Printers

Use the Left and Right navigation arrows to browse to the RFID CALIBRATE procedure. Press the select button ( — ) below the START on the lower right hand of the display.

The printer will slowly feed a label while adjusting the location and RFID read/write communication settings for your chosen RFID tag/label.

The printer will feed an additional label in some cases when calibration has completed successfully with the display message reading: READY

At this point, you can open the printer and roll the excess labels back inside. Then, close the printer, unpause it, and you will be ready to print.

Zebra ZD500R

ZD500R: Alignment

Adjusting the vertical print position on your labels

From the main screen, press the Home button (house icon).

Select Settings (gear icon).

Use the right arrow on the navigation buttons until you reach LABEL TOP.

Use the up/down arrows to adjust the value:

Negative values move the print toward the top of the label.
Positive values move it away from the top.
Accepted range: –120 to 120.

When you're done, press the Home button again. Your changes will be automatically saved.

Zebra ZD621R

Zebra ZD621R: Alignment

Select the Print icon

Select Label Position/Image Adjust

Select Vertical Label Offset or Horizontal Label Offset

5. Adjust the value (Accepted values: -120 to 120)

Vertical Label Offset: Lower numbers shift everything higher on the label face. Inversely, higher numbers shift everything farther down on the label face, by the specified number of dots.
Horizontal Label Offset: Lower numbers shift everything to the right on the label face. Inversely, higher numbers shift everything to the left on the label face, by the specified number of dots.

Zebra ZD621R

Zebra ZD621R: Reset to Factory Defaults

After starting the printer, use the touchscreen to click "Menu"

On the left side of the screen, click "Settings"

Scroll down and click "Restore Defaults"

Click on "Restore Printer" and accept the prompt

This will reset the printer to factory defaults.

Zebra ZD621R

Zebra ZD621R: Calibrate from Printer's Interface

ATTENTION: We suggest first performing the calibration from the website. If the calibration fails, then follow these steps.

Step 1: Media Calibration

First, make sure media is properly loaded, the printer cover is closed, and printer power is ON.

To perform a Media Calibration, press and hold PAUSE + CANCEL buttons for two seconds.

Step 2: RFID Calibration

From the printer's Home screen, press the Menu button:

Next, tap the RFID icon on the right side of the screen, then tap the RFID menu option:

Tap RFID Calibrate:

Last, tap Start Calibration to perform the RFID calibration:

Zebra ZD621R

Zebra ZD621R: Adjust Darkness

Using your printer's touchscreen, navigate to Menu > Printer (icon) > Print Quality > Darkness:
Use the plus buttons, or slide the slider to increase or decrease the darkness setting.
If you are using resin ribbon, and you usually use wax, you will need to increase this value by at least 10.
The setting will be automatically applied; press the Home button to return to the Idle screen.

Zebra ZD621R

Zebra ZD621R: Setup Wireless Connection (WiFi)

This setup guide ensures your printer is properly configured for network printing with secure WiFi connectivity.

Prerequisites

Before starting the setup, please make sure that your station has the "Show network printers" option set in your Print Station settings. Contact your Manager if you need assistance.

Connection Setup Steps

1. Launch Wizards

On the printer home screen, tap Wizards.

2. Select Connection

Tap Connection and then Start Connection.

3. Configure Network Settings

Wi-Fi Configuration

Select Wi-Fi > Tap ✓
Set IP Port to 6101
Set IP Alternate Port to 9100 > Tap ✓
Set Wired IP Protocol to All > Tap ✓

Wireless Network Settings

Set the country > Tap ✓
Select WPA PSK > Tap ✓
In Pre-shared Key, enter your WiFi password > Tap ✓
Tap Set All > Tap ✓

Network Name and Protocol

In ESSID, set your WiFi name > Tap ✓

Note: Case sensitive - must match exactly as shown in other devices' WiFi lists.
Example: Wifi_Network_Name12345

Set WiFi IP Protocol to All > Tap ✓

Bluetooth Configuration

Set Bluetooth On/Off to Off > Tap ✓
Set Bluetooth Discovery to Off > Tap ✓

Security Settings

In Friendly Name, Tap ✓
In Security, set value to 3 > Tap ✓
In Authentication PIN, > Tap ✓
In Bluetooth Bonding, set to Off

4. Complete Setup

Tap End Wizard.

Verification

You should see the message: "Connection Wizard Complete"

After completion, observe the network indicator (right side of screen):

Will display red for approximately 1 second
Will then turn green (indicating successful connection)
Printer should appear as Online in Simple RFID Website

Zebra ZT411

Load Labels & Ribbon into Zebra ZT411R

Watch this video

Zebra ZT411

Zebra ZT411 - Adjust Print Darkness

To adjust the print darkness on your ZT411 printer, take the following steps:

On the home screen of the printer, tap the Menu button
Tap the Print icon, then Print Quality, then select the Darkness option
Adjust the darkness setting using the slider or + and - buttons.
- The darkness setting ranges from 0 to 30.
- For wax ribbon, the recommended darkness setting is 10-15.
- For resin ribbon, the recommended darkness setting is 25-30.
After adjusting the darkness, tap the Home button at the top-right of the screen to return to the home screen.

Zebra ZT411

ZT411R RFID Calibration

ATTENTION: We suggest first performing the calibration from the website. If the calibration fails, then follow these steps.

If the web calibration fails, please watch the video below to calibrate the RFID directly from the printer.

Zebra ZT410

Load Media & Ribbon into Zebra ZT410R

Watch this video

Zebra ZT410

Calibrate ZT410R

ATTENTION: We suggest first performing the calibration from the website. If the calibration fails, then follow these steps.

To calibrate your printer directly from the printer follow the steps from this video:

Printronix: Calibration

Printronix T800, T4000, T6000 - Calibrate from the Printer's Interface

ATTENTION: We suggest first performing the calibration from the website. If the calibration fails, then follow these steps.

Note: Before proceeding with calibration, it is best practice to ensure the onboard RAM is cleared by shutting off the printer, and waiting 30 seconds to power it back on.

Step 1: Media Calibration

First, press the green Pause button on your printer to access the main menu. The menu looks like this:

Press the right arrow key on the printer to select "Calibrate", then press the Enter key.

The media calibration should only take a few seconds, and once finished, you may see an error similar to the following:

You can ignore this for now. Press Pause to dismiss the error.

Step 2: RFID Calibration

With the printer paused, using the arrow keys, navigate to Settings > RFID (second page) > Tag Calibration > RFID Calibrate.

If you see an "ENTER SWITCH LOCKED" error, just press the Up and Down keys once, at the same time. You should then see "ENTER SWITCH UNLOCKED" and then you can perform the calibration.

The printer may take a few minutes to complete the RFID calibration. While in progress, you'll see the following window, which will update as progress is made:

Once the calibration is completed, you'll see the following confirmation message:

Press the green Pause button to unpause the printer, then select "Save permanently in Active Config."

When all the steps have been completed, the printer should show "ONLINE" in the top-right corner of the screen:

Throughout the calibration process, quite a few labels will be fed out of the printer. These blank labels can still be used, so we recommend opening the printer and rolling these labels back up into the printer before printing.

Make sure to unpause the printer again after closing it.

Possible Scenario: "Open Media Bay, Peel off Label"

If you see a message on the printer like the following, you need to perform an extra step to complete the RFID calibration. This is common for smaller labels, such as Mini:

T800

In this case, you will need to do the following:

Open the printer
Peel off a label from the backing, somewhere behind the media sensor:
Close the printer
Press Enter to continue the calibration.

T4000 & T6000

Open the printer cover (DO NOT open the printhead!)
Peel off a label from the backing, somewhere behind the media sensor:
Close the printer
Press Enter to continue the calibration.

Now, the printer will feed labels until it reaches the empty space, then complete the last step of the RFID calibration.

Printronix: Alignment

Step 1:

Pause your printer using the green Pause button

Using the arrow and enter keys, navigate to Settings > Media > Image and locate the Vertical Shift and Horizontal Shift settings:

NOTE: The values you see here will not necessarily be the values you need to set.

panelLcd

Adjust the values for these settings according to your needs.

Vertical Shift: Positive values will shift the image up, and negative values will shift the image down.
Horizontal Shift: Positive values will shift the image to the left, and negative values will shift the image to the right.
If you encounter the message ENTER SWITCH LOCKED, press the Up and Down arrow keys together, then wait until the screen says ENTER SWITCH UNLOCKED. You will then be able to edit these settings.

When you've adjusted these settings unpause the printer using the green Pause button, then select Save permanently in Active Config

Step 2:

Try printing another label, and see if any further adjustments are necessary.

After adjusting these settings, the printer will feed a few labels before printing again. This is expected behavior.

Printronix: Darkness

If using wax ribbon, we recommend your darkness is set between 0 and 5.

If using resin ribbon, we recommend your darkness is set between 10 and 15.

Press the green Pause button on your printer to open the main menu.

Use the physical navigation keys to navigate to Settings > Media > Image > Print Intensity

Press the Enter key, and use the Up and Down arrow keys to adjust the value.

If you see the ENTER SWITCH LOCKED message, just press the Up and Down arrow keys at the same time, and you should then see ENTER SWITCH UNLOCKED.

Press Enter again to apply your settings, then unpause the printer and choose Save Permanently in Active Config.

Keep in mind that print quality/darkness is also affected by the Print Speed. The slower the Print Speed, the less energy is needed to transfer the ink; so the Print Intensity should also be lowered accordingly.

Printronix: GAP NOT DETECTED

A “GAP NOT DETECTED” error means that the printer was not able to find the gap/mark between labels. There are a few potential causes for this error:

The printer has not performed a media calibration on the labels
- Solution: Calibrate your printer.
The labels are not feeding out of the printer correctly (most often because the labels were back-fed too far into the printer)
- Solution: Ensure that at least 1 label is sitting past the platen roller.
The media sensor is in the wrong place (it should be underneath the labels, lined up with the gap)
- Solution: Ensure that the media sensor is sitting directly under the labels, so the gap between the labels will pass over the sensor when feeding/calibrating.
- After adjusting the sensor, please calibrate your printer again.
The printer is set to the wrong media type (Gap vs. Mark)
- Solution: Ensure that the Sensors > Control > Gap/Mark Sensor is set to the value that matches your labels (e.g. Gap).

Printronix: Connecting to Wi-Fi

If you purchased a Printronix printer with Wi-Fi capabilities, follow these instructions to connect the printer to your network.

This article assumes that your Wi-Fi network is protected by WPA Personal with an ASCII passphrase, which covers most cases. If your network is set up differently, contact your network administrator for the correct settings.

Press the Pause button, then use the Left Arrow Key to navigate to Wizard. Press Enter.

Press Enter again to select Wizards.

Use the Down Arrow Key to navigate to WLAN, then press Enter.

If you see the ENTER SWITCH LOCKED message, just press the Up and Down arrow keys at the same time, then wait up to 5 seconds and you should then see ENTER SWITCH UNLOCKED.

You'll now be guided through the setup steps to connect to your Wi-Fi network. Press the Right Arrow Key to advance to the next screen.

First, you 'll be asked for the SSID of your network. This is also known as the name of your Wi-Fi network.

Press Enter to edit the SSID Name field, then use the provided keyboard to type the SSID. (Enter your own Wi-Fi name, not Simple RFiD 5G.)

The SSID name is case-sensitive, and must be an EXACT match in order to connect. Take care to capitalize the correct letters, and use spaces where needed.

Finally, press the Right Soft Key under "Apply" to move to the next setting.

Next, you'll be asked for the Security Type. In most cases, this should be set to WPA Personal. Press Enter to edit the field, then choose the correct option and press Enter again.

Next, you'll be asked for the WPA Pass-Phrase Format. In most cases, this should be set to ASCII. Press Enter to edit the field, then choose the correct option and press Enter again.

Next, you'll be asked for the WPA Pass-Phrase. This is your Wi-Fi password. Press Enter to edit the field, then use the provided keyboard to type the password (case-sensitive!).

Finally, press the Right Soft Key under "Apply" to move to the next setting.

Next, you'll be asked whether you'd like to enable DHCP. In most cases, this should be set to Enable.

Press the Right Arrow Key to move to the next screen. you'll see a confirmation that you've completed the wizard.

Press the Right Arrow Key to exit the wizard.

Next, we'll change the Host I/O settings to ensure that the printer is listening for print jobs over the network.

Press the Left Arrow Key until you're back to the Home screen, then select Settings:

Navigate to Host I/O > Interface, and set this option to Ethernet.

Last, unpause the printer, and select Save Permanently in Active Config.

The printer will automatically reboot at this point, and when it finishes starting up you should see that your Wi-Fi connection is active:

Printronix: Check Firmware Version

From the web portal, click the Available Printers menu.

Locate your printer, then click the Settings icon.

Check the value for the Firmware property.

At the time of writing, these are the latest firmware versions:

T800 (T820, T830): V1.48E
T4000 (T4204): V1.46H
T6000e (T6304, T6604): V1.42E

To update your printer, follow this guide: Printronix: Update Firmware

Printronix: Job in Process

Printronix printers often state "Job in Process" (often misread as "Job in Progress") on their screen, as shown below:

This message indicates that the printer is processing data from the host. Since this includes periodic status checks and other information, the Job in Process message does not necessarily mean that a print job is in progress. If the printer is idle (not currently printing), then you should be able to submit new print jobs without any issues.

If you are unable to print, the most common cause is that the printer is offline. Follow the steps in this article to troubleshoot: Printer Offline

Printronix: ENTER SWITCH LOCKED

Printronix printers lock the Enter switch to prevent accidental changes to settings. If you see the ENTER SWITCH LOCKED message, just press the Up and Down arrow keys at the same time, and you should then see ENTER SWITCH UNLOCKED.

What is a Platen Roller?

A platen roller is a rubber-coated cylinder in printers and labelers that drives media (paper/labels) past the printhead, ensuring proper, consistent pressure for high-quality, crisp printing. It serves as a hard, smooth surface against which the printhead presses, crucial for feeding materials without jamming or slippage.

Key Functions and Details

Media Transport: It moves labels or paper through the printer, often serving as the primary drive mechanism.
Print Quality: By providing an even surface, it ensures that thermal transfer ribbons or direct thermal media make full contact with the printhead.
Wear and Maintenance: Over time, these rollers can develop "dips," become damaged by debris, or harden.
Signs of Failure: Faded, inconsistent, or wrinkled print, as well as frequent paper jams or slipping labels, indicates a need for cleaning or replacement.

Unpause your printer

Printers will not print or calibrate if they're paused. Depending on the model of your printer, you'll see different indicators if the printer is paused.

How to tell if your printer is paused

T800: "OFFLINE" in top-right corner

The OFFLINE text means the printer is paused. Unpause it using the green pause button [ I I ] below the screen. If prompted to save settings, choose Save Permanently in Active Config. You should then see ONLINE in the top-right corner of the screen, meaning the printer is ready.

ZD621R: Pause indicator above screen

If the PAUSE light is lit up yellow, the printer is paused. Unpause it using the Pause button [ I I ] to the right of the screen.

ZD500R: PRINTER PAUSED message flashing on screen

If the printer's screen flashes PRINTER PAUSED, unpause it using the Pause button [ I I ] to the right of the screen.

Printronix: Updating Firmware

Printronix: Update Firmware via Webpage

To use this upgrade method, your printer must be connected to your network. If a network connection is unavailable, update the firmware via a USB flash drive.

Requirements:

A device with a web browser, on the same network (LAN) as your printer
- This device must be able to download and upload files.
An RJ-45 Ethernet cable to connect your printer to the network (unless you have a Wi-Fi enabled printer)

Step 1: Download the latest firmware file

Choose the appropriate file for your printer model:

Step 2: Connect the printer to your network

Make sure all USB cables are disconnected from the printer before continuing.

Using an Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors, or Wi-Fi on supported models, connect the printer to your network.

When the printer is connected to the network, you will see its IP address at the top-left of the screen:

(If you don't see this screen, you may need to unpause the printer using the green pause button [ I I ].

Step 3: Navigate to the printer's web page

Type the printer’s IP address into a web browser. You can omit leading zeros in each octet:

You should be greeted with the printer's home page:

If you see a page asking you to set a password, we recommend setting it to Print123! to remain consistent with other guides.
If you set the password to something else, make sure you store the password somewhere it can be retrieved later.

Step 4: Capture the printer's current configuration

When you upgrade the firmware, the printer's current settings (including calibration, print intensity, vertical/horizontal shift, and more) will be lost. We will save the printer's current configuration to a file so we can restore it after the upgrade is complete.

Click the Printer link at the top of the Configuration list.

You may be prompted for a username and password at this point. The username is root and the password is Print123! or whatever you set it to in the previous step.
If Print123! doesn't work, try leaving the password field blank.

Click the Configuration Management link near the top of the page:

Click the Upload button. This will download a file containing the printer's current configuration. Save this file; we'll use it later to restore the configuration.

If you see a message like Insecure download blocked, make sure to Keep the download.

Step 5: Perform the upgrade

Click the Configuration link at the top of the page:

Click the System link at the bottom of the Configuration list:

Next, click the Upgrade button in the System menu:

Click Choose File, then choose the .prg firmware file you downloaded earlier. After selecting the file, you'll see its name listed next to the button.

Click the Upgrade button. You'll be asked to confirm the operation: click OK.

The firmware will now be downloaded to the printer. You should see a message on the printer stating that the Download is in progress:

When the printer has downloaded the firmware, the web page will prompt you to perform a restart. Click Yes.

After a few minutes, the printer will reboot itself and apply the update. During this time, the web page will be unresponsive. After ~2-3 minutes, the upgrade will be complete.

Step 6: Restore your previous printer config

Refresh the web page so you're back at the Configuration page.

Click the Printer link at the top of the Configuration list.

Click the Configuration Management link near the top of the page:

Click the Choose file button, and select the Printer.ptx configuration file we created earlier. Then, click the Download button.

You'll see a message confirming that the configuration has been downloaded:

Wait for the page to be redirected, or refresh the page manually if it doesn't redirect within 15 seconds.

Click the Load link at the top of the list.

Make sure 1 is selected in the Load Config: dropdown, then click Submit.

Your printer is now fully updated and configured; you can close the web page and use your printer as normal.

If you have some issues configuring the printer, you can manually configure it: Configuring Your Printronix Printer after a reset

Printronix: Updating Firmware

Printronix: Updating Firmware via Flash Drive

This upgrade method will replace your printer's configuration with default values from Simple RFID, so you may need to adjust some settings after the upgrade to restore ideal print performance. If you'd like to preserve your current settings, update the firmware via the webpage.

Make sure there is no important data stored on the flash drive before using this method. Formatting the drive will erase ALL data stored!

Requirements:

Flash Drive formatted with FAT32 and MBR partitioning
Printer set up with Power

Step 1: Download the CCM Zip File

Download the ZIP file from the link below which corresponds with your printer model:

T800 (T820, T830): T800 CCM 1.52E.zip
T6000e (T6204e, T6304e, T6604e): T6000e CCM 1.42E.zip

Step 2: Extract the file onto your Flash Drive

After downloading, open up file explorer to the file and Extract All from the zip file onto the Flash Drive. At this point the Flash Drive is ready. (Video instructions of this process can be found at the top of this article).

Step 3: Turn off the Printer

With the power cord still plugged in, switch the power off.

Step 4: Plug the Flash Drive into your Printer

- Plug the Flash Drive into your Printer.

Step 5: Power on and hold down the Up Arrow

- While you flip the power switch on, hold down on the up arrow on the printer. Keep holding that down until you see "Config Module Detected" on the printer screen.

Step 6: Wait for the Printer to Reboot

- At this point you will have to wait for the printer to process the files and upgrade. Wait until you see the printer reboot (the printer may reboot multiple times) and a screen that says "Printer Config Installed".

Step 7: Unplug the Flash Drive and Turn off the Printer

- Go ahead and turn off the printer and take the flash drive out. At this point the printer is configured and updated. Go ahead and plug in the rest of your connections and power on. (Remember to Calibrate before printing again).

The printer will be in Ethernet mode after the upgrade. If you're using a USB connection, change the printer's Interface setting to USB (Pause the printer > Settings > Host I/O > Interface).

Printronix: Change Interface

The Interface setting determines which interface the printer will be listening for print jobs on. It's important to have this set correctly, or your printer won't accept print jobs and may not even be detected by the Print Client.

The current interface will show on the printer's Online screen:

Changing the Interface setting

First, pause your printer.
Open Settings
Navigate to Host I/O > Control
Press Enter to edit the Interface setting
- If you see ENTER SWITCH LOCKED, follow these steps: ENTER SWITCH LOCKED
Use the up/down arrow keys to scroll to Ethernet or USB depending on how the printer is connected
Press Enter to select the correct setting
Unpause the printer, and choose Save Permanently in Active Config.

The printer should now display the correct interface.

Follow this article if you are not sure what needs to be plugged into a Printronix printer.

Zebra: Updating Firmware

The following article describes upgrading the firmware for Zebra printers.

Download the latest firmware file for your printer from Zebra's website. The download will be a .zip file, extract it to find the firmware file (.zpl).

Network Methods

These methods are recommended over USB for reliability

Using cURL (cross-platform)

Use curl in your system terminal to send the firmware file directly to the printer:

curl -T <path_to_firmware_file> ftp://<printer_ip_address>

How do I know if my printer is ready to print?

You'll know the printer is ready to print when it displays "ONLINE" in the top-right corner of its screen and isn't online on the web portal. If either of these conditions isn't met, you can usually resolve it by checking the Printer Offline troubleshooting steps.