Adjusting the Print Quality
Adjusting the Print Quality

Adjusting the Print Quality

Print quality is affected by a combination of the heat (or density) setting of the printhead, print speed, and the media loaded. Experiment with these settings to find the optimal mix for your application.
You can set print quality using the
Configure Print Quality
wizard in Zebra Setup Utilities.
Print a print quality report using FEED self-test to print a range of labels that help you identify print darkness and print speed settings to optimize general print quality and barcode quality. For instructions on printing this report, see Printing a Print Quality Report (FEED Self Test).
Before adjusting any settings, verify the printer’s media settings by printing a printer configuration report. See Printing the Printer and Network Configuration Reports (CANCEL Self Test).
  1. To adjust the print darkness (or density) setting, use one of these methods:
    • Use the Set Darkness (
      ~SD
      ) ZPL command. For details, see the ZPL Programming Guide which you can download from zebra.com/manuals.
  2. To adjust the print speed, use one of these methods:
    • application software such as ZebraDesigner which is available for download from zebra.com/zebradesigner.
    • The ZPL Print Rate (
      ^PR
      ) command. For details, see the ZPL Programming Guide which you can downloaded from zebra.com/manuals.
    Media manufacturers may recommend specific speed settings when using your printer with their media. The recommended speed may be lower than your printer’s maximum speed setting.
  3. To reduce the maximum distance for automatic media type detection and sensing, use the ZPL Maximum Label Length command (
    ^ML
    ).
    The minimum distance should be no less than twice the longest label to be printed. If the largest label being printed is 2 inches by 6 inches, the maximum label (media) length detection distance can be reduced from the default distance of 39 inches to 12 inches.