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Formax ColorMaxLP Operator's Manual

Digital color printer
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ColorMaxLP
Digital Color Printer
6/20145
OPERATOR MANUAL
Revision 2

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  • Page 1 ColorMaxLP Digital Color Printer OPERATOR MANUAL Revision 2 6/20145...
  • Page 2 Copyright © 2014 Formax. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the prior written permission of Formax. Trademarks Firefox is a trademark of the Mozilla Foundation. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

  • Page 3: Safety Precautions

    Safety Precautions Electrical Shock Hazard Do not disassemble any part of your printer. There are no user-repairable parts inside the printer. Disassembly of any part of the printer will void all warranties. Fire Hazard Keep the printer well away from all heat sources and flammable substances. Switch your printer off immediately and unplug the power cord from the wall socket if you notice any of the following: •...
  • Page 4 • Use only authorized consumables. Use of any printhead other than authorized Formax technology printheads will damage the printer and void your warranty. Use of unauthorized inks or ink cartridges may damage the printer and will void your warranty.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Contents Safety Precautions ............3 Contents.
  • Page 6 Replacing the Service Station ..........57 Replacing the Aerosol Fan Filter .

  • Page 7: Setting Up The Printer

    Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer Start In the Box Parts of the Printer The Control Panel Using the Control Panel Selecting the Security Level Unpacking, Setup, and Installation Remove tape and packing materials Connect power Install ink cartridges Install printhead Load sample media Print test label Install printer driver...

  • Page 8: Start

    • A power outlet nearby. • Sufficient space to work with the printer. The media cover and top cover open upwards, and media loading is from the left side of the printer. In the Box ColorMaxLP Label Printer Ink Cartridges Printhead USB Cable...

  • Page 9: Parts Of The Printer

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Parts of the Printer Media Cover Top Cover Output Slot Control Panel Front Cover GPIO Port USB Port Ethernet Port Power Socket Power Switch Setting Up the Printer...

  • Page 10: The Control Panel

    Formax The Control Panel The printer is ready to print when the control panel displays Printer Online. The Data and Status LEDs together with messages indicate the printer status and any potential problems (Table The control panel also shows the estimated levels of the ink cartridges. In the example below, the yellow ink cartridge level is between 25 to 50%.

  • Page 11: Using The Control Panel

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Using the Control Panel The icons above the printer buttons indicate their functions (Table • When the printer is online, press (Config) to access the configuration menus. The options are described in Config Options on the Control Panel on page 78.

  • Page 12: Selecting The Security Level

    Formax Selecting the Security Level By default, the printer powers up in security Level 0 (operator), which does not allow changes to some printer settings. For the initial Printer Setup, it is recommended that you change the Security Level to 2 (Administrator) before changing those settings.

  • Page 13: Remove Tape And Packing Materials

    Unpacking, Setup, and Installation Remove tapes and foam from inside the printer. Remove tape and packing materials Remove tapes. Foam Keep all foam and cardboard packing materials! Foam Remove cardboard. Pull tabs Squeeze latches to open clamshell Lift out cardboard Setting Up the Printer...

  • Page 14: Connect Power

    Connect power Choose display language (optional) After connecting power for the first time, press Config to set the display language for the control panel if you want to change from the default setting of English. Missing Printhead Config Press the button (Config) Plug power cable into printer and outlet...

  • Page 15: Install Ink Cartridges

    Install ink cartridges Install printhead Open Top Cover Open front of printer and release cartridge latch Press the Config button Missing Printhead CONFIGURATION 3. PRINTHEAD Insert ink cartridge and close cartridge latch Press (Select) until display reads Printhead, then press PRINTHEAD Select 2.
  • Page 16 Remove printhead from packaging. Insert printhead Do not touch the ink couplings, electrical contacts, or nozzles. Remove cover from ink couplings ink couplings Close printhead latch Do not discard the cover! It should be replaced if the printhead is removed from the printer. Slowly remove tape from electrical contacts electrical contacts Check that ink is flowing through the tubes...

  • Page 17: Load Sample Media

    Load sample media Tighten knob fully Open Media cover Loosen tension knob Thread media around dancer and into printer Remove Media stop Insert media until it stops. Slide label guide to edge of label. Install Media roll Wait for printer to load media. Close Media cover Push media roll against inner guide...

  • Page 18: Print Test Label

    Print test label Sample PQ Plot 6x4 Requires inter-label gap or continuous media. Printer Online (Config) CONFIGURATION Top Section: 2. MAINTENANCE Press until display • Lines are defined with no missing nozzles reads Maintenance, • Lines are printed in order: Yellow, Black, Cyan, Black, (Select) then press Select...
  • Page 19 To connect printer to network Connect printer to network using Ethernet Press until display reads Default Gateway, then press Select two times. Default Gateway Enter the using the same Network Printer steps as when setting the Static IP address Network Press until display reads Wins...

  • Page 20: Troubleshooting Printer Setup

    Formax Troubleshooting Printer Setup If Mech Error 2 or Mech Error 3 appears on the control panel during installation, check the following. Possible Cause Solution Service station is jammed. Ensure that the cardboard is removed from inside the printer. Service station was tilted 1.

  • Page 21: Change Security Passwords (Administrator)

    Embedded Web Server (EWS). 1. On the Windows Start menu, select Formax > ColorMaxL Label Printer > Toolbox. 2. Click ColorMaxLP Label Printer to launch the default web browser and open the EWS for your printer. 3. Click Login and log in with the default password 123.
  • Page 22 Formax Setting Up the Printer...

  • Page 23: Using The Printer

    Chapter 2 Using the Printer Choosing Label Media Printing Labels Adjusting Alignment for Printing Printing Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels Software Tools Embedded Web Server (EWS) EWS Security Setup Support Tools Using the Printer...

  • Page 24: Choosing Label Media

    Formax Choosing Label Media Ensure that the label media meets the requirements for the printer (Table Table 1 Media specifications Media Type and Dimensions Media type Gloss, semi-gloss, and matte. Label width 2.0” to 8.5” (50.8 mm to 215.9 mm) Label length Continuous/Roll-to-Roll: Maximum 40”...
  • Page 25 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Figure 2 Gap (Transmissive) Media Minimum Maximum 0.125”(3.0 mm) 0.3” (8.0 mm) 2.0” (50.8 mm) 2.0” (50.8 mm) 8.5” (216.0 mm) 2.0” (50.8 mm) 40.0” (1.016 m) Direction of travel through printer as seen from above Figure 3 Black Mark (Reflective) Media...
  • Page 26 Formax Print Test Page The Barcodes test page is formatted for 4" x 4" labels (inter-label gap, black-mark, or continuous). Larger labels may be used. On the control panel, select (Config) MAINTENANCE PRINT TEST PAGE > > > Barcodes. Sample Barcodes Test Page...

  • Page 27: Printing Labels

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Printing Labels The printer is ready to print when the control panel displays Printer Online. 1. Select the Print command from your application. 2. Select the printer and click the Setup, Properties or similar button. The print settings displayed are the defaults that were set in the printer driver.
  • Page 28 Formax Figure 4 Printing Preferences Print pages without any gap. Render entire document to disk before sending to the printer. Select this option if labels are skipped when printing large files. Select Print Pause if labels are skipped when printing to small labels.

  • Page 29: Selecting The Media Type

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Selecting the Media Type Selecting the media type that matches the media you are printing on will usually give the best print results. Select this Media Type: When you are printing on: Plain Paper Plain (uncoated) paper and labels.

  • Page 30: Adjusting Alignment For Printing

    Formax Adjusting Alignment for Printing Always print a few test labels to check the alignment of the image. If the image is not centered, adjust the Top of Form and/or Left Edge offsets. A positive value for Top of Form adjusts the image towards the top of the label.
  • Page 31 ColorMaxLPLabel Printer Adjust Alignment from Printer Driver The offset settings are found on the Media tab, in the Position Adjustment section. Use the controls to enter in the adjustments necessary to center the printed image on the label. Adjust Alignment from Control Panel This setting requires security Level 1 (supervisor) or higher.

  • Page 32: Printing Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels

    Formax Printing Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels The usual approach to borderless printing is to prepare an image slightly larger than the label size, then center the larger image over the label so that it prints over the edges. The following procedure describes where to make the adjustments on the L801 printer.

  • Page 33: Export/Import Custom Media Size Settings

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Export/Import Custom media size settings Any custom media size settings will be lost if the printer driver is updated. Make a backup copy of these settings by saving them to a file. At any time when you update the printer driver, you may re-import these settings from the backup file.

  • Page 34: Turning Off The Printer

    Formax Turning Off the Printer Always use the Power button to turn off the printer. CAUTION: Removing power to the printer in any other manner may damage the printer. 1. Press the Power button on the control panel, then press (Select) to confirm.

  • Page 35: Software Tools

    The administrator can also log in to view additional information and change various settings. 1. On the Windows Start menu, select Formax > ColorMaxLP Label Printer > Toolbox. If the printer is installed on the network, enter the IP address in a web browser* on any PC on the network and skip step 2.
  • Page 36 Formax Table 2 EWS pages EWS Page Description Printer Status Access to printer information, ink levels, and usage metrics. Also shows the current printer settings. Security Setup (See EWS Security Setup on page 39.) Change Password Set the passwords for accessing the following: •...
  • Page 37 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Table 2 EWS pages EWS Page Description Advanced Settings Remote commands • Restart printer Turn the printer off and on. • Reset to default settings Reset settings to the factory defaults. • Synchronize printer date and time with host PC Set the printer date and time by synchronizing with the host PC.
  • Page 38 Formax Table 2 EWS pages EWS Page Description Unwinder Settings • Disable Unwinder Enable this option when using an external unwinder. • Invert rotation of Unwinder Enable this option when using Face-in label stock. Other settings • Retract media when printer is idle for 10 or 30 minutes...

  • Page 39: Ews Printer Status

    EWS. Any changes to these settings must be performed on the control panel or drivers. EWS Security Setup The ColorMaxLP printer has three levels of security. See Selecting the Security Level page 12 for the list of security restrictions.
  • Page 40 Change Passwords 1. Log in to the EWS. a On the Windows Start menu, select Formax > ColorMaxLP Label Printer > Toolbox. b Click ColorMaxLP Label Printer to launch the default web browser and open the EWS for your printer.

  • Page 41: Ews Network Setup

    ColorMaxLPLabel Printer EWS Network Setup The Network Setup page can be used to change the IP information. The same settings can also be changed from the control panel. Select either Continuous or Gap for the Media Layout. EWS Diagnostics The Diagnostics page can be used to send test prints to the printer. These are the same test prints available in the control panel.

  • Page 42: Interpreting The Gap/Mark Sensor Readings

    Formax Enable Virtual Printing setting will allow you to process your label images without actually printing in order to determine the amount of ink that will be used during an actual print. This can be used to help determine the cost of printing a particular label.
  • Page 44 Formax Using the Printer...

  • Page 45: Printer Maintenance

    Chapter 3 Printer Maintenance Guidelines for Preventive Maintenance Replacing an Ink Cartridge Cleaning the Printhead Replacing the Printhead Opening/Closing the Clamshell Cleaning Debris from the Cutting Zone Cleaning the Sensors Cleaning the Media Guide Replacing the Service Station Replacing the Aerosol Fan Filter Replacing the Waste Ink Absorber Printer Maintenance...

  • Page 46: Guidelines For Preventive Maintenance

    Formax Guidelines for Preventive Maintenance Recommended maintenance depends on the print mode that is most frequently used. If you mostly print Roll to Roll (≥80%), refer to Table 3. Otherwise, see Table 4. Inspect means to check the condition and replace if necessary.

  • Page 47: Replacing An Ink Cartridge

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Replacing an Ink Cartridge 1. Open the front cover of the printer. 2. Open the latch and remove the empty ink cartridge. 3. Insert the new cartridge and close the latch. 4. Close the front cover. NOTE: Dispose of the empty ink cartridge according to local regulations.

  • Page 48: Cleaning The Printhead

    Formax Cleaning the Printhead The printer provides three automated cleaning cycles for the printhead: Normal, Extended, and Extreme. Always start with the Normal cleaning cycle and proceed to the next level only if print quality does not improve. 1. On the control panel, select...

  • Page 49: Replacing The Printhead

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Replacing the Printhead 1. Open the printer top cover. 2. On the control panel, select (Config) Printhead > > Replace. Wait for the printhead latch to be released, then open the latch fully. Do not open latch before it is released! 3.
  • Page 50 Formax 4. Remove the new printhead from its packaging. Do not touch the ink couplings, ink couplings electrical contacts, or nozzles. Do not discard the cover! It should be replaced if the printhead is removed from the printer. Slowly remove tape from electrical contacts...
  • Page 51 ColorMaxLP Label Printer 6. Close the printhead latch. Check that ink is flowing through the tubes on both sides of the printhead (circled above). 7. Close the top cover. Printer Maintenance...

  • Page 52: Opening/Closing The Clamshell

    Formax Opening/Closing the Clamshell In the following procedures you may need to open the clamshell in order to access the areas inside the printer. NOTE: If you will have the clamshell open for more than 5-10 minutes, remove the printhead to ensure the printhead remains healthy.

  • Page 53: Cleaning Debris From The Cutting Zone

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Cleaning Debris from the Cutting Zone Clear all debris from the cutting zone to avoid contaminating the print zone, especially fine dust particles. 1. Turn off power to the printer. See Printing Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels on page 32.

  • Page 54: Cleaning The Sensors

    Formax Cleaning the Sensors Always keep the media path clean as accumulated dust can affect printing. Open the clamshell to its highest position. 2. Turn off power to the printer. See Printing Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels on page 32. 3. Vacuum any dust or debris from the sensors.
  • Page 55 ColorMaxLP Label Printer 7. Clean any debris from the Exit Sensor, which is located near the front right side of the top of the clamshell. Exit sensor on top of clamshell 8. Close the top cover. Turn the printer back on.

  • Page 56: Cleaning The Media Guide

    Formax Cleaning the Media Guide Excess ink on the Media Guide can affect print quality. 1. Remove the printhead. See Replacing the Printhead on page 49. Open the clamshell to its highest position. 3. Slide the white plastic Media Guide to the right. When it will not move further, gently pull down on the guide.

  • Page 57: Replacing The Service Station

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Replacing the Service Station NOTE: Before you begin, remove the printhead and cap it with the orange protective cover, but do not close the latch after removing the printhead. See Replacing the Printhead on page 49. Tools •...
  • Page 58 Formax 7. Pull the service station forward until you can disconnect the flex cable to the wiper motor. Loosen the clip on the connector ( Figure 6) to release the flex cable. clip flex cable Ensure that the flex cable does not come into contact with any metallic surface.
  • Page 59 ColorMaxLP Label Printer 9. Carefully align the service station with the guide rails and slide it into the print engine. guide rail guide rail 10.Manually rotate the positioning gear backwards while uniformly pushing the service station to move the service station into the print engine.

  • Page 60: Replacing The Aerosol Fan Filter

    Formax Replacing the Aerosol Fan Filter As a general guideline, replace the aerosol fan filter every six months. Tools • Nitrile powder-free gloves • Flat-headed screwdriver 1. Turn off power to the printer. SeePrinting Borderless (Full-Bleed) Labels on page 32.

  • Page 61: Replacing The Waste Ink Absorber

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Replacing the Waste Ink Absorber Tools • Nitrile powder-free gloves 1. Open the front cover of the printer. 2. Squeeze the latches on both sides of the waste ink absorber and pull it out. 3. Remove the waste ink absorber.
  • Page 62 Formax Printer Maintenance...

  • Page 63: Troubleshooting

    Chapter 4 Troubleshooting If Error Messages Appear Poor Print Quality or Incorrect Printout Other Printing Problems Clearing a Media Jam Clearing Clogged Ink Nozzles Color Mixing Recovery Adjusting Sensor Sensitivity Troubleshooting...

  • Page 64: If Error Messages Appear

    Formax If Error Messages Appear If error messages are displayed on the printer control panel, check the following table for the solution. Error Message Possible Cause Solution Clamshell Open The clamshell is open. Close the clamshell. The clamshell sensor is damaged Contact Technical Support for part replacement.
  • Page 65 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Error Message Possible Cause Solution Media Cover Open The media cover is open. Close media cover. The cover sensor is damaged Contact Technical Support for part replacement. Missing Ink Tank The ink cartridge is not installed or Install a genuine ink cartridge.

  • Page 66: Poor Print Quality Or Incorrect Printout

    Formax Poor Print Quality or Incorrect Printout Problem Possible Cause Solution Long stripes of missing Ink nozzles are blocked. Clearing Clogged Ink Nozzles on page 70. print or vertical light s t r e a k s o n s e v e r a l...
  • Page 67 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Problem Possible Cause Solution Mixed or muddy colors The printhead is dirty. 1. Run Extended cleaning cycle from the control MAINTENANCE panel ( (Config) CLEAN Extended). If print quality shows some improvement, repeat Extended cleaning until the print quality is satisfactory.
  • Page 68 Formax Problem Possible Cause Solution M i s - r e g i s t r a t i o n o r Media settings do not match Make sure the settings are correct for the media labels are skipped the media loaded in the printer.

  • Page 69: Other Printing Problems

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Other Printing Problems Problem Possible Cause Solution Printer feeds media without Media settings do not match Make sure the Media Layout setting (gap, printing and then displays t h e m e d i a l o a d e d i n t h e...

  • Page 70: Clearing A Media Jam

    Formax Clearing a Media Jam 1. Open the media cover. 2. Cut off the jammed media from the media roll. Open the clamshell to its highest position. 4. Remove the jammed media from inside the printer. 5. Clean any label debris from the sensors and print zone. See Cleaning the Sensors page 54.
  • Page 71 ColorMaxLP Label Printer 2. From the control panel, run Normal printhead cleaning. (Config) > MAINTENANCE > CLEAN > Normal) • If print quality shows some improvement, repeat Normal cleaning until the print quality is satisfactory. • If print quality does not improve, continue with step 3.

  • Page 72: Color Mixing Recovery

    Formax Color Mixing Recovery If the colors appear muddy or dull, excess ink may be building up on the printhead. If this occurs, perform the following steps. 1. Run the Extended cleaning cycle one time, then print several labels. If the print quality shows improvement, repeat until color quality has recovered 2.

  • Page 73: Adjusting Sensor Sensitivity

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Adjusting Sensor Sensitivity Adjust the sensor sensitivity if you encounter the following problems: • The printer keeps feeding media and does not print. This may be because the printer is unable to detect the gap or black mark between labels and the sensor sensitivity needs to be increased.
  • Page 74 Formax Troubleshooting...

  • Page 75: Appendix

    Appendix System Requirements Config Options on the Control Panel Printer Interface (GPIO) Specifications Regulatory Information Appendix...

  • Page 76: System Requirements

    Formax System Requirements The computer used to print must meet the minimum requirements listed below. Specifications Processor Intel® Core™2 and above Operating system Supported operating systems with the latest updates: • Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit) • Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit) with Service Pack 1 •...
  • Page 77 ColorMaxLP Label Printer 3. Select the .NET Framework 3.5.1 entry and click Next. 4. Confirm the installation by clicking Install. 5. When installation is complete, click Close. You may be prompted to restart the computer. Appendix...

  • Page 78: Config Options On The Control Panel

    Formax Config Options on the Control Panel On the control panel, press (Config) to access the following menus and options. 1. Setup 4. Service Station 1. Language 1. Cap Printhead 2. Reset Settings 2. Eject 3. List Setup 5. Sensor 4.
  • Page 79 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Menu/Option Description Setup Select the display language for the printer control panel. Language Supported languages are: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. Reset Restore the default factory settings. List Setup Print the key parameters of the printer in a 4” x 6” label format.
  • Page 80 Formax Menu/Option Description Maintenance Print Test Page Print a test page. • Barcodes: Print barcode test page. • PQ Plot: Print diagnostics test page. Printhead Clean Clean the printhead. Always start with the Normal cleaning cycle and proceed to the next level only when print quality does not improve.
  • Page 81 ColorMaxLPLabel Printer Menu/Option Description Adjust Offset (Offset range: ±0.5” or ±12.7 mm.) Use these options for borderless printing only. Left Edge – Top of Form: – Bottom of Form: – Top of Form Adjust the print position vertically on the label. A positive value adjusts the image toward the top of the label while a negative value moves it down.

  • Page 82: Printer Interface (Gpio) Specifications

    Formax Menu/Option Description Network List Network Print the network setup parameters in a 4” x 4” label format. DHCP Setting Set the IP settings on the printer. • Automatic: Set DHCP server to automatic. • Manual: Disable DHCP server or allow user to set a static IP.
  • Page 83 ColorMaxLP Label Printer Figure 11 Timing Diagram Table 5 GPIO Pin Assignment (D-sub 9-pin Connector) Signal Description HIGH (3.3 V) ADC 5 Print job ready (output) (GPIO A25) External device ready (input) (GPIO D04) Printer error (output) (GPIO D08) LOW (0 V)

  • Page 84: Regulatory Information

    Formax Regulatory Information FCC Statement NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, 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 commercial environment.

  • Page 85: Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment Directive

    ColorMaxLP Label Printer Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive For customers in Europe This symbol on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product should be separately disposed of, and not together with other unsorted municipal household waste. Instead, it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
  • Page 86 Formax Appendix...

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