Zebra Zebra Z6000 - Manual

Media Calibration Auto-Calibration 17 Calibration Control 17 Care & Adjustments Cleaning 19 Lubrication 24 Printhead Pressure Adjustment 24 Power Rewind/Power Peel Media Alignment 25 Printer Options LCD Display (Deluxe Front Panel) 27 Power Rewind/Power Peel Option 28 Value Peel Option 30 Cutter...

Congratulations! You have just purchased a high-quality thermal de- mand printer manufactured by the industry leader in quality, service, and value. For over 25 years, Zebra Technologies Corporation has provided customers with the highest caliber of products and support. This user’s guide provides a...

For shipping information, refer to Appendix C. Communications Refer to Figure 1. The Z Series™ printer comes standard with both an Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 serial data interface(a) and a bi-directional parallel interface(b) compliant with the IEEE1284 standard. The serial inte...

Z Series™ Configuration The Z Series™ printer will have one of two different styled front pan- els. The deluxe front panel contains an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), but the standard front panel does not. With the deluxe front panel, the LCD displays the parameters during the configuration process. F...

Loading Media To load media, refer to Figure 2. 1. Raise the media cover.2. Press the Printhead Open Lever(e). [The Printhead Assembly(f) automatically springs up.] 3. Fold down the Media Supply Guide(g) and slide it out as far from the printer frame as possible. 4. Slide the Media Guide(h) out as f...

Roll Media Loading To load roll media, refer to Figure 3. 1. Place the roll of media on the Media Supply Hanger(i) and push it on all the way. 2. Fold the Media Supply Guide(g) up and slide it against the outer edge of the media roll. 3. Feed the media under the Media Spindle(j), under the Ribbon Se...

Loading Ribbon NOTE: The Ribbon Supply Spindle in your printer may be a "Dual-Tension" variety. Most applications require the spindle to be in the "Normal" position. The "Low-Tension" position is recommended only when wide ribbons are used and normal tension hampers the ribbo...

Loading the Ribbon CAUTION: Always use ribbon that is wider than the media. The smooth backing of the ribbon protects the printhead from wear. (For Direct Thermal printing, do not load ribbon in the printer.) To load ribbon, refer to Figures 5a and 5b. 1. Place the roll on the Ribbon Supply Spindle(...

Media Sensor Operation When the printer is turned ON, a Power ON Self Test is performed which checks the status of the electronic system and controls within the printer. Additional operating parameters are determined by the type of media being used and the position of the Media Sensor located behind...

sensor anywhere under the media so that an “Out-of-Media” condi- tion will still be sensed. 5. Insure the media and ribbon are properly positioned within the print mechanism. then close the Printhead Assembly. 6. Close the printer’s media cover, then turn the printer power OFF. Printer Operational C...

next. To maintain proper print quality, refer to the Care & Adjustments section later in this guide. Figure 7 illustrates a properly loaded Z Series™ printer. For loading media and ribbon in printers with the Power Rewind/Power Peel, Value Peel or Cutter options, see the Options section later in...

Operator Interface The Z Series™ family of printers features either a standard or deluxe front panel. The deluxe front panel features a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) that provides both printer status information and configuration option menus. This section of the user’s guide presents information whi...

Front Panel LEDs LEDs on the front panel are a quick indication of the printer's status. The LEDs listed below are common to all Z Series ™ printers . POWER LED The POWER LED is always ON when the printer is turned ON. DATA LED The DATA LED is normally OFF. When data is received, the LED acts as fol...

Z Series™ User’s Guide 15 Figure 8. Standard Front Panel Figure 9. Deluxe Front Panel 23 H:...uspiran2.vp Thu Jun 18 15:54:53 1998 Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen

Auto-Calibration The auto-calibration of the Z Series™ printer occurs at power ON and each time the printer recovers from error conditions such as media er- rors, ribbon errors, and printhead open errors. In the process of clearing an error, open and close the printhead then take the printer out of ...

Cleaning CAUTION: Use only the cleaning agents indicated. Zebra Technolo- gies Corporation will not be responsible for damage caused by any other cleaning materials used on the Z Series™ printer. Table 1 provides a recommended cleaning schedule. Cleaning Swabs saturated with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol ar...

Z Series™ User’s Guide 21 o r e k q Figure 10. Printhead and Platen Roller Cleaning 29 H:...uspiran2.vp Thu Jun 18 15:57:44 1998 Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen

Cleaning the Cutter Module (For printers equipped with the Cutter option.) The Cutter Module requires periodic cleaning to remove paper dust and gummed label residue. If labels are not being cut properly, or if the cutter jams with labels, this is an indication that the cutter probably needs cleanin...

NOTE: Disassembly of the Cutter module should only be performed by a Service Technician. Z Series™ User’s Guide 23 Figure 11. Cutter Cleaning 31 H:...uspiran2.vp Thu Jun 18 15:57:54 1998 Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen

Cleaning the Peel Blade (For printers equipped with the Value Peel or Power Peel option.) 1. Open the Media Door and press the Printhead Open Lever to raise the Printhead Assembly. 2. Refer to Figure 12. Open the Peel Mechanism by gently lifting up on the Media Plate and pivoting it toward you. 3. R...

Lubrication CAUTION! No lubricating agents of any kind should be used on this printer! Some commercially available lubricants, if used, will damage the finish and the mechanical parts inside the printer. Printhead Pressure Adjustment Printhead pressure is adjustable to insure maximum print quality. ...

Power Rewind/Power Peel Media Alignment (For printers equipped with the Power Rewind/Power Peel option.) An adjustment to the Media Alignment Spindle allows the user to in- sure that the media or backing material is properly winding onto the Take-up Spindle. Refer to Figure 14. Turn the adjustment d...

LCD Display (Deluxe Front Panel) The Z Series™ printers include the option of replacing the standard front panel with a deluxe front panel containing a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). The LCD shows several types of information. n When the printer completes its Power ON Self Test, the LCD displays an “...

Power Rewind/Power Peel Option The Z Series™ printer supports a rewind option, with the capability of rewinding an entire roll of printed labels (Rewind mode) or backing material only (Peel mode). This option is available as both a factory installed feature and a field-installable kit. Label Movemen...

8. Loosen the thumbscrew and slide the Rewind Media Guide(x) out to the end of the spindle and rotate it to its horizontal position. 9. Place an empty media core on the Rewind Spindle(y), wrap the media around the core, and turn the spindle counterclockwise to wind up the excess material. 10. Rotate...

Cutter Option The Z Series™ printer also features a cutter option. This option is avail- able as both a factory installed feature and a field installable kit. A label catch tray is included which holds up to 10 labels up to 6” in length. Label Movement in Cutter Mode When the label is completely pri...

Electronics Options PCMCIA Option An optional PCMCIA Port is available for the Z Series™ printer. This option is available as both a factory installed feature and a field installable kit. Access to the PCMCIA port is from the rear of the printer. Optional PCMCIA Memory Cards will provide non-volatil...

Once the option is installed in the printer, information to be stored in Flash Memory is downloaded to the printer from the host computer. A specific ZPLcommand is then sent to the printer which causes the information to be stored in the Flash Memory. The content of the Flash Memory is not lost when...

Power On Self-Test A Power On Self Test (POST) is performed each time the printer is turned ON. During this test, the front panel LEDs will turn ON and OFF to ensure proper operation. At the end of this self test, only the POWER LED will remain lit. Once the Power ON Self Test is complete, the media...

38 Z Series™ User’s Guide SYMPTOM DIAGNOSIS ACTION Printer stops, PAUSE LED ON and ERROR LED FLASHING Fast. Printhead is not fully closed. Close printhead completely. Malfunctioning Printhead Open Sensor. Call a Service Technician. Printer stops, PAUSE LED BLINKING. Printer in Peel mode and no Peel ...

PAUSE and CANCEL Key Self-test Press and hold both the PAUSE key and CANCEL key while turning the printer power ON. Release both keys anytime after the first front panel LED turns OFF. The PAUSE and CANCEL key self-test prints a sequentially numbered series of 500 labels. When making print quality a...

Communications Diagnostic Self-test The Communications Diagnostic Mode is a troubleshooting tool for checking the interconnection between the printer and the host com- puter.When “Diagnostics” is selected, all data sent to the printer will be printed as straight ASCII hex characters. The printer pri...

Media and Ribbon Sensor Profile The Media and Ribbon Sensor Profile may be used to troubleshoot reg- istration problems that may be caused when the Media Sensor experi- ences difficulty in determining web location between labels. To print a Media and Ribbon Sensor Profile, you must press and hold th...

Initializing the Flash Memory and PCMCIA Card As of Firmware release V22.8.4, a new procedure is used to initialize the optional on-board Flash Menory device and the optional PCMCIA Card. Prior to uploading new contents into the Flash Memory and/or the PCMCIA Card, it is first necessary to initializ...

Print Error Conditions There are several error conditions that effect printing. Some actually stop the printing process completely, while others are only reported to the operator or host system. A printhead open error condition stops any media movement, while the printhead under temperature error ha...

NOTE: Printer specifications are subject to change without notice. Your printer may not have all of the options described in these specifications. If you have questions as to the ability of the Z Series™ printer to meet the needs of your application, contact either your Zebra Distributor or Zebra Te...

Printing Specifications Ribbon Specifications 50 Z Series™ User’s Guide PRINTING SPECIFICATIONS Z4000 PRINTER Z6000 PRINTER Print Resolution 203 dpi (8 dots/mm) or 300 dpi (11.8 dots/mm) Dot size 203 dpi 300 dpi 0.00492” (0.125 mm) square 0.0033” x 0.0039”(0.84 mm x 0.99 mm) Maximum print width 4.1”...

Media Specifications Z Series™ User’s Guide 51 MEDIA SPECIFICATION Z4000 PRINTER Z6000 PRINTER Total media width Maximum 4.5” (115 mm) 7.0“(178 mm) Minimum 1.0” (25.4 mm) 2.0“(50.8 mm) Label length Maximum See “Printing Specifications” Minimum Tear-Off Mode 0.5” (12.7 mm). Rewind Mode 0.5” (12.7 mm)...

Standard Printer Fonts For more information on fonts, refer to the ZPL II Programming Guide . 203 DOTS/INCH (8 DOTS/MM) PRINTHEAD Fonts Dot Matrix (h x w) (Defaults) Type* Minimum Character Size (h x w) Max Char /In A 9 x 5 U-L-D 0.044” x 0.030” 33.3 B 11 x 7 U 0.054” x 0.044” 22.7 C, D 18 x 10 U-L-...

Optional Printer Fonts There are many optional character fonts that can be purchased for your Z Series™ printer, in addition to those which are standard in the unit. From time to time, additions may be made to the list of available fonts. Contact your sales representative for further information. On...

Printer Configuration (Standard Front Panel) NOTE: To configure a Z Series™ printer having the optional deluxe front panel, refer to the information found later in this section. Serial Communications Parameters Refer to Figure 25. When using serial communication, the Bank One (left) switches inside ...

Refer to Table 8 if the settings need to be changed to match those of your host computer. If you do not know the settings of your host com- puter, refer to the instruction manual provided with the computer. The serial port supports an Error Detection Protocol which sends and receives data in packets...

Operating Modes Use the Bank Two (right) switches to select printer operating modes. When shipped from the factory, all switches are in the ON position. This presets the printer to match the most commonly used modes of operation - Tear-Off Mode, Non-continuous Media, Thermal Transfer Operation, and ...

Standard Front Panel Control Keys If you need to adjust the print darkness, label position or the image po- sition on the label, use the following control keys located inside the front panel door to configure these parameters. Print Darkness Key Press this key (LED turns ON) to change the print dark...

Printer Configuration (Deluxe Front Panel) NOTE: To configure a Z Series™ printer having the standard front panel, refer to the information found earlier in this section. Deluxe Front Panel Control Keys Refer to Figure 26. Opening the door on the front panel provides access to the control keys used ...

Z Series™ User’s Guide 63 GENERAL SETUP MENU PARAMETER SELECTIONS LANGUAGE Use the PLUS key or MINUS key to sequence through the LCD selections until the appropriate language is displayed. Default: English Choices: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Sp...

Communication Interfaces Data cables must be fully shielded and fitted with metal or metalized connector shells to prevent radiation and reception of electrical noise. To minimize electrical noise pickup in the cable: n Keep data cables as short as possible. n Do not bundle the data cables tightly w...

Hardware Control Signal Descriptions For all RS-232 input and output signals, the Z Series™ printer follows both the Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 and the Con- sultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) V.24 standard signal level specifications. When DTR/...

Parallel Data Communications Table 12 illustrates the pin connections on the Bi-directional Parallel connector at the rear of the printer. Parallel Interface The 8-Bit Parallel Data Interface supports IEEE 1284 bi-directional parallel communications in “nibble mode”. The parallel interface pro- vide...

AC Power Cord Since many areas of the world have specific power requirements, an AC Power Cord may not be included with your printer. Refer to Figure 30. A power cord must be provided by you that meets your local elec- trical requirements. WARNING!! For personnel and equipment safety, always use a t...

Fuse Replacement A user-replaceable AC Power Fuse is located just below the AC Power Switch at the rear of the printer. The replacement fuse is a 3AG Fast Blow style rated at 5 Amp/250 VAC Before replacing the fuse, turn the AC Power Switch OFF and unplug the AC Power Cable. To replace the fuse, ins...

Slightly Light - Slightly light labels are, in some cases, preferred to slightly dark for “In Spec” bar codes. Both normal and rotated bar codes will be “In Spec”, but small alphanumeric characters may not be complete. Too Light - Light labels are very obvious. Both normal and rotated bar codes have...

ASCII Code Chart American Standard Code for Information Interchange Z Series™ User’s Guide 79 HEX CHAR HEX CHAR HEX CHAR HEX CHAR 00 NUL 20 space 40 @ 60 ‘ 01 SOH 21 ! 41 A 61 a 02 STX 22 “ 42 B 62 b 03 ETX 23 # 43 C 63 c 04 EOT 24 $ 44 D 64 d 05 ENQ 25 % 45 E 65 e 06 ACK 26 & 46 F 66 f 07 BEL 2...

alphanumeric Indicating letters, numerals, and characters such as punctuation marks. backfeed When the printer pulls the media and ribbon (if used) back- ward into the printer so that the beginning of the label to be printed is properly positioned behind the printhead. Backfeed occurs when operating...

take label sensor See label available sensor . thermal direct See direct thermal . thermal transfer A printing method in which the printhead presses an ink or resin coated ribbon against the media. Heating the print- head elements causes the ink or resin to transfer onto the media. By selectively he...

A AC Power 2Adjustments Media Sensor Position 9 Printhead Pressure 24 ASCII Control Codes XOFF (DC3) 71 XON (DC1) 71 C Calibration 17Caution Ribbon Width 8 Shipping 74 Unshielded Cables 71 CCITT V.24 71Cleaning 19 Cutter Module 22 Platen 20 Printhead 20 Recommended Schedule 19 Sensors 20 Communicati...