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TLP 3844-Z
Thermal Printers
User's
Guide
980441-001 Rev. A
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ii 980441-001 Rev. A
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Proprietary Statement This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation. It is intended solely for the information and use of parties operating and maintaining the equipment described herein. Such proprietary information may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed to any other parties for any other purpose without the expressed written permission of Zebra Technologies Corporation. Product Improvements Continuous improvement of products is a policy of Zebra Technologi
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Battery The main printed circuit board assembly includes a three-volt lithium battery. CAUTION—Risk of explosion if battery is replaced with an incorrect type. Note—Recycle batteries according to local your guidelines and regulations. Shock Hazard The printer and power supply should never be operated in a location where either one can get wet. Personal injury could result. Media and Ribbon Always use high-quality, approved labels, tags and ribbons. If adhesive backed labels are used that DO NOT
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Contents Introduction Hello!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What’s in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Inspecting the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Opening the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Closing the printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Communicating with the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Universal Serial Bus (USB) Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Parallel Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 TM Internal ZebraNet® PrintServer II Communications. . . . . . . . . . . 18 Serial Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Adjusting the Print Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ZebraNet® PrintServer II for Ethernet Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Serial (RS-232) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 980441-001 Rev. A vii
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980441-001 Rev. A
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Introduction This section describes what you get in your shipping box and provides an overview of printer parts. This section also has procedures that describe how to open and close the printer and report any problems. Hello! ® Thank you for choosing a Zebra TLP 3844-Z™ printer, a high-quality on-demand printer manufactured by the industry leader in quality, service, and value—Zebra Technologies Corporation. For over 25 years, Zebra Technologies Corporation has provided customers with the highe
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What’s 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. 2 980441-001 Rev. A
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Inspecting the Printer Look at the outside of the printer and make sure that all parts are present. Opening the printer To access the media compartment, you must open the printer. Pull the release levers towards you and lift the cover. 980441-001 Rev. A 3
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INSPECTING THE PRINTER (continued) After opening the printer, check the media compartment. 4 980441-001 Rev. A
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Closing the printer Hold the top cover and press the “kick-stand” cover lock to release. MOVIE Lower the top cover. The ribbon carriage automatically folds up into place. Press down until the cover snaps closed. 980441-001 Rev. A 5
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Reporting Damage If you discover damage or missing parts: ■ Immediately notify and file a damage report with the shipping company. Zebra Technologies Corporation is not responsible for any damage incurred during shipment of the printer and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty policy. ■ Keep the carton and all packing material for inspection. ■ Notify the authorized reseller Related Documentation Depending on the options you have ordered or choose to use with your new print
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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 in tear-off mode and loading ribbon. Modes of Printing You can operate this printer in different modes: ■ Standard tear-off mode allows you to tear off each label (or a strip of labels) after it is printed. ■ In optional peel-off mode, the backing material is peeled away from the label as it is printed. After this label is removed, the next one is p
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Attaching Power Supply Check the power supply to make certain it is appropriate for your input voltage. Warning: Use the Zebra-supplied power supply that came with your printer. Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet. Serious personal injury could result! 1. Make sure the power switch is in the off position (down). 2. The DC power supply has a barrel connector on one end that must be inserted into the power supply receptacle on the back of the printer. 3. I
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Loading Roll Media When you load media, you must place the roll on the media hangers and then adjust the media guides. MOVIE You must use the correct media for the type of printing you require. When printing without a ribbon, you must use direct thermal media. When using ribbon, you must use thermal transfer media. The printer's ribbon sensor detects motion of the supply spindle. Placing the Roll in the Media Compartment Whether your roll media is inside or outside wound you load it into the p
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Adjusting the Guides The adjustable guides direct the media toward the platen and print head. 1. Open the media guides by turning the guide adjuster knob to the rear. 2. Thread the media through the guides. 3. Close the media guides by turning the guide adjuster knob to the front. They should just touch, but not restrict, the edges of the media. 4. Unless you need to load ribbon, close the top cover. Remember that you need to release the cover lock, lower the top cover, and press down until th
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Loading Ribbon You must use thermal transfer media (accepts wax and/or resin transferred off a ribbon) when you use a ribbon. When loading ribbon, you install the MOVIE supply and take-up rolls, then tighten the ribbon on the carriage. Install the Ribbon Supply Roll Before following these steps, prepare the ribbon by removing its wrapping and pulling its adhesive strip free. 1. Thread the ribbon through the carriage. 2. Press the right side onto the supply hub. 3. Align the notches on the left
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Attach and Tighten the Ribbon You must align the ribbon so that it will be taken straight onto the core. 1. Attach the ribbon to the take up core. Use the adhesive strip on new rolls; otherwise, use tape. 2. Turn the ribbon take-up gear counter-clockwise (top moves toward rear) to remove slack from the ribbon. 3. Close the top cover. Remember that you need to release the cover lock, lower the top cover, and press down until the latches snap into place. 12 980441-001 Rev. A
