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Zebra Stripe S-500 User Manual

Zebra technologies printer user's guide s-300, s-500
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Zebra Technologies Corporation
333 Corporate Woods Parkway
Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061-3109
Phone Number:
Telefax Number: (847) 913-8766
Customer order # 44870L
User's Guide
For Models S-300 and S-500
(847) 634-6700
Zebra Technologies Europe Limited
Zebra House, The Valley Centre
Gordon Road, High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire HP13 6EQ England
Phone Number:
Telefax Number: +44 (0) 1494 450103
Manufacturer part # 44870LB Rev. 2
+44 (0) 1494 472872

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Table of Contents
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  Summary of Contents for Zebra Stripe S-500

  • Page 1 For Models S-300 and S-500 Zebra Technologies Corporation 333 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061-3109 Phone Number: (847) 634-6700 Telefax Number: (847) 913-8766 Customer order # 44870L User’s Guide Zebra Technologies Europe Limited Zebra House, The Valley Centre Gordon Road, High Wycombe...
  • Page 2: Proprietary Statement

    Zebra Technologies Corporation takes steps to assure that its published Engineering specifica- tions and Manuals are correct; however, errors do occur. Zebra Technologies Corporation has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.
  • Page 3: Warranty Information

    Any supplies product shown to the satisfaction of ZEBRA Technologies, within the time provided, to be so defective shall be replaced without charge, or ZEBRA Technologies may issue a credit in such an amount as it deems reasonable.
  • Page 4: Zebra Software License Agreement

    Zebra Technologies Corporation (“ Zebra” ) warrants the enclosed diskette to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of 60 days from the date of purchase. In the event of notification within the warranty period of defects in material and workmanship, Zebra will replace the defective diskette or documentation.
  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Warranty Information ..........i Zebra Software License Agreement .
  • Page 6 Adjust the Media Rest Position ........15 Adjust the Position of the Top of the Label.
  • Page 7 CANCEL Key Self Test ......... 42 PAUSE Key Self Test.
  • Page 8 Bar Codes at Work ......... . 61 Labeling.
  • Page 9: Unpacking

    Congratulations! You have just purchased a high-quality thermal demand printer manufactured by the industry leader in quality, service, and value–Zebra Technologies Corporation. For over 25 years, Zebra has provided customers with the highest caliber of products and support. This manual provides all of the information you will need to operate your printer on a daily basis.
  • Page 10: Storage And Reshipping

    To ship the Zebra Stripe Printer, carefully pack it in a suitable container to avoid damage during transit. Whenever possible, use the original container from the factory. A shipping container can be purchased from Zebra Technologies Corporation, if the original one is lost or destroyed.
  • Page 11: Voltage Selection

    Voltage Selection The Stripe is available from the factory preset for either 100-120 VAC electrical power or 220-240 VAC electrical power. Refer to the product label on the back of the printer and make sure that the unit is properly configured for your power requirements.
  • Page 12: Communications

    Getting Started Communications The Stripe comes with either an Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 serial data interface or a factory-installed parallel interface. In both cases, you must supply the required interface cable for your application. See the Appendix for specific cable requirements.
  • Page 13: Media And Ribbon

    HEAD OPEN LEVER PRINTHEAD SHOWN OPEN MEDIA SENSOR ASSEMBLY Figure 3 Roll Media Loading in Tear-Off Mode Media and Ribbon Loading Media NOTE: A Media Calibration must be performed when media and ribbon (if used) are first in- stalled in the printer, or when a different type of media or ribbon is installed. See page 14. Media widths and thicknesses vary between applications.
  • Page 14: Fanfold Media Loading

    Fanfold Media Loading Fanfold media, from outside the printer, feeds through either the bottom or rear access slot. To load fanfold media, thread the media through the Printhead Assembly as shown in Figure 4. Adjust the Media Supply Guide and the Media Guide against the outer edge of the media.
  • Page 15 Getting Started Figure 4 Fanfold Media Loading in Tear-Off Mode Figure 5 Cutter Mode Media Loading...
  • Page 16: Peel-Off Mode Media Loading

    Peel-Off Mode Media Loading Figure 6 illustrates an S-500 printer with the Peel-Off Option. To insure proper media loading, see Figure 6 and follow the procedure below. Slide the Media Supply Guide, Media Guide, and the Outer Edge Guides on both the Platen Guide Rod and the Lower Guide Rod as far out from the Printer Frame as possible.
  • Page 17: Removing The Label Backing Material

    Figure 6 Peel-Off Mode Media Loading Removing the Label Backing Material When the amount of backing wound on the Backing Rewind Spindle reaches full capacity, the Backing Rewind Spindle Full Sensor activates, the Paper/Ribbon light flashes, and printing pauses. To remove the backing material, follow these steps (you don’t need to turn the printer Power OFF for this procedure): Unwind about 24"...
  • Page 18: Adjusting The Media Sensor

    Getting Started Adjusting the Media Sensor When the Stripe printer is powered ON, it performs a self test and configures its operating characteristics. Some of these characteristics are determined by the position of the Media Sensor. See Figure 7. The Media Sensor Assembly consists of two sections. The media passes between a stationary light source and a movable light sensor.
  • Page 19: Ribbon Loading

    Getting Started Ribbon Loading Adjusting the Ribbon Supply Spindle Ribbon Supply Spindle: Normal Position In the Normal Position, the “ Dual-Tension” Ribbon Supply Spindle provides the desired amount of ribbon back-tension for different ribbon widths. To place the Spindle in the Normal Position, firmly pull the Spindle End-Cap until it clicks into place, as shown in Figure 8.
  • Page 20: Loading The Ribbon

    Loading the Ribbon To load ribbon, see Figure 9 and follow the procedure below. Note: Use ribbon that is wider than the media. The smooth backing of the ribbon protects the printhead from wear and premature failure due to excessive abrasion. For Direct Thermal Print Method, ribbon is not used and should not be loaded in the printer when performing the Media Calibration.
  • Page 21: Initial Printer Test

    Initial Printer Test To insure proper sensing of the media and ribbon, perform a Media Calibration. This procedure establishes the media parameters for the printer. If loading the printer with media and ribbon for the first time, or changing the type of media, perform the Media Calibration on page 14.
  • Page 22: Configuration Mode

    Configuration Mode The Configuration Mode allows you to fine-tune the internal printer configuration settings for your application. In this mode, you can change the following parameters: Printing darkness Rest position of the media with respect to the “ web” or “ interlabel gap” Position of printing relative to the top of the label Media and Ribbon Sensor values Label length...
  • Page 23: Adjust The Print Darkness

    Turn the power switch ON. When the Power ON Self Test is complete, the POWER and PAUSE lights will be ON and the PRINTHEAD light will FLASH. Press the MODE key 3 times briefly. PAUSE and CALIBRATE lights turn ON. Close the Head Open Lever.
  • Page 24 Getting Started...
  • Page 25: Operating Your Zebra Stripe Printer

    Operation Operating Your Zebra Stripe Printer Now that your printer is ready for operation, how does it work? The Zebra Stripe Printer is designed to receive instructions from a host computer, such as an IBM-compatible PC. To create a label, you will either need to write a format in ZPL II, which is a programming language for creating label formats, or you will need to use a software program designed to format labels for the Zebra Stripe Printer.
  • Page 26: Cutter Mode

    printing. The PAPER/RIBBON light flashes to indicate this condition. To remove the backing from the Rewind Spindle, see page 9. Cutter Mode (Factory-Installed Cutter Option Required) When the media is in the rest (idle) position, the start of the label to be printed is directly under the printhead.
  • Page 27 Operation Figure 11 AC Power ON/OFF Switch Figure 12 Zebra Stripe Printer Front Panel...
  • Page 28: Front Panel Keys

    Front Panel Keys PAUSE Key Starts and stops the printing process. - If the printer is not printing: no printing can occur - Printing: printing stops once the current label is complete FEED Key Forces the printer to feed one blank label. - Printer not printing: one blank label feeds immediately - Printing: one blank label feeds after the current batch of labels is complete CANCEL...
  • Page 29: Printer Status Sensors

    Printer Status Sensors The Zebra Stripe Printer contains several status sensors. These sensors alert the operator to various conditions by either stopping the printing or turning on a light. Sensor Printhead Sensor Media Sensor (See Chapter 1 to adjust this sensor.) Ribbon Sensor Label Available Sensor (Peel-Off...
  • Page 30 Operation Figure 14 Backing Rewind Spindle Full Sensor Position Figure 15 Label Available Sensor Position...
  • Page 31: Sample Zpl Ii Label Formats

    Sample ZPL II Label Formats ® ZPL II is Zebra Technologies Corporation’s Zebra Programming Language II label design language. ZPL II lets you create a wide variety of labels from the simple to the very complex, including text, bar codes, and graphics.
  • Page 32: Format 2: Saving A Label Format As A Graphic Image

    Format 2: Saving a Label Format As a Graphic Image Line Type this label format: ^LH30,30 ^FO20,10^AD^FDZEBRA^FS ^FO20,60^B3N,Y,20,N^FDAAA001^FS ^ISFORMAT2,N ^ILFORMAT2 Line #1-4: These commands were described in Format 1. Line #5: Saves the format in the printer’s memory as a graphic image named “FORMAT2", the ”N"...
  • Page 33: Cleaning

    Routine Care and Adjustment Cleaning CAUTION: Use only the cleaning agents indicated below. Zebra Technologies Corporation will not be responsible for any other fluids being used on this printer. No lubricants are needed. Table 1 provides a brief cleaning schedule. Specific cleaning procedures are provided on the following pages.A Preventive Maintenance Kit (part # 01429) is available from...
  • Page 34: Cleaning The Printhead

    Open the Printhead by moving the Printhead Open Lever to the OPEN position. Remove the media and ribbon (if present). Moisten an applicator tip with Zebra Technologies Corporation recommended solvent and wipe along the print elements from end to end. (The print elements are the grayish/black strip just behind the chrome strip.
  • Page 35: Cleaning The Cutter Module

    Routine Care and Adjustment Cleaning the Cutter Module The Cutter Module requires periodic cleaning to remove paper dust and gummed label residue. The procedure on the following pages should be performed by the operator according to the schedule on page 25. However, depending on your application and media type you may need to clean the cutter more or less frequently.
  • Page 36 Routine Care and Adjustment I. Remove the Cutter Module from the printer. Turn the printer’s AC power OFF . Raise the printer’s Media Access Door and lower the printer’s Front Door. See Figure 17. Remove the Label Catch Tray by lifting it up and away from the front of the Cutter Module. See Figure 18.
  • Page 37 Routine Care and Adjustment Figure 20 Cutter Module Disassembly II. Disassemble the Cutter Module. See Figure 20. Hold the Cutter Module as illustrated. Put your thumbs on the two Wire Spring Loops and your index fingers on the top of the Rear Cutter Blade Guard. It may help to lay the Cutter Module on a table or other surface throughout this process.
  • Page 38 Routine Care and Adjustment IV. Reassemble the Cutter Module. See Figure 22. Position the two Wire Springs down against the Lower Cutter Blade. Place the Rear Cutter Blade Guard over the Wire Springs, perpendicular to its final position. Place your thumbs on the top (flat) part of the Guard. NOTE: Insure that the ends of the Rear Cutter Blade Guard are positioned on the outside of the Cutter Side Panels.
  • Page 39 Routine Care and Adjustment Figure 23 Reassembled Cutter Module Figure 24 Cutter Module Reinstallation...
  • Page 40: Lubrication

    Routine Care and Adjustment V. Reinstall the Cutter Module. See Figure 19. Position the Cutter Module above the Cutter Mounting Posts. Press down on the Cutter Module until the Mounting Slots engage the Mounting Posts on the printer. See Figure 18. Tighten the Mounting Screw in a clockwise direction to hold the Cutter Module in Position.
  • Page 41: Mechanical Adjustments

    Routine Care and Adjustment Mechanical Adjustments The Stripe printer has been designed with minimal operator adjustments required. Print Quality Adjustments In the factory, the Stripe printer is aligned and tested using Zebra’s 5319 ribbon and Zebra’s Z-Trans 6A full width, non-continuous media to print thermal transfer labels at Speed C (4"/sec).
  • Page 42: Toggle Pressure Adjustment

    Routine Care and Adjustment Toggle Pressure Adjustment The Toggle Assembly presses the printhead against the ribbon (if used), the media, and the platen. The pressure applied by the Toggle Assembly may need to be increased or reduced when different thicknesses or widths of media are used in the printer. Before increasing Toggle Pressure to achieve darker print darkness, perform the Print Quality Adjustments on page 33.
  • Page 43: Media Sensor Position Adjustment

    Routine Care and Adjustment Media Sensor Position Adjustment This procedure was covered in Chapter 1. See page 10. Ribbon Supply Spindle Adjustment This procedure was covered in Chapter 1. See page 11. Backing Rewind Power Roller Adjustment NOTE: This Roller is only present on printers with the Peel-Off Option. Zebra presets this Roller during manufacture for proper operation with most applications.
  • Page 44: Battery Replacement

    Routine Care and Adjustment When the Power Roller is properly adjusted, the backing material should have even tension across its entire width and be wrapped snugly around all Guides and Rollers. If the tension is not even, the media/backing material may slide (walk) to the left or to the right as printing occurs.
  • Page 45: Troubleshooting Table

    Note: A two-volume maintenance manual is available from Zebra Technologies Corporation for use by the service technician. Volume 1: General Maintenance (part # 44868L), Vol- ume 2: Circuit Descriptions and Electrical Schematics (part # 44869L), or you may order both volumes under part # 44452L.
  • Page 46 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Symptom Printer stops, PAUSE light ON and PAPER/ RIBBON light FLASHING. Printer stops, PAUSE light ON and PRINTHEAD light FLASHING. Printer stops. PAUSE light and PRINTHEAD light both ON. Dots missing in printed area of label. Loss of printing registration on labels.
  • Page 47 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Symptom Truncated print, no print, or FEED Key operates incorrectly while using non-continuous media. In Peel-Off Mode, skewed or stuck labels. In Cutter Mode, skewed, stuck, or improperly cut labels. Wrinkled ribbon. Misregistration and misprint of 1 to 3 labels. Changes in parameter settings did not take effect.
  • Page 48 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Symptom When using wide ribbon (over 2.4"), the image gets lighter or smears near the end of the roll of ribbon. Ribbon appears to slow down or stop. ZPL was sent to printer, but not recognized. The DATA light remains OFF Labels are not being cut at all.
  • Page 49: Printer Diagnostics

    Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Symptom Printing stops. PAPER/RIBBON, PAUSE, and printers CANCEL lights on with the Cutter Option installed. Printer Diagnostics Power-On Self Test A Power-On Self Test (POST) is performed automatically each time the printer is turned ON. This test checks for proper initialization of various electronic circuits and establishes starting parameters as those stored in the printer’s memory.
  • Page 50: Cancel Key Self Test

    Troubleshooting and Diagnostics CANCEL Key Self Test This self test prints the printer’s configuration parameters that are currently stored in Configuration (EEPROM) Memory. See Figure 27. The configuration may be changed either temporarily (for specific label formats or ribbon and label stock), or permanently (by saving the new parameters in memory.) Saving new parameters occurs whenever a Printer...
  • Page 51: Feed Key Self Test

    Troubleshooting and Diagnostics FEED Key Self Test The results of this self test will be used to determine the best Darkness Setting for a specific media/ribbon combination. See Figure 29. The FEED Key Self Test labels will print at various plus or minus Darkness settings relative to the current darkness setting.
  • Page 52: Mode Key Self Test

    Troubleshooting and Diagnostics MODE Key Self Test This self test places the printer in a Communications Diagnostics Mode. In this mode, the printer prints the ASCII characters and their corresponding hexadecimal values for any data received from the host computer. See Figure 30. Note: Turn the power OFF to exit this self test.
  • Page 53: General Specifications

    Note: Your printer may not have all of the options described in these specifications.
  • Page 54: Media Specifications

    Tear-off mode: Produced in strips Peel-off mode (S-500 only): Dispensed and peeled from the liner Cutter mode (S-500 only): Printed and individually cut Rewind mode: Labels externally rewound (Requires optional rewinder, not available from Zebra Technologies Corporation) AC Power ON/OFF Switch...
  • Page 55: Options

    512 KB RAM Expansion (for a total of 1 MB RAM) (S-500 only) 256 KB RAM Expansion (for a total of 512 KB RAM) (S-300 only) * 256 KB Battery Backed-Up RAM for label formats and graphics (S-500 only) * Peel-Off Mode with Backing-Only Rewind feature (S-500 only)
  • Page 56: Standard Printer Fonts

    For more information on fonts, refer to your ZPL II Programming Guide. Fonts Font * Type: U - Upper Case, L - Lower Case, D - Descenders Bit-mapped fonts A, B, D, E, F, G, H, and GS are expandable up to 10 times, height- and width-independent.
  • Page 58: Optional Printer Fonts

    ® *When equipped with the Bitmap CG Triumvirate Bold Condensed Font, the S-500 has the same font styles as the S-300 printer. Figures 33 and 34 illustrate the optional fonts, and Figure 35 shows sample point sizes for the bitmap smooth fonts.
  • Page 59: Optional Printer Font Examples

    CG Times - Standard 0123456789.,?!AaBbCcDdEeFfGg CG Times - Bold 0123456789.,?!AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHh CG Times - Italic 0123456789.,?!AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIi CG Times - Bold Italic 0123456789.,?!AaBbCcDdEeFf ® ® ® CG Times - Bold 0123456789.,?!AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHh...
  • Page 61: How To Reach Us

    Support. Zebra’s Corporate Offices Technical Support Sometime during the life of your Zebra Technologies Corporation equipment you may find yourself in need of technical assistance. We provide a fully-trained technical support staff to answer any questions you may have.
  • Page 62: Technical Support Service Via Telephone

    Technical Support Service via Telephone Before you call - Misunderstanding instructions or omitting a step are the most common sources of error. Please reread the manual and use the table of contents and appendixes for help. Be prepared - To possibly avoid excess time and expense of a long-distance phone call, please complete the Service Form on the next page in its entirety.
  • Page 63 Description of problem, including actions taken just prior to problem occurring: ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Support Services Service Form Zebra Technologies Europe Limited Zebra House, The Valley Centre Gordon Road, High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP13 6EQ England Phone Number: +44 (0) 1494 472872 Telefax Number: +44 (0) 1494 450103...
  • Page 64: Product Service And Support Programs

    Product Service and Support Programs At Zebra Technologies, our service and support goal is to keep your printer performing optimally. Zebra Technical and Repair Services provide a broad range of service options and are your expert sources for your support and maintenance needs. If you are in need of technical assistance or repair services, our technical support staff stands ready with answers to any questions you may have.
  • Page 65: Wang Customer Services Division

    Support Services Wang Customer Services Division Zebra Technologies’ Authorized National Service Supplier provides On-Site Maintenance of the complete line of Zebra printers. Wang and Zebra work together to provide the TotalCare Service Program for our customers. TotalCare is a comprehensive package of support services designed specifically for the Zebra line of printer products.
  • Page 66: International Service And Support

    States. Or, if you are located in Europe, contact our European Headquarters in the United Kingdom. Don’t let a maintenance problem interrupt your label production! For more information about Zebra Technologies’ Service and Support Programs, contact our Technical Support staff at: Zebra Technologies Corporation...
  • Page 67: Zebra Training Programs

    Zebra Training Programs At Zebra Technologies, our training goal is to provide quality training programs that enhance the value of your Zebra of successful printer operation and maintenance are experience and training. Now you can take advantage of our years of experience in operations, applications, maintenance and technical support and give yourself the advantage of comprehensive factory training.
  • Page 68: Operations And Maintenance Courses

    Operations and Maintenance Courses Each Operations and Maintenance Course first introduces the student to various bar code concepts and terminology. Topics include direct thermal/thermal transfer printing, continuous and non-continuous media, thin film thermal printheads, and serial and parallel communication interfaces. After completing this introductory material, the student focuses on printer setup and configuration.
  • Page 69: Bar Codes At Work

    Bar Codes at Work This one day course presents an introduction to Bar Coding. This course will discuss bar code terminology, specifications, and applications associated with selected, often-used bar codes. In order to gain a better understanding of labeling problems and solutions, the selection and matching of media and ribbons with be discussed.
  • Page 70 Support Services...
  • Page 71: Adjusting The Printhead

    Adjusting the Printhead Only adjust the printhead position if you have done the following and are still experiencing unsatisfactory print quality (the procedures for these adjustments are located in Chapter 3.): Check the initial print quality. Adjust the print darkness. Adjust the toggle pressure.
  • Page 72 Figure 36 Print Quality Adjustment 15. Re-install the Printhead Support Bracket using the two mounting screws. 16. Press PAUSE and observe the test labels to insure consistent print quality and proper parallelism across the top of the labels. Repeat procedure if required. 17.
  • Page 73: Signal Levels

    Printer Interface Technical Information RS-232 Interface Signal Levels For all RS-232 input and output signals, the Stripe printer follows both the Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 and the Consultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) V.24 standard signal level specifications. Pin No.
  • Page 74: Printer Interface Technical Information

    RS-232 Cabling Requirements The required cable must have a 25-pin “ D” Type (DB25P) connector on one end, which is plugged into the mating (DB25S) connector located inside the access opening on the left side of the printer. (Refer to Figure 11 on page 19 for the location of this cable.) The other end of the Signal Interface Cable connects to an appropriate point at the host computer.
  • Page 75: Hardware Control Signal Descriptions

    Parallel Interface The parallel interface provides a means of communication which is typically faster than the previously mentioned serial interface method. In this method, the bits of data which make up a character are sent all at one time over several wires in the cable, one bit per wire.
  • Page 76: Parallel Interface

    Signal Descriptions The following chart provides a description of each of the pins in the parallel connector. A standard parallel data cable will provide the required interconnection between the computer and the Stripe printer. Pin No. The STROBE printer input has internal 3.3K pull-up resistors to 5V (I designed to receive a signal driven open collector V the host computer.
  • Page 77 alphanumeric Indicating letters, numerals, and characters such as punctuation marks. backfeed Backfeed is when the printer pulls the media and ribbon (if used) backward into the printer so that the beginning of the label to be printed is properly positioned behind the printhead.
  • Page 78 recycled by the end-users. Label backing (or liner) has a non-stick surface which allows the label to be easily removed by the end-user and placed in the desired location. media Material onto which data is printed by the printer. Types of media include: tagstock, continuous, fanfold, roll, etc.
  • Page 79 AC Power, 3, 18 AC Power Cable, 3 AC Power Fuse, 32 Adjustments Media Sensor Position, 10, 33, 35 Print darkness, 33 Print Quality, 33 Printhead Position, 33, 63 Backing Rewind Power Roller Adjustment, 35 Toggle Pressure, 33-34 ASCII Control Codes XOFF (DC3), 67 XON (DC1), 67 Baud Rate, 13...
  • Page 80 Media Calibration, 14 Media Guide, 5 Media Sensors, 10, 26 Media Supply Guide, 5 MODE Key, 20 Null Modem, 67 Operating Modes Cutter, 18 Peel-Off, 17 Rewind (External), 6, 18 Tear-Off, 5, 17 Operator Controls, 46 Option Switches, 13 Optional Fonts, 50 Parallel Interface, 68 Parity, 13 PAUSE Key, 20...

This manual is also suitable for:

Stripe s-300