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User Guide Zebra GK420t™

1. La 7 90 EN 7 50 om ln i munem 7 i E 10 05 All dimensions are in inches 1 1 1 10 05 gu L LA IA 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 91 External GK Printer Dimensions Label Dispenser e 7 90 i 7 50 l 2 46 lone GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 8 4 10 92 External GK Printer Dimensions 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Appendix ZPL Configuration This section provides a basic overview of managing printer configuration the Configuring Statu
2. Opening the printer To access the media compartment you must open the printer Pull the release latches towards you and lift the cover Check the media compartment for loose or damaged components Caution The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of the human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the printhead or electronic components used in this device You must observe static safe procedures when working with the printhead or the electronic components under the top cover 8 410 Introduction 5 What s in the Box Printer Features Printhead Ribbon Roll Holders Supply Spindles Ribbon Trailer Sensor hidden from view Roll Holders and Media Guides Media Guide Stop BlackLine Sensor Wa yo We ANS Web Gap Sensor j inside Dispenser Door open Sensor Pinch Peel Bar Roller 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 6 Introduction What s in the Box Operator Controls Power Switch Press up to turn ON or down to turn OFF the printer Caution The printer power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the communications and power cables Power Switch Power OFF Power ON Power Switch 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Introduction 7 What s in the Bo
3. 000 0 cee eee eee tenes 27 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 10 Getting Started Attaching Power Attaching Power Important Set up your printer so that you can handle the power cord easily if needed To m make certain the printer cannot carry electrical current you must separate the power cord from the power supply receptacle or AC electrical outlet Caution Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet Serious personal injury could result 1 Make sure the printer s power switch is in the off position down 2 Insert the AC power cord into the power supply 3 Plug the other end of the cord into an appropriate AC electrical outlet Note The active power light will go on if power is on at the AC outlet 4 Insert the power supply s power connector into the printer s power receptacle Printer Plug Varies by Country Mm Power Switch Power 4 Connector Power Receptacle Active P Light ctive Power Lig IEC 60320 C 13 connector are used at all times These power cords must bear the relevant certification mark of Note Ensure the appropriate power cord with a three 3 prong plug and an IEC 60320 C13 the country in which the product is being used 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 11 Loading Roll Media Loading Roll Media When you load media you must place the roll onto the media hangers
4. Flash Sequence Action Firmware Download Mode The printer starts rapidly flashing red to denote entry into the Firmware Download mode Releasing the Feed button here will start initializing the printer for download The printer is ready to start downloading firmware when the status Amber Red light begins to slowly flash between red and green Flashing See Sending Files to the Printer on page 44 for more information on using the Firmware and File Download utility available for use with this printer Firmware updates for your printer if available are posted on the Zebra on our web site at www zebra com Normal Operations Mode The printer continues into a normal printer initialization Amber Releasing the Feed button here will allow the printer to start normally without firmware download or operating in communications diagnostics mode Communications Diagnostic Dump Mode Release the Feed button immediately after the printer status light turns green The printer will print Now in DUMP at the top of the label and then advance to the next label After printing the first label the printer will automatically enter into diagnostic mode in which the printer prints out a literal Green representation of all data subsequently received To exit the diagnostic mode and resume printing turn off and then turn on the printer An alternate method for exiting the diagnostic mode is to press the Feed button as many times as it ta
5. Printer Accessory ooccccoco BI 52 ZBI 2 0 Zebra Basic Interpreter l l llle 53 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 46 Printer Options Label Dispenser Option Label Dis 980610 001 Rev C penser Option The factory installed label dispenser option allows you to print a label with backing liner web being removed from the label as it prints ready for application When printing multiple labels removing the dispensed peeled label notifies the printer to print and dispense the next label To use dispenser mode correctly use your printer driver to activate the label taken sensor along with these typical label settings which include but are not limited to length non continuous gap and web liner Otherwise you must send the ZPL or EPL programming commands to the printer When programming in ZPL you can use the following command sequences shown below and refer to your ZPL Programming Guide for more information on ZPL programming XA MMP XZ XA JUS XZ When programming in EPL send the Options O command with the P command parameter OP to enable the Label Taken sensor Other printer option parameters may also be included with the Options command string Refer to your EPL Programmer s Guide for more information on programming with EPL and the Options O command behaviors 1 Load your labels into the printer Close the printer and press the Feed button until a mini
6. GK Series Thermal Printers 980610 001 Rev C GK Series Thermal Printers The Zebra GK model is the best value in a desktop thermal printer The GK420t printer provides thermal transfer and direct thermal printing at speeds up to 5 ips inches per second at a 203 dpi dots per inch print density The GK420t supports both ZPL and EPL Zebra printer programming languages and a wide variety of interface and feature options The G Series printer features Automatic printer language detection and switching between ZPL and EPL programming and label formats OpenAccess design for simplified media loading The industry s easiest ribbon loading design Color coded operator controls and media guides Zebra Global Printing Solution supports Microsoft Windows keyboard encoding and ANSI Unicode UTF 8 and UTF 16 Unicode Transformation Formats XML ASCII 7 and 8 bit used by legacy programs and systems basic single and double byte font encoding JIS and Shift JIS Japanese International Standards Hexadecimal encoding and custom character maps DAT table creation font linking and character remapping On The Fly OpenType and TrueType font scaling and import Unicode preloaded Swiss 721 Latin 1 font one resident scalable font and a selection of resident bitmap fonts Improved printer performance faster print speeds and a 32 bit processor Adaptive auto serial port cable sensing and configurat
7. Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports Table 4 Object Management and Status Report Commands Command Name Description AWD Print Directory Label Prints a list of objects and resident bar codes and fonts in all addressable memory locations WC Print Configuration Prints a configuration Status Receipt Label 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 CM Change Memory Letter Reassigns a letter designation to a printer Designation memory area JB Initialize Flash memory Similar to formatting a disk erases all objects from the specified memory locations B or E JB Reset Optional Memory Similar to formatting a disk erases all objects from the B memory factory option DY Download Objects Downloads and installs wide variety of printer usable programming objects fonts OpenType and TrueType graphics and other object data types Recommendation Use ZebraNet Bridge for downloading graphics and fonts in the printer DG Download Graphic Downloads an ASCII Hex representation of a graphic image This is used by ZebraDesigner label creation application for graphics FL Font Linking Appends secondary TrueType font or fonts to the primary TrueType font to add glyphs characters LF List Font Links Prints a
8. GK420t User Guide 8 410 Contents About This Daculelil iios ososchb scitkasrReveserccrezreicexeezrmeka V Who Should Use This Document 0 0000 eee vi How This Document Is Organized 0 0 0 tees vi Contacts eee a id a a Sea gout doo vii Document Conventions 0 000 ete eee viii T IOOUCHON ia 219 00500 RR Ree we CC es Re QUE MOL QUOD RNC QUA RV C 1 GK Series Thermal Printers liliis res 2 What s in the Box o 3 Unpack and Inspect the Printer liliis 3 Your Printer iis uu pr 44440 ek A Pee eee 4 Printer Features seas med RAE ciated os Rap d ERO abs a TRU er eed 5 Operator Controls 1 0 0 pekine ia eE nen 6 22 GING SHOOT ouasadecsadusucewskkha4asrce bsseesexsra aadecadas 9 Attaching POWOL sx dus Aan Een ti bee ede ee wes 10 Loading Roll Media lslseeseeeeseeee RR III he 11 Preparing Media ossei esiste idn neni RR 11 Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment 00 00 eee eee eee 12 Loading Transfer RIDbDON o oooccooccooc RII I 14 Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label selle 18 Pre install Windows Printer Drivers llli 19 Connecting your Printer to a Computer oococcccccco elles 21 Interface Cable Requirements oooccoccoccoo eee 21 After Your Printer is Connected llli 27 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C Js Print Operations 244 64 ssssiv ence XA ORO E hae eee t tss Rae
9. If the Feed button remains pressed after 7th flash sequence cycle finishes the printer exits the configuration mode when the Feed button is released 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 82 Troubleshooting Feed Button Modes 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 A Appendix Interface Wiring This section provides printer interface connection information Contents Universal Serial Bus USB Interface llle 84 Parallel Vite rt ACS iia ios daa 85 Ethernet Interface ss se b ene d ier RS D UR S areca anaes S 86 Serial Port Interface sss obs RR mm RR tie A mm E sr n min 87 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 84 Universal Serial Bus USB Interface Universal Serial Bus USB Interface The figure below displays the cable wiring required to use the printer s USB interface The printer requires cable or cable packaging that bears the Certified USB mark to guarantee USB 2 0 compliance Pin Signal 1 Vbus N C 2 D 3 D 4 Ground Shell Shield Drain Wire For printer supported operating systems and drivers see the software and documentation CD or visit the Zebra Web site at http www zebra com For information on the USB interface go to the USB web site at http www usb org 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Parallel Interface The printer s parallel interface uses the IEEE 1284 A to 1284 B parallel interfa
10. You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require Preparing Media Whether your roll media is inside or outside wound you load it into the printer the same way Remove the outside length of media During shipment handling or storage the roll may become dirty or dusty Removing the outside length of media avoids dragging adhesive or dirty media between the printhead and platen 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 12 Getting Started Loading Roll Media Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment 1 Open the printer Remember that you need to pull the release latch levers toward the front of the printer 2 Open the media roll holders Pull the media guides open with your free hand and place the media roll on the roll holders and release the guides Orient the media roll so that its printing surface will face up as it passes over the platen drive roller 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 13 Loading Roll Media 3 Pull the media so that it extends out of the front of the printer Verify the roll turns freely The roll must not sit in the bottom of the media compartment Verify that the media s printing surface is facing up 5 Close the printer Press down until the cover snaps closed 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 14 Getting Started Loading Transfer Ribbon Loading Transfer Ribbon 980610 001 Rev C Transfer ribbons come in seve
11. Zebra GK420t Desktop Thermal Printer User Guide A 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 2010 ZIH Corp G Series GK420t ZBI ZBI 2 0 ZBI Developer Uni Ribbon ZebraDesigner ZebraNet EPL EPL2 ZPL ZPL II OpenACCESS and all product names and numbers are Zebra trademarks and Zebra the Zebra head graphic ZPL ZPL II Element Energy Equalizer circuit E3 Circuitand and ZebraNet are registered trademarks of ZIH Corp All rights reserved All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners This product may contain ZPL ZPL I and ZebraLink programs Element Energy Equalizer M Circuit E 0 and Monotype Imaging fonts Software OZIH corp All rights reserved worldwide All rights reserved worldwide Monotype Intellifont and UFST are trademarks of Monotype Imaging Inc registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions CG Triumvirate is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc and may be registered in some jurisdictions TrueType is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certancertain jurisdictions Proprietary Statement This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation and its subsidiaries Zebra Technologies It is intended solely for the information and use of parties operating and maintaining t
12. 4a PROMEDIOS ir oca Row do CAU OO di AA ADR UN RON dE ee o 45 Label Dispenser Option oooocooocooooor nh 46 ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Wired Print Server Option a aasa asasan aaaea aaa 49 Printer Network Configuration Status Label 0 0 0 0 eee eee eee eee 50 Zebra KDU Printer Accessory 00 ce eee 51 KDU Plus Printer Accessory RI 52 ZBI 2 0 Zebra Basic Interpreter llle 53 n MIO ee ee eee diri e ee P o RC Ea indic ed ee 55 Clea mr 56 Cleaning the Printhead 0 00 0 cece e 57 Media Path Considerations llle 58 Platen Cleaning and Replacement 0 0c eee eee ee 60 Other Printer Maintenance 1 1 0 0 0 cece tees 62 Replacing the Printhead 0 liliis 63 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 bs Trou ubleshooti g iusosakakaa ua br a wwisa d ea aacra a caede cl Kos c d cae 69 Status Light Descriptions iliis 70 Status Light Error Resolutions 0 0 ee ene 71 Print Quality Problems 0 0 60 cece eee RII 73 Manual Calibration ooooocccooooo rn 76 Troubleshooting Tests lille ee 77 Printing a Configuration Label 0 2 0 cect eee 77 Recalibration gt scsi see ek eee ee eee ee ee eRe eee eae Pee m RR 77 Resetting the Factory Default Values nannaa naaa aeaa 78 Communications Diagnostics sasaaa aaaea 78 Feed Button Modes 00 0 ccc eh 80 A A
13. Document Conventions Document Conventions gt gt gt gt icm 980610 001 Rev C The following conventions are used throughout this document to convey certain information Alternate Color online only Cross references contain hot links to other sections in this guide If you are viewing this guide online in pdf format you can click the cross reference blue text to jump directly to its location Command Line Examples Command line examples appear in Courier New font For example type ZToo1s to get to the Post Install scripts in the bin directory Files and Directories File names and directories appear in Courier New font For example the Zebra version number gt tar file andthe root directory Icons Used Caution Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge Caution Warns you of a potential electric shock situation Caution Warns you of a situation where excessive heat could cause a burn Caution Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical harm to you Caution No icon Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in physical harm to the hardware Important Advises you of information that is essential to complete a task Note Indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or supplements important points of the main text Example Provides an example often a scenario to better clarify a section of text
14. are used you should not change these settings The media calibration and detection process can also be refined to match the media type loaded into the printer Use the ZPL Media Tracking command MN to set the media type Sometimes the printer can detect preprinted media as the gap between labels or the liner backing with print as a black marks If the MN parameter for continuous media is set then the print does not preform the automatic calibration The MN command also includes an automatic calibration parameter MNA to return the printer to its default setting to automatically detect all media types GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 36 Print Operations Ribbon Overview Ribbon Overview Ribbon is a thin film that is coated on one side with wax resin or wax resin which is transferred to the media during the thermal transfer process The media determines whether you need to use ribbon and how wide the ribbon must be When ribbon is used it must be as wide as or wider than the media being used If the ribbon is narrower than the media areas of the printhead are unprotected and subject to premature wear When to Use Ribbon Thermal transfer media requires ribbon for printing while direct thermal media does not Direct thermal media should never be used with ribbon Bar codes and graphics can get distorted To determine if ribbon must be used with a particular media perform a media scratch test Coated Side of Ribbon
15. 001 Rev C 74 Troubleshooting Print Quality Problems There are long tracks of missing print blank vertical lines on several labels The printhead is dirty Clean the printhead The printhead elements are damaged The printing does not start at the top of the label or misprinting of one to three labels The media may not be threaded correctly Follow the instructions for Loading Roll Media on page 11 in the Getting Started section The printer needs to be calibrated Refer to the two flash sequence of Feed Button Modes on page 80 in this section ZPL Label Formats The correct media sensor may not be activated Manual calibration selects the media sensing method for the labels being used refer to the MN command in the ZPL Programming Guide ZPL Label Formats Verify that the Label Top LT command is correctly set for your application consult the ZPL Programming Guide EPL Label Formats The correct media sensor may not be activated for label dispensing blackline or notch sensing or for Gap Web sensing Manual calibration selects the media sensing method for the labels being used refer to the O and Q commands in the EPL Programmer s Guide EPL Label Formats Verify that the Set Label Length Q command is correctly set for your application consult the EPL Programmer s Guide A ZPL label format was sent to but not recognized by the printer 980610 001 Rev C Is the printer in pause mode If so pre
16. 1 877 ASK ZEBRA 275 9327 F 1 847 821 1797 E repair zebra com To request a repair in the U S go to www zebra com repair T 44 0 1772 693069 F 44 0 1772 693046 New requests ukrma zebra com Status updates repairupdate zebra com T 465 6858 0722 F 65 6885 0838 E China tschina zebra com All other areas tsasiapacific zebra com Technical Training Department For Zebra product training courses T 1 847 793 6868 T 1 847 793 6864 F 1 847 913 2578 E ttamerica zebra com T 44 0 1628 556000 F 44 0 1628 556001 E Eurtraining zebra com T 65 6858 0722 F 65 6885 0838 E China tschina zebra com All other areas tsasiapacific zebra com Inquiry Department T 1 877 ASK ZEBRA 275 9327 T 44 0 1628 556037 E China GCmarketing zebra com For product literature and E inquiry4 zebra com F 44 0 1628 556005 All other areas distributor and dealer E mseurope 9 zebra com APACChannelmarketing O zebra com information Department US E clientcare Ozebra com F 44 0 1628 556001 F 65 6885 0836 Internal Sales E cseurope Ozebra com E China order csr zebra com Department UK All other areas For printers parts media and ribbon please call your distributor or contact us Key T Telephone F Facsimile E E mail 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide csasiapacific zebra com 980610 001 Rev C viii About This Document
17. Ribbon can be wound with the coated side on the inside or outside This printer can only use ribbon that is coated on the outside If you are unsure which side of a particular roll of ribbon is coated perform an adhesive test or a ribbon scratch test to determine which side is coated Outside Inside qo To determine which side of a ribbon is coated complete these steps 40 Ribbon Test with Adhesive If you have labels available perform the adhesive test to determine which side of a ribbon is coated This method works well for ribbon that is already installed To perform an adhesive test complete these steps 1 Peel a label from its liner 2 Press a corner of the sticky side of the label to the outer surface of the roll of ribbon 3 Peel the label off of the ribbon 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 8 410 Print Operations 37 Ribbon Overview 4 Observe the results Did flakes or particles of ink from the ribbon adhere to the label If ink from the ribbon Then Adhered to the label The ribbon is coated on the outside and can be used with the G Series printer Did not adhere to the label The ribbon is coated on the inside and can not be used in the G Series printer Ribbon Scratch Test Perform the ribbon scratch test when labels are unavailable To perform a ribbon scratch test complete these steps 1 2 Unroll a short length of ribbon Place the unrolled section of ribbo
18. and EPL For example changing the speed setting with EPL will also change the speed set for ZPL operations The changed EPL setting will persist even after a power cycle or reset issued by either printer language To assist the developer the printer has a listing of the operating parameters a Printer Configuration Label It can be accessed by using the printer s Feed button and the Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label on page 18 The Zebra Setup Utility and the ZebraDesigner Windows driver also print this label and other printer status labels to help you manage your printer ZPL Printer Configuration Format 980610 001 Rev C Managing more than one printer can be done 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 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference on page 95 to create a programming file The Zebra Setup Utility ZSU can be used to send programming files to the printer Windows Notepad text editor can be used to create programing files Figure 1 Configuration Parameter Format Structure XA Start Format Command Format Commands are order sensitive a General Print and command settings b Media handling and behaviors C Media print size JUS command to save XZ End Format Comma
19. and immediately following applying power The Zebra Setup Utilities configuration wizards will instruct you to turn the printer s power on at the appropriate time to complete the installation of your printer Caution Keep the power switch in the OFF position when attaching the interface cable The power cord must be inserted into the power supply and the power receptacle on the back of the printer before connecting or disconnecting the communications cables Interface Cable Requirements 8 410 Data cables must be of fully shielded construction and fitted with metal or metallized connector shells Shielded cables and connectors are required to prevent radiation and reception of electrical noise To minimize electrical noise pickup in the cable e Keep data cables as short as possible 6 foot 1 83 m recommended Do not tightly bundle the data cables with power cords e Do not tie the data cables to power wire conduits Important This printer complies with FCC Rules and Regulations Part 15 for Class B Equipment using fully shielded data cables Use of un shielded cables may increase radiated emissions above the Class B limits GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 22 Getting Started Connecting your Printer to a Computer USB Interface Requirements 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
20. approved by Zebra Technologies could void the user s authority to operate the equipment To ensure compliance this printer must be used with fully shielded communication cables Environmental Management Do not dispose of this product in unsorted municipal waste This product is recyclable and should be recycled according to your local standards For more information please see our website at Web address www zebra com environment 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 8 410 About This Document This section provides you with contact information document structure and organization and additional reference documents Contents Who Should Use This Document vi How This Document Is Organized 0 2 0 cette vi Contacts iz iussa kobe Skips ok God E tae id E e m Sean d vii Document Conventions a an anaana anaana anaana viii GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C About This Document Who Should Use This Document Who Should Use This Document This User Guide is intended for use by any person who needs to operate or to troubleshoot problems with the printer How This Document Is Organized The User Guide is set up as follows Section Introduction on page 1 Description This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer features This section also has procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report any problems Get
21. host typically a Windows PC needs to have the data Flow control changed to match the printer s default communication method Hardware and is noted by the Host Handshake setting DTR Xon Xoff for legacy printer This combined hardware DTR and software Xon Xoff mode may need to change depending upon the non Zebra application software and the serial cable variation in use Serial communications between the printer and the host computer can be set by e Autobaud synchronization e ZPL programming SC command EPL programming Y command e Resetting the printer to its default printer configuration Autobaud Autobaud synchronization allows the printer to automatically match the communication parameters of the host computer To autobaud 1 Press and hold the feed button until the green status LED flashes once twice and then three times 2 While the status LED flashes send the XA XZ command sequence to the printer 3 When the printer and host are synchronized the LED changes to solid green No labels will print during autobaud synchronization ZPL SC Command Use the Set Communications SC 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 SC command to change the printer to the desired settings 2 Change the host computer settings to match the new printer settings Refer to the ZPL Programming Guide for more informat
22. immediately upon receipt by the printer whether in a format form or not 3 Note To maximize available printer memory the printer includes an automatic memory defragmentation defrag Several factors can trigger a defrag operation Changing memory by deleting or adding objects to memory can cause a defrag The printer status light will begin flashing Red Amber and Green when a memory defrag is in process Do not turn off the printer s power while the status light is flashing This operation may take several minutes if memory use and file fragmentation are high ZPL Programming for Memory Management ZPL has various printer memory locations that are used to run the printer assemble the print image store formats forms graphics fonts and configuration settings e ZPL treats Formats Forms Fonts and Graphics like files and memory locations like disk drives in the DOS operating system environment e Memory Object Naming Up to sixteen 16 alphanumeric characters followed by a three 3 alphanumeric character file extension i e 123456789ABCDEF TTF Legacy ZPL printers with V60 13 firmware and earlier can only use the 8 3 file name format verses today s 16 3 file name format Allows moving objects between memory locations and deleting objects Supports DOS directory style file list reports as printouts or status to the host e Allows use of wild cards in file access 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 99
23. list of the linked fonts CW Font Identifier Assigns a single alphanumeric character as an 8 410 GK420t User Guide alias to a font stored in memory 980610 001 Rev C 100 Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports Notes s 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10
24. on and off Amber 10 Mbps link detected Amber with the Green 10 Mbps link and Ethernet activity detected flickering on and off Green LED Amber LED E 10100 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 27 After Your Printer is Connected 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 the Zebra Setup Utility or the Windows Printers and Faxes Control Panel to access and print a test label For non Windows operation systems coping a basic ASCII text file with a single command WC to print a configuration status label Test Printing with Zebra Setup Utility 1 Open the Zebra Setup Utility 2 Click on the newly install printer s icon to select the printer and active the printer configuration buttons below it in the window 3 Click the Open Printer Tools button 4 In the Print tab window click on the Print configuration label line and click on the Send button The printer should print a configuration status label Test Printing
25. printer then the media guides may need further adjustment If this does not correct the problem then the media can be routed over the two roll holding pins on the media guide An empty roll core of the same width as the stack of the fan fold media can be placed between the roll holders to provide additional support for thin media 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 40 Print Operations Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media The G Series 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 The G Series motor has 30 more torque than the Zebra 2800 Series desktop printers to provide improved media handling and speed Zebra at this time does not offer an external media option for the G Series printer 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 See Printing on Fan Fold Media on page 38 for media loading Lower the print speed to decrease the chance of motor stalls The roll typically has the highest inertia when trying to start the roll moving Larger media roll diameters require the printer to have more torque applied to get the roll moving The media should mo
26. such as IP Address on the lower half of the printout The printer s IP address is needed to identify and configure the printer for operations on your network See the ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Print Server manual for more information 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Printer Options 51 Zebra KDU Printer Accessory Zebra KDU Printer Accessory The Zebra KDU keyboard display unit is a small terminal unit that interfaces with the printer for accessing EPL label forms stored in the printer The KDU is strictly a terminal and does not have the capability to store data or set up parameters The KDU is used for the following functions e List label forms stored in printer Retrieve label forms stored in printer Input variable data Printing labels 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 52 Printer Options KDU Plus Printer Accessory KDU Plus Printer Accessory AN 980610 001 Rev C The KDU Plus is a terminal device with memory for storing files and maintaining one or more remote printers The KDU Plus has a larger laptop style keyboard than the Zebra s original KDU design The KDU Plus is designed for the following functions e List label forms stored in printer Retrieve label forms stored in printer Input variable data Printing labels File storage and transfer The KDU Plus is designed to work with ZPL and EPL printers by dynamically detecting and switchin
27. we we 29 Determining Printer Configuration llle 30 Localizing the Printer Status Configuration Label llle leeren 30 Long Term Printer In activity or Storage 2 2 2 et ene 30 Thermal Printing cuu cao es au ete de aa ar etian CU 30 Modes 0f Printing sia ici tete ele eek ERG re eed ce R ete de digi 31 Print Media TypeS 0 0 2 cee e hh 31 Determining Thermal Media TypesS o ococcococcooco eee 33 Replacing Supplies lille 33 Adding a New Transfer Ribbon 0 0 0 ere 33 Replacing a Partially Used Transfer Ribbon lisse 34 Adjusting the Print Width 0 lisse RII III 34 Adjusting the Print Quality llle RII 34 Media Sensing iiu ccm irradia wp RR EA EE es dd xu etel E 35 Ribbon Overview 426220 LAG UR Re EIL ERE ee ea ud E RETE EE RUE 36 When to Use RIDDON o oococcccccc RR HH 36 Coated Side of Ribbon cc re 36 Printing on Fan Fold Media oooococcoccoo RI 38 Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media llle eese 40 Fonts and Your Printer scssi tear desd binekas e ea EEE ee 41 Localizing the Printer with Code Pages 0 cc cece eee eee 41 Identifying Fonts in Your Printer 0 0 ete 42 Stand Alone Printing ee stesse esasa kk ccc eee tees 43 Sending Files to the Printer liliis ese 44 Print MelBr 2rd nei RRRBERRREPEURRIG DULPIGqulic E pet aa 44 EPLE Line Mode RE e ds na eed eed dm dl RR A 44
28. while direct thermal media does not To determine if ribbon must be used with a particular media perform a media scratch test To perform a media scratch test complete these steps 1 2 Scratch the print surface of the media with a finger nail or pen cap Press firmly and quickly while dragging it across the media surface Direct thermal media is chemically treated to print expose when heat is applied This test method uses friction heat to expose the media Did a black mark appear on the media If a black mark Then the media is Does not appear on the media Thermal transfer A ribbon is required Appears on the media Direct thermal No ribbon is required 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 If adhesive backed labels are used that don t 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 Permanent damage to the printhead may result if a non approved ribbon is used as it may be wound incorrectly for the printer or contain chemicals corrosive to the printhead Adding a New Transfer Ribbon If ribbon runs out in the middle of a print job
29. with Windows Printer and Faxes menu 1 Click on the Windows Start menu button to access the Printers and Faxes menu or Control Panel to access the Printers and Faxes menu Open the menu 2 Select the newly install printer s icon to select the printer and right click the mouse to access the printer Properties menu 3 From the printer s General tab window click on the Print Test Page button The printer should print a Windows test print page Test Print on a Ethernet printer connected to a network LAN or WAN witha MS DOS Command Prompt or Run from the Windows XP Start menu 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 Read the IP address off the printer s Configuration Status Label s Network Status printout On a system that is connected to the same LAN or WAN as the printer type the following in the Web browser window s address bar and enter fpt IP address for IP address 123 45 67 01 it would be ftp 123 45 67 01 4 Type the word put followed by the file name and enter For this test print file it would be put TEST ZPL The printer should print a new Print Configuration Status label 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 28 Getting Started After Your Printer is Connected Test Print with a Copied ZPL Command File for Non W
30. 11 A Y 8S amp 16 19 1A 1B 1C 10 1E 1F 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 26 29 2A 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 36 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F 40 41 42 x lt w N v e 0 a bd 2 D gt Q oO c m a w x ow w s w 3 Q o m v m 2 go 47 n L Zo o o c lt o c a m a x v po o1 l n B6 B7 B8 BS BA BB BC BD BE BF 13 14 15 698ve 66 BoU2 IT NS 1 16 2E D AB 17 ilo R7 4 Y 4 A TIA AAA co ci C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 CB CS CA CB CC CD CF DO D1 D2 D3 D4 DS DE D7 11rfmn 1 06pP0050 pH bb UU y Y D amp DS DA DB DC DD DE DF EO El E2 E3 E4 ES E6 E7 E8 ES ER EB EC ED EE EF FO Fl F2 F3 F4 FS F6 F7 FS F9 FA FB FC FD FE FF The blank lines between the lines of data are where serial port and Bluetooth data handling errors get logged The errors are e F Frame Error e P Parity Error e N Noise Error O Data Overrun Error To exit the diagnostic mode and resume printing turn off and then turn on the printer An alternate method for exiting the diagnostic mode is to press the Feed button as many times as it takes to clear the printer s command buffer and print Out of DUMP on the label Out of DUMP 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 80 Troubleshooting Feed Button Modes Feed Button Modes 980610 001 Rev C Power Off Modes With the printer power off press and hold the Feed button while you turn on the power
31. 2 straight through interface cable must be used Figure 32 shows the connections required for this cable Connecting to the KDU Keyboard Display Unit The KDU was designed for DCE printer connections and requires a Zebra custom serial port gender changing adapter The KDU now includes the KDU adapter and the Zebra kit part number for the KDU Adapter is 105934 088 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 87 88 Serial Port Interface Connecting the Printer to a DTE Device DB 25S DB 9P DB 9S DB 9P Connector Connector Connector Connector to DTE Device PC to Printer to DTE Device PC to Printer NN NBarnoa0acanwn OCWMONMATHAWN OONAN CONRAHAWN Connecting the Printer to a DCE Device DB 25S DB 9P DB 9S DB 9P Connector Connector Connector Connector to DCE Device to Printer to DCE Device to Printer 1 2 3 4 5 6 yi 8 9 OONDABRWN OANODOARBRWN 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 20 22 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 B Appendix Dimensions This section provides external printer dimensions Contents External GK Printer Dimensions lseee RR IRR 90 Label Dispenser ics es sexe Rr pm Maca RR RET RR Rope a a n RR ee 91 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 90 External GK Printer Dimensions External GK Printer Dimensions
32. 7MM FULL RESOLUTION V61 17 82G05 lt FIRMWARE XML SCHEMA HARDWARE ID CONFIGURATION RAM ONBOARD FLASH FORMAT CONVERT ZBI ZBI VERSION LAST CLEANED RESET CNTR1 RESET CNTR2 SERIAL NUMBER MAINT OFF EARLY WARNING FIRMWARE IN THIS PRINTER IS COPYRIGHTED GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Getting Started Pre install Windows Printer Drivers Pre install Windows Printer Drivers 8 410 Zebra is changing the way you install and use your printer with your Windows based PC systems We recommend that at minimum the ZebraDesigner Windows driver be pre installed to take advantage of the advancements in ease of use and simplicity of the Windows operating systems since the release of Windows XP SP2 Zebra provides the Zebra Setup Utilities ZSU a suite of Zebra printer drivers utilities and communications and installation tools for use with most Windows PC operating systems Zebra Setup Utilities and Zebra Windows printer drivers are available on the user s CD and the Zebra web site www zebra com for latest versions ZebraDesigner Driver and Zebra Setup Utilities includes the driver Supports Windows ge Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 2000 Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 operating systems The driver supports 32 bit and 64 bit Windows operating systems and is Microsoft Certified Zebra Setup Utilities and the ZebraDesigner
33. AL NUMBER MAINT OFF 0 ERRLY WARNING FIRMWARE IN THIS PRINTER IS COPYRIGHTED GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 95 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference Table 2 ZPL Commands and Configuration Receipt Callout Cross Reference Command Listing Name Description SD DARKNESS Default 10 0 PR PRINT SPEED Default 6 IPS 152 4 mm s max TA TEAR OFF Default 000 MN MEDIA TYPE Default GAP NOTCH SENSOR TYPE Default WEB SENSOR SELECT Default AUTO MNA Auto Detect MT PRINT METHOD THERMAL TRANS or DIRECT THERMAL PW PRINT WIDTH Default 832 dots LL LABEL LENGTH Default 1225 dots the value constantly re calibrates with automatic Web Gap detection for label media ML MAXIMUM Default 39 0IN 989MM LENGTH USB COMM Connection Status Connected Not Connected PARALLEL COMM Connection Available BIDIRECTIONAL SCa BAUD Default 9600 SC b DATA BITS Default 8 BITS SC c PARITY Default NONE SC e HOST HANDSHAKE Default DTR amp XON XOFF SC f PROTOCOL Default NONE SER COMM MODE Default AUTO CUTTER TYPE Option Present LINER TAG FULL cut CT CT CONTROL CHAR Default lt gt TEH cc cC COMMAND CHAR Default SEH cD CD DELIM CHAR Default 2CH SZ ZPL MODE Default ZPL II MFa MEDIA POWER UP Default NO MOTION AMF b HEAD CLOSE Default FEED JS BACKFEED De
34. GE X XXX IN RESET CNTR1 X XXX IN RESET CNTR1 X XXX IN SERIAL NUMBER XXXXXXXXXXX JH EARLY WARNING MAINT OFF The printer has the ability to set a command or a group of commands once for all receipts or labels that follow Those settings will remain in effect until they are changed by subsequent commands the printer is reset or you restore factory defaults 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 98 Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports To help you manage printer resources the printer supports a variety 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 Figure 3 Memory Management Format Structure XA Start Format Command A Single Format Command is recommended for purposes of reuse XZ End Format Command It is recommended that a single command be processed within a this type of format form A single command is easily reused as a maintenance and development tool Many of the commands that transfer objects manage and report on memory are control commands They do not need the be within a format form They will be process
35. Oneor more data variables to be entered via the terminal or wedge device The label will print after the last variable data field has been input Oneor more label formats that are called by scanning bar codes containing programming to run a label form Label forms designed to work as a process chain with each label including a bar code containing the programming to run the next label in the process sequence Both printer programming languages support special label forms that will automatically run after a power cycle or reset The ZPL looks for a file named AUTOEXEC ZPL and EPL looks for a label form named AUTOFR If both files are loaded in the G Series printer then only the AUTOEXEC ZPL will run The EPL AUTOFR form runs until it is disabled Both files must be deleted from the printer followed by a reset or a power cycle to completely remove the files Note The G Series EPL AUTOFR command can only be disabled with NULL character 00 hex or ASCII 0 The G Series printer will ignore the other character that normally disables the AUTOFFR form operation in most other EPL printers the XOFF character 13 hex or ASCII 19 The G Series printer can source up to 750mA through the serial port s 5 volt line see Appendix A for more information on the printer s serial port interface GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C id Print Operations Sending Files to the Printer Sending Files to the Printer Graphics fonts and programmi
36. age 80 in this section MEDIA WEB MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIBIUA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDI GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Troubleshooting Tests Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Tests Printing a Configuration Label To print out a listing of the printer s current configuration refer to the one flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on page 80 in this section See Appendix ZPL Configuration on page 93 to interpret the label Recalibration PRINTER CONFIGURATION Zebra icono logies ZTC GK420 SR28016 SENSOR SELECT PRINT METHOD PRINT WIDTH LABEL LENGTH pue am LENGTH USB COM PROTOCOL CUTTER TYPE CONTROL CHAR COMMAND CHAR DELIM CHAR ZPL MODE MEDIA POWER UP HEAD CLOSE BACKFEED LABEL TOP LEFT POSITION MARK GAIN MARK MED S MARK MEDIA GAIN CONT MEDIA S CONT MEDIA GAIN RIBBON OUT RIBBON GAIN TAKE LABEL MODES ENABLED MODES DISABLED RESOLUTION FIRMWARE XML SCHEMA HARDWARE ID CONF IGURAT ION RAM ONBOARD FLASH FORMAT CONVERT ZBI ZBI VERSION LAST CLEANED HEAD USAGE TOTAL USAGE RESET CNTR1 RESET CNTR2 SERIAL NUMBER MAINT OFF EARLY WARNING FIRMWARE IN THIS PRINTER IS COPYRIGHTED Recalibrate the printer if it starts to display unusual symptoms such as skipping labels Refer to the two flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on page 80
37. ate the thumb wheel on the left side of the supply spindle towards the rear of the printer until the ribbon is pulled tight across the printhead COS 5 Verify that the media is loaded and ready to print and then close the printer cover 6 Press the Feed button to have the printer feed a minimum of 10 cm 4 inches of media to remove slack and ribbon wrinkle and to align the ribbon on the spindles 7 Change the print mode setting from direct thermal printing to thermal transfer to set the printer s temperature profiles for thermal transfer media This can be done with the printer driver application software or printer programming commands When controlling printer operations with ZPL programming refer to the Media Type MT ZPL II command follow the instructions in the ZPL Programming Guide e When controlling printer operations with EPL Page Mode refer to the Options O EPL command follow the instructions in the EPL Page Mode Programmer s Guide 8 To verify the mode change from direct thermal printing to thermal transfer printing use the Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label on page 18 to print a configuration label The PRINT METHOD should read THERMAL TRANS on the printer configuration status label Your printer is now ready to print 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 18 Getting Started Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label Printing a Test Printer Configura
38. ce cables the host connector has a DB 25 pin male connector The printer connector is a Centronics style connector Early model G Series printers had DB 25 pin connector on the printer side as well 8 410 as the host connection side IEEE 1284 A to A parallel cable DB 25 Centronics HOST Pin No Pin No STROBE VA DATA 0 2 2 DATA 1 3 3 DATA 2 4 gt 4 DATA 3 5 5 DATA 4 6 gt 6 DATA 5 7 7 DATA 6 8 8 DATA 7 9 gt 9 ACK 10 lt _ 10 BUSY 11 11 PAPER ERR 12 12 lt lt SELECT 13 13 lt AUTOFD 14 gt 14 ERROR 15 15 N A 16 16 N A 17 17 N A 18 18 lt SIG GN 19 19 SIG GN 20 20 SIG GN 21 21 SIG GN 22 22 SIG GN 23 23 SIG GN 24 24 SIG GN 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 lt 33 34 35 36 DB 25 to Centronics Cable GK420t User Guide PRINTER STROBE DATA 0 DATA 1 DATA 2 DATA 3 DATA 4 DATA 5 DATA 6 DATA 7 ACK BUSY PAPER ERR SELECT AUTOFD n c SIG GND CHAS GND 5V SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG SIG 000000000 ELL LL Lo LLL VUUUUOUUUUUU0O SELECTIN Parallel Interface 980610 001 Rev C 85 86 Ethernet Interface Ethernet Interface 980610 001 Rev C This interface requires a UTP RJ45 Ethernet cable rated CAT 5 or better The table below provides the cable s p
39. d ML It is recommended that this distance be set to no less than two times the longest label being printed If the largest label being printed was a 4 by 6 inch label then the maximum label media length detection distance can be reduced from the default distance of 39 inches down to 12 inches If the printer has difficulty automatically detecting the media type and auto calibrating see Manual Calibration on page 76 to perform an extensive calibration It includes a printed graph of sensor operation for your media This method disables the printer s automatic media sensing capability until the printer s default parameters are reset to the factory defaults with the four flash Feed button mode See the Feed Button Modes on page 80 for more details The automatic media calibration can be modified turned on or turned off to meet your needs Sometimes print job conditions require that the printer use all the media on a roll The two automatic media conditions power up with media loaded and closing the printer with power on can be controlled individually with the ZPL Media Feed command MF The feed action discussed in the ZPL programmers guide for the MF command is primarily for automatic media sensing and calibration The automatic media calibration that controls the dynamic media label to label calibration is the XS command If multiple media types of different lengths material or detection methods web gap black mark notches or continuous
40. driver support the following G Series printer communication interfaces USB parallel serial Wired and Wireless Ethernet and Bluetooth using a Bluetooth virtual printer port Install the Zebra Setup Utilities before applying power to the printer connected to the PC running a Zebra driver supported Windows operating system The Zebra Setup Utility will prompt you to apply the printer power Continue to follow the instructions to complete your printer installation Plug N Play PnP Printer Detection and Windows operating systems More recent Windows operating systems automatically detect the printer when it is connected via the USB interface Depending on the hardware configuration and the Windows version your printer may be Plug and Play PnP detected when connecting to the USB parallel or serial port interfaces The printer drivers do not support serial port PnP installation at this time The printer s PC interface configuration for the parallel port must support and have bidirectional communications for PnP operations The operating system automatically starts a Add new hardware wizard when connecting the printer for the first time to the PC If you have pre loaded the driver suite with the Zebra Setup Utility then the printer driver will automatically install Go to your Windows printer directory and right click and select Properties Click on the Print test page button to verify a successful installation The Windows opera
41. e B est conforme la norme NMB 003 du Canada 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C FCC Compliance Statement This device complies with Part 15 rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B Digital Devices pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the product manuals may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception the user is encouraged to do one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced RF service technician for help The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly
42. e printer is defragmenting memory Caution Do NOT turn off the printer power during defragmentation Doing so can damage the printer Defragmentation is a normal operation of the printer necessary to manage the memory space for optimal use The printer will defragment its memory both after a factory default and when the printer detects that a defragment is required When the printer is in this condition allow it to finish defragmenting If this warning occurs frequently check the label formats Formats that frequently and repeatedly write to and erase from memory my cause the printer to defragment often Using formats that avoid frequent and repeated memory write erase event will minimize the need for defragmentation e If this warning condition does not go away contact Technical Support The printer requires service 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Troubleshooting 73 Print Quality Problems Print Quality Problems No print on the label The media may not be direct thermal media when printing without ribbon i e thermal transfer The media may not be direct thermal media See the test procedure Determining Thermal Media Types on page 33 For thermal transfer printers the media may not be outside wound or approved for use in the G Series printer See the following ribbon test procedures Ribbon Test with Adhesive on page 36 and Ribbon Scratch Test on page 37 Is the media loaded correctly Follow t
43. e right side of the ribbon guide into the slot and snap it into position N peel E 7 Verify that the printhead moves up and down freely when pressure is applied and remains locked when released 8 Clean the printhead Use a new pen to wipe body oils finger prints and debris of the printhead Clean from the center of the printhead to the outside See Cleaning the Printhead on page 57 9 Reload media Plug in the power cord turn on the printer and print a status report to ensure proper function See Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label on page 18 GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Troubleshooting This section provides information about printer error reporting that you might need for printer troubleshooting Assorted diagnostic tests are included Contents Status Light Descriptions 0 0 0 IIIA 70 Status Light Error Resolutions 2 00 00 e eee eee eee 71 Print Quality ProbleMS ooooooococcoco III 73 Manual Calibration 2 llillsllssleeellell Rn 76 Troubleshooting Tests oooocooocooo re 77 Resetting the Factory Default Values 0 0000 cece eee eee eee 78 Communications Diagnostics lile II 78 Feed Button Modes 0 002 c cece tte e 80 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 70 Troubleshooting Status Light Descriptions Status Light Descriptions What the Status Light is Telling You LED Status and Color Printer Sta
44. easy Multiple printers can share a single USB port hub When using a USB cable not supplied with your printer verify that the cable or cable packaging bears the Certified USB mark see below to guarantee USB 2 0 compliance gt _ La e Wo C LT Ww JI i Q TEO USB lt USB Cable 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 8 410 Getting Started Connecting your Printer to a Computer Serial Communications The printer automatically detects and switches the serial port to match common serial port cabling and signal connection configurations for DTE and DCE communications The required cable must have a nine pin D type DB 9P male connector on one end which plugs into the mating DB 9S serial port located on the back of the printer The other end of this signal interface cable connects to a serial port on the host computer This allows for the use of two common cable types and drop in replacement for Zebra and other printer models Zebra printers use a Null Modem cross over cable Early models of Zebra printers a DCE device running the EPL programming utilized a straight through no cross over signal connections cable For pinout information refer to Appendix A The serial port communication settings between the printer and host typically a PC must match for reliable communication The Bits per second or Baud rate and Flow control are the most common settings that get changed The
45. efer to the Set Label Width q command consult your EPL Programmer s Guide Adjusting the Print Quality Print quality is influenced by the heat density setting of the printhead the print speed and the media in use Experiment with these settings to find the optimal mix for your application Print quality can be set with the Zebra Setup Utility s Configure Print Quality routine Note Media manufactures may have specific recommendations for speed settings for your printer and the media Some media types have lower maximum speeds than your printer s maximum speed The relative darkness or density setting can be controlled by The six flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on page 80 This will overwrite any ZPL and EPL programmed darkness density settings The Set Darkness SD ZPL command consult your ZPL Programming Guide The Density D EPL command consult your EPL Programmer s Guide If you find that the print speed needs to be adjusted use The Windows printer driver or application software such as ZebraDesigner M The Print Rate PR command consult your ZPL Programming Guide The Speed Select S command consult your EPL Programmer s Guide 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations 35 Media Sensing Media Sensing 8 410 The G Series printer has automatic media sensing capability The printer is designed to continuously check and adjust media length sensing for mi
46. er Configuration Label on page 18 or Feed Button Modes on page 80 for information on accessing the printer configuration status label Long Term Printer In activity or Storage Overtime the printhead may stick to the platen drive roller To prevent this always store the printer with a piece of media a label or paper between the printhead and platen roller Do not ship the printer with a roll of media installed or damage to the printer or media may result Thermal Printing A LN 980610 001 Rev C 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 Caution The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of the human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the printhead or electronic components used in this device You must observe static safe procedures when working with the printhead or the electronic components under the top cover GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations 31 Modes of Printing Modes of Printing You can operate this printer in many different modes and media configurations Direct thermal printing which uses heat sensitive media to print Thermal transfer printing which uses ribbon to heat transfer print to the media Standard Tear Off mode allows you to tear off each label or batch print a strip of labels after i
47. ev C ui Maintenance Cleaning Cleaning 980610 001 Rev C When you clean the printer use one of the following supplies that best suits your needs Order Cleaning Supplies Quantity Intended Purpose Cleaning pens 105950 035 Set of 12 Clean printhead Cleaning swabs 105909 057 Set of 25 Clean media path guides and sensors You can obtain cleaning supplies at www zipzebra com The cleaning process takes just a couple of minutes using the steps outlined below Printer Part Method Interval Printhead Let the printhead to cool for a minute then use a When using ribbon new cleaning pen to swab the dark line on the after every roll of printhead cleaning from the center to the outside ribbon when using edges of the printhead direct thermal after See Cleaning the Printhead on page 57 every roll of media Platen roller Remove the platen roller to clean Clean the As needed roller thoroughly with 9096 medical grade alcohol and a cleaning swab or lint free cloth See Platen Cleaning and Replacement on page 60 Peel bar Clean it thoroughly with 9096 medical grade Media path alcohol and a fiber free cleaning swab Let alcohol dissipate and the printer dry completely Exterior Water dampened cloth Interior Gently brush out printer Caution Adhesives and media material can over time transfer onto the printer components along the media path including the platen and printhead This build u
48. fault DEFAULT ALT LABEL TOP Default 000 ALS LEFT POSITION Default 0000 JD JE HEXDUMP Default NO JE From this point in the Configuration Receipt listing the printout has sensor settings and values are displayed to troubleshoot sensor and media operations These are typically used by Zebra Tech Support to diagnose printer problems 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 97 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference 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 e g Firmware Version Table 3 ZPL Commands and Configuration Receipt Callout Cross Reference Command Listing Name Description MP MODES ENABLED Default CWF See MP Command CWEM for wireless printers with display MODES DISABLED Default nothing set JM RESOLUTION Default 832 8 mm FULL 203 dpi 1280 8 mm FULL 300 dpi FIRMWARE Lists ZPL Firmware Version XML SCHEMA 1 3 HARDWARE ID Lists Firmware Boot block Version CONFIGURATION CUSTOMIZED after first use RAM 2104k R OPTION MEMORY 65536k B only displays this if installed ONBOARD FLASH 1536k E MU FORMAT CONVERT NONE JI JI ZBI DISABLED Requires key to enable ZBI VERSION 2 1 JH LAST CLEANED X XXX IN has HEAD USAGE X XXX IN TOTAL USA
49. g the printer s communications configuration DTE or DCE to match your Zebra printer By default the KDU Plus will start up forms mode This is compatible with the operation of Zebra s original KDU The KDU Plus is configurable to work in ZPL or terminal modes too The KDU Plus has file transfer and storage capabilities This is great for maintaining remote and stand alone printers with label forms logos and smaller font sets The KDU Plus has two configurable serial port and a PS 2 port to connect to other data input devices such as scanners weigh scales etc The 5 volts from the printer s serial pin 9 provides power for the KDU Plus and any additional input devices attached to the KDU Plus Maximum total current draw for the G Series printer s serial port 750mA The KDU Plus s current without external input devices attached is 50mA Not real values 50mA 45mA 120mA 25mA 50mA lt Max Current Caution The KDU Plus s input ports AUX1 AUX2 and PS 2 style are not fused Exceeding the total current draw available could damage an input device KDU Plus or the printer GK420t User Guide 8 410 Printer Options 53 ZBI 2 0 Zebra Basic Interpreter ZBI 2 0 Zebra Basic Interpreter 8 4 10 Customize and enhance your printer with ZBI 2 0 optional programming language ZBI 2 0 allows Zebra printers to run applications and take input from scales scanners and other peripherals all wi
50. ges to remove accumulated debris 3 Wipe the inside edges of both edge guides to remove any built up residue 4 Wait one minute before closing the printer Discard the cleaning swab after use Media Guides 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 8 410 Maintenance 59 Cleaning Sensor Cleaning Dust can accumulate on the media sensors 1 Gently brush away dust if necessary use a dry swab to brush away dust If adhesives or other contaminates remain use an alcohol moistened swab to break it up 2 Use a dry swab to remove any residue that may be left from the first cleaning 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 as required until all residue and streaks are removed from the sensor Ribbon Trailer Sensor Black Line AH E Sensor WT gi E Gap Sensor I NS AC Label Taken w gt lt Sensor GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 60 Maintenance Cleaning Platen Cleaning and Replacement 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 printhead or cause the media to slip or stick when printing Adhesive dirt general dust oils and other contaminates should be cleaned immediately off the platen 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 d
51. green solid or blinking There is a memory error e If this error occurs after you have been printing turn the printer power off and on and then resume printing The printhead needs to cool down If this error continues turn the printer power off for five minutes or more and then turn on If the amber light persists then the printer requires service 4 The printer is receiving data As soon as all of the data has been received the status LED will turn green and the printer will automatically resume operation 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 72 Troubleshooting Status Light Error Resolutions 5 The media is out Follow the instructions for Loading Roll Media on page 11 in the Getting Started section and then press the Feed button to resume printing The ribbon is out The printer has sensed the end of the ribbon roll Replace the ribbon The printhead is open Close the top cover and then press the Feed button to resume printing 6 The printer is paused Press the Feed button to resume printing 7 The printhead is over temperature Printing will stop until the printhead cools to an acceptable printing temperature When it does the printer will automatically resume operation 8 FLASH memory is not programmed Return the printer to an authorized reseller 9 The printhead or motor has had a critical failure Return the printer to an authorized reseller 10 Th
52. he equipment described herein Such proprietary information may not be used reproduced or disclosed to any other parties for any other purpose without the express written permission of Zebra Technologies Product Improvements Continuous improvement of products is a policy of Zebra Technologies All specifications and designs are subject to change without notice Liability Disclaimer Zebra Technologies takes steps to ensure that its published Engineering specifications and manuals are correct however errors do occur Zebra Technologies reserves the right to correct any such errors and disclaims liability resulting therefrom Limitation of Liability In no event shall Zebra Technologies or anyone else involved in the creation production or delivery of the accompanying product including hardware and software be liable for any damages whatsoever including without limitation consequential damages including loss of business profits business interruption or loss of business information arising out of the use of the results of use of or inability to use such product even if Zebra Technologies has been advised of the possibility of such damages Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you Canadian DOC Compliance Statement This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES 003 Cet appareil num rique de la class
53. he instructions for Loading Roll Media on page 11 in the Getting Started section For printing using transfer ribbon see Loading Transfer Ribbon on page 14 The printed image does not look right The printhead is dirty Clean the printhead The printhead is under temperature Adjust the print darkness and or print speed e Use the PR speed and SD darkness commands referenced in the ZPL Programming Guide e Use the D darkness density and S speed commands in the EPL Programmer s Guide e Manually adjust print darkness with the six flash sequence of Feed Button Modes on page 80 e The Windows printer driver or application software may change these settings and may require a change to optimize print quality The media being used is incompatible with the printer Be sure to use the recommended media for your application and always use Zebra approved labels and tags The printhead has worn out The printhead is a consumable item and will wear out due to friction between the media and printhead Using unapproved media may shorten life or damage your printhead Replace the printhead The platen may need cleaning or replacement The platen driver roller maybe losing traction due to e Foreign objects attached to its surface e The rubbery smooth surface has become polished and slippery or There is damage to the normally smooth and flat print surface such as box knife cuts 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610
54. hermal media similar to FAX paper and is used for receipt or ticket style printing Linerless media Linerless labels have an adhesive backing but they are wound onto a core without a liner The media typically is perforated and may have black marks on the bottom surface of the media to indicate label separations The top surface of linerless media labels have a special coating that keeps the labels from sticking to each other The printer must be equipped with a special Linerless option to be able to use linerless media to keep the media from sticking to the printer Tag stock Tags are usually made from a heavy paper up to 0 0075in 0 19mm thick Tag stock does not have adhesive or a liner and it is typically perforated between tags For more information on basic media types see Table 1 The printer typically uses roll media but you can use fan fold or other continuous media too Use the correct media for the type of printing you require You must use direct thermal media When printing without a ribbon you must use direct thermal media When using ribbon you must use thermal transfer media GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 32 Print Operations Print Media Types Media Type Non Continuous Roll Media Table 1 Types of Media Roll and Fanfold Media How It Looks CT Q Description Roll media is wound on a core that can be 0 5 to 1 5 in 12 7 to 38 1 mm in diameter Labels have adhesive backing that sticks
55. i aiaa a ion cb il Ai dio Roa 44 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 30 Print Operations Determining Printer Configuration Determining Printer Configuration The G Series printer uses a ZPL printer configuration status label to report the printer s configuration status for both EPL and ZPL operations The ZPL style label provides a more intuitive and functionally descriptive naming conventions than the EPL style printer status label 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 includes on the status label See Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label on page 18 to print this label See Appendix ZPL Configuration on page 93 for detail on printer configuration and the ZPL commands that control the printer settings listed on the Printer Configuration Status Label To get an EPL style printer configuration status label send the printer the EPL U command See the EPL programmer s guide for more information on the various EPL U commands and interpreting the settings displayed on these labels Localizing the Printer Status Configuration Label The printer configuration status label can be localized for up to 16 languages Use the ZPL programming command KD to modify the displayed language for most status items on this label See Printing a Test Print
56. in this section 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 77 78 Troubleshooting Resetting the Factory Default Values Resetting the Factory Default Values Sometimes resetting the printer to the factory defaults may solve some problems Refer to the four flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on page 80 in this section 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 Refer to the power off mode procedure in Feed Button Modes on page 80 in this section The printer will print Now in DUMP see below and advance to the top of the next label Now in DUMP Y Press Feed to exit or send JE h neci nre Uca A E 4 7 TI 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Troubleshooting 79 Communications Diagnostics The following example of a communications DUMP mode printed out The printout displays hexadecimal data 0Oh FFh 0 255 decimal with a unique character for each hexadecimal value displayed above the hexadecimal data 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 OA OB 10 11 12
57. indows 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 parallel port would be as simple as COPY TEST ZPL LPT1 Other interface connection types and operating systems will have different command strings See your operating system documentation for detailed instructions to copy to the appropriate printer interface for this test 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations This section provides media and print handling font and language support and the setup of less common printer configurations Contents Determining Printer Configuration llle 30 Long Term Printer In activity or Storage isle en 30 Modes of Printings x an ee em turpem Roe xen tabe renee p d Ra ud os 31 Print Media Types oo ooocooco IIR HI t t 4t 31 Replacing Supplies ooooooocororrr RB 33 Adjusting the Print Width oococoocoococooro III 34 Adjusting the Print Quality llle 34 Media Sensing 0 cee eee eee m 35 Ribbon Overview l l IRI t3 36 Printing on Fan Fold Media ilssseleele teas 38 Printing with Externally Mounted Roll Media lessen 40 Fonts and Your Printer c llle eae 41 Sending Files to the Printer liil 44 PINE MGT acosta tapado adr
58. inout assignments Signal Pin Pin Signal Tx 1 1 Tx Tx 2 2 Tx Rx 3 3 Rx 4 4 5 5 Rx 6 6 Rx 7 7 8 8 m NGORA GK420t User Guide COON OC 8 4 10 Serial Port Interface Serial Port Interface 8 410 Pim Description i E Not used RXD receive data input to the printer TXD transmit data output from the printer DTR data terminal ready output from the printer controls when the host may send data Chassis ground DSR data set ready input to the printer RTS request to send output from the printer always in the ACTIVE condition when the printer is turned on CTS clear to send Not used by the printer 5 V 0 75 A fused The maximum current available through the serial and or parallel port is not to exceed a total of 0 75 Amps When XON XOFF handshaking is selected data flow is controlled by the ASCII control codes DC1 XON and DC3 XOFF The DTR control lead will have no effect Interconnecting to DTE Devices The printer is configured as data terminal equipment DTE To connect the printer to other DTE devices such as the serial port of a personal computer use an RS 232 null modem crossover cable Figure 31 shows the required cable connections Interconnecting to DCE Devices When the printer is connected via its RS 232 interface to data communication equipment DCE such as a modem a STAN DARD RS 23
59. ion Send the XA XZ command sequence to the printer while the LED rapidly flashes amber and green When the printer and host are synchronized the LED changes to solid green NOTE No labels will print during autobaud synchronization Factory Defaults Resets the printer to the factory default settings equivalent to ZPL command JUN See Appendix ZPL Configuration on page 93 for a description of the primary configuration settings and their associated ZPL commands Some configuration settings are not returned to their initial out of box settings Other settings are exclusively set viewed and controlled by programming are also reset The performs a standard media calibration and then a memory defragmentation routine Once the printer has entered the Factory Default mode the status light will turn amber for three 3 seconds During that time you may do two things Do nothing and the printer will reset the factory defaults automatically as described above OR press and hold the feed button to enter a factory default reset modes for printers with a network Ethernet Wi Fi or Bluetooth printer option equivalent ZPL command JUF Releasing the button after the first flash resets the network factory options only equivalent ZPL command JUN Releasing the button after the second flash sequence two flashes will reset the printer defaults only Releasing the button after the third flash sequence three flashes will reset both printer and net
60. ion What s in the Box Whats 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 C Sul Cleaning Pen Documentation Ribbon Core Printer and Software USB Cable Power Cord varies by locale or region Unpack and Inspect the Printer When you receive the printer immediately unpack it and inspect for shipping damage e Save all packing materials e Check all exterior surfaces for damage e Open the printer and inspect the media compartment for damage to components If you discover shipping damage upon inspection Immediately notify the shipping company and file a damage report Zebra Technologies Corporation is not responsible for any damage to the printer incurred during shipment and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty policy e Keep all packaging material for shipping company inspection e Notify your authorized Zebra reseller 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 3 4 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide Introduction What s in the Box Your Printer Status Feed Release Light Button Latches ff E Fan Fold Media Entry Slot Release Interface Latches Connectors DC Power Power Receptacle Switch
61. ion about this command GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 23 24 Getting Started Connecting your Printer to a Computer EPL 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 Note the Y command does not support setting the data flow control use the Xon Xof f setting 2 Change the host computer settings to match the new printer settings Refer to the EPL Page Mode Programming Guide for more information about this command Resetting the Default Serial Port Parameters Do the following to reset the communications parameters on the printer to the factory defaults serial communication settings are 9600 baud 8 bit word length NO parity 1 stop bit and DTR XON XOFF data flow control 1 Press and hold the feed button until the green status LED flashes once waits a moment and flashes twice and then waits again before flashing three times release immediately 2 While the status LED rapidly flashes amber and green press the feed button Serial communications between the printer and the host computer can be set by the ZPL SC command or the EPL Y command Note Early models of Zebra printers running the EPL programming language had 9600 baud NO parity 8 data bits 1 stop bit and a HARDWARE and SOFTWARE merged data co
62. ion for plug and play integration A complete suite of free software applications and drivers to configure printer settings design and print labels and receipts get printer status import graphics and fonts send programming commands update firmware and download files Clone printer settings and send graphics files fonts and firmware updates to one or more Zebra Ethernet and locally connected printers with ZebraNet M Bridge Printhead test and maintenance reporting enabled and customizable by the user GK printers offer these basic printer options Label Dispense Peel Off nternal 10 100 Print Server and Ethernet Interface Zebra ZBI 2 Zebra BASIC Interpreter programming language ZBI allows you to create custom printer operations that can automate processes use peripherals i e scanners scales keyboards Zebra KDU or KDU Plus etc all without being attached to a PC or network This users guide provides all the information you need to operate your printer on a daily basis To create label formats refer to your programming guides or label design applications such as ZebraDesigner Your printer when connected to a host computer functions as a complete system for printing labels and tags Note Many printer settings may also be controlled by your printer s driver or label design software Refer to the driver or software documentation for more information GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Introduct
63. kes to clear the printer s command buffer and print Out of DUMP on the label GK420t User Guide 8 410 Troubleshooting 81 Feed Button Modes Power On Modes With the printer power on and top cover closed press and hold the Feed button for several seconds The green status LED will flash a number of times in sequence The explanation at the right Action shows what happens when you release the key after the start specific number of flashes and before the next flash sequence starts Flash Sequence Action Configuration Status Prints a detailed printer configuration status label The label can be used to verify printing assist printer to computer communication configuration maintenance troubleshooting and help us with customer care communications Standard Auto Media Calibration The printer detects and sets media type and media length and it adjusts the media sensors for optimal performance with the installed media equivalent ZPL command JC The printer will feed one to four labels while calibrating Note Users familiar with the Zebra EPL desktop printer use this Feed mode to replace power up AutoSensing calibration equivalent EPL command XA Serial Port Configuration Applies only to printers with serial interface ports To reset the serial port communication parameters except for Flow Control Press and release the Feed button while the LED rapidly flashes amber and green For autobaud synchronizat
64. mum of 4 inches or 100 millimeters of exposed labels exit the printer Remove the exposed labels from the liner GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Printer Options 47 Label Dispenser Option 2 Lift the liner over the top of the printer and open the dispenser door 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 48 Printer Options Label Dispenser Option 980610 001 Rev C 4 Close the dispenser door 5 Press the Feed button to advance the media 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 printer will stack and eject peeled labels GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Printer Options 49 ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Wired Print Server Option ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Wired Print Server Option The ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Print Server PS is an optional factory installed device that connects the network and your ZebraLink M enabled printer The print server provides you with a browser interface for printer and print server settings If you use the ZebraNet M Bridge Zebra network printer management software you can easily access the specialized features of a ZebraLink enabled printer Printers with the 10 100 Internal PS provide the following features Print
65. n on a piece of paper with the outer surface of the ribbon in contact with the paper Scratch the inner surface of the unrolled ribbon with your fingernail Lift the ribbon from the paper Observe the results Did the ribbon leave a mark on the paper If the ribbon Then Left a mark on the paper The ribbon is coated on the outside and can be used with the G Series printer Did not leave a mark on the The ribbon is coated on the inside and can not be used in paper the G Series printer GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 38 Print Operations Printing on Fan Fold Media Printing on Fan Fold Media Printing on fan fold media requires you to adjust the media guide s stop position 1 Open the top cover Fan Fold Media Path 2 Adjust the media guide stop position with the green thumb wheel Use a piece of the fan fold media to set the stop position Rotate the wheel toward you to open the guides wider Rotate the wheel away from you to make the media guide narrower 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Print Operations 39 Printing on Fan Fold Media 3 Insert the media through the slot at the rear of the printer 5 Close the top cover After printing or feeding 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
66. nd GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference 8 410 Figure 2 Configuration Label Printout PRINTER CONFIGURATION Zebra Technologies ZTC GK420t ZBR2835016 nose PRINT METHOD A O PRINT WIDTH 1842 oro no LABEL LENGTH 39 0IN 389MM MOSTI LENGTH NOT CONNECTED USB_COMM NONE ee rn PROTOCOL cio din FULL CUTTER TYPE CEH AAA CONTROL CHAR COMMAND CHAR e om vo m mmn t ee s 8 I n8 The Printer Configuration Label shown below provides a listing of a majority of the configurations settings that can be set by ZPL command MARK S eo ee MARK ud 0S5 eere eren MARK MED S 014 e eee rei MARK MEDIA GAIN O99 aa ses ais CONT MEDIA S QO ceeo sonos CONT MEDIA GAIN O79 e cernens RIBBON QUT DO cimas RIBBON GAIN 3968 ta ird o9 P ara a TAKE LABEL Sensor Settings used for Service Purposes CHF MODES ENABLED csseassosassecsneeo MODES DISABLED 832 8 MM_FULL M V61 17 82605 lt FIRMWARE l 3 rt XML M V26 00 00 HARDWA ID Mb CONFIGURATION naaa Ez ONBOARD FLASH e FORMAT CONVERT Zuleessonsasasonoeo ZBI VERSION 14 408 IN LAST CLEANED 59 208 IN HEAD USAGE arrasan oso TOTAL USAGE n m DPI SERI
67. ng files can be sent to the printer from the Microsoft Windows operating systems by using the Zebra Setup Utilities and driver ZebraNet M Bridge or Zebra ZDownloader found on the user s CD or at www zebra com These methods are common for both programming languages and the G Series printers Print Meter EPL Line 980610 001 Rev C The G Series printer has the capability to report printhead maintenance alerts The printer can provide cleaning and early warning of end of calculated printhead life alerts If the RTC Real Time Clock is installed in the printer the printhead life and history reporting will also include the date By default print metering alerts are disabled Many of the print meter messages and reports are customize able See the ZPL or EPL Programming Guides for more information on the Print Meter To active the Print Meter Alerts send one of the following commands to the printer EPL command oLY ZPLcommand JH E Mode Your direct thermal printer supports Line Mode printing EPL Line Mode printing is designed to be command compatible with EPL1 programming language used in early model LP2022 and LP2042 printers The Zebra 2800 series direct thermal printers also included Line Mode printer language support The G Series continues Zebra s support of Line Mode Line mode printing is ideal for basic retail point of sale POS shipping inventory work flow control and general labeling EPL printers with Line M
68. nor variations Once the printer is printing or feeding media the printer continually checks and adjusts the media sensing to accommodate for minor changes in media parameters from label to label on a roll and from roll to roll of media The printer will automatically initiate a media length calibration if the expected media length or the label to label gap distance has exceeded the acceptable variation range when starting a print job or feeding media The automatic media sensing in the G Series printers works the same for printer operations that use EPL and ZPL label formats and programming If the printer does not detect labels or black marks or notches with blackline sensing after feeding the media the default maximum label length distance of 39 inches 1 meter then the printer will switch to continuous receipt media mode The printer will keep these settings until changed by software programming or a manual calibration with different media Optionally the printer can be set to do a short media calibration after printer power up or when closing the printer with power on The printer will then feed several labels while calibrating The printer s media settings can be verified by printing a Printer Configuration label See the Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label on page 18 for more details The maximum distance that the automatic media type detection and sensing will check can be reduced by using the ZPL Maximum Label Length comman
69. ntrol essentially DTR Xon Xoff as the default serial port settings The Windows operating system flow control setting was Hardware for most applications P d Serial Cable 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 25 Connecting your Printer to a Computer Parallel Port The required cable must have a 25 pin D type DB 25P male connector on one and a Centronics on the end IEEE 1284 A B parallel interface specification Early models of G Series printers originally supported parallel cables with two 25 pin D type DB 25P male connectors on both ends IEEE 1284 A A parallel interface specification Parallel Cable 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 26 Getting Started Connecting your Printer to a Computer Ethernet The printer requires UTP RJ45 Ethernet cable rated CAT 5 or better For more information on configuring your printer to run on a compatible Ethernet based network see the ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Print Server manual The printer must be configured to run on your LAN local area network or WAN wide area network The print server on board your printer can be accessed through the printer s Web pages Ethernet Cable RJ45 Connector Ethernet Status Activity Indicators LED Status Description Both OFF No Ethernet link detected Green 100 Mbps link detected Green with the Amber 100 Mbps link and Ethernet activity detected flickering
70. ode are versatile and are capable of printing a wide range media and bar codes Line Mode printing only prints single lines the height of the largest element present in the line of text and data bar code text a logo or simple vertical lines Line mode has many limitations due to the single line of print no fine element placement no overlapping elements and no horizontal ladder bar codes Line Mode printer operation is entered by sending the printer the EPL OEPL1 command See the EPL Programmers Guide Page Mode or the EPL Line Mode Programmers Guide Line Mode printer operation is exited by sending the printer the escOEPL2 Line Mode command See the EPL Line Mode Programmers Guide With Line Mode active ZPL and EPL EPL2 Page Mode programming will be processed as Line Mode programming and data With the default ZPL and EPL EPL2 Page Mode active Line Mode programming will be processed as ZPL and or EPL programming and data Verify printer programming modes by printing out a printer configuration GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 4 Printer Options This section covers the common printer options and accessories with brief descriptions and how to get you started using or configuring your printer option or accessory Contents Label Dispenser Option oococoocococo RII 46 ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Wired Print Server Option llle 49 Zebra amp KDU Printer Accessory llle 51 KDU Plus
71. p can accumulate dust and debris Failure to clean the printhead media path and platen roller could result in inadvertent loss of labels label jams and possible damage to the printer Important Using too much alcohol can result in contamination of the electronic components requiring a much longer drying time before the printer will function properly GK420t User Guide 8 410 Maintenance 57 Cleaning Cleaning the Printhead Always use a new cleaning pen on the printhead an old pen carries contaminants from its previous uses that may damage the printhead printhead and risk of personal injury avoid touching the printhead Use only the cleaning AN Caution The printhead becomes hot while printing To protect from damaging the pen to perform maintenance When you load new media you can also clean the printhead 1 Rub the cleaning pen across the dark area of the printhead Clean from the middle to the outside This will move adhesive transferred from the edges of media to the printhead outside of media path 2 Wait one minute before closing the printer 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 58 Maintenance Cleaning Media Path Considerations Use a cleaning swab to remove debris dust or crust that has built up on the holders guides and media path surfaces 1 Use the alcohol in the cleaning swab to soak the debris to break up the adhesive 2 Wipe the rid
72. ppendix Interface Wiring 0000s e cece 83 Universal Serial Bus USB Interface 0 002 ee 84 ParallelInterface 52s ener lur add aa LE LEE RadU E 85 Ethernet Interface 2 0 0 ce eet 86 Serial Port Interface 0 00 0 eet tees 87 B Appendix DIMENSIONS iscsi usus Rh EORR REOR RO OR eee eee eee on 89 External GK Printer Dimensions liliis 90 C Appendix ZPL Configuration llle 93 Managing the ZPL Printer Configuration illie 94 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference 00a eee eee 95 Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports 00 5 98 ZPL Programming for Memory Management 0 00 sees 98 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C xi 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 1 Introduction This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer features This includes procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report any problems Contents GK Series Thermal Printers 2 2 2 0 000 eee 2 Whats in the BOX nu dictt aem nm ic nw esa nic onic Une i 3 Unpack and Inspect the Printer lille 3 MOU iind C TET T TD D E EE E e E EEE E 4 Printer Features eee mach RU eren m e a a bcd n Up Un eR ob 5 Operator Controls i i op be ebrei ala A 6 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C Introduction
73. r day 365 days per year Web Site www zebra com E mail Back Technical Library E mail address emb 2 zebra com Subject line Emaillist Self Service Knowledge Base www zebra com knowledgebase Online Case Registration www zebra com techrequest Which Department Do You Need Regional Headquarters The Americas Zebra Technologies International LLC 333 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills IL 60061 3109 U S A T 1 847 793 2600 Toll free 1 800 423 0422 F 1 847 913 8766 Europe Africa Middle East India Zebra Technologies Europe Limited Dukes Meadow Millboard Road Bourne End Buckinghamshire SL8 5XF United Kingdom T 44 0 1628 556000 F 44 0 1628 556001 Asia Pacific Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 120 Robinson Road 06 01 Parakou Building Singapore 068913 T 65 6858 0722 F 65 6885 0838 Technical Support For questions on the operation of Zebra equipment and software please call your distributor For additional assistance contact us Please have your model and serial numbers available T 1 877 ASK ZEBRA 275 9327 F 1 847 913 2578 Hardware ts1 9 zebra com Software ts3 Ozebra com T 44 0 1628 556039 F 44 0 1628 556003 E Tseurope zebra com T 465 6858 0722 F 65 6885 0838 E China tschina zebra com All other areas tsasiapacific zebra com Repair Service Department For back to base service and repair T
74. r supports two sets of language region and character sets for permanent fonts loaded into the printer for each printer programming language ZPL and EPL The printer supports localization with common international character map code pages e For ZPL code page support including Unicode see the CI command in the ZPL programmer s guide For EPL code page support see the I command in the EPL programmer s guide GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 41 42 Print Operations Fonts and Your Printer Identifying Fonts in Your Printer Fonts and memory are shared by the programming languages in the printer Fonts can be loaded in many memory areas in the G Series printer ZPL programming can recognize EPL and ZPL fonts EPL programming can only recognize EPL fonts See the respective programmer guides for more information on fonts and printer memory ZPL Fonts To manage and download fonts for ZPL print operation use the Zebra Setup utility or ZebraNet M Bridge To display all of the fonts loaded in your G Series printer send the printer the ZPL command WD See the ZPL Programmers Guide for details Bitmap fonts in the various printer memory areas are identified by the FNT file extension in ZPL e Scalable fonts are identified with the TTF TTE or OTF file extensions in ZPL EPL does not support these fonts EPL Fonts To download fonts for EPL print operations use the Zebra Setup Utility or ZebraNet Bridge
75. ral varieties and in some cases colors to match your application needs Genuine Zebra transfer ribbons are specifically designed for your printer and Zebra brand media Using non Zebra media or ribbons not approved for use in your Zebra printer may damage your printer or printhead The media and ribbon types should be matched to provide you with optimal print results Always use ribbon that is wider than the media to protect the printhead from wear For direct thermal printing do not load ribbon in the printer Your printer needs to use Zebra Uni Ribbon universal ribbon Uni Ribbons have a ribbon out trailer reflector to stop printing when empty Zebra Uni Ribbon will work on older model Zebra desktop printers too Uni Ribbons are identified with a color coded leader Blue Performance Wax 5319 e Silver Premium Wax Resin 3200 e Gold Performance Resin 5095 for synthetics 6 ips max speed and coated paper 4 ips max speed e Red Premium Resin 5100 for synthetics 4 ips max speed Before following these steps prepare the ribbon by removing its wrapping and pulling its adhesive strip free Right Side printer and roll Adhesive Strip See Ribbon Overview on page 36 for more information on ribbon use Important DO NOT USE early model desktop printer ribbon cores The older ribbon cores can be identified by notches on only one side of the ribbon core These older cores are too large and will ca
76. rinter and snap them into place Allow the printer to dry for one minute before closing the dispenser door media cover or loading labels Other Printer Maintenance There are no user level maintenance procedures beyond those detailed in this section See the Troubleshooting on page 69 for more information on diagnosing printer and print problems 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Maintenance 63 Replacing the Printhead Replacing the Printhead If you need to replace the printhead read the procedure and review the removal and installation steps before actually replacing the printhead Caution 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 Caution Turn the printer power off and unplug the power cord before replacing the printhead Before following the steps in this procedure open the printer by pulling the release latches forward then lifting the top cover Printhead Removal 1 Open the printer Remove any transfer ribbon from the printer 2 Use a small flat bladed screwdriver to remove the ribbon guide Gently pry the guide right side tab from the ribbon frame Pull the left side of the ribbon guide out Ribbon Guide and printhead cover 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 980610 001 Rev C 3 Use a blunt
77. rinter to another or broadcast them to an entire group ZebraNet M Bridge allows you to copy printer settings printer resident files formats fonts and graphics and alerts with a click of the mouse Create printer profiles virtual golden printers with desired settings objects and alerts and clone or broadcast them as if they were real printers providing extensive savings in setup time Printer profiles are also an excellent way to back up a printer s configuration for crisis recovery GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 50 Printer Options ZebraNet 10 100 Internal Wired Print Server Option Printer Network Configuration Status Label G Series M printers with the ZebraN et 10 100 Internal Print Server option on board print an additional printer configuration status label for information needed to establish and trouble shoot network printing The following printout is printed with the ZPL WL command Network Configuration Zebra Technologies ZTC GK420t ZBR2835016 Internal Wired PEL s pui icuo8 cw WR IP PROTOCOL 000 000 000 000 IP ADDRESS 255 255 255 000 SUBNET MASK 000 000 000 000 DEFAULT GATEWAY 010 001 001 100 WINS SERVER IP TES 4399 i m tee awe TIMEOUT CHECKING cr TIMEOUT VALUE DILE A ARP INTERVAL SIUU ia ta eee OCC BASE RAW PORT 00074d2b4248 MAC ADDRESS The regular printout of the configuration status label has some of the printer s network settings
78. rive roller for your media If sticking or jamming continues even after cleaning you must replace the platen 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 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 Platen Bearings 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Maintenance Cleaning 61 3 Lift the platen out of the printer s bottom frame 4 Clean the platen with the alcohol moistened swab Clean from the center out Repeat this process until the 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 contaminates Adhesives and oils for example may be thinned by the initial cleaning but not completely removed 5 Install the platen in the printer Discard the cleaning swabs after use do not reuse 6 Make sure the bearings and drive gear are on the shaft of the platen 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 62 Maintenance Cleaning 7 Align the platen with the gear to the left and lower it into the printer s bottom frame 8 Rotate the platen bearing latch release tabs down on the right and left sides towards the rear of the p
79. rrect communications port USB on the computer is selected Refer to Connecting your Printer to a Computer on page 21 in the Getting Started section 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 76 Troubleshooting Manual Calibration Manual Calibration 980610 001 Rev C Manual calibration is recommended whenever you are using pre printed media or if the printer will not correctly auto calibrate 1 2 Make sure media is loaded Turn on the printer power Press and hold the Feed button until the green status light flashes once then twice and then continuing until the flash groups reach the group of seven flashes Release the Feed button The printer will set the media sensor for the label backing being used After it is done making this adjustment the roll will automatically feed until a label is positioned at the printhead A profile of the media sensor settings similar to the example below will print Upon completion the printer will save the new settings in memory and the printer is ready for normal operation Press the Feed button One entire blank label will feed If this does not happen try defaulting refer to the four flash sequence in Feed Button Modes later in this chapter and recalibrating the printer Note Performing a manual calibration disables the auto calibration function To return to auto calibration default the printer refer to the four flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on p
80. s Printout and Printer Memory Printouts Contents Managing the ZPL Printer Configuration llle 94 ZPL Configuration Status to Command Cross reference 00e0 eee 95 Printer Memory Management and Related Status Reports 98 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C dd Managing the ZPL Printer Configuration 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 following formats to use Those settings will remain in effect until they are changed by subsequent commands the printer is reset power is cycled or when you restore a parameter that has a factory default by using the Feed Button Mode four 4 flash routine The ZPL Configuration Update command JU saves and restores printer configurations to initialize or re initialize the printer with pre configured settings To keep settings after a power cycle or printer reset a JUS can be sent to the printer to save all current persistent settings e The values are recalled with a JUR command to restore the last saved values to you printer ZPL stores all parameters at once with a single command discussed above The legacy EPL programming language supported by this printer changes and saves individual commands immediately Most configuration and settings are shared between ZPL
81. server and printer setup using a browser Remote monitoring and configuration capability of the 10 100 Internal PS using a browser Alerts The ability for you to send unsolicited printer status messages via E mail enabled devices ZebraNet M Bridge ZebraNet M Bridge is a software program that works with the 10 100 Internal PS and enhances the features of ZebraLink resident within ZPL based printers The features include the following 8 410 ZebraNet M Bridge allows you to locate printers automatically ZebraNet M Bridge searches on parameters such as IP address subnet printer model printer status and many other user defined characteristics Remote Configuration Manage all your Zebra label printers throughout the enterprise without having to travel to remote sites or physically handle any printers Any Zebra printer connected to the enterprise network can be accessed from the ZebraNet Bridge interface and configured remotely through an easy to use graphical user interface Printer Alerts Status Heartbeat Monitoring and event Notification ZebraNet M Bridge lets you configure multiple event alerts per device with different alerts directed to different people Receive alerts and notifications by e mail cell phone pager or through the ZebraNet M Bridge Events tab View alerts by printer or group and filter by date time severity or trigger Configure and Copy Printer Profiles Copy and paste settings from one p
82. ss the Feed button If the status LED is on or flashing refer to What the Status Light is Telling You on page 70 Make sure the data cable is correctly installed A communications problem has occurred First make sure that the correct communications port on the computer is selected Refer to Connecting your Printer to a Computer on page 21 in the Getting Started section Verify the correct Format and Control Prefix on the printer match what you are using in your ZPL programmed label format The default Format COMMAND CHAR is Caret character and the Control CONTROL CHAR is a Tilde character Verify the characters with the Configuration Status label printout Refer to the one flash sequence of Feed Button Modes on page 80 to print this label GK420t User Guide 8 410 Troubleshooting 75 Print Quality Problems A EPL label format was sent to but not recognized by the printer s the printer in pause mode If so press the Feed button If the printer has label dispensing enabled the printer may be waiting for the label to be removed The liner web must be properly threaded through the label dispenser mechanism peeler to correctly operate in label dispense mode refer to Label Dispenser Option on page 46 Ifthe status LED is on or flashing refer to What the Status Light is Telling You on page 70 Make sure the data cable is correctly installed A communications problem has occurred First make sure that the co
83. t is printed Label Dispense Mode If an optional dispenser is installed the backing material can be peeled away from the label as it is printed After this label is removed the next one is printed Stand alone The printer can print without being connected to a computer using the printer s auto running label form feature programming based or by using a data input device connected to the printer s serial port This mode accommodates data input devices such as scanners weigh scales Zebra KDU Plus or Zebra KDU Keyboard Display Unit etc Shared network printing Printers configured with the Ethernet interface option include an internal print server with ZebraLink printer configuration web page and ZebraNet Bridge software for managing and monitoring status of Zebra printers on a network Print Media Types 8 410 Important Zebra strongly recommends the use of Zebra brand supplies for continuous 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 Your printer can use various types of media Standard media Most standard non continuous media uses an adhesive backing that sticks individual labels or a continuous length of labels to a liner Continuous roll media Most continuous roll media is direct t
84. the indicator lights red and the printer waits for you to add a fresh roll 1 2 8 410 Keep the power on as you change ribbon Open the top cover then cut the used ribbon so you can remove the cores Load a new ribbon roll and empty ribbon core If necessary review the Ribbon Loading steps Note Do Not Use ribbon cores with damaged notch The notches should have square corners Close the top cover Press the Feed button to restart printing GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 34 Print Operations Adjusting the Print Width Replacing a Partially Used Transfer Ribbon To remove used transfer ribbon perform the following steps 1 Cut the ribbon from the take up roll 2 Remove the take up roll and discard used ribbon 3 Remove the supply roll and tape the end of any fresh ribbon to prevent it from unwrapping When reinstalling a partially used supply roll tape the cut end onto the empty take up roll Adjusting the Print Width Print width must be set when Youare using the printer for the first time There is a change in media width Print width may be set by The Windows printer driver or application software such as ZebraDesigner The five flash sequence in Feed Button Modes on page 80 Controlling printer operations with ZPL programming refer to the Print Width PW command consult your ZPL Programming Guide Controlling printer operations with EPL Page Mode programming r
85. them to a liner and they are separated by gaps holes notches or black marks Tags are separated by perforations Individual labels are separated by one or more of the following methods Web media separates labels by gaps holes or notches f L Wr Black mark media uses pre printed black marks on the back side of the media to indicate label separations NENNEN Perforated media has perforations that allow the labels or tags to be separated from each other easily The media may also have black marks or other separations between labels or tags Non Continuous Fan Fold media is folded in a zigzag pattern Fanfold media can Fanfold Media have the same label separations as non continuous roll media The separations would fall on or near the folds Continuous Roll media is wound on a core that can be 0 5 to 1 5 in 12 7 to Roll Media 38 1 mm in diameter Continuous roll media does not have gaps 980610 001 Rev C holes notches or black marks to indicate label separations This allows the image to be printed anywhere on the label A cutter can be used to cut apart individual labels With continuous media use the transmissive gap sensor so the printer can detect when the media runs out GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations 33 Replacing Supplies Determining Thermal Media Types Thermal transfer media requires ribbon for printing
86. thout a PC or network connection ZBI 2 0 works with the ZPL printer command language so that printers can understand non ZPL data streams and convert them into labels That means the Zebra printer can create bar codes and text from input received non ZPL label formats sensors keyboards and peripherals Printers can also be programmed to interact with PC based database applications to retrieve information to be used on printed labels ZBI 2 0 can be activated by ordering a ZBI 2 0 Key Kit or activated by purchasing a key from the ZBI 2 0 store at www zebrasoftware com Use the ZDownloader utility to apply the key Zdownloader is available on the users CD or at the Zebra Web site www zebra com An intuitive ZBI Developer programming utility is used to create test and distribute ZBI 2 0 applications is available on the users CD or at the Zebra Web site www zebra com GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 54 Printer Options ZBI 2 07 Zebra Basic Interpreter Notes s 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 8 410 o Maintenance This section provides routine cleaning and maintenance procedures Contents SDCChom TETTE 56 Cleaning the Printhead ooooccccoccoco II 57 Media Path Considerations llle 58 Platen Cleaning and Replacement 0 0 cee eee eee 60 Other Printer Maintenance eee 62 Replacing the Printhead 0 0 eect teens 63 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 R
87. ting Started on page 9 This section describes how to set up your printer for the first time and use the most common operating procedures for loading media Print Operations on page 29 This section provides media and print handling font and language support and the set up of less common printer configurations Printer Options on page 45 This section covers the common printer options and accessories with brief descriptions and how to get you started using or configuring your printer option or accessory Maintenance on page 55 Troubleshooting on page 69 This section provides routine cleaning and maintenance procedures This section provides information about printer error reporting that you might need for printer troubleshooting Assorted diagnostic tests are included Appendix Interface Wiring on page 83 This section provides additional interface information and wiring diagrams to assist with printer to host system integration typically a PC Appendix Dimensions on page 89 This section provides external printer dimensions for the standard printer and printer with options Appendix ZPL Configuration on page 93 980610 001 Rev C This section briefly covers printer configuration and includes a cross reference to ZPL printer configuration commands GK420t User Guide 8 410 Contacts About This Document vii Contacts Technical Support via the Internet is available 24 hours pe
88. ting system will detect and re link a previously installed printer if it is reconnected to the USB interface or if printer power is turned on after the PC has finished its restart of the operating system Ignore the new device detected warnings and close the Task bar prompts Wait several seconds for the operating system to match the printer to the driver software The warnings will quit and the printer now should be ready to begin printing Universal Serial Bus USB Device Communications The printer is a terminal device not a host or hub when using a USB interface You can refer to the USB Specification for details regarding this interface Note Scanners scales or other data input terminal devices must use the serial port not the USB port to send data to the printer GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 19 20 Getting Started Pre install Windows Printer Drivers Serial Port and Windows operating systems The Windows operating system default settings for the serial port communication closely match the printer s defaults settings with one exception the data Flow Control settings The Windows default data Flow Control setting is NONE The G Series printer requires data Flow Control set to Hardware Note The G Series printer does not support Windows Serial Port Plug and Play PnP device detection at this time Ethernet This printer option has a variety of methods and utilities to assist with printer connection
89. tion Label Before you connect the printer to your computer make sure that the printer is in proper working order You can do this by printing a configuration status label 1 Make sure the media is properly loaded and the top cover of the printer is closed Then turn the printer power on if you have not already done so If the printer initializes with the status light blinking green pause mode press the Feed button once to set the printer in Ready to print mode See the Troubleshooting on page 69 if the printer s status light does not turn solid green Ready 2 Press the Feed button two to three times to allow the printer to calibrate the printer for the installed media The printer may feed several labels during this process 3 When the status light is solid green press and hold the Feed button until the status light flashes once 4 Release the Feed button A configuration label will print If you cannot get this label to print refer to Getting Started on page 9 980610 001 Rev C PRINTER CONFIGURATION Zebra Technologies ZTC GK420t ZBR2835016 MAXIMUM LENGTH USB COMM PROTOCOL CUTTER TYPE CONTROL CHAR COMMAND CHAR DELIM CHAR ZPL MODE MEDIA POWER UP HEAD CLOSE BACKFEED LABEL TOP LEFT POSITION HEXDUMP MEB S MEDIA S WEB GAIN MARK S MARK GAIN MARK MED S MARK MEDIA GAIN CONT MEDIA S CONT MEDIA GAIN RIBBON OUT RIBBON GAIN TAKE LABEL MODES ENABLED MODES DISABLED 832 8
90. tipped tool to press the release tab on the right side and then the left side of the printhead The tool diameter can be from 0 10 to 0 15 inches 2 5 to 3 8 mm Insert the tool into the ribbon frame s printhead release access the round opening Push the release tab and gently pull the printhead bracket down E z toe cue GK420t User Guide 8 410 Maintenance 65 Replacing the Printhead 4 Gently but firmly pull the two printhead cable bundles connectors off of the printhead BX A SS 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 66 Maintenance Replacing the Printhead Replacing the Printhead 1 Push the left side printhead connector into the printhead The connector is keyed to only insert one way 2 Connect the green ground wire to the printhead 3 Push the right side printhead wire connector onto the printhead 4 Check that the ground wire and wire bundles are still connected to the printhead 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Maintenance 67 Replacing the Printhead 5 Insert the printhead bracket s the tab into slot in the ribbon frame assembly Align the printhead spring slots to the five posts and snap the printhead into the ribbon frame Spring Spring Post Slot 8 4 10 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 68 Maintenance Replacing the Printhead 980610 001 Rev C 6 Place the left hand side of the ribbon guide into the ribbon frame Swing th
91. to a network WAN or LAN and to configure Wired and Wireless WiFi printers The Zebra Setup Utility configuration wizards support creating a connection to the printer on a shared network with Windows based systems by using the printer s IP address The printer includes internal Web pages to provide easy access to printer and network configuration The web pages are accessible via the printers IP address using any web browser The free version of ZebraNet M Bridge software allows you to centrally deploy manage and monitor your Zebra printers with automatic Zebra printer discovery up to 3 printers from a single PC screen anywhere on your global network ZebraNet Bridge Enterprise is available for purchase to manage larger numbers of Zebra printers 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 21 Connecting your Printer to a Computer Connecting your Printer to a Computer A The Zebra G Series printers support a variety of interface options and configurations These include Universal Serial Bus USB interface RS232 Serial Parallel IEEE 1284 4 and 10 100 Ethernet USB Serial and Parallel e Optional USB Serial and Ethernet Wired The Zebra Setup Utility is designed to assist you with installing these interfaces The cabling and unique parameters for each of these physical printer communication interfaces is discussed in the following pages to assist you with making configuration setup choices prior to
92. to send files to the printer To display Soft Fonts ext available to EPL send the printer the EPL command El e Optional Asian Fonts in G Series printers are displayed as Soft Fonts but are still accessible as documented in the A command in the EPL programmer s guide e All EPL fonts displayed are bitmap fonts They do not include the FNT file extension or the horizontal H or vertical V designators that are displayed with the ZPL command WD as described above in ZPL Fonts To remove non Asian EPL fonts with EPL programming use the EK command To remove EPL Asian fonts from the printer use the ZPL ID command 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations 43 Stand Alone Printing Stand Alone Printing 8 410 Your printer can be configured to work without being attached to a computer The printer has the ability to automatically run a single label form One or more downloaded label forms can be accessed and run with a terminal or wedge device or a Zebra KDU keyboard display unit to call a label form These methods allow the developer to incorporate data input devices such as scanners or weight scales to the printer via the serial port Label formats can be developed and stored in the printer to support labels that have No data entry required and print when the Feed button is pressed No data entry required and print when a label is removed from the printer s optional label dispenser
93. tus For a Resolution Refer to Number Off Off 1 Solid Green On 2 Solid Amber Stopped 3 Flashing Green Normal Operation 4 Flashing Red Stopped 5 Double Flashing Green Paused 6 Flashing Amber Paused 7 Alternately Flashing Green and Red Needs Service 8 Flashing Red Red and Green Needs Service 9 Flashing Red Amber Green Memory 10 Do NOT reset or turn off power Defragmentation 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 Troubleshooting 71 Status Light Error Resolutions Status Light Error Resolutions The following Status Error Light Resolution numbers correspond to the Status Light Description table on the previous page Each error number may have one or more resolution to correct that error listed 1 The printer is not receiving power Have you turned on the printer power Check power connections from the wall outlet to the power supply and from the power supply to the printer See Attaching Power on page 10 Disconnect the printer from the wall outlet for 30 seconds and then reconnect the printer to the wall outlet 2 The printer is on and in an idle state No action necessary 3 The printer has failed its power on self test POST If this error occurs right after you turn on the printer contact an authorized reseller for assistance When the printer is operating normally the printer status light will be amber for about 10 seconds before turning
94. use take up spool to bind Note DO NOT USE ribbon cores with damaged notches rounded frayed smashed etc The core notches should be square to lock the core on the spindle or the core may slip causing ribbon wrinkle poor end of ribbon sensing or other intermittent failures GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started Loading Transfer Ribbon 1 With the printer open place a new ribbon roll on printer s lower ribbon supply spindles Rotate the roll until the notches align and lock into the left side of the supply hub 2 Place an empty ribbon core on printer s take up spindles Rotate the ribbon core until the notches align and lock into the left side of the take up hub You can find your first ribbon take up core in the packing box Subsequently use the empty supply core to take up the next roll of ribbon 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 15 16 Getting Started Loading Transfer Ribbon 3 Pull the transfer ribbon s leader off the roll and attach it with the adhesive strip on the leader to the empty ribbon core on the supply spindle Center the ribbon on the ribbon core 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Getting Started 17 Loading Transfer Ribbon 4 Rot
95. ve smoothly and freely The media should not slip skip jerk bind and then move etc when mounted on your media stand The printer should not touch the media roll The printer should not slip or lift up off the operating surface 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 410 Print Operations Fonts and Your Printer Fonts and Your Printer The G Series printer supports your language and font requirements with a variety of internal fonts on board font scaling international font sets and character code page support Unicode support and font download The G Series printer s font capabilities are programming language dependent The EPL programming language provides for basic bitmapped fonts and international code pages 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 ZPL and EPL programming guides describe and document the fonts code pages character access listing fonts and limitations for their respective printer programming languages See the printer programming guides for information on Text Fonts and Character support The G Series printer includes utilities and application software that support font download into the printer for both printer programming languages Localizing the Printer with Code Pages 8 410 The G Series printe
96. work settings equivalent ZPL commands JUN and JUF Print Width Adjustment Prints a succession of boxes starting at the minimum print width and ending in the printer s maximum print width in 4mm increments Press the Feed button once when the printer has reached the desired maximum print width Note that the printer driver and applications can override this setting KKK KKK kkkkk kkkkkk Print Darkness Density Adjustment Prints a succession of bar code simulation patterns starting at the minimum darkness print density heat and ending in the printer s maximum darkness in increments of four 4 using the ZPL darkness setting range values Press the Feed button once the pattern is clear and legible Do not continue to increase the darkness setting or bar code line widths may become distorted reducing readability Note that the printer driver and applications can override this setting kkk eek kkkkk kkkkkk kkkkkkk Manual Media Calibration The printer runs extensive tests to detect and set media type and media length and then it adjusts the media sensors for optimal performance with the installed media equivalent ZPL command JG Manual calibration is recommended whenever you are using pre printed media print on the liner or if the printer will not correctly auto calibrate A graphical profile of the media sensing will print See Manual Calibration on page 76 for more details and considerations
97. x Feed Button Tap the Feed button once to force the printer to feed one blank label Press the Feed button to take the printer out of a pause condition The printer is put into pause by either a programming command or an error condition See What the Status Light is Telling You on page 70 in the Troubleshooting chapter Use the Feed button for printer setup and status see Feed Button Modes on page 80 in the Troubleshooting chapter Status Light Located on the top case next to the feed button the status light functions as a printer operational indicator see Status Light Descriptions on page 70 Feed Button Status Light 8 410 GK420t User Guide 980610 001 Rev C 8 Introduction What s in the Box Closing the printer 1 Lower the top cover 2 Press down until the cover snaps closed 980610 001 Rev C GK420t User Guide 8 4 10 2 Getting Started This section describes how to set up your printer for the first time and use the most common operating procedures for loading media Contents Attaching POWOeL us o c RR Tus ra Mara bd UR b a Rab n p ub ee 10 Loading Roll Media oooococcocoooco RII III 11 Loading Transfer Ribbon ooooooccoccco III 14 Printing a Test Printer Configuration Label sls 18 Pre install Windows Printer Drivers l llle 19 Connecting your Printer to a Computer llli 21 After Your Printer is Connected

User Guide Zebra GK420t™

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User Guide Zebra GK420t™