 90° 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 4 Set the media and roll holder on the upper media stand for loading. 16 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 5 Turn the media guide adjustment wheel to- wards the rear of the printer to open the media guides. Open the media guides until they are wider than the media. Media Guides 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 6 Open the print head carriage with the release lever. Pull forward and then up. Release Lever 18 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 7 Insert the loose end of the media roll between the media guides and under the guide bar bracket that holds the transmissive (gap) sensor. Continue feeding the media under the print head carriage until it exits out the front of the printer. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 8 Turn the green media guide adjustment wheel towards the front of the printer until the label guides match the width of the media. 20 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 9 Move the media roll to the lower media stand for printing. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 10 When using the transmissive (gap) sensor for Sensor Position top of form (label) sensing, verify that the sensor is positioned at minimum label gap point or centered over a tag hole. See Top of Form Sensing, page 32, for more details on sensor operation. Adjustment Wheel Sensor Position Marker Turn the sensor’s adjustment wheel towards the rear of the printer to move it into the middle. Turn it towards the front of the printer to move it out to the media edge.
Operation Step 11 Close and lock the print head carriage. Push the print head carriage down to close and then push the lever back to lock. Turn on the printer power. Tap the FEED control until the STATUS indicator glows GREEN. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 12 Set label detection parameters for media: • Use the AutoSense procedure for first time use of new media to set the transmissive (gap) sensor. • Use the AutoSense procedure for detection of label and gap lengths. • Use EPL2 programming (Q) command to set form length (and gap) as well as media detection and control method for sensing label gap, black mark or continuous (unmarked) media. Windows Users! Use Settings / Printers on the Start Menu of Windows 95 or Windows NT versions 3.51 & 4.
Operation Loading Transfer Transfer ribbons are used when printing on Ribbons thermal transfer media such as adhesive labels or non-adhesive tags. Thermal transfer ribbons are available in general purpose wax (blue leader), general purpose wax-resin (silver leader) and polyester resin (gold leader).
Operation Step ➊ Install an empty ribbon core onto the front rib- bon (take-up) spindle pair. Push the core onto the left side ribbon (take up) spindle. Rotate the core on the spindle until the notches on the right side of the core match-up with the long spokes on the right side ribbon (take-up) spindle. Notch Long Spoke 26 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step ➋ Loosen the ribbon leader that secures the lead- ing end of the transfer ribbon roll. Fold the ribbon leader over and attach it to the under side of the ribbon leader. Notch 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step ➌ Install the ribbon roll onto the rear ribbon (supply) spindle pair so that the ribbon feeds from the top of the roll toward the back of the printer. The ribbon roll installs the same as the ribbon (take-up) core. Wrap the ribbon around the print carriage, aound the ribbon tracking bar and above the media guide bracket. Caution: The ribbon does not follow the same path as the labels. The ribbon threads above the brackets that hold the media guides and transmissive (gap) sensor guide bar.
Operation Step ➍ Hold open the print carriage to pull the ribbon through towards the front of the print carriage and up to the empty take-up core. Center the ribbon on ribbon core. Attach the ribbon to the core with the adhesive strip on the leader or with tape. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step ➎ Rotate the ribbon take-up core a minimum one full revolution (from the top to the back of the printer) to remove most of the slack from the ribbon. Verify that the ribbon is wrapping straight on the ribbon core. After the media is loaded, hold the ribbon snug and close the print head. See label and tag (media) loading, page 13. Press the FEED button (with the printer power on) to condition the ribbon. This is to remove the slack and wrinkles in the ribbon.
Operation Removing A A partially used transfer ribbon can be removed Partially Used by following the steps below. Transfer Ribbon The unused portion of partially used transfer ribbons can be reloaded using the normal ribbon loading procedure. Step ➊ Open the print carriage to release ribbon ten- sion. Using scissors, cut the transfer ribbon just below the take-up roll. Step ➋ Remove the supply roll and tape the end to prevent it from unwrapping. Step ➌ Remove the take-up roll.
Operation Top Of Form To accommodate different media and media Sensing dimensions, your printer is equipped with sensors capable of detecting the top of form for labels or tags. Two methods are used by the printer for top of form sensing: gap sensing and black mark sensing. Gap Sensing The gap sensing feature depends on the ability of the movable transmissive (gap) sensor to “see through” the label liner between labels.
Operation Using AutoSense The AutoSense feature sets sensitivity of the transmissive sensor and measures and stores the form (label) and gap lengths. To activate the AutoSense feature: Step 1 Set the power switch to the OFF (0) position. Step 2 Load labels into the printer (do not use the dispenser). Step 3 Press and hold the FEED Control button while placing the power switch in the ON (1) position. The STATUS Indicator light will blink.
Operation Step 4 Tap the FEED Control once to switch the printer back to normal operation. If the indicator light turns AMBER or RED, refer to Appendix A for troubleshooting information. 34 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Cleaning Your You have easy access to all of the printer’s mePrinter dia path areas to allow for cleaning and clearing of media jams. You can clean the sensor areas, print head, platen roller and areas adjacent to the media path surfaces. Warning -Shock Hazard - See page vi. Always turn the printer off before cleaning. Warnung - Elektrische Gefahr - Zuerst abschalten dur Drucker. Säubern Sie jetzt den Drucker. Use a brush or vacuum to clean the media path (except the print head).
Operation Cleaning the As you use your printer, the print head may bePrint Head come contaminated resulting in poor print qual- ity. Whenever new labels are loaded into the printer, the print head should be cleaned with a cleaning pen. Step 1 Open the printer and the print head carriage. Step 2 Gently rub the cleaning pen across the dark area of the print head. Clean Print Head Allow the print head to dry for 1 minute before loading labels. Do not touch the cleaning pen to the platen roller.
Operation Cleaning Under The transmissive (gap) sensor guide bar bracket the Sensor Bracket can pivot up for easy cleaning. Step 1 Open the print head carriage. Step 2 Open the sensor bracket. Pull the slide lock to the left and lift the front of the bracket up. Transmissive (Gap) Sensor Bracket Slide Lock Step 3 Clean the metal part of the bracket, only. The sensor is recessed to protect it from labels and adhesive. Clean the clear sensor window below the sensor bracket.
Operation Using the Label Printers with the label dispenser function (indiDispenser cated by a T after the model number) can dis- pense a single label that is already peeled away from the liner. Before performing these steps, load a media roll (refer to page 12 if necessary). Step 1 Push the switch to the peel position. Step 2 Open the print head and lift the dispenser bar. 38 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 3 Remove a few labels. Push a corner of the liner behind the gray roller and through the slot. Step 4 Remove slack by pulling the liner. 980181-001 Rev.
Operation Step 5 Close the dispenser bar and print head. Tighten the liner against the dispenser bar. Adjust the media guides (refer to page 19). Step 6 Send your print job. The printer dispenses one label and waits for you to take it before printing the next label. You must remove each printed label before the next label prints. 40 980181-001 Rev.
Troubleshooting Appendix A Troubleshooting This section addresses the most common issues you may face with operation and configuration of the printer. Where to Start The first troubleshooting reference source is the Common Problems Troubleshooting table on the following page. 980181-001 Rev.
Troubleshooting Common Printing Problems Troubleshooting Guide Problem Solution or Reason STATUS indicator does not light GREEN when power switch is turned to the ON (1) position. 1. Check power connections from the printer to the outlet. With the STATUS 1. Verify that the labels are the correct type. indicator light GREEN, 2. Check the roll and verify that the print surface the printer appears to faces up for (direct thermal) printing. be working, but 3.
Troubleshooting Problem Solution or Reason 1. Check for Out-of-Media condition or missing labels in the middle of a roll. 2. Check for Out-of-Ribbon condition or damage or previous use of ribbon in middle of the roll. 3. Check that the ribbon and label media are correctly routed. Status Indicator is RED 4. When direct thermal printing, verify that the programmed mode (or printer driver) is set for direct thermal printing. See the programmer’s manual for details. 5. Transmissive sensor is dirty.
Troubleshooting Other Support The first troubleshooting reference source is the Resources table on the previous page. Next, contact the dealer where you purchased your printer. Zebra Technologies also provides a variety of information and user support services: • Internet: Web Address: http://www.eltron.com ftp: //ftp.eltron.com e-mail: Label Printers: techsup@eltron.com Card Printers: privsup@eltron.com Europe: eurosup@eltron.com Singapore: asiasup@eltron.com Latin America: latinsup@eltron.
Troubleshooting Serial Interface The printer’s serial port is configured with the Communication Y command for the printer. See the EPL2 proConfiguration grammer's manual for details.
Troubleshooting Tag Media Sensing The printer uses a moveable sensor to detect in- D dex holes/notches in tag stock. The sensor can move from a center tag notch to a notch on the out side edge of tag stock as wide as 8.5 inches (216mm) wide. C Print Direction B A Left Side Edge of Tag Stock Media Tag Tear-away CL The dimensions show the position acceptable position range of the “Notch” (hole) on tag stock for the printer and the gap sensor’s adjustment range. Dimension Min. Max. Nominal A .
Printer Features Appendix B Printer Features Features The printer has many time saving, user friendly, design features.
Printer Features • Flash memory makes firmware updates easy and seamless • Create-A-Label Tools for Windows ® Software • Wi n d o w s D r i ve r s (W i n d o w s ® 3. 1X , Windows® 95, and Windows® NT 3.51 & 4.0) • Snap’N’Lock front bezel for easy access Firmware Options • Flash memory expandable to 1 megabyte. • SRAM memory expandable to 1 megabyte. • Real Time and Date Clock • Asian character sets (Chinese, Japanese or Korean).
Printer Features • Easy-to-load label and ribbon path • Easy-to-use EPL2 command language • Prints text, graphics and bar codes in four directions: 0°, 90°, 80° and 270° • Graphics, line and box drawing features, PCX bit map supported • Label back feed for maximum label usage printing • Diagnostics and configuration print out and ASCII dump • Double buffering for faster throughput Software and • Create-A-Label Tools for Windows™ Drivers • Drivers available for Windows 3.xx™, Windows 95™, NT 3.51 and NT 4.
Printer Features • Code 128 Autoselect • CodaBar • UCC/EAN-128 • Interleaved 2 of 5 • UPC-A, UPC-E, 2 & 5 digit add on • EAN-8, EAN-13, 2 & 5 digit add on • POSTNET • MaxiCode • PDF-417 • German Postal Code • Bar codes with or without human readable text • Bar codes can be printed in four directions 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Standard Fonts • International character sets standard • Five alpha-numeric fonts from .049" (1.25mm) to .23" (5.
Printer Features Media • Type: roll-fed, die-cut, continuous or fanfold labels, tags or tickets • Materials: thermal transfer or thermal sensitive papers • Maximum media width: 8.75" (222.3mm) • Minimum media width: 4" (102mm) • Maximum media length: 11" (279mm) standard, 22" (559mm) optional with maximum print width set. Note: The actual print length is dependent upon the programmed print (image) width and the maximum length will increase as the print area is narrowed. • Minimum media length: .5" (12.
Printer Features Mechanical • Width: 13.6" (344mm) • Depth: 11.9" (305mm) • Height: 8.1" (204mm) • Weight: 21.0lbs. (9.5kg) Electrical • Voltage: 115V/60 Hz, 230V/50 Hz • Complies with FCC Class B and CE requirements; Built to UL, CUL and TUV requirements.
Supplies and Accessories Appendix C Supplies and Accessories Accessories available for the Strata™ printer are listed below. Always refer to the ELTRON part number when placing an order. For the name of an Eltron brand dealer in your area, call: 1(800) 344-4003 or the nearest Zebra Technologies office (located on the back of this manual).
54 Direct Thermal Thermal Transfer Shipping Inventory Tracking Shipping Inventory Tracking Product Labeling Compliance Labeling Low cost Ease of use Low Environmental Durability Limited Label Life Will fade and/or discolor when exposed to heat, sunlight, and chemicals.
980181-001 Rev.C High environmental durability High physical durability Excellent aesthetic appearance Most expensive label/tag combination Synthetic Label Hard Resin Better environmental durability.
Supplies and Accessories 56 980181-001 Rev.
Appendix D Using the Media Cutter Printers with the cutter option have a bezel with a motorized blade. Printers with cutters can dispense a single form that is automatically cut from the media roll. 980181-001 Rev.
Using the Media Cutter Guidelines Use the cutter to cut through continuous paper from rolls and liner between labels. You can switch between cutting and feeding by using the OC command. You can set form length and gap distances by using the Q command. Refer to the EPL2 programmer’s manual for complete programming information. Keep the cutter dry. Never use any solutions or solvents to clean the blade. If there is a jam, follow the steps for Clearing the Cutter.
Using the Media Cutter Clearing the If the media is crooked, a jam can occur. The Cutter only tool required to clear a jam is a pair of small tweezers. Step 1—Prepare Turn the printer off. the Printer Unplug the power cord and interface cable. 980181-001 Rev.
Step 2—Clear Use tweezers to remove media from the internal the Jam blade areas. If the jam is inside the cutter, detach the cutter assembly from the printer. Press both bezel releases and pull the cutter up and forward. Lay the cutter flat. Leave cables, retainers and wires connected. Do not pull or strain any connections. If you cannot remove the jammed media, call for service. 60 980181-001 Rev.
Using the Media Cutter Step 3—Replace Align the left edges of the bezel and printer. the Cutter Connect the bezel by snapping down into place. Step 4—Check Connect the power cord and interface cable. the Cutter Turn the printer on. Tap the Feed button. The printer should feed one label then cut the liner. 980181-001 Rev.
World Wide Offices: Zebra Technologies Corporation Eltron Products 1001 Flynn Road Camarillo, CA 93012-8706 USA Phone: +1 (805) 579 1800 FAX: +1 (805) 579 1808 e-mail: sales@eltron.com Zebra Technologies, Europe Eltron House Molly Millars Lane Wokingham, RG41 2QZ England Phone: +44 (0) 1189 770 300 FAX: +44 (0) 1189 895 762 e-mail: eurosales@eltron.com Zebra Technologies, France 50 rue Marcel Dassault 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt France Phone: +33 1 55 20 93 93 FAX: +33 1 55 20 93 99 e-mail: eurosales@eltron.
