112707-510943-(06)
User's Manual
© 2007 All rights reserved
Section 1: Getting Started...............................................................................1
C. Identifying the Parts ...........................................................................3
F. Applying Power ..................................................................................5
B. Installing Label Stock .........................................................................9
Section 3: Using the Printer..........................................................................23
A. Using NiceLabel................................................................................23
C. Basic Troubleshooting ......................................................................41
D. Technical Support..............................................................................42
Section 5: Label Specifications....................................................................43
Section 6: Technical Specifications.............................................................46
Section 7: Auxiliary Port Specifications.....................................................48
Index..................................................................................................................49
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iv
TOC
INDEX
Section 1: Getting Started
THANK YOU…
...for choosing an LX810 Color Label Printer. This printer is
the perfect way for you to create customized, full color labels
quickly, easily, and with a touch of class. The LX810 Printer
will print razor-sharp text and barcodes, vibrant colors, and
even stunning photo-realistic photographs directly onto rolls of
labels and card stocks. Operation is simple, quality is high,
and printed images are durable and highly smudge-resistant.
To begin using the printer, please refer to the remainder of this
manual. This User's Manual is your complete step-by-step
guide to quickly and easily setting up and printing with your
new Color Label Printer!
A. CHOOSING A GOOD LOCATION
•
Place the printer on a flat surface in a location with
adequate air circulation to prevent internal heat build up.
Do not place the printer near heat sources such as radiators
or air ducts, or in a place subject to direct sun light,
excessive dust, mechanical vibration or shock.
Allow for adequate clearance in front of the printer to
accommodate the printed label stock as it is leaving the
printer to avoid the possibility of binding or jamming of
the label stock. Automated re-winders are recommended
for larger production jobs.
•
•
•
Allow for adequate overhead clearance for opening the
top cover to allow easy access to the label stock and ink
cartridges.
Getting Started 1
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INDEX
B. UNPACKING AND INSPECTION
While unpacking your printer, inspect the carton to ensure
that no damage has occurred during shipping. Make sure
that all supplied accessories are included with your unit. The
following items should be included:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Printer
Power Adapter
Separate Power Cord
Software Installer CD
Color Ink Cartridge
Dye-Based Black Ink Cartridge
Starter roll of label stock 6" x 4" High-Gloss
Tear Bar Guard (This is a white plastic shield attached to
the Tear Bar for shipping and can be simply pulled from
the tear bar to reveal the serrated edge. This guard is
recommended for use when using pre-perforated label
material.)
•
•
Warranty Statement and Registration Card
This manual and other printed information
Save the carton and packing materials. They will come in handy when
transporting the printer.
2 Getting Started
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INDEX
C. IDENTIFYING THE PARTS
This illustration shows the front of the printer with its control
buttons and LED indicator lights.
Top Cover
Pause LED
Pause Button
Power LED
Load/Feed
Button
Ink Low LED
Unload Button
Label Tear Bar
The Pause Button pauses the printer AFTER the printing of the
current label has finished to allow for loading of label stock
and ink cartridges.
The Pause LED is lit when the printer is paused. Press the
Pause Button to resume printing.
The Power LED indicates that the printer is on and ready to
receive print jobs.
The Load/Feed Button is pressed in order to load label stock or
form feed the label stock through the printer.
The Ink Low LED will illuminate when a cartridge has 10% or
less of its ink remaining.
The Unload Button will unload the installed label stock by
reversing it through the printer. Make sure to tear off the print-
ed labels before pressing the Unload Button.
NOTE: Always use this procedure to unload label material. DO NOT
ALLOW THE END OF THE ROLL TO FEED THROUGH THE
MACHINE!
The Label Tear Bar is a serrated edge for conveniently tearing
your finished labels from the printer.
WARNING. Sharp Edges. Keep fingers and other body parts away from the
tear-off bar.
Getting Started 3
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INDEX
This illustration shows the input ports and power switch found
on the rear panel of the printer.
USB Port
Auxiliary Port
Power Switch
Power Input Port
D. MINIMUM PC SPECIFICATIONS
For optimal printing speed you must have a PC with the
following minimum specifications:
•
•
•
Pentium IV Processor
512 MB of RAM
5 GB of Free Hard Drive Space
E. MINIMUM MAC SPECIFICATIONS
Before getting started, it is important for you to verify that
your computer meets the recommended system requirements.
Here's what you need in order to successfully print:
•
G4 PowerPC 700MHz or higher running OS X version 10.2
or higher
•
•
•
•
256MB RAM
Free hard drive space of at least 5 GB
Available USB Port
Do not connect the printer to any USB hubs or the USB
port on your keyboard. It should be connected directly to
an onboard USB port.
If your computer does not have at least these minimum system
requirements, system performance may not be acceptable.
4 Getting Started
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INDEX
F. APPLYING POWER
1. Locate the power adapter supplied with your printer.
2. Place one end
of the adapter
cord into the
power port on
the rear panel
of the printer.
3. Plug the power
cord of the
adapter into an
available wall
outlet or surge
protecting
power strip.
Once the power cord is connected, the printer can be
switched on and off using the power switch.
G. INSTALLING THE DRIVER AND SOFTWARE
The Color Label Printer is designed to be used with nearly
any IBM-PC® or compatible running Windows 2000/XP/Vista
or a Macintosh running OS 10.2 or higher. The printer is
equipped with a USB 1.0/2.0 port. This port is the means
through which it receives data from your computer. To con-
nect the printer to your computer, use the included shielded
USB cable. The software installs as follows:
PC Installation
1. Insert the Installation CD into your computer. In a few
moments the installer program should launch
automatically. If not, perform the following steps:
a. Double click My Computer Icon, then double click
the icon of the appropriate CD drive containing the
software installer disc.
b. Double click INSTALL.exe then click the Quick Start
Install Button.
2. Follow the on screen instructions to install the software.
These steps are illustrated below:
a. Apply power
Getting Started 5
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INDEX
b. Plug in USB Cable
i. After a few moments Windows will detect the
printer and attempt to install the printer driver.
You will be prompted with a dialog box like the
one shown here:
Windows XP Message
Windows Vista Message
Click “Continue Anyway” or "Install Anyway."
ii. Once installed the "Color Label Printer" icon
will appear in the printers folder.
3. Once the printer driver is properly installed, the installer
application will prompt you to install label stock and
the ink cartridges. You will also be asked to complete a
cartridge calibration procedure. Follow the on screen
instructions to complete this install. More information on
installing the label stock and ink cartridges is available
in Section 2 of this manual.
4. Next the installer will install NiceLabel. NiceLabel is an
easy-to-use software application for making your labels
and creating barcodes.
5. Click Finish to complete the install.
Note: For optimal printing speed you MUST reboot the PC after installing
the software!
6 Getting Started
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INDEX
Mac Installation
1. Insert the Installation CD into your computer. In a few
moments the Color Label Printer Icon should appear on
your desktop.
2. Double click on the Color Label Printer Icon.
3. To run the installation, click on the ColorLabelSeries.pkg
file.
4. Follow the on screen instructions to install the software.
5. Apply power and plug in the USB cable. Wait for the
printer to initialize (lights will stop flashing) before moving
to the next step.
6. After the software is installed you will need to add the
printer. Open the Printer Setup Utility located in the
Applications - Utilities folder.
7. Click Add. Select the Color Label Printer from the list of
available printers. Click Add again.
Getting Started 7
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INDEX
Section 2: Supplies and Driver
Settings
A. ABOUT INK CARTRIDGES AND LABEL MATERIAL
(PIGMENT-BASED VS. DYE-BASED INKS,
GLOSS VS. PLAIN PAPER)
Label Material: Primera’s TuffCoat High Gloss and Semi-Gloss
label materials have been specifically designed to be highly
absorbent to allow water-based inkjet inks to dry quickly.
While providing for immediate smudge-resistance after
printing, this characteristic also makes the sheet receptive
to certain airborne contaminants and could result in a
discoloration of unprinted areas. Proper testing in the final
application environment is strongly recommended, especially
when used on or near products with aromatic vapors or
products containing volatile solvents.As with all pressure
sensitive materials, this product should be tested thoroughly
under end-use conditions to ensure it meets the requirements
of the specific application.
Ink Cartridges: For full-color printing, a 3-color ink cartridge
is available. This cartridge contains the three process-color
inks of yellow, magenta, and cyan, which combine to produce
up to 16.7 million printable colors and works very well on all
label stocks.
Two different Monochrome ink cartridges are available for
the printer. First is the Pigment-Based Monochrome Black.
Pigment-Based inks are for use with plain paper stock. Plain
paper stocks are desirable because of their low cost but offer
little resistance to water. The second type of black cartridge
available is the Dye-Based Monochrome Black. Dye-Based
inks are formulated for high-gloss and semi-gloss label stock.
Ink
Recommended Label Stock
Pigment-Based Monochrome Plain Paper Label Stock
Black PN 53020
Dye-Based Monochrome
Black PN 53377
Semi-Gloss and High-Gloss
Paper Label Stock
Mono Ink/ Label Compatibility
8 Supplies and Driver Settings
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NOTE: If you are printing barcodes on your labels it is recommended that
you test your combination of label stock and cartridge to make sure
the barcodes can be read accurately prior to committing to a large
purchase of supplies.
B. INSTALLING LABEL STOCK
Your printer will utilize a wide variety of paper label stock. As
long as the label stock is paper and can receive ink jet printing
and is within the allotted size, it will work in the printer.
Primera carries a large variety of paper label stock that has
been converted and ready for use with your printer.
NOTE: All the stock listed on Primera's supply order sheet is semi-gloss or
gloss and is meant for use with the Dye-Based Black Ink. You can
use other stock if you like. If using plain paper stock, you will
most likely have success with the Pigment-Based Black Ink. It is
recommended that you test your stock and ink combinations before
committing to a large supply purchase.
Other paper label stock may also work properly as long as it is
in specification. Use the following table to identify if a certain
stock is within specification:
Max Roll
Outside
Core
Inside
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Label
Label
Label
Label
Diameter Diameter Width
Width
Height
Height
Inches
6
3
1.5
8.25
.75
24
Millimeters 152.4
76.2
38.1
203.2
19.05
609.6
Label Stock Compatibility Chart
Supplies and Driver Settings 9
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The following illustration shows the internal parts you should
be familiar with when loading stock into your printer:
Fixed Throat Guide
Movable Throat Guide
Roll Arm
Roll Guide
!
WARNING.
Hazardous moving parts.
Keep fingers and other
body parts away from the
paper-feed gears.
Sensor Position Adjustment
Installing Label Stock
The following steps will guide you through loading label stock
in your printer:
Make sure power is connected and printer is on.
1. Open the Top Cover.
2. Lower the Roll Guide and pull it outward to make room
for your label stock.
10 Supplies and Driver Settings
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3. Pull the Movable Throat Guide outward to make room for
the label stock.
1. Open Cover.
3. Pull Throat Guide Out.
2. Lower the Roll Guide
and Pull it Outward.
4. Remove any shipping tape from your label stock roll to
ensure that it can unroll freely, making certain that no
adhesive portion is exposed. It is important to note that
any exposed adhesive surface can attach itself the the inner
workings of the print mechanism and cause a media jam.
5. Place your roll of label stock on the Roll Arm and push it
inward until it touches the stop.
6. Flip up the Roll Guide and slide it inward until it touches
the label stock. (The Roll Guide will automatically pull
back slightly to the correct position)
7. Place the leading edge of label stock under the
Label Stock
"label stock" symbols on the Throat Guides.
The label stock should be placed far enough into the throat
of the printer to correctly position the Movable Throat
Guide but not yet into the printer itself. The label stock
should be biased against the Fixed Throat Guide.
Supplies and Driver Settings 11
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8. Slide the Movable Throat Guide inward until it almost
touches the label stock. There must be slightly more space
between the Throat Guides than the width of the label
stock. If the label stock is pinched by the guides, poor print
quality or even feeding problems could result.
5. Place label stock
on Roll Arm.
8. Slide Throat
Guide inward
until it almost
touches the
label stock.
6 Slide Roll Guide
assembly inward.
9. Feed the label stock further
7. Place the leading edge of the
label stock just past the Throat
Guides, but not into the printer
itself.
into the printer until it senses
the label and automatically
feeds it through the printer.
9. Feed the label stock further into the printer until it senses
the label and automatically feeds it through the printer.
If the printer fails to feed the label stock, press the Feed
button on the front panel while continuing to guide the
label stock into the printer. The printer can sense through-
hole stock as well. If you are using label stock that has a
hole punch to identify a transition from backing to label,
you can adjust the Sensor Position Adjust tab to position it
12 Supplies and Driver Settings
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over the identifying mark. The Sensor Position Adjust tab
has a guide in inches and milimeters that will help you
identify where to set the tab to align the sensor over any
identifying mark. To do this, simply measure from the
center of the hole or mark to the edge of the label stock.
For instance, if you have a 1/2 inch hole, which starts 1/4
inch from the edge of the label stock set the guide to 1/2
inch to make sure the sensor is in the middle of the
through hole.
1”
1/2”
1”
1/2”
Through-hole
Black Stripe
0.0 in.
(0.0) (mm)
2.5
(63.5)
2.0
(50.8)
1.5
(38.1)
1.0
(25.4)
0.5
(12.7)
Sensor Position Adjustment
NOTE: If you are using black stripe sensing label material you will need to
identify this in the printer driver under the Sensor Type setting.
Please refer to section D later in this chapter for more information
on changing driver settings.
12. Now your stock is installed. Please read the following
section to install your cartridges.
Supplies and Driver Settings 13
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C. INSTALLING INK CARTRIDGES
Your printer has a built-in ink tracking system. This system is
designed to warn you if your ink cartridges are low on ink.
This ensures your labels will print properly and that the
printer can create large batches of labels unattended and
worry-free.
In order to make this system work properly, the cartridges
must be changed using the procedure listed below. Failure
to follow this procedure could result in inaccurate ink level
tracking and could cause your print quality to suffer.
Ink cartridges are changed as follows:
If using a PC:
1. Click Start>Printers and Faxes.
2. Right-click on the Color Label Printer Icon.
3. Click on Printing Preferences from the drop-down menu.
4. Find the option labeled "Clean/Change Cartridges &
Check Ink…" and click "Properties".
5. Click "Change Cartridge(s)".
If using a Mac:
1. Open the Applications - Utilities folder.
2 Click on the Printer Setup Utility.
3. Select the Color Label Printer.
4. Click the Utility button on the menu bar.
5. Click the Change Cartridge button.
For Macintosh and PC:
6. Open the Top Cover of the printer.
7. The Cartridge Carrier will align itself to the center of the
print area.
8. Press the Cartridge Cover Release to open the Cartridge
Holder.
9. Replace/install the cartridge.
10. Push cartridge cover downward until it snaps in place.
14 Supplies and Driver Settings
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11. Click OK on your screen to indicate the new cartridge is
now installed. Once you click OK you will be prompted to
align the cartridge. The printer will automatically align the
cartridge for you as follows:
2
3
1
a. For Alignment you will need to have installed label
stock that is equal to or larger than 4" x 4"
(101.6 mm x 101.6 mm). If your stock meets this
requirement, skip to step d.
b. If your installed stock is smaller than 4" x 4", unload
your current stock by pressing the Unload button. The
printer will reverse the label stock so that it can be
removed from the printer.
c. Load a sheet of paper, not to exceed 8.25 inches or 209
millimeters in width, by first pulling the Throat Guide
all the way out, then placing it In the feed area, once
the printer senses the page it will pull it into place.
Supplies and Driver Settings 15
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d. Click OK.
e. The printer will print the alignment test and scan it
into memory. Once the alignment is complete you will
see a confirmation dialogue box on your monitor.
Click OK. You have successfully installed the ink
cartridges.
D. PRINTER DRIVER SETTINGS
Once the printer driver has been successfully installed, you
will need to set the driver up with the appropriate print
options. Refer to the following steps to change or verify your
printer driver options:
To find Driver Settings on a PC:
1. Click the Start button, then click Printers and Faxes.
Right-click on the Color Label Printer Icon and select
Printing Preferences from the drop-down menu.
16 Supplies and Driver Settings
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NOTE on PC Settings:
Most applications allow you to change these same printer driver
options from their "Print" and/or "Printer Setup" screens. This
means that you don't have to go back to the main printer setup
window each time you want to change a setting or option in the
printer driver. These applications will usually give you the same
choices and options, but in a slightly altered format. Most applica-
tions do not save your printer driver option changes, but instead only
use your changes for the current image.
To find Driver Settings on a Mac:
Click Print from within any printing application. The
following screen will appear:
Click the Copies and Pages drop down arrow. Choose Label
Printer Settings.
Supplies and Driver Settings 17
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The following options are present in both the PC and
Mac drivers:
Label Size
This option is set to Custom as a default. Even though you can
click Properties and key in the dimensions of your label, this is
best done from your labeling software. It is recommended that
the Label Size setting is left to "Custom".
Orientation
There are two settings for orientation, Portrait and Landscape.
If your text and graphics print left to right or as shown on the
screen, select portrait . If you wish your printing to rotate 90
degrees from what you see on the screen so it is printing
horizontally, select landscape as your orientation.
Portrait
Print Quality
Landscape
There are 6 levels of print quality in the driver. The lower the
Quality, the faster the print. Quality 1 provides the fastest
print available while Quality 6 provides the best photo quality.
It is recommended that you experiment with the different
levels when designing your label to find a good balance
between print quality and print speed.
Color Matching.
Best for Graphics mode is best used for graphical images
where accurate color reproduction is not as essential. Images
printed in this mode will look more vibrant because more ink
is being used to produce them. However, printing images of
people may produce skin tones that have a reddish tint.
18 Supplies and Driver Settings
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Best for Photos mode is best used for photographic images
where accurate color reproduction is very essential. Images
printed in this mode will look lighter than those printed in
Photo mode. Skin tones especially will look more natural in
this mode.
NOTE: Exact color matching of the printed labels to the screen may never
be possible since there are factors that affect this out of the drivers
control. The surface of the label reacts with the ink in the cartridge to
produce the color. For this reason, when printing the same image to
different types of labels with different surfaces the printed output can
look entirely different.
Ink Saturation
This option controls the amount of ink used when printing an
image. The default setting is 100%, which will provide the
most accurate color matching. If the ink is not drying fast
enough or bleeding, you can decrease the Ink Saturation to
lessen the amount of ink that is applied to the label.
Left Margin Offset
This will be factory calibrated. If fine tuning is needed, increase
this setting to move the image right on the label; decrease this
setting to move the image to the left on the label. The unit of
measure is 0.1mm.
On a Mac the following settings can be found by clicking
the Config. Utility button.
Cartridge Alignment
Cartridge alignment will align the Black Cartridge to the Color
Cartridge. You will automatically be prompted to perform this
alignment each time you install a new cartridge. If you find
that the black objects are not aligning properly with color
objects on your label you can run the alignment procedure
from the printer driver. Click on Cartridge Alignment and
you will see a Properties button. Press this button to start the
Alignment procedure. You will be prompted to have label
stock of 4"x4" (101.6mm x 101.6mm) or larger. If the loaded
stock does not meet this requirement it can be unloaded by
pressing the Unload button. Insert larger stock or feed a
Supplies and Driver Settings 19
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sheet of paper (no wider than 8.25 inches or 209mm) into the
print area then click OK to continue. The printer will print an
alignment pattern then scan that pattern into memory auto-
matically. Once it has finished you will see a dialog box
stating that alignment values have been saved.
Clean/Change Cartridges & Check Ink Levels
Click this setting and you will see a
Properties button. Click Properties
and you will see the ink levels as
well as buttons allowing you to
either clean or change your ink
cartridges. If you have printed a
label you will see an estimation of
prints remaining of the last label.
This number can also be used to
calculate total number of labels you
can print from one cartridge and
also ink cost per label. Use the following formula:
Labels Remaining X 100 / Percentage of Ink Remaining = Total
Labels from a Full Cartridge.
In the example above 300 X 100 / 83 = 361 labels from a full
cartridge. Use the cost of the ink cartridge divided by the
total labels from a full cartridge to receive cost per label.
Clean/Purge
If it has been more than 48 hours since your last print or if
your print quality has deteriorated with bands or lines it is
recommended that you clean the cartridges. This is done by
clicking the Clean/Purge button. The Clean Purge is done
as follows:
a. You will be prompted to load label stock of 4"x 4"
(101.6 mm x 101.6mm) or larger, into the printer. If
you have stock of this size or larger, simply click OK.
20 Supplies and Driver Settings
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b. If not, press the Unload button found on the front of
the printer simultaneously to reverse the stock out of
the print feed mechanism. Load a sheet of paper, not
to exceed 8.25 inches or 209 millimeters in width, into
the feed mechanism
by pulling the
Throat Guide all the
way out to make
room for the paper
then inserting a
sheet into the print
feed area.
Once the sensor
"sees" the paper it
will automatically
feed it into position
and will begin to
print.
c. The printer will print a purge pattern where swaths of
each color are printed to clean the jets of the cartridge.
A series of diagonal lines are printed in each color of
both cartridges. By examining this pattern you can tell
if the cartridge is firing all jets or if the cartridge is
dirty and requires further cleaning. While the blocks
of color may not print solidly, it is important that the
diagonal lines be continuous. Repeat this process until
all diagonal lines print without breaks.
Change Cartridge(s)
Click the Change Cartridge(s) button to move the cartridges
into position for easy access for replacement. For more
information on this see Section 2-C. When installing
cartridges you will be prompted to align your cartridges
as described earlier in this section.
Details/Print Counter
Clicking on the Details button will allow you to view informa-
tion about printer settings stored on the printer. There is also a
print counter in the details window to help you count the
number of labels printed since the last time it was reset. Click
Reset Counter to set the counter to zero. The Restore Factory
Defaults button will restore the printer settings displayed on
the details window to factory calibrated defaults.
Supplies and Driver Settings 21
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Sensor Type
INDEX
Sensor Type refers to the method the printer will use to center
the print image on your label material. If you are using
standard die-cut labels or Through-hole label material where a
hole is punched through each label for alignment purposes use
the Through-hole/Die-Cut setting. Use Reflective for black
stripe sensing label material where a pre-printed line indicates
the break between labels. If you have continuous stock with
no die-cut or reflective mark, set the sensor type to
Continuous.
Rewinder Mode
This defaults to No. When set to no, the printer will align your
labels with the tear off bar for easy removal. This mode can be
set to Yes when using the printer with an automatic rewinder.
Enable Bi-di Printing
This setting defaults to Yes for fastest printing. When enabled
you will be required to perform an alignment print after a new
cartridge is installed. If you would like to bypass cartridge
alignment set this setting to No and set the Cartridge Type set-
ting to Color. You will now be able to skip the alignment print
after changing cartridges.
TOF Offset
TOF stands for Top of Form and this setting allows you to fine
tune the alignment of your printing on your label stock. This
will be factory calibrated. If fine tuning is needed, increase this
value to move the image down on the label. Decrease this
value to move the image up the label. The unit of measure is
0.1mm.
Tear Off Offset
If Rewinder Mode (described earlier in this section) is set to
No, the printer will present your labels over the Tear Bar
for easy removal. This is set at the factory. If fine tuning is
needed to align the break in your label stock over the Tear Bar,
increase this setting to eject the label further; decrease this
setting to eject the label stock less. The unit of measure is
0.1 mm.
22 Supplies and Driver Settings
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Section 3: Using the Printer
A. USING NICELABEL
Your printer ships with a basic version of Niceware's NiceLabel
software. This easy-to-use software is designed to allow you
to create full color labels with text and barcodes quickly and
simply. The following is a tutorial to guide you through
creating and printing a sample label.
Launch NiceLabel from your computer's Start Menu. Take a
moment to familiarize yourself with the NiceLabel Main
Application Window. This will help you navigate the features
of this program.
Main Application Window
Main Menu Bar
Main Tool Bar
Tool Box Bar
Document Window
Creating a label
1. Click the New Label Icon
from Main Tool Bar.
2. You will see the Label Setup Wizard. This will guide you
through setting up your label.
Using the Printer 23
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a. Set the dimensions of your label and unit of measure
and click Next.
b. Select your printer. This should be the Color Label
Printer. Click Finish.
24 Using the Printer
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3. Now you will see your label in the Document Window.
You can start to design your label using Tools from the
Tool Box. First, we will use the Text Tool.
Text Tool Icon
Text Cursor
a. Click the Text Tool Icon in your Toolbox, then move
the text cursor over the Document Window and click
in the location where you want to enter text. There is
no need to be exact, once you enter your text it can
easily be resized and/or moved about the label. Upon
clicking in the Document Window, you will see a
prompt to start typing your text.
b. When finished typing, click anywhere in the Document
Window and you will see the text appear in a box with
"edit handles". You can drag and resize the text any-
where in the document window. If the text is dragged
off of the printable area, NiceLabel will turn the text
red as a warning. This will not change the color the
text prints out as when sent to the printer but is only
used as a warning to let you know you may not be
printing the full text on your label.
Using the Printer 25
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INDEX
4. Now, insert a barcode.
BarcodeTool Icon
Barcode Cursor
a. Click the Barcode Tool Icon from the Toolbox. You
will now have a Barcode Cursor that can be positioned
anywhere within the Document Window. Position
your cursor in the general area where you wish your
barcode to print and click to start entering your
barcode information. There is no need to be exact,
once you create your barcode it can easily be moved
and/or resized. Once clicked, you will see the Barcode
Wizard.
b. The first screen in the Barcode Wizard will allow you
to select the type of Barcode you wish to print. You
can also enter the data to be used in the barcode. For
this we are doing a simple UPC-A barcode. For more
information on other types of barcodes, please see
Section 3-B. Creating Barcodes in NiceLabel.
26 Using the Printer
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INDEX
c. Click Define to change the type of Barcode or to make
changes to the options associated with your particular
type of barcode. You will also want to set the Symbol
Height and X Expansion Factor.
d. Click the Human Readable tab to change the font that
prints under your barcode.
Using the Printer 27
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INDEX
e. Click OK, then click Finish and your Barcode will be
placed on your label with "Edit Handles" to allow you
to move and resize your barcode.
Graphics Tool Icon
Graphics Cursor
5. Now insert a graphic. Click on the Graphics Tool Icon in
the toolbox. You will now see a Graphics Cursor. Drag the
cursor to the general area where you wish to place the
graphic and click to get an Open dialog box. You will be
prompted to browse for graphic files. NiceLabel will
accept bitmap graphics formatted as BMP, JPG, TIF, WMF,
PNG and many more.
28 Using the Printer
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INDEX
a. Click Open and the graphic will be imported with
edit handles so you can easily move and resize your
graphic.
b. There are other tools at your disposal to align the
object or add shapes. On the right side of the screen
you will see alignment tools so you can align the
objects on your label in relation to each other. Select
objects by clicking on them or clicking and dragging
a "lasso" around multiple objects or by holding
down the SHIFT key and clicking on each object
individually. You can also center these objects by right
clicking on a selected object and choosing Align from
the drop-down menu. If you wish to center your
object on the label choose the appropriate centering
options and check the Align to Label checkbox.
Using the Printer 29
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INDEX
c. You are now ready to print your label. Click File then
Print from the main menu. Choose your number of
copies and click OK.
Congratulations! You have successfully created and printed
your first label. The rest of this section will explain in more
detail how to use barcode labels. Also, you can find more tips
and hints by simply clicking Help then Contents in the main
menu.
B. CREATING BARCODES IN NICELABEL
Barcode Tool Icon
Barcode Cursor
a. Click the Barcode Tool Icon from the Toolbox.
b. You will now have a Barcode Cursor that can be
positioned anywhere within the Document Window.
Position your cursor in the general area where you wish
your barcode to print and click to start entering your
barcode information. Once clicked, you will see the
Barcode Wizard.
i. The first screen in the Barcode Wizard will allow you
to select the type of Barcode you wish to print. You
can also enter the data to be used in the barcode.
30 Using the Printer
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ii. Click Define to change the type of Barcode.
iii. This contains four tabs, General, Check Digit, Human
Readable and Details.
iv. The General Tab (shown on page 27) allows you to
choose the appropriate barcode type from the
Available barcodes: menu. You can choose one- or
two-dimensional barcodes. Note that different
barcode types have different requirements - some of
them only allow numbers to be encoded, while others
only allow upper case characters. For the further help
on the barcode types contact your supplier.
Using the Printer 31
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Available barcode types are listed here:
EAN and UPC EAN-8, EAN-8 + 2-digit supplement, EAN-8 + 5-digit
supplement, EAN-13, EAN-13 + 2-digit supplement,
EAN-13 + 5-digit supplement, EAN-14, DUN-14, UPC
Case Code, UPC-A, UPC-A + 2-digit supplement,
UPC-A + 5-digit supplement, UPC-E, UPC-E + 2-digit
supplement, UPC-E + 5-digit supplement, EAN.UCC
128, SSCC, Bookland, Addon 2, Addon 5
Linear
Interleaved 2 of 5, ITF 14, ITF 16, Code 39, Code 39 Tri
Optic, Code 39 Full ASCII, Code 32, Code 93, CODE 128
(A, B and C subsets), MSI, Codabar, Postnet-32,
Postnet-37, Postnet-52, Postnest-62, Kix, Pharmacode
Linear RSS symbologies
RSS
RSS14, RSS14 Truncated,
RSS14Stacked, RSS14 Stacked Omnidirectional, RSS
Limited, RSS Expanded
Composite RSS
symbologiesRSS14, RSS14 Truncated, RSS14 Stacked,
RSS14 Stacked Omnidirectional, RSS Limited, RSS
Expanded, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN.UCC
128 & CC-A/B, EAN.UCC 128 & CC-C
2D-Pharmacode, PDF-417, DataMatrix, MaxiCode,
Aztec, QR, Micro QR, Codablock F, MicroPDF
2D Barcodes
Define the barcode dimensions in the Barcode Dimensions
Field. The height is set in cm by entering the appropriate
number in the Symbol Height Field. The width of the barcode
is set as the X Expansion factor. Note that the width can be set
only in pre-defined standard steps.
When you change the barcode dimension directly from the
screen by moving the drag handle, the changed dimension will
also appear in this dialog box.
Some of the barcode types also allow the definition of Narrow-
to-wide bar ratio. It can only be set from the predefined steps
in the pull-down menu - 1:2, 1:3 or 2:5.
32 Using the Printer
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Base element width (mils) is calculated automatically from the
X expansion factor.
v. The Check Digit Tab will allow you to include a system
automated check digits or enter your own. Check digits
can be disabled on some barcodes from this tab as well.
vi. The Human Readable Tab allows you to manipulate the
human readable text printed with your barcode. Here you
can disable Human Readable, select position (above or
below the barcode), include a check digit, and choose your
font type and scaling.
vii. The Details Tab allows you to set some further details of
the barcode presentations on the printer. These settings are
listed here:
Include Quiet Zones will enable the software to automati-
cally create the necessary amount of free space before and
after the barcode symbol by drawing an unprintable buffer
area around the barcode symbol on the screen.
Descender Bars allows EAN 13, EAN 8, UPC A and UPC E
to print longer first, middle and last bars when this option
is selected.
Mirror Horizontally will allow the barcode to be printed
as a graphic and will so it can be mirrored over the
horizontal axis.
Mirror Vertically allows the barcode to be printed as a
graphic so it can be mirrored over the vertical axis.
Intercharacter Gap: Some barcodes allow you to change
the gap between characters in the barcode (e. g. Code-39).
The barcode prints as a graphic.
Include EAN white space: A special character is inserted
before and/or after the barcode. It indicates the width of
the barcode. If you place any other object in the extent of
the barcode, it will reduce the readability of the barcode.
This option is valid for EAN barcode types.
Using the Printer 33
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C. PRINTING ON A MAC FROM ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
1. Create your document using the File - New command. Set
your Width and Height to correspond with the label stock
installed in the Printer.
2. Once your document is created and ready to print go
to File - Print. The following screen will appear. Before
doing anything else, click the Printer button to change the
print quality settings for this print. Click here for more
information on Print Settings.
34 Using the Printer
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INDEX
3. The printer settings screen defaults to Copies and Pages.
Click the drop down arrow to change the screen to Label
Printer Settings.
4. Change your printer settings to the desired quality.
Using the Printer 35
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INDEX
5. Click Print to return to the print preview screen. Now
click Page Setup to change the label size set in the printer
driver.
6. The paper/label size defaults to 4x6 or whatever was
last used.
36 Using the Printer
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INDEX
7. Click on the drop down arrow to select a predefined label
size or create a custom size by clicking Manage Custom
Sizes. For this example there is no 5.5 x 4 label predefined
so the following step will explain how to create a custom
size.
8. To create a custom size click the + below the list of
custom sizes already created. Change the page size to
correspond with the stock installed in the printer. Set the
Printer Margins to Color Label Printer or modify them
accordingly. Click OK.
Using the Printer 37
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9. If you have created a custom size you will need to choose
it again here by clicking the drop down arrow and
choosing the custom size. Click OK.
10. You are now ready to print your label. Make sure the
number of copies is set. Also, check the orientation. The
label shown on the preview screen is how your label will
print. Make sure there is no white space around the label.
If there is white space you may have to change the
orientation. Click Print to print your label.
38 Using the Printer
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NOTE: You must set the Printer and Page Setup by clicking on these
buttons each time you print. You must perform these steps each time
you print even if what you see on the preview screen appears correct.
D. CREATING BARCODES ON A MAC
You can integrate barcode printing into any application that
can print to the printer by using Mac Barcode Maker. Mac
Barcode Maker can be purchased from their website at
www.barcodeformac.com
This application was tested using Adobe Illustrator. Follow the
instructions that are included with the application to use it
with your program. Their website does offer a fully functional
trial version which integrates an "EVAL" stamp into all of the
barcodes it produces. Buying the application will cause the
"EVAL" stamp to be removed.
Other barcode integration software is available but was not
tested for compatibility with the printer.
E. PRINTING FROM OTHER APPLICATIONS
Because the printer installs as a standard Windows or
Macintosh printer driver, it will print from virtually any
Windows 2000/XP or Macintosh OS 10.x application. All you
will need to do is create a custom page size the equivalent of
your label stock size with margins set to "0". Then create your
label and click File > Print. Select the Color Label Printer as
your printer and select the number of copies. Click OK and
your printer will print your labels.
Using the Printer 39
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Section 4: Troubleshooting and
Maintenance
A. CLEANING THE PRINTER
It may be necessary to clean the ink cartridge nozzles if the
your labels are printing with horizontal banding or if you
suspect an ink cartridge nozzle has become slightly dried out
or clogged. Refer to the cleaning procedure explained within
the Clean/ Purge description of Section 2-D to clean the
cartridge nozzles.
If any ink has gotten on to the printer casing itself, the case of
the printer can be cleaned with an ammonia based window
cleaner and a lint-free cloth.
Over time, ink overspray may gather at the base of the printer.
The printer is designed using a vacuum system to gather most
of this ink on a series of saturation pads. Eventually, these
pads may need to be replaced. Contact tech support to
determine if pad replacement is necessary. An ink pad
replacement kit is available. (Part Number 074220)
B. CLEANING THE INK CARTRIDGE
It may be necessary to clean the ink cartridge nozzles if you
notice reduced print quality, or if you suspect an cartridge
nozzle has become slightly dried out or clogged. If you are
having print quality problems, follow the steps below:
1. Remove the print cartridge.
2. Moisten a lint-free cloth with water.
3. Hold the cloth against the
nozzles for three seconds.
This will “wick” some
additional ink onto the
damp cloth.
4. Wipe in one direction only.
5. Repeat the process.
40 Troubleshooting and Maintenance
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INDEX
C. BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING
Generally, when a malfunction or an abnormal condition occurs,
the "PAUSE " LED will keep blinking repeatedly and printing and
communication between the host PC and the printer will cease.
After the problems have been solved, press PAUSE to clear the
error and continue printing. Here is a general guide to some
common error conditions:
Possible
Problems
Indicator
Solutions
Remarks
Missing gap
Printer ejects media
or can not find the
start of the label,
• Check Media Path
• Check Position of
sensor
Refer to section 2-B
for proper installation
of label stock
then times out with
flashing "PAUSE" LED
Image printing Label is not feeding
off center or off straight, images
the edge of the look misaligned
label
• Check media path
• Check throat guide
and roll guide
Refer to section 2-B
for proper installation
of label stock
Out of label
stock
Fast flashing
"PAUSE" LED
• Install new label
Refer to section 2-B
for proper installation
of label stock
·
stock/media
Out of ink
Steady lit "LOW INK" • Replace ink ·
Refer to section 2-C
for proper installation
of ink cartridges
and "PAUSE" LED
and/or poor print
quality
cartridges
• Perform alignment ·
• Perform cleaning
Media/label
stock jam
Printer stalls, labels
appear damaged,
and "PAUSE" flashes
quickly
• Press UNLOAD to
reverse media
Refer to section 2-B
for proper installation
of label stock
• Be sure to clear and
labels from inside of
printer especially in
the print path
• Load new media
Troubleshooting and Maintenance 41
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INDEX
D. TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have difficulty operating your Color Label Printer, the
procedures in this manual should, in most cases, solve the
problem. If you still have difficulty, contact Primera's Technical
Support Department. You can reach tech support by phone,
fax, email or mail at the following:
Primera Technology
Technical Support Department
Two Carlson Parkway North
Suite 375
Plymouth, MN 55447-4446
Phone: 763-475-6669
Fax: 763-475-6998
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.primera.com
Live phone support is available Monday through Friday, 8 AM
to 7 PM, Central Standard Time. Email support is available 7
days a week. A Knowledge Base containing answers to many
common problems is also available for free 24 hours a day at
www.primera.com/knowledgebase.html
42 Troubleshooting and Maintenance
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INDEX
Section 5 : Label Specifications
Important!
Test all custom made label stock with the intended printer
before ordering large quantities! Primera will only assume responsibility for
custom label stock ordered from Primera.
Label Sensing Methods
Label Width
Liner Width
Gap Between
Labels
Method 1: Label
Gap Sensing
Distance from
edge of Media
Method 2: Thru-Hole
Sensing
Width of Opening
Label Height
Distance from
edge of Media
to edge of Label
Method 3: Reflective/Black
Mark Sensing
(Black Mark must be printed
on back side of label stock)
Black Mark
Width
Note: See table below for Max and Min values in inches and mm..
Label Specifications 43
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Max
Min
Label width
8.25" (210mm)
0.75" (19mm)
Liner width
8.375" (212mm) 1.5" (38mm)
Label height/length
Gap between labels
24" (609.6mm)
10" (253mm)
0.75" (19mm)
0.10 (2.5mm)
Width of thru-hole
opening
0.5" (12.65mm) 0.25" (6.325mm)
Distance from edge of
media to edge of
thru-hole
2.25" (57mm)
N/A
0.20" (5.06mm)
0.1" (2.54mm)
Reflective/Black
Mark Width*
Max Outer Diameter (OD) 6.0"(152.4mm)
Inner Core Diameter (ID) 3.0" (76.2mm)
N/A
3.0" (76.2mm)
N/A
Total Thickness
(Liner + Label)**
.0075”
(7.5 mil)
Distance from edge of
media to edge of label
Printer driver assumes 2 mm gap.
However, this is adjustable via the
left margin offset.
* The Reflective/Black Mark should be opaque to infared light. The
mark should be between the labels. The end of the mark should corre-
spond with the beginning of the label.
**There are two factors that determine whether the printer will accept
any particular stock thickness.
1. The ability for the printer to pull the paper through the print
area.
2. The ability for the sensor to read through the backing if the sen-
sor is set to die cut.
If you are printing in continuous or reflective label sensing mode
number 2 does not apply. The fact that the printer must read through
the backing in die-cut mode will limit the thickness much more than
the printers ability to pull the paper through the print area. However,
if you adjust opacity level of the liner enough to allow the label to be
seen by the stock sensor, the thickness will only be limited by the
printers ability to pull it through the printer area. For these reasons
the weight or thickness of the liner is a variable that can not easily be
defined. Primera recommends and uses 40# liner with all label stock.
It is important to test all label stock with the intended printer
before ordering large quantities!
44 Label Specifications
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INDEX
Roll Specifications
Label Stock
6 inches
3 inches
Label Specifications 45
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INDEX
Section 6 : Technical Specifications
Print Method:
Print Resolutions:
Inkjet
4800 x 1200 dpi, 1200 x 1200 dpi, 600 x 600 dpi
Print Speeds:
Approximately 2" (51mm) per second
for black
Approximately 1.5" (38mm) per second for
color + black
Approximately 10" per second feed rate
Ink Cartridges:
#53376 Color (CMY)
#53377 Black Dye-Based (Kd)
#53020 Black Pigment-Based (Kp)
Colors:
16.7 million
Media Types:
Media Sensing:
Roll-fed pressure-sensitive labels, roll-fed tags
Moveable see-through sensor for die-cut
labels and reflective for tags with black
stripe sensing
Supply Roll:
6" (152mm) maximum diameter on
3" (76mm) core
Ink Level Warning:
Calculates actual number of prints remaining
based upon ink usage of graphics being
printed (patent-pending)
Indicator Lights:
Controls:
Power, Pause, Ink
Pause, Load/Feed, Unload
Operating Systems:
Windows XP/2000
USB 1.1/2.0
Data Interface:
46 Technical Specifications
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INDEX
Minimum System:
Pentium® IV computer or better, 512MB
RAM, 5GB free hard drive space,
USB 1.1/2.0 port
Label Design
Software:
NiceLabel™ ME Primera Edition included.
Can also be used with most other popular
Windows-based label design software
programs
Electrical Rating:
Power Requirements:
Certifications:
Weight:
12VDC, 3.0A
100-240VAC, 50/60 Hz, 60 watts
UL, UL-C, CE, FCC Class B
29 lbs. (13.2 Kg)
Dimensions:
17"W x 9.1'H x 15.5"D
(432mmW x 231mmH x 394mmD)
Warranty:
One year, parts and labor
Technical Specifications 47
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INDEX
Section 7: Auxiliary Port Specifications
The 6-pin minicircular auxiliary interface is used for connecting
the printer with auxiliary equipment such as a Auto Cutter.
Pin assignments are as follows:
6
5
4
3
2
1
Uses 5v logic @ 5mA - All signals are active low.
Pin Number Signal Description
2
3
Cut signal - Output - Cut now.
Printer Busy - Output - Printer is Printing or
moving the paper.
4
5
Cutter Position - Input - Cutter is in normal
position (Ready). Low will keep printer from
starting next print.
Remote Pause - Input - Will keep printer from
starting next print.
NOTE: Cut signal output is enabled when “Present between every label”,
mode is active. Rewinder is set to "NO" in printer driver preferences.
48 Auxiliary Port Specifications
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Index
Cartridge Alignment .....................................................................19
Details Tab.......................................................................................33
Dye-Based Monochrome Black.....................................................8
Label Size ........................................................................................18
Movable Throat Guide ...........................................................11, 12
Orientation ......................................................................................18
Pause LED..........................................................................................3
Pigment-Based Monochrome Black.............................................8
Pigment-Based Ink ..........................................................................8
Power LED.........................................................................................3
Print Counter ..................................................................................21
Print Quality ...................................................................................18
Printer Driver Settings..................................................................16
Index 49
TOC
Printing ......................................................................................34, 39
Roll Arm ..........................................................................................11
Sensor Position Adjustment ..................................................12, 13
Sensor Type .....................................................................................22
Rewinder Mode..............................................................................22
Tear Off Offset................................................................................22
TOF Offset.......................................................................................22
Troubleshooting .............................................................................40
Unload Button ..................................................................................3
Using NiceLabel.............................................................................23
50 Index
Printed in the United States of America
P/N 510943
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