Zebra TLP 3842 Desktop Printer ® User Guide Part #980487-001 | Rev.
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Proprietary Statement This manual contains proprietary information of the manufacturer. 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 expressed written permission of the manufacturer. Product Improvements Continuous improvement of products is a policy of the manufacturer.
Shock Hazard The printer and power supply should never be operated in a location where either one can get wet. Personal injury could result. Media and Ribbon Always use high-quality, approved labels, tags and ribbons. If adhesive backed labels are used that DO NOT lay flat on the backing liner, the exposed edges may stick to the label guides and rollers inside the printer, causing the label to peel off from the liner and jam the printer.
Contents Introduction Hello!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What's in the Box?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inspecting the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closing the printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adjusting the Print Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Adjusting the Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Operation & Options Thermal Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding a New Transfer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Introduction This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer parts. This section also has procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report any problems. Hello! ® Thank you for choosing a Zebra TLP 3842™ printer, a high-quality on-demand printer manufactured by the industry leader in quality, service, and value—Zebra Technologies Corporation.
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.
Inspecting the Printer Look at the outside of the printer and make sure that all parts are present. Opening the printer To access the media compartment, you must open the printer. Pull the release levers towards you and lift the cover.
INSPECTING THE PRINTER (continued) After opening the printer, check the media compartment.
Closing the printer Hold the top cover and press the “kick-stand” cover lock to release. Lower the top cover. The ribbon carriage automatically folds up into place. MOVIE Press down until the cover snaps closed.
Reporting Damage If you discover damage or missing parts: ■ Immediately notify and file a damage report with the shipping company. The manufacturer 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. ■ Keep the carton and all packing material for inspection.
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 in tear-off mode and loading ribbon. Modes of Printing You can operate this printer in different modes: ■ Standard tear-off mode allows you to tear off each label (or a strip of labels) after it is printed. ■ In optional peel-off mode, the backing material is peeled away from the label as it is printed. After this label is removed, the next one is printed.
Attaching Power Supply Check the power supply to make certain it is appropriate for your input voltage. Warning: Use the power supply that came with your printer. Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet. Serious personal injury could result! 1. Make sure the power switch is in the off position (down). 2. The DC power supply has a barrel connector on one end that must be inserted into the power supply receptacle on the back of the printer. 3.
Loading Roll Media When you load media, you must place the roll on the media hangers and then adjust the media guides. MOVIE You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require. When printing without a ribbon, you must use direct thermal media. When using ribbon, you must use thermal transfer media. The printer's ribbon sensor detects motion of the supply spindle.
Adjusting the Guides The adjustable guides direct the media toward the platen and print head. 1. Open the media guides by turning the guide adjuster knob to the rear. 2. Thread the media through the guides. 3. Close the media guides by turning the guide adjuster knob to the front. They should just touch, but not restrict, the edges of the media. 4. Unless you need to load ribbon, close the top cover.
Loading Ribbon MOVIE You must use thermal transfer media (accepts wax and/or resin transferred off a ribbon) when you use a ribbon. When loading ribbon, you install the supply and take-up rolls, then tighten the ribbon on the carriage. Install the Ribbon Supply Roll Before following these steps, prepare the ribbon by removing its wrapping and pulling its adhesive strip free. 1. Thread the ribbon through the carriage. 2. Press the right side onto the supply hub. 3.
Attach and Tighten the Ribbon You must align the ribbon so that it will be taken straight onto the core. 1. Attach the ribbon to the take up core. Use the adhesive strip on new rolls; otherwise, use tape. 2. Turn the ribbon take-up gear counter-clockwise (top moves toward rear) to remove slack from the ribbon. 3. Close the top cover. Remember that you need to release the cover lock, lower the top cover, and press down until the latches snap into place.
Operator Controls Power Switch Press up to turn ON or down to turn OFF the printer. CAUTION: The power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the communications and power cables. Feed Button Forces the printer to feed one blank label. Takes 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 35.
Media Length Sensing MOVIE Before you connect the printer to your computer, make sure that the printer is in proper working order. You can do this by making the printer measure media and print a status printout. After loading media, perform the following procedure that measures the length of each label or tag. Make sure the top cover of the printer is closed. 1. Make sure that printer power is off. 2. Press and hold the feed button. 3. Turn printer power on. 4.
Hooking Up the Printer and Computer Your printer will have one of two combinations of interfaces: MOVIE ■ Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel and serial ■ USB, ethernet, and serial Each specific interface option—USB, parallel, ethernet, serial—is discussed individually. You must supply the required interface cable for your application. CAUTIONS:Keep the power switch in the OFF position when attaching the interface cable.
USB Interface Requirements Universal Serial Bus (version 1.1) provides a high-speed interface that is compatible with your existing PC hardware. USB’s “plug and play” design makes installation easy. Multiple printers can share a single USB port/hub. Parallel Interface Requirements The required cable (IEEE 1284-compliant is recommended) must have a standard 36-pin parallel connector on one end, which is plugged into the parallel port located on the back of the printer.
Communicating with the Printer Universal Serial Bus (USB) Communications The printer is a terminal device when using a universal serial bus interface. You can refer to the Universal Serial Bus Specification for details regarding this interface. Parallel Communications When using the parallel port, typically there is no setup is required once the cable is plugged in. If you should encounter any problems, consult the user’s guide that came with your computer.
Serial Communications Serial communications between the printer and the host computer can be set by the Y command. Y Command Use the serial port setup (Y) command to change the communications settings on the printer. 1. With the host computer set at the same communications settings as the printer, send the Y command to change the printer to the desired settings. 2. Change the host computer settings to match the new printer settings. Refer to the programming guide for more information about this command.
Adjusting the Print Width Print width must be calibrated when you use a roll with a different width from previous media. Print width may be set by using the Set Label Width (Q) command (described in the programming guide). Adjusting the Print Quality Print quality is influenced by the heat of the print head, the speed of the media and the type of media you are using. Only by experimenting will you find the optimal mix for your application.
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Operation & Options This section helps you get the most from your printer. You must use programming to control many of the printer’s functions. A few examples: ■ The Q command (set form length) controls label length. ■ The O command (hardware options) has a parameter "D" that changes the printing mode to direct thermal. For detailed information about creating labels using page description programming language, refer to the programming guide.
Replacing Supplies If labels or ribbon run out while printing, leave the printer power on while reloading (data loss results if you turn off the printer). After you load a new label or ribbon roll, press the Feed button to restart . Always use high quality, approved labels, tags and ribbons.
Printing in Peel-Mode ON OFF The optional dispenser allows you to print in “peel-mode” where the label backing follows a different path and the labels are presented one at a time for subsequent placement. 1. Remove several labels from the backing material. 2. Open the top cover. 3. Open the dispenser door. 4. Switch on the label-taken sensor. 5. Insert the backing in front of the peel bar and behind the peel roller. 6. Close the dispenser door. 7. Close the top cover. 8.
Printing on Fan-Fold Media Printing on fan-fold media requires you to set both the media hangers and the media guides in position. Lock-down Screw 1. Open the top cover. 2. With a sample of your media, adjust the media hangers to the width of the media. The hangers should just touch, but not restrict, the edges of the media. 3. Tighten the screw using a small Phillips driver #1. 4. With a sample of your media, adjust the guides to the width of the media.
Using the Cutter Option Printers that have a bezel with a motorized blade can dispense one or more forms that are then automatically cut from the media supply. This option cuts through continuous paper from rolls and liner between labels. Keep the cutter dry. Never use any solutions or solvents to clean the blade. Use the f command to set the cut position and the C command to cut immediately outside a form. If the blade cuts through labels, adhesive can jam the cutter. 1.
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Maintenance Cleaning When you clean the printer, use one or more of the following supplies that best suits your needs: CLEANING SUPPLIES Cleaning pens (12) Cleaning swabs (25) Cleaning cards, 4-in wide (25) Save-a-Print Head film, 4-in wide (3) The cleaning process takes just a couple of minutes using the steps outlined below. Printer Part Method Let the print head to cool for one minute, then use a new cleaning pen to swab the print elements (the thin gray line on the print head) from end to end.
Adhesives and coatings of media can over time transfer onto the printer components along the media path including the platen and print head. This build-up can accumulate dust and debris. Failure to clean the print head, media path and platen roller could result in inadvertent loss of labels, label jams and possible damage to the printer. Print Head Considerations MOVIE Always use a new cleaning pen on the print head (an old pen carries contaminants from its previous uses that may damage the print head).
Platen Considerations The standard platen (drive roller) normally does not require cleaning. Paper and liner dust can accumulate without effecting print operations. Contaminates on the platen roller can damage the print head or cause the media to slip when printing. Adhesive, dirt, general dust, oils and other contaminates should be cleaned immediately off the platen.
Replacing the Platen Removal MOVIE Open the printer and remove any media. 1. Using a pointed stylus (such as tweezers, small slot-head screwdriver, or razor-knife), unhook the tabs on the right and left sides. Then rotate them forward. 2. Lift the platen out of the printer’s bottom frame. Assembly Make sure the right bearing is on the shaft of the platen. 1. Align the platen with the gear to the left and lower it into the printer’s bottom frame. 2. Rotate the tabs back and snap them into place.
Replacing the Print Head In the event you need to replace the print head, read the procedure and review the removal and installation steps before actually replacing the print head. MOVIE Prepare your work area by protecting against static discharge. Your work area must be static-safe and include a properly grounded conductive cushioned mat to hold the printer and a conductive wrist strap for yourself. NOTE: Turn the printer power off and unplug the power cord before replacing the print head.
Thermal-Transfer TLP Model Before following the steps in this MOVIE procedure, open the printer by pulling the release latches forward then lifting the top cover. Remove any ribbon from the carriage. Removal 1. Grasp the print head spring and pull it to the left; then, slide it free of the carriage. 2. Use the spring to pry the print head clip off the right side of the carriage. 3. Pull the print head and bracket forward. 4. Use a #2 Phillips driver to remove the screw that holds the ground wire. 5.
Replacing the TLP Print Head (Continued) Assembly The new print head comes with the clip and ground screw attached. 1. Align the print head and bracket to plug the left and right connectors into the black and white wire bundles. 2. Attach the ground wire and secure it with the screw. Use a #2 Phillips driver to tighten it. 3. Insert the bracket pegs into the left side of the carriage. 4.
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Troubleshooting What the Status Light is Telling You Color None Green Amber Status off constant constant Solution or Reason 1. Check power connection from the A.C. outlet to power supply to printer. 1. 2. 3. Printer printing (normal operation). Printer paused; ready to receive data (normal operation). Printer paused; waiting for user action (for example, to take a dispensed label or to tap the feed button). 1. The cover open sensor is active. Press top cover to close and lock.
Printer Operation Problem Solution or Reason 1. Media does not advance. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. Media moves but nothing is printed. Printing is faded or poor. Prints only partial label or skips a label. Printing stops and indicator lights Amber or Red. 3. 4. Verify that the labels are the correct type (thermal transfer or direct thermal). Check that the roll is loaded with the thermal side facing up. Clean the print head with cleaning pen. Ensure top cover is locked closed. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Media Handling Problem Solution or Reason Label Dispenser 1. 2. Printing continues between labels. Prints one label and then stops. 3. 1. Make sure label-taken sensor is on. The label-taken sensor is blocked or dirty. Remove any scraps or dust. Continuous media may be set. Verify form length setting through programming Q command. See the programming guide. Verify the quantity has been correctly set. Cutter Operation Blade cuts through labels instead of cutting liner between labels.
Print Quality Problems No print on the label. ■ You must use the correct media for the method of printing you require. When printing without a ribbon, you must use direct thermal media. When using ribbon, you must use thermal transfer media. The printer's ribbon sensor detects motion of the supply spindle. ■ Is the media loaded correctly? Follow the instructions in “Loading the Media” on page 9. The printed image does not look right. ■ The print head is dirty.
The printing does not start at the top of the label, or misprinting of one to three labels. ■ The media may not be threaded under the media guides. Refer to “Loading the Media” on page 9. ■ The printer needs to be calibrated. Refer to “Auto Calibration” on page 13. A label format was sent to, but not recognized by, the printer. ■ Is the printer in pause mode? If so, press the feed button. ■ If the status LED is on or flashing, refer to “What the Status LED is Telling You” on page 35.
Manual Calibration Manual calibration is recommended whenever you are using pre-printed media or if the printer will not correctly auto calibrate. 1. Make sure the printer power is off and that media is loaded. 2. Press and hold the feed button then turn on the printer power. 3. Continue to hold the feed button until the status light LED flashes. Release the feed button. 4. The printer will set the media sensor for the label backing being used.
Resetting the Factory Default Values Sometimes, resetting the printer to the factory defaults solves some of the problems. For troublehooting and to overwrite all stored parameters, send the ^default command. Communications Diagnostics If there is a problem transferring data between the computer and printer, try putting the printer in the communications diagnostics mode.
Feed Button Modes Printer Condition Feed Button Action Printer is OFF Printer is off. Tapping or holding the button has no result. Printer is ON Cover is open Labels, tags or fan-fold forms are loaded. Continuous media roll is loaded. Fresh media has just been loaded. 42 Tapping or holding the button has no result. Tap the button once to perform a "form feed." Hold the button to perform a "continuous feed." The printer stops at the top of the next form. Tap the button to perform a "line feed.
Appendix Interfaces Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connector The figure below displays the cable wiring required to use the printer’s USB interface. 2 3 1 4 Pin Signal 1 Vbus - N/C 2 D- 3 D+ 4 Ground Shell Shield/ Drain Wire For information on the USB interface, go to the USB web site at: Http://www.usb.
Parallel Interface The figure below displays the cable wiring required to use the printer's Centronics parallel interface. HOST DB-25 Pin No. STROBE~ DATA 0 DATA 1 DATA 2 DATA 3 DATA 4 DATA 5 DATA 6 DATA 7 ACK~ BUSY PAPER ERR. SELECT AUTOFD~ ERROR~ N/A N/A N/A SIG. GND SIG. GND SIG. GND SIG. GND SIG. GND SIG. GND SIG. GND 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Centronics Pin No.
Internal Ethernet PrintServer This interface uses an RJ-45 straight-through cable type. The table below provides the pinout assignments.
Serial (RS-232) Connector The printer operates as a Data Communication Equipment (DCE) and normally connects via a standard RS-232 modem cable to a Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) such as a computer or terminal with a default configuration of 9600 baud, 8 bit data, 1 stop bit and No parity.
