ZD421 and ZD621 Desktop Printers User Guide

Loading Zebra Transfer Roll Ribbon

Be sure to complete the preparatory steps described here before you load the ribbon.

Prepare the ribbon by removing its wrapping and pulling its adhesive strip free.

Verify that the ribbon and empty ribbon core have notches on the left side of the ribbon cores as shown here. (If they do not, see Loading Non-Zebra 300-Meter Transfer Ribbon.)

a	Notch (required on left side of ribbon)
b	Adhesive strip
c	Notches are also on the right side of the 74-meter ribbon
d	Right side (printer and roll)

With the printer open, place an empty ribbon core on printer’s take-up spindles.

You can find your first ribbon take-up core in the packing box. Subsequently, use the empty supply core from the supply spindle for the next roll of ribbon.

Push the right side of the empty core onto the spring-loaded spindle (right side), aligning the core with the center of the left-side spindle’s hub. Then rotate the core until the notches align and lock.

Place a new ribbon roll on printer’s lower ribbon supply spindle. Push it onto the right spindle and lock the left side on to the left supply spindle.

Attach the ribbon to the take-up core. Use the adhesive strip on new rolls; otherwise, use a thin strip of tape. Align the ribbon so that it will be taken straight onto the core.

Turn the ribbon take-up hub with the top moving toward rear to remove slack from the ribbon. Rotate the hub to finish aligning the take-up ribbon position to the ribbon supply roll. The ribbon leader should be completely covered by the ribbon.

Verify that media is loaded correctly and is ready for printing, then close the printer cover.

If printer power is ON, press

FEED

to advance the media a minimum of 20 cm (8 in.) to straighten the ribbon and remove any slack and ribbon wrinkle and align the ribbon on the spindles.

Change the print mode setting from DIRECT THERMAL to THERMAL TRANSFER using the printer driver, the application software, or printer programming commands.

The printer cannot print in Direct Thermal mode and with direct thermal media loaded when ribbon is also loaded. Attempting to print in Direct Thermal mode with ribbon loaded generates a ribbon-in print error.

When controlling printer operations using ZPL programming...	Refer to the Media Type ZPL II command ^MT and, follow the instructions, in the ZPL Programming Guide.
When controlling printer operations using EPL Page Mode...	Refer to the Options EPL command O , and follow the instructions, in the EPL Page Mode Programmer’s Guide.

To verify the mode change from Direct Thermal printing to Thermal Transfer printing, print a configuration report. For instructions on printing this report, see Printing the Printer and Network Configuration Reports (CANCEL Self Test).