ZD200 Series Direct Thermal Printers User’s Guide 212089-001 Rev.
ZEBRA and the stylized Zebra head are trademarks of Zebra Technologies Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Zebra Technologies Corporation and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement.
About This guide is for integrators and operators of the Zebra ZD200 Series desktop printers. Use this guide to install, change configuration, operate, and physically support the product.
About Document Conventions The following graphic icons are used throughout the documentation set. These icons and their associated meanings are described below. Caution • If the precaution is not heeded, the user could receive minor or moderate injury. Eye Injury Caution • If the precaution is not taken, the user’s eyes could be damaged. EXAMPLE: Wear protective eyewear when installing or removing E-rings, C-clips, snap rings, springs, and mounting buttons. These are under tension and could fly off.
Contents Terms of Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Proprietary Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Product Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Liability Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents • Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Printer Setup Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Select a Location for the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Attaching Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents Printer Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Identifying Fonts in Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Localizing the Printer with Code Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Media Roll Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents • Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 • Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Types of Thermal Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Determining Thermal Media Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 General Media and Print Specifications . .
Introduction This section introduces the Zebra® ZD200 Series 4-inch desktop direct thermal label printers. The overview includes the printer’s features and options, and what ships with your new printer. This document covers the following ZD-series desktop printer models: ZD220 and ZD230 • ZD200 Series Direct Thermal Printer — www.zebra.com/zd200d-info 4-inch Desktop Thermal Printers The Zebra® 4-inch Desktop printers are compact label printers with essential features and options.
Introduction • Backwards compatibility focused technology eases printer replacement: • Drop in replacement of legacy Zebra desktop printers. The printer accepts both EPL and ZPL programming languages. • Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 interface • Factory installed network models support printer configuration via a setup utility running on mobile devices.
Introduction Zebra Label Printing Solution The printer is just one of three (3) parts of a printing solution. To print; you need a printer (ZD200 Series), compatible media (direct thermal media), and software (driver, applications or programming) to tell the printer what to do and print. The printer can print without being connected to other devices or systems. The media may be labels, tags, tickets, receipt paper, fan-fold stacks, tamper proof labels, etc.
Introduction What’s in the Box? After unpacking, make sure you have all parts shown below. Follow the procedures for inspecting the printer to familiarize yourself with printer parts so you can follow the instructions in this book. Printer USB Cable Power Supply Printer Documentation Power Cord varies by locale or region What is Not Included in the Box Print Media (Labels, Paper, etc.
Introduction 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.
Printer Features This section will help you identify features of these Zebra® 4-inch ZD200 Series Direct Thermal label printers. ‘How to’ videos on the Zebra Web site include a Printer Features video; as well as; other printer setup and task specific videos. Links to these printers are: • ZD200 Series Direct Thermal Printer — www.zebra.
Printer Features Inside the ZD200 Series Direct Thermal Printers Printhead Upper Web (Gap) Sensor Roll Holders Media Guides Media Guide Stop Head-Up Sensor (inside) Platen (Drive) Roller Movable Sensor (Black Mark and Lower Web/Gap) 15
Printer Features Label Dispenser Option (factory installed only) Label Liner Exit Area Label Taken Sensor Label Peel Bar Dispenser Door Door Latch Peel Roll Cutter Option (factory installed only) Cutter Module Media Exit Slot 16
Controls and Indicators User Interface The user controls are found on the front on top of the printer. This interface provides basic control and status needed by an operator. The interface consists of a Power button, a multi-function FEED button, and a single tri-color STATUS Indicator. The buttons are modal and change behaviors depending upon what the print is doing.
Controls and Indicators User Interface Controls 1 3 ZD220 2 1. Power Button — Turns power ON and OFF in the printer. • Power ON — Press the Power button once for less than two (2) seconds and the printer turns on. The STATUS Indicator light will turn on Amber while the printer does self diagnostics, configuration checks, and integrate optional components which will take several seconds to complete.
Controls and Indicators 3. FEED (Advance) Button — The FEED button is a multi-function button. With the printer ON, pressing the FEED button longer than two (2) seconds initializes the Power On FEED Button modes • Feed One Label — Pressing the FEED button [and releasing before two (2) seconds] when the printer is not printing, causes the printer to advance media one (1) blank form/format length (label, receipt, tag, ticket, etc.). • Reprint Last Label (activated via a SGD command: ezpl.
Controls and Indicators FEED Button Modes - Power OFF The Power OFF advanced modes are used to update and troubleshoot the printer. By pressing and holding the FEED button when the printer is turned ON, the printer enters Forced Firmware Download mode. Load a roll of media for printing.
Setup This section assists you in setting up and operating your printer. The setup process can be broken down into two (2) phases: hardware setup and host system (software/driver) setup. This section covers the physical hardware setup needed to print your first label. Printer Setup Overview • Place the printer in a safe location with access to power and where you can connect interface cables or wirelessly to the system. • Attach the printer and power supply to a grounded AC power source.
Setup Select a Location for the Printer The printer and media need a clean safe area with moderate temperatures to have optimal print operations. Select a location for the printer that meets these conditions: • Surface: The surface where the printer will be located must be solid, level, and of sufficient size and strength to hold the printer with media.
Setup Attaching Power Caution • Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet. Serious personal injury could result! Note • Set up your printer so that you can handle the power cord easily if needed. Some processes for setup or troubleshooting issues may ask you to remove power. Separate the power cord from the power supply receptacle or AC electrical outlet to make certain the printer cannot carry electrical current. 1.
Setup Getting Ready to Print The printer setup cannot be completed without media. The media may be labels, tags, tickets, receipt paper, fan-fold stacks, tamper proof labels, etc. Ideally choose the same media used for normal operation. This will help you identify any setup and real application issues while using this guide. The printer does not come with media. The Zebra Web site or your reseller may be able to help you select the right media for your intended printing application. Find media at: www.
Setup Loading Roll Media The printers support the three basic types of media: • Continuous (receipt, etc.) with no marks to define print length, • Marked media (black lines, black marks, notches, or holes) to define print length • Label media that uses the sensor to look through the media backing (liner) to see the beginning and end of labels on the roll.
Setup Instructions for media loading: This procedure works for Tear-Off (standard bezel), Label Dispense and Media Cutting printer options. 1. Open the printer. Pull the release latch levers toward the front of the printer. 2. Open the media roll holders. Orient the media roll so that its printing surface will face up as it passes over the platen (drive) roller. Pull the media guides open with your free hand and place the media roll on the roll holders and release the guides. Verify the roll turns freely.
Setup 3. Pull the media so that it extends out of the front of the printer. 4. Push the media under both of the media guides.
Setup 5. Flip the media up and align the movable media sensor for your media type. • For continuous roll receipt type media or label media without black marks or notches, align the media to the default center position. • For black mark (black line, notches or holes) backed media, adjust the sensor position so the sensor aligns to the center of the black mark. Avoid the center area of the media to only use black mark sensing for operation with black marks.
Setup Using the Movable Sensor The movable sensor is a dual function sensor. It provides transmissive (sees through media) and reflective media sensing. The printer can use either sensing method, but not both at the same time. The movable sensor has single sensor position for Web/Gap media, the Default position. The movable sensor allows the printer to use media with black marks or notches (holes through the media) on the back side of the media (or media liner).
Setup Loading Roll Media (continued) 1. Cutter Models - For printers with the optional cutter module installed, thread the media through cutter’s media slot and pull it out the front of the printer. 2. Close the printer. Press down until the cover snaps closed. You may need a calibrate your printer for the media. The printer’s sensors need to adjust to sense the label, the liner, and the distance between labels to operate properly.
Setup Run a SmartCal Media Calibration The printer needs to set the media parameters prior to printing for optimal operation. The printer will automatically determine media type (web/gap, black mark/notch, or continuous) and measure media characteristics. Important • After the initial calibration to a specific media is completed, it is not required to perform additional calibrations each time the media is replaced.
Setup Test Printing with the Configuration Report Before you connect the printer to a computer, make sure that the printer is in proper working order. You can do this by printing a configuration report. The information on the Configuration Report’s printout may be helpful with printer installation and troubleshooting of your printer. 1. Make sure the media is loaded properly in the printer and the top cover of the printer is closed. 2. Turn the printer ON. 3.
Setup Detecting a Media Out Condition When you run out of media, your printer will report a ‘Media Out’ condition with the STATUS Indicator flashing red. This is part of the normal media usage cycle. “Media Alert’ Flashing Red Recovering from a Media Out condition 1. Open the printer. 2. Observe that the media is at the end or nearly at the end of the roll with a label missing from the liner. 3. Remove the remaining media and roll core. 4. Insert a new roll of media. See Loading Roll Media.
Setup Connecting your Printer to a Computer The printer supports a variety of interface options and configurations. These include: • Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) interface - Standard. • Ethernet (LAN) - Factory Installed Option. • Internal Wi-Fi (802.11ac) and Bluetooth Classic 4.1 (3.0 Compatible) - Factory Installed Option. • WiFi models include Bluetooth Low Energy (low speed connection) for printer configuration using software running on an Android or iOS device.
Setup USB Interface Universal Serial Bus (version 2.0 compliant) provides a fast 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. When using a USB cable, verify that the cable or cable packaging bears the “Certified USB ™ ” mark (see below) to guarantee USB 2.0 compliance. .
Setup Ethernet (LAN, RJ-45) The printer requires UTP RJ45 Ethernet cable rated CAT-5 or better. The printer has a built-in network print server. For more information on configuring your printer to run on a compatible Ethernet based network, see the Wired and Wireless Print Server users guide. The printer must be configured to run on your network. The print server on board your printer can be accessed through the printer’s print server Web pages.
Setup Assigning an IP Address for Network Access All devices on an Ethernet network (LAN and WLAN) require a network IP (Internet Protocol) address. The printer’s IP address is needed to access the printer for printing and printer configuration.
Setup for ® Windows OS The section helps you setup communications between your printer and the Windows operating system environment. Windows to Printer Communication Setup (Overview) For supported Windows Operating systems (most common) with a Local (wired) connection: 1. Download the Zebra Setup Utilities from the Zebra web site. • ZD200 Series Direct Thermal Printer — www.zebra.com/zd200d-info 2. Run’ the Zebra Setup Utilities from your Download directory. 3.
Setup for Windows® OS install Windows® Printer Drivers Install the Zebra Setup Utilities (ZSU) before applying power to the printer connected to the PC (running a Zebra driver supported Windows operating system). The utility installs the Zebra Windows drivers first. The ZSU installation wizard will then prompt you to apply the printer power. Continue to follow the instructions to complete your printer installation.
Setup for Windows® OS Configure Using the ZebraNet Bridge’s Connectivity Wizard Note • The preferred tool for connecting and configuring your printers to cloud, WLAN, and LAN; is now Link-OS Profile Manager. You can get Profile Manager and ZebraNet Bridge Enterprise (local and LAN configurations) utility is available through http://www.zebra.com/software. ZebraNet Bridge Enterprise version 1.2.5 or later is required to configure the printer correctly for use.
Setup for Windows® OS 5. Click Next. The wizard prompts for the print server device to configure. 6. Select Wireless and then click Next. The wizard prompts you for the type of printer you are using.
Setup for Windows® OS 7. Select the type of printer you are using and then click Next. The wizard prompts for the wireless IP information. 8. Enable the DHCP (dynamic) or Static IP option. • DHCP 1. Select DHCP and click Next. 2. Continue with step 9. • Static (IP) 3. Select Static. 4. The IP settings fields are activated. 5. Enter the IP Address, Default Gateway, and Subnet Mask for the wireless print server. Contact your network administrator for the correct values. 6. Continue with step 9.
Setup for Windows® OS 9. Click Next. The Wireless Settings window opens.
Setup for Windows® OS 10.Enter the ESSID. Note • The ESSID and pass phrase, if used, must be set at your access point before completing these steps. 11.From the drop-down, select your Security Mode. • None (no security protocol selected) • EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, or WPA-EAP-TLS In the EAP section of the window, if necessary, enter the Optional Private Key. Click Next and continue with step 12.
Setup for Windows® OS 12.Click Advanced Options in the Wireless Settings window. step 12 The Advanced Wireless Settings window opens. 13.Review the settings in the Advanced Wireless Settings window. Change the settings as necessary, and then click OK. The Wireless Settings window returns.
Setup for Windows® OS 14.Click Next. Based on your selections in the Wireless Setup Wizard, the program writes the appropriate ZPL commands and displays them for your review. If you selected Tabletop/Desktop then the a dialog box similar to this displays. 15.Determine if you will send the script immediately, or save it for use at a later time. Using a Configuration Script Complete setup by sending the ZPL script to the printer through the port selected at the beginning of this procedure. 1.
Setup for Windows® OS Saving a Configuration Script Save the ZPL script to a file for use later or for use with other printers. Note • You can send the ZPL script file to multiple printers that use the same configuration, or you can send the file to a printer that had the network settings restored to the factory defaults. This saves you from having to go through the Wireless Setup Wizard more than once. 1. On the ‘Review and Send ZPL for Wireless’ window, highlight the script, right-click, and select Copy.
Setup for Windows® OS Bluetooth Option Configuration The Zebra Setup Utilities provides a quick and easy way to configure a Bluetooth wireless connection with your printer. 1. Double-click the Zebra Setup Utilities icon on your desktop. 2. Connect a USB cable from your printer to your computer. 3. On the first ZSU screen, highlight the printer displayed in the window and click on the Configure Printer Connectivity where shown. 4.
Setup for Windows® OS 9. The values set in the Authentication PIN field will vary depending on the Bluetooth (BT) version of the master device. If the master uses BT v2.0 or older, enter a numeric value in this field. You will be prompted to enter this same value on the master device to verify pairing. Security Mode 2 or 3 in Advanced Settings should also be selected for PIN paring. 10.If the master device uses BT v2.1 or newer, this setting has no effect. BT v2.
Setup for Windows® OS Connecting to a Windows Vista® SP2 or Windows 7® Master Device The Windows Vista (SP2 or higher) and Windows 7 Bluetooth install differs from the XP install. • Windows Vista: Open the ‘Add Printer’ wizard by clicking the ‘Start’ button, clicking ‘Control Panel’, clicking ‘Hardware and Sound’, clicking ‘Printers’, and then clicking ‘Add a printer’.
Setup for Windows® OS 3. Hover over the Bluetooth icon with the mouse pointer and the icon will highlight. Right-Click on the high-lighted Bluetooth icon. Select ‘Bluetooth Settings’ from the pop-up menu. Verify that both of the Connections check boxes are checked. Verify that the ‘Turn off the Bluetooth adapter’ is not checked. Click the ‘Apply’ button. Click the ‘OK’ button to close the window. 4. Click on the ‘Add a device’ in the top bar of the “Devices and Printers’ window.
Setup for Windows® OS 6. The printer will print a pairing code. Verify that the pairing numbers match with those on your display screen. If the numbers match, then press the ‘Next button’ in the ‘Add a device’ window. 7. When the pairing process successfully completes, the following message will be displayed. Note • The COM port number displayed in the task bar pop-up. It will only remain for a few seconds.
Setup for Windows® OS Connecting the Printer to a Windows 8 OS Before adding (also called pairing) a Bluetooth enabled device, make sure it is turned on and discoverable. As stated in the previous section under Connecting to a Windows Vista® SP2 or Windows 7® Master Device, your Windows device may need a Bluetooth adapter to connect to Bluetooth device. Check with your device manufacturer’s User Manual for further information. 1.
Setup for Windows® OS Connecting the Printer to a Windows 10 OS Before adding (also called pairing) a Bluetooth enabled device, make sure it is turned on and discoverable. As stated in the previous section under “Installing the Printer on a Windows 7 PC,” your Windows device may need a Bluetooth adapter to connect to Bluetooth device. Check with your device manufacturer’s User Manual for further information. 1. Open the Windows Start Menu by clicking on the Windows Start ( . 2.
Setup for Windows® OS 3. Click on Bluetooth. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth installed, the Bluetooth category will not be displayed in the list of device categories. The printer is identified by the serial number. Printer Serial Number 4. Click on the printer and then click on the ‘pairing’ button for the printer.
Setup for Windows® OS 5. The printer will print a passcode. Compare that with the passcode showing on screen. Click ‘Yes’ if they match. 6. The printer status changes to connected when pairing has completed.
Setup for Windows® OS After Your Printer is Connected Now that you have basic communication to your printer, you may want to test printer communications and then install other printer related applications, drivers or utilities. Testing Communications by Printing Verifying the print system’s operation is a relatively simple process. For Windows operating systems, use the Zebra Setup Utility or the Windows ‘Printers and Faxes’ Control Panel to access and print a test label.
Setup for Windows® OS Test Print with a Copied ZPL Command File for Non-Windows Operating Systems: 1. Create a text file with the following ASCII three characters: ~WC 2. Save the file as: TEST.ZPL (an arbitrary file name and extension name). 3. Copy the file to the printer. For DOS, a file sent to a printer connected to the system’s serial port would be as simple as: COPY TEST.ZPL COM1 Other interface connection types and operating systems will have different command strings.
Print Operations This section provides general information on media and print handling, font and language support, and the setup of less common printer configurations. Thermal Printing The ZD-Series printers use heat to expose direct thermal media ‘ink’ on the media. Extra care should be taken to avoid touching the printhead which gets hot and is sensitive to electrostatic discharges. Hot Surface Caution • The printhead becomes hot while printing.
Print Operations Determining Your Printer’s Configuration Settings ZD-series printer provide a configuration report of the printer’s settings and hardware. Operational status (darkness, speed, media type, etc.), installed printer options (network, interface settings, cutter, etc.) and printer description information (serial number, model name, firmware version, etc.) are all included on the configuration report. • See Test Printing with the Configuration Report to print this label.
Print Operations Adjusting the Print Width Print width must be set: • Before you use the printer for the first time. • Any time you change the width of the media in use. Print width may be set by: • The Windows printer driver or application software such as ZebraDesigner ™ . • Controlling printer operations with ZPL programming; refer to the Print Width (^PW) command (consult your ZPL Programming Guide). Replacing Supplies while Using the Printer If media (labels, receipts, tags, tickets, etc.
Print Operations Printing on Fan-Fold Media Printing on fan-fold media requires you to adjust the media guides stop position. 1. Open the top cover. Fan-Fold Media Path 2. Adjust the media guide stop position with the gold thumb wheel. Use a piece of the fan-fold media to set the stop position. Rotate the wheel away from you to make the guides wider. Rotate the wheel toward you to make the media guides narrower.
Print Operations 3. Insert the media through the slot at the rear of the printer and place the media between the media guide and roll holders. 4. Close the top cover. After printing or using the FEED button to advance several labels: If the media does not track down the center (moves from side to side) or the sides of the media (liner, tag, paper, etc.) are frayed or damaged when exiting the printer, then the media guide stop position may need further adjustment.
Print Operations Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media The printer accommodates externally mounted roll media similar to the printer’s support of fan-fold media. The printer requires the media roll and stand combination to have a low initial inertia to pull the media off the roll. Externally Mounted Roll Media Considerations: • The media ideally should enter the printer directly behind the printer through the fan-fold media slot in the rear of the printer.
Print Operations Using the Label Dispenser Option The label dispenser option allows you to print a label and have the backing material (liner/web) automatically removed. When printing multiple labels, removing the dispensed (peeled) label triggers the printer to print and dispense the next label. To use dispense-mode, set ‘Media Handling’ to ‘Peel-Off’ in the printer driver or with the Zebra Setup Utility using the ‘Configure Printer Settings’ wizard.
Print Operations 2. Lift the liner over the top of the printer. Pull the gold latch in the center of dispenser door away from the printer and the door will open.
Print Operations 3. Insert the label liner between the dispenser door and the printer body. 4. Close the dispenser door while pulling the end of the label liner tight.
Print Operations 5. Press and release the FEED (Advance) button one or more times until a label gets presented for removal. 6. During the print job, the printer will peel off the backing and present a single label. Take the label from the printer to allow the printer to print the next label. Note • If you did not activate the label taken sensor to detect the removal of the dispensed (peeled) label with software commands, the printed labels will stack and may bind the mechanism.
Print Operations Printer Fonts The ZD-Series printer supports your language and font requirements. The ZPL ™ programming language provides advanced font mapping and scaling technology to support outline fonts (TrueType ™ or OpenType ™ ) and Unicode character mapping as well as basic bitmapped fonts and character code pages. The printer’s font capabilities are programming language dependent.
Print Operations Asian fonts and Other Large Font Sets Asian language ideographic and pictographic fonts have large character sets with thousands of characters that support single language code page. In order to support the large Asian character sets, the industry adopted a double-byte (67840 maximum) character system instead of the single-byte characters (256 maximum) used by Latin based language characters to address large font sets.
Print Operations Media Roll Adapters Adapter Kit The media roll adapters kit include a pair of 38.1 mm (1.5 inches) inner diameter (I.D.) media roll adapters and two (2) screws to mount them. Adapter Usage • The adapters are intended to be permanently installed in the printer. • They may be changed to support other media roll sizes that require one of these adapter sizes. • The adapters may wear out if they are changed too much.
Maintenance This section provides routine cleaning and maintenance procedures. Cleaning Your Zebra printer may require periodic maintenance to keep your printer functional and printing high quality labels, receipts, tags, etc. Cleaning Supplies The following printer cleaning supplies are recommended for use with your printer: • Printhead Cleaning Pens for simple operator printhead cleaning • 90% min. pure Isopropyl Alcohol (10% water max.) (Use a labeled alcohol dispenser.
Maintenance Recommended Cleaning Schedule Printhead Interval: Clean the printhead after every 5 rolls printed. Procedure: Cleaning the Printhead Platen (Drive) Roller Interval: As needed to improve print quality. Platen rollers can slip causing print image distortion and in worst case scenarios not move the media (labels, receipts, tags, etc.). Procedure: See Platen Cleaning and Replacement. Media Path Interval: Clean as needed.
Maintenance Cutter Option Interval: Not an operator serviceable component. Do Not Clean inside the cutter opening or blade mechanism. You may use the Exterior cleaning to clean the cutter bezel (housing). Method: Call a service technician. Procedure: Not applicable. Cut Warning • There are no operator serviceable parts in the cutter unit. Never remove the cutter cover (bezel). Never attempt to insert objects or fingers in to the cutter mechanism.
Maintenance Cleaning the Printhead Always use a new cleaning pen on the printhead (an old pen carries contaminants from its previous use that may damage the printhead). When you load new media, you should clean the printhead for optimal print operations. Hot Surface Caution • The printhead becomes hot while printing. To protect from damaging the printhead and risk of personal injury, avoid touching the printhead. Only use the cleaning pen to perform printhead maintenance.
Maintenance Media Path Cleaning Use a cleaning swab and/or a lint free cloth to remove debris, dust or crust that has built-up on the holders, guides and media path surfaces. Lightly moisten the swab or cloth with 90% solution isopropyl alcohol. For hard to clean areas, use extra alcohol on a cleaning swab to soak the debris to break up any adhesive that may have accumulated on surfaces in the media compartment. Do not clean the printhead, sensors, or platen as part of this process.
Maintenance Cleaning the Cutter and Label Dispenser Options This is a continuation of cleaning the media path for either option, if installed. Cutter Option Cleaning The plastic media path surfaces can be cleaned but not the internal cutter blades or mechanism. Important • The cutter blade mechanism does not require maintenance cleaning. DO NOT clean the blade. This blade has a special coating to resist adhesives and wear. Cut Warning • There are no operator serviceable parts in the cutter unit.
Maintenance Label Dispenser Option Cleaning 1. Open the door and clean the peel bar, inner surfaces and ridges on the door. 2. Wipe the roller while rotating it. Discard the swab or cloth. Clean again to remove diluted residue. 3. Clean the sensor window. The window should be clear of streaks and residue.
Maintenance Sensor Cleaning Dust can accumulate on the media sensors. Use a can of compressed air. Do not use an air compressor to remove dust. Compressors add moisture, fine grit, and lubricant which can contaminate your printer. 1. Clean the Movable Sensor’s window. Gently brush away dust or use a can of compressed air; if necessary, use a dry swab to brush away dust. If adhesives or other contaminants remain, use an alcohol moistened swab to break it up. 2.
Maintenance Platen Cleaning and Replacement The platen (drive roller) normally does not require cleaning. Normally, paper and liner dust can accumulate without affecting print operations. Clean the platen (and media path) whenever the printer has significantly poorer performance, print quality or media handling. The platen is the print surface and drive roller for your media. If sticking or jamming continues even after cleaning, you must replace the platen.
Maintenance Removing the Platen Roller The platen can be cleaned with a fiber-free swab (such as a Texpad swab) or a lint free, clean, damp cloth very lightly moistened with medical grade alcohol (90% pure or better). 1. Open the cover (and dispenser door, if the dispenser is installed). Remove media from platen area. 2. Pull the platen bearing latch release tabs on the right and left sides towards the front of the printer and rotate them up.
Maintenance 3. Lift the platen out of the printer’s bottom frame. Platen Bearings 4. Slide the gear and the two (2) bearings off the shaft of the platen roller.
Maintenance 5. Cleaning Only — Clean the platen with the alcohol moistened swab. Clean from the center out. Repeat this process until all of the roller surface has been cleaned. If there has been heavy adhesive build-up or label jam, repeat with a new swab to remove residual contaminants. Adhesives and oils, for example, may be thinned by the initial cleaning but not completely removed. 6. Discard the cleaning swabs after use - do not reuse. 7.
Maintenance Updating Printer Firmware The printer’s firmware may need to be updated periodically to get new features, improvements, and printer upgrades for media handling and communications. Use Zebra Setup Utilities (ZSU) to load new firmware. 1. Open Zebra Setup Utilities. 2. Select your installed printer. 3. Click on the ‘Open Printer Tools’ button and a ‘Tools’ window will open. 4. Click on the ‘Action’ tab. 5. Load the printer with media. See Loading Roll Media. 6.
Troubleshooting This section provides troubleshooting procedures and information. Resolving Alerts and Errors Alert: Media Path Printhead Open A print command or a FEED button has been pressed and the printer has detected that the printhead (cover) is not closed. Possible Cause - 1 The cover is open or has not been closed properly. Resolution Close the cover/printhead. Push down on the front top corners of the printer’s cover.
Troubleshooting Possible Cause - 2 Open the printer: If there is a missing label on the roll between two labels at the end of a roll of labels, then this is the method used by the label roll manufacture to identify the end of the roll. See Detecting a Media Out Condition. Resolution Replace the empty media roll and continue printing. Do not power the print off or you will loose your print job. See Detecting a Media Out Condition. Possible Cause - 3 Misaligned movable media sensor.
Troubleshooting CUT ERROR The cutter blade is bound and is not moving properly Possible Cause - 1 Media, adhesive, or external object has stopped the cutter blade from operating. Resolution 1Turn the printer off by holding the power using the POWER button down for 5 seconds. Wait for thee printer to shutdown completely. Turn the printer on. Resolution Contact your Zebra partner or Zebra Tech Support for assistance. Cut Warning • There are no operator serviceable parts in the cutter unit.
Troubleshooting Alert: PRINTHEAD SHUTDOWN The printhead is below operating temperature for proper printing. Possible Cause - 1 Printhead has had a critical temperature or power failure Resolution Turn the printer off by holding the power using the POWER button down for 5 seconds. Wait for thee printer to shutdown completely. Turn the printer on. Resolution Contact your Zebra partner or Zebra Tech Support for assistance.
Troubleshooting Resolving Print Issues This section helps you identify issues with printing or print quality, the possible causes, and the recommended solutions. Issue: General Print Quality Issues The printed image does not look right. Possible Cause - 1 The printer is set at an incorrect darkness level and/or print speed. Resolution Adjust the printers Darkness setting. See Adjusting the Print Quality. Possible Cause - 2 The printhead is dirty. Resolution Clean the printhead. See Cleaning the Printhead.
Troubleshooting Issue: No Print on the Label The print image is not printing. Possible Cause - 1 The media may not be direct thermal media (and is media made for thermal transfer printers). Resolution See the test procedure, Determining Thermal Media Types. Possible Cause - 2 Media has been loaded incorrectly. Resolution The media printable surface must face up towards the printhead. See Getting Ready to Print followed by Loading Roll Media.
Troubleshooting Communication Issues This section identifies problems with communications, the possible causes, and the recommended solutions. Issue: Label Job Sent, Data Transfers, But No Print A label format was sent to the printer but was not recognized. The data was transfered but no printing occurs. Possible Cause - 1 The prefix and delimiter characters set in the printer do not match the ones in the label format. Resolution Verify the ZPL programmings prefix (COMMAND CHAR) and delimiter (DELIM.
Troubleshooting Miscellaneous Issues This section identifies miscellaneous issues with the printer, the possible causes, and the recommended solutions. Issue: Settings are Lost or Ignored Some parameters are set incorrectly. Possible Cause - 1 Printer settings were changed without saving them. Resolution The ZPL ^JU command was not used to save your configuration before turning the printer off. Cycle the printer OFF and then back ON to verify settings have been saved.
Troubleshooting 3 — If the printer does not recover from this error, call a service technician. This is not a user serviceable item. Issue: Non-continuous labels act as Continuous labels. A non-continuous label format with matching media loaded in the printer, was sent to the printer but prints like it is continuous media. Possible Cause - 1 The printer was not calibrated for the media being used. Possible Cause - 2 The printer is configured for continuous media.
Troubleshooting Printer Diagnostics Diagnostic reports, calibration procedures, restoring factory defaults and other diagnostics provide specific information about the condition of the printer. Important • Use full-width media when performing self tests. If your media is not wide enough, the test labels may print on the platen (drive) roller. Note • Diagnostic Testing Tips: • When performing these self tests, do not send data to the printer from the host.
Troubleshooting Printer Network (and Bluetooth) Configuration Report ZD-Series printers with Wired or Wireless connectivity options installed will print an additional printer configuration report. This information needed to establish and trouble shoot Ethernet (LAN and WLAN), and Bluetooth 4.1 network printing. The following printout is printed with the ZPL ~WL command.
Troubleshooting 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 media is loaded. A good common label size is 4 by 6 inches. 2. Turn on the printer power. 3. Send the following command to the printer: ! U1 do "ezpl.manual_calibration" "" See Sending Files to the Printer. 4. The printer will set the media sensor for the label backing being used.
Troubleshooting Communications Diagnostics If there is a problem transferring data between the computer and printer, try putting the printer in the communications diagnostics mode. The printer will print the ASCII characters and their respective hexadecimal values (a sample is shown below) for any data received from the host computer. To find out how, • There are multiple ways to enter hex data dump mode: • The ~JD ZPL command • The dump EPL command • On Power Up with the FEED button pressed.
Troubleshooting The following example of a communications Diagnostic mode printed out. The printout displays hexadecimal data 00h-FFh (0-255 decimal) with a unique character for each hexadecimal value displayed above the hexadecimal data. The blank lines between the lines of data are where serial port and Bluetooth data handling errors get logged.
Interface Connector Wiring Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface The figure below displays the cable wiring required to use the printer’s USB two interfaces. Important • When using third party cables, the printer requires USB cables or the cable packaging that bears the “Certified USB ™ ” mark to guarantee USB 2.0 compliance. A B http://www.usb.org Wiring - USB Connector “A” Style for “connecting to” the printer or device Pin 1 — Vbus (+5VDC).
Dimensions This section provides external printer dimensions.
Dimensions Standard Printer All dimension are in millimeters Standard Printer 101
Dimensions Standard Printer All dimension are in millimeters Standard Printer 102
Dimensions Printer with Label Dispenser All dimension are in millimeters Printer with Label Dispenser 103
Dimensions 0 Printer with Label Dispenser All dimension are in millimeters Printer with Label Dispenser 104
Dimensions Printer with Cutter All dimension are in millimeters Printer with Cutter 105
Media This section provides a simple media overview for your printer.
Media Types of Thermal Media Important • Zebra strongly recommends the use of Zebra-brand supplies in order to ensure consistent high-quality printing. A wide range of paper, polypropylene, polyester, and vinyl stock has been specifically engineered to enhance the printing capabilities of the printer and to prevent premature printhead wear. To purchase supplies, go to http://www.zebra.com/howtobuy.
Media General Media and Print Specifications • Direct Thermal — Max. Media width: 108mm (4.25 inches) • All Printers — Min. Media width: 15mm (0.59 inches) • Media length: • • 990mm (39 inches) max. • 25.4mm (1.0 inch) min. - Tear Off, Peel, or Cutter Media thickness: • 0.06mm (0.0024 inches) min. – all requirements • 0.1905mm (0.0075 inches) max. – all requirements • Media Roll Outer Diameter (O.D.) max.: 127mm (5.0 inches) • Media Roll Core Inner Diameter (I.D.): • • 12.7mm (0.
Media Cutter The printer supports a field installed media cutter option for full width cutting of label liner, tag or receipt media. • A medium duty cutter for cutting label liner and light tag media (LINER/TAG). Do not cut through labels, adhesive or embedded circuitry. • Paper Thickness: • • Min. 0.06 mm (0.0024 inches) • Max. 0.1905 mm (0.0075 inches) Cut Width: • Min.15 mm (0.585 inches) • Thermal Transfer Printers Max. 12mm (4.41 inches) • Direct Thermal Printers Max. 108mm (4.
Media Table 1 Types of Media Roll and Fanfold Media Media Type Non-Continuous Roll Media How It Looks Description Labels have adhesive backing that sticks them to a liner. Tags (or tickets) are separated by perforations. Individual labels or tags are tracked and position controlled by one or more of the following methods: 1. Web media separates labels by gaps, holes, or notches. 2. Black mark media uses pre-printed black marks on the back side of the media to indicate label separations. 3.
ZPL Configuration This section provides an overview of managing printer configuration, the Configuring Status Report, and Printer and Memory Printouts. Managing the ZPL Printer Configuration The ZPL printer is designed to allow you to change printer settings dynamically for fast first label out printing. Printer parameters that are persistent will be retained for future formats to use.
ZPL Configuration ZPL Printer Configuration Format Managing more than one printer can be done by creating a printer configuration programming file to send to one or more printers or ZebraNet ™ Bridge can be used to clone a printer’s setup. Figure 1 below shows the basic structure of a ZPL programming configuration file. See the ZPL programmer’s guide and the Configuration Setting to Command Cross-reference to create a programming file.
ZPL Configuration Configuration Setting to Command Cross-reference The Printer Configuration Report, shown below, provides a listing of a majority of the configurations settings that can be set by ZPL command.
ZPL Configuration Table 1 ZPL Commands and Configuration Report Callout Cross-Reference Command Listing Name Description ~SD DARKNESS Default: 10.0 ^PR PRINT SPEED Default: 101.6 mm/s / 4 IPS 152.4 mm/s / 6 IPS (max.) ~TA TEAR OFF Default: +000 ^MN MEDIA TYPE Default: GAP/NOTCH SENSOR SELECT Default: AUTO (^MNA - Auto-Detect) ^PW PRINT WIDTH Default: 832 (dots for 203 dpi) ^LL LABEL LENGTH Default: 1230 (dots) (dynamically updated while printing) ^ML MAXIMUM LENGTH Default: 39.
ZPL Configuration The configuration settings listed here resume after the TAKE LABEL sensor value. These listings contain printer features seldom changed from default or provide status information. Table 2 ZPL Commands and Configuration Receipt Callout Cross-Reference Command ^MP Listing Name Description MODES ENABLED Default: DPCSWFXM (See ^MP Command) MODES DISABLED Default: (nothing set) RESOLUTION Default: 832 8/mm (203 dpi) — FIRMWARE Lists ZPL Firmware Version — XML SCHEMA 1.
ZPL Configuration Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports To help you manage printer resources, the printer supports a variety of format commands to manage memory, transfer objects (between memory areas, import and export), object naming, and provide various printer operating status reports. They are very similar to the old DOS commands like DIR (directory listing) and DEL (delete file). The most common reports are also part of the Zebra Setup Utility and ZebraDesigner ™ Windows driver.
ZPL Configuration Table 3 Object Management and Status Report Commands Command Name Description ^WD Print Directory Label Prints a list of objects and resident barcodes and fonts in all addressable memory locations ~WC Print Configuration Label Prints a configuration Status Receipt (Label) Same as FEED Button mode one flash routine ^ID Object Delete Deletes objects from printer memory ^TO Transfer Object Used to copy an object or group of objects from one memory area to another.
