Zebra Technologies Strata Thermal Printers manual

User’s Manual No. 980181-001 Rev. C ©1999 Zebra Technologies Corporation Strata Thermal Printers User’s Manual[...]

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FOREWORD This manual provides installation and operation information for the Eltron Strata LP (LP2684) and Strata TLP (TLP2684) printers, manufactured by Zebra Technologies Corporation, Camarillo, California. COPYRIGHT NOTICE This document contains information proprietary to Zebra Technologies Corporation. This docu - ment and the information conta[...]

WARRANTY INFORMATION We Need To Hear From You! To Establish Your Warranty Period And Provide Access To Technical Support, Send Us Your Product Registration Card Today! Zebra warrants the mechanism, control electronics and power supply, under normal use and ser - vice, to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve (12) m[...]

Table of Contents Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Unpacking Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Yo[...]

General Cautions and Warnings These pages describe general safety and maintenance warnings and cautions for the printer. They are referenced throughout the manual. The manual may also include other warnings and cautions not displayed here. Warning - Shock Hazard The printer should never be operated in a location where it can get wet. Personal injur[...]

Media Cautions & Tips 1) Always use high quality Eltron approved labels and tags. Eltron approved supplies can be ordered from your ELTRON dealer. For the name of a dealer in your area, call Eltron Customer Service at one of the numbers listed on the back page of this manual. 2) If poor quality, adhesive backed labels are used, that DO NOT lay [...]

viii 980181-001 Rev.C[...]

1 Installation This section provides information on the installation of the printer and software. Introduction The Strata printer models are low cost, manu- facturing oriented, thermal desktop printers. The Strata LP is a direct thermal printer. The Strata TLP is a thermal transfer and direct ther- mal printer. The printers have been specifically d[...]

Unpacking Your Printer Open the shipping carton and remove the printer and its accessories. Check List 1 Printer 2 Power Cord 3 Media Holder and Retainers 4 Cleaning Pen (for print head) 5 Sample Label Roll 6 Sample Transfer Ribbon Roll (TLP only) 7 Ribbon Core (TLP only) 8 Software and Documentation CD 2 980181-001 Rev.C Installation User Document[...]

Installation The following steps will guide you through the installation of the printer and software. Step ➊ Attach Power See Warnings - Page vi 980181-001 Rev.C 3 Installation O Pa rtN o .:120 X XX- X XX S eri a lNo . :X X X X XX XX In pu tP o we r: 11 5 V AC 6 . 3A 50 / 60 H z Part No. : 120XXX-XXX Serial No. : XXXXXXXX Input Power: 115V AC 6.3[...]

Step ➋ Attach Interface Cable Parallel Interface Serial Interface For additional information on serial cable wir - ing, refer to Appendix A. 4 980181-001 Rev.C Installation[...]

Step ➌ Apply Power If the indicator fails to light, refer to Appendix A - Troubleshooting. 980181-001 Rev.C 5 Installation On O O I = On[...]

Step ➍ Install Software Start your computer. Follow the installation instructions on the disk label to install the software. Refer to Section 2 - Operation, for information on loading labels and using your printer. 6 980181-001 Rev.C Installation[...]

2 Operation This section provides information on the opera- tion of the printers. All user control (and adjustment) printer features are identified by green parts. 980181-001 Rev.C 7[...]

Your Printer 1 Cover Release Buttons 8 Carriage Lock/Release Lever 2 Feed Button 9 Media Guide Adjustment Gear 3 Status Indicator : Transmissive (Gap) Sensor 4 Media Roll Holder Adjustment Gear 5 Media Roll Retainers ; Transmissive (Gap) Sensor 6 Lower Media Stand Position Indicator (Printing Position) < Reflective (Black Mark) Sensor 7 Upper Me[...]

1 Batch/Dispense Select Switch 8 Ribbon Supply Spindle 2 Serial Interface 9 Ribbon Sensor 3 Parallel Interface : Label-Taken Sensor 4 Power Cord Receptacle ; Dispenser Bar 5 On/Off Switch < Label Liner Exit 6 Fan-Fold Media Entry = Release for Transmissive (Gap) 7 Ribbon Take-up Spindle Sensor Guide Bar Bracket 980181-001 Rev.C 9 Operation[...]

The FEED Control The FEED button controls specific printer functions: feeding media (labels, tags or continuous media), loading media, pausing printing, and initiating AutoSense (Dump Mode). Use the FEED control button in normal opera - tion by tapping or holding the button. • Tapping the FEED Button with labels loaded will cause the paper to adv[...]

• Holding the FEED button down will cause the printer to continuously Form Feed until the button is released. The printer will feed the media until the next top of form is reached. • Holding the FEED button without media loaded will cause the printer to continuously (line) feed until the button is released or me - dia is detected. This is usefu[...]

The STATUS Indicator The STATUS indicator is a power and status in - dicator. When the printer power is first switched ON (1), the STATUS indicator will glow GREEN, indicating that the printer is ready for operation. Indicator Color Meaning GREEN 1) Power ON, ready for use. 2) Printing, operation normal. GREEN Blinking Interface Activity GREEN with[...]

Loading Labels or Tags Your printer can print on adhesive backed la - bels, non-adhesive tags or continuous media (typically paper). The printer is capable of using media on a roll or fan fold media. Step 1 Open the printer. Press the two green release buttons on the sides of the printer to open the cover. 980181-001 Rev.C 13 Operation[...]

Step 2 Place the roll of media on the media holder tube. The media holder tube is directional and will not work properly if installed incorrectly. The media holder is keyed with a hex to be mounted on the right side of the printer when installed. 14 980181-001 Rev.C Operation CORRECT INCORRECT[...]

Step 3 Center the media roll on the holder. If the media roll is narrow, then the media roll holders can be added to prevent loose (uneven) pack of the media on the roll. 980181-001 Rev.C 15 Operation Media Retainers (optional) 90° 90°[...]

Step 4 Set the media and roll holder on the upper me - dia stand for loading. 16 980181-001 Rev.C Operation[...]

Step 5 Turn the media guide adjustment wheel to - wards the rear of the printer to open the media guides. Open the media guides until they are wider than the media. 980181-001 Rev.C 17 Operation Media Guides[...]

Step 6 Open the print head carriage with the release lever. Pull forward and then up. 18 980181-001 Rev.C Operation Release Lever[...]

Step 7 Insert the loose end of the media roll between the media guides and under the guide bar bracket that holds the transmissive (gap) sensor. Continue feeding the media under the print head carriage until it exits out the front of the printer. 980181-001 Rev.C 19 Operation[...]

Step 8 Turn the green media guide adjustment wheel towards the front of the printer until the label guides match the width of the media. 20 980181-001 Rev.C Operation[...]

Step 9 Move the media roll to the lower media stand for printing. 980181-001 Rev.C 21 Operation[...]

Step 10 When using the transmissive (gap) sensor for top of form (label) sensing, verify that the sen - sor is positioned at minimum label gap point or centered over a tag hole. See Top of Form Sensing, page 32, for more details on sensor operation. Turn the sensor’s adjustment wheel towards the rear of the printer to move it into the middle. Tur[...]

Step 11 Close and lock the print head carriage. Push the print head carriage down to close and then push the lever back to lock. Turn on the printer power. Tap the FEED con- trol until the STATUS indicator glows GREEN. 980181-001 Rev.C 23 Operation[...]

Step 12 Set label detection parameters for media: • Use the AutoSense procedure for first time use of new media to set the transmissive (gap) sensor. • Use the AutoSense procedure for detection of label and gap lengths. • Use EPL2 programming (Q) command to set form length (and gap) as well as media de - tection and control method for sensing[...]

Loading Transfer Ribbons Transfer ribbons are used when printing on thermal transfer media such as adhesive labels or non-adhesive tags. Thermal transfer ribbons are available in general purpose wax (blue leader), general purpose wax-resin (silver leader) and polyester resin (gold leader). The print head carriage in a thermal transfer printer inclu[...]

Step ➊ Install an empty ribbon core onto the front rib - bon (take-up) spindle pair. Push the core onto the left side ribbon (take up) spindle. Rotate the core on the spindle until the notches on the right side of the core match-up with the long spokes on the right side ribbon (take-up) spindle. 26 980181-001 Rev.C Operation Long Spoke Notch[...]

Step ➋ Loosen the ribbon leader that secures the lead - ing end of the transfer ribbon roll. Fold the rib - bon leader over and attach it to the under side of the ribbon leader. 980181-001 Rev.C 27 Operation Notch[...]

Step ➌ Install the ribbon roll onto the rear ribbon (supply) spindle pair so that the ribbon feeds from the top of the roll toward the back of the printer. The ribbon roll installs the same as the ribbon (take-up) core. Wrap the ribbon around the print carriage, aound the ribbon tracking bar and above the media guide bracket. Caution: The ribbon [...]

Step ➍ Hold open the print carriage to pull the ribbon through towards the front of the print carriage and up to the empty take-up core. Center the ribbon on ribbon core. Attach the ribbon to the core with the adhesive strip on the leader or with tape. 980181-001 Rev.C 29 Operation[...]

Step ➎ Rotate the ribbon take-up core a minimum one full revolution (from the top to the back of the printer) to remove most of the slack from the rib - bon. Verify that the ribbon is wrapping straight on the ribbon core. After the media is loaded, hold the ribbon snug and close the print head. See label and tag (me - dia) loading, page 13. Press[...]

Removing A Partially Used Transfer Ribbon A partially used transfer ribbon can be removed by following the steps below. The unused portion of partially used transfer ribbons can be reloaded using the normal rib - bon loading procedure. Step ➊ Open the print carriage to release ribbon ten - sion. Using scissors, cut the transfer ribbon just below [...]

Top Of Form Sensing To accommodate different media and media dimensions, your printer is equipped with sen - sors capable of detecting the top of form for la - bels or tags. Two methods are used by the printer for top of form sensing: gap sensing and black mark sensing. Gap Sensing The gap sensing feature depends on the ability of the movable trans[...]

Using AutoSense The AutoSense feature sets sensitivity of the transmissive sensor and measures and stores the form (label) and gap lengths. To activate the AutoSense feature: Step 1 Set the power switch to the OFF (0) position. Step 2 Load labels into the printer (do not use the dis - penser). Step 3 Press and hold the FEED Control button while pla[...]

Step 4 Tap the FEED Control once to switch the printer back to normal operation. If the indicator light turns AMBER or RED, refer to Appendix A for troubleshooting information. 34 980181-001 Rev.C Operation[...]

Cleaning Your Printer You have easy access to all of the printer’s me - dia path areas to allow for cleaning and clearing of media jams. You can clean the sensor areas, print head, platen roller and areas adjacent to the media path surfaces. Warning -Shock Hazard - See page vi. Always turn the printer off before cleaning. Warnung - Elektrische Ge[...]

Cleaning the Print Head As you use your printer, the print head may be - come contaminated resulting in poor print qual - ity. Whenever new labels are loaded into the printer, the print head should be cleaned with a cleaning pen. Step 1 Open the printer and the print head carriage. Step 2 Gently rub the cleaning pen across the dark area of the prin[...]

Cleaning Under the Sensor Bracket The transmissive (gap) sensor guide bar bracket can pivot up for easy cleaning. Step 1 Open the print head carriage. Step 2 Open the sensor bracket. Pull the slide lock to the left and lift the front of the bracket up. Step 3 Clean the metal part of the bracket, only. The sensor is recessed to protect it from label[...]

Using the Label Dispenser Printers with the label dispenser function (indi - cated by a T after the model number) can dis - pense a single label that is already peeled away from the liner. Before performing these steps, load a media roll (refer to page 12 if necessary). Step 1 Push the switch to the peel position. Step 2 Open the print head and lif[...]

Step 3 Remove a few labels. Push a corner of the liner behind the gray roller and through the slot. Step 4 Remove slack by pulling the liner. 980181-001 Rev.C 39 Operation[...]

Step 5 Close the dispenser bar and print head. Tighten the liner against the dispenser bar. Adjust the media guides (refer to page 19). Step 6 Send your print job. The printer dispenses one label and waits for you to take it before printing the next label. You must remove each printed label before the next label prints. 40 980181-001 Rev.C Operatio[...]

Appendix A Troubleshooting This section addresses the most common issues you may face with operation and configuration of the printer. Where to Start The first troubleshooting reference source is the Common Problems Troubleshooting table on the following page. 980181-001 Rev.C 41 Troubleshooting[...]

Common Printing Problems Troubleshooting Guide Problem Solution or Reason STATUS indicator does not light GREEN when power switch is turned to the ON (1) position. 1. Check power connections from the printer to the outlet. With the STATUS indicator light GREEN, the printer appears to be working, but nothing is printed. 1. Verify that the labels are[...]

Problem Solution or Reason Status Indicator is RED 1. Check for Out-of-Media condition or missing labels in the middle of a roll. 2. Check for Out-of-Ribbon condition or dam - age or previous use of ribbon in middle of the roll. 3. Check that the ribbon and label media are correctly routed. 4. When direct thermal printing, verify that the programme[...]

Other Support Resources The first troubleshooting reference source is the table on the previous page. Next, contact the dealer where you purchased your printer. Zebra Technologies also provides a variety of information and user support services: • Internet : Web Address : http://www.eltron.com ftp: //ftp.eltron.com e-mail: Label Printers: techsup[...]

Serial Interface Communication Configuration The printer’s serial port is configured with the Y command for the printer. See the EPL2 pro - grammer's manual for details. The printer’s serial port default configuration is: 9600 baud 8 bit data 1 stop bit No parity Serial Interface Cable Wiring The figure below displays the cable wiring re -[...]

Tag Media Sensing The printer uses a moveable sensor to detect in - dex holes/notches in tag stock. The sensor can move from a center tag notch to a notch on the out side edge of tag stock as wide as 8.5 inches (216mm) wide. The dimensions show the position acceptable position range of the “Notch” (hole) on tag stock for the printer and the gap[...]

Appendix B Printer Features Features The printer has many time saving, user friendly, design features. Some of these printer features are listed below: • Anti-jam, straight through media path • Sturdy, clam shell case with force balanced lid and locking latch for safer handling • Internal label roll holder • 5 printer resident fonts • Ove[...]

• Flash memory makes firmware updates easy and seamless • Create-A-Label Tools for Windows ® Software • Windows Drivers (Windows ® 3.1X, Windows® 95, and Windows ® NT 3.51 & 4.0) • Snap’N’Lock front bezel for easy access Firmware Options • Flash memory expandable to 1 megabyte. • SRAM memory expandable to 1 megabyte. • Rea[...]

• Easy-to-load label and ribbon path • Easy-to-use EPL2 command language • Prints text, graphics and bar codes in four di - rections: 0°, 90°, 80° and 270° • Graphics, line and box drawing features, PCX bit map supported • Label back feed for maximum label usage printing • Diagnostics and configuration print out and ASCII dump • D[...]

• Code 128 Autoselect • CodaBar • UCC/EAN-128 • Interleaved 2 of 5 • UPC-A, UPC-E, 2 & 5 digit add on • EAN-8, EAN-13, 2 & 5 digit add on • POSTNET • MaxiCode • PDF-417 • German Postal Code • Bar codes with or without human readable text • Bar codes can be printed in four directions 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Standar[...]

Media • Type: roll-fed, die-cut, continuous or fan- fold labels, tags or tickets • Materials: thermal transfer or thermal sensi - tive papers • Maximum media width: 8.75" (222.3mm) • Minimum media width: 4" (102mm) • Maximum media length: 11" (279mm) stan - dard, 22" (559mm) optional with maximum print width set. Note:[...]

Mechanical • Width: 13.6" (344mm) • Depth: 11.9" (305mm) • Height: 8.1" (204mm) • Weight: 21.0lbs. (9.5kg) Electrical • Voltage: 115V/60 Hz, 230V/50 Hz • Complies with FCC Class B and CE require - ments; Built to UL, CUL and TUV require - ments. Environmental • Operating temperature: 40°F to 104°F (5°C to 40°C) • [...]

Appendix C Supplies and Accessories Accessories available for the Strata™ printer are listed below. Always refer to the ELTRON part number when placing an order. For the name of an Eltron brand dealer in your area, call: 1(800) 344-4003 or the nearest Zebra Technol- ogies office (located on the back of this manual). Description Part Number Parall[...]

54 980181-001 Rev.C Supplies and Accessories Features L ow cost Ease of use L ow Environmental Durability Limited L abel Life W ill fade and/or discolor when exposed to heat, sunlight, and chemicals. L owest cost thermal transfer combination Most commonly used L ow environmental durability L ow abrasion resistance L onger life than direct thermal R[...]

980181-001 Rev.C 55 Supplies and Accessories Features Better environmental durability . Better abrasion resistance than wax More expensive than wax Good aesthetic appearance High environmental durability High physical durability Excellent aesthetic appearance Most expensive label/tag combination Ribbon General P urpose R esin Hard R esin Media (Sto[...]

56 980181-001 Rev.C Supplies and Accessories[...]

Appendix D Using the Media Cutter Printers with the cutter option have a bezel with a motorized blade. Printers with cutters can dis- pense a single form that is automatically cut from the media roll. 980181-001 Rev.C 57[...]

Guidelines Use the cutter to cut through continuous paper from rolls and liner between labels. You can switch between cutting and feeding by using the OC command. You can set form length and gap distances by using the Q com - mand. Refer to the EPL2 programmer’s man - ual for complete programming information. Keep the cutter dry. Never use any so[...]

Clearing the Cutter If the media is crooked, a jam can occur. The only tool required to clear a jam is a pair of small tweezers. Step 1—Prepare the Printer Turn the printer off. Unplug the power cord and interface cable. 980181-001 Rev.C 59 Using the Media Cutter[...]

Step 2—Clear the Jam Use tweezers to remove media from the internal blade areas. If the jam is inside the cutter, detach the cutter assembly from the printer. Press both bezel re- leases and pull the cutter up and forward. Lay the cutter flat. Leave cables, retainers and wires connected. Do not pull or strain any con - nections. If you cannot rem[...]

Step 3—Replace the Cutter Align the left edges of the bezel and printer. Connect the bezel by snapping down into place. Step 4—Check the Cutter Connect the power cord and interface cable. Turn the printer on. Tap the Feed button. The printer should feed one label then cut the liner. 980181-001 Rev.C 61 Using the Media Cutter[...]

World Wide Offices: Zebra Technologies Corporation Eltron Products 1001 Flynn Road Camarillo, CA 93012-8706 USA Phone: +1 (805) 579 1800 FAX: +1 (805) 579 1808 e-mail: sales@eltron.com Zebra Technologies, Europe Eltron House Molly Millars Lane Wokingham, RG41 2QZ England Phone: +44 (0) 1189 770 300 FAX: +44 (0) 1189 895 762 e-mail: eurosales@eltron[...]