FAQ and support

FAQ and Support


Frequently asked questions and answers:
Questions relating to printers:
Is my printer able to print in several colours?
The printer can only print one colour, because there is only one ink ribbon inside the printer. Of course you may change the colour of the ribbon. 
What is the difference between thermal and thermal transfer printing?
Thermal printing uses a special paper that turns black when heat is applied to it. Therefore, no ink ribbon is needed. Please note that the paper gradually changes its colour over time, especially when exposed to sun and heat. As a consequence, printed texts may fade out and become no longer legible after some time. 
Thermal transfer printing uses an ink ribbon to print on the labels. Heat will be applied to the ink ribbon and as a consequence, the ink will be transferred to the label surface. Thermal transfer printers can also print very small fonts with brilliant resolution. The printouts are water and scratch resistent.
Our printers can print either way. If you need further information, we will be happy to provide you with more details.
How do I connect the printer?
Just use a standard USB cable which is included in the shipment.
Can I get support if something is not working?
Did you buy the printer from us? 

You will get a free 30 minute installation support session, either by phone or online via Teamviewer. Thereafter, we will continue to support you free of charge, if you purchased goods of at least 200 EUR net order volume in the last 12 months.

You did not buy the printer from us or you purchased from us for less than 200 EUR (net value) in the last 12 months: 

We will be happy to support you at the following cost:
  • 1 hour: 39,00 EUR plus 19% VAT
  • 30 days: 49,00 EUR plus 19% VAT 
  • 1 year: 69,00 EUR plus 19% VAT
You will receive an invoice after the first support session. Please note that all service invoices are subject to 19% German VAT, also if you provide us with an EU VAT registration.
What about repair service?
After the warranty period (1 year from purchase), we will be happy to send you a quotation for our repair service. Please send the printer to us at your charge as we can not accept returns without postage fees fully paid.
200dpi oder 300dpi - which printer is better for me?
Under normal circumstances, the 200 dpi printer gives you sufficient print results. However, if you need to print very small fonts or/and barcodes, the 300 dpi printer is the better option for you.
Can the printer print bar codes?
Yes, however, print resolution may not be sufficient when printing with 200 dpi. We therefore strongly recommend to use the 300 dpi printer to enhance the legibility of the bar code.
I have installed the software, however, the printer does not print...?
In 80% of all cases, you did not select the correct port. Please check that you selected USB and not an LPT or COM port. It may be necessary to try all USB ports, if more than one port is listed.
How does the printer work with my Mac computer?
There are 2 alternatives to make your printer work with a Mac OS environment:

1. Just connnect the printer to your Mac. It will recognize the printer and let you print your labels e.g. with a word processing or spreadsheet software. Please set up the page size using your label as one page. You can not use the software Zebra Designer.

OR

2. Install Windows as Virtual Machine (e.g. with Parallels) or in the Bootcamp section of your Mac. Once you have installed windows you can just install Zebra Designer and work with all its features. Please note that you need Windows plus eventually a Parallels license for this option.
The print results are no longer satisfying, what can we do?
If the print quality is no longer satisfying, you may try the following:

The print results are in general too weak and not intense enough:
  • Check the print heat and the printer speed in Zebra Designer. Increase the heat and reduce the printer speed. This means that a higher temperature will be applied to any spot on your label for a longer period of time. If you do not work with Zebra Designer, you can also directly modify the printer driver settings in Windows.
Parts of the print results are too weak, the colour breaks off, some spots on the label are printed OK, but other spots are not.:
  • It is very probable that there is some dust or ink residue on the print head that impacts the heat transfer from the print head to the ink ribbon. Check the print head as follows: open the printer, take out the ink ribbon and control the heating unit under the front edge of the print head. The pictures below will help you to locate the heating unit. You can remove any dust patches with a cotton bud and a little water and/or alcohol.
Printer models: TLP 2844, TLP 3842, GC420t
Printer models: GK420t, GX430t
Please call us if the results are not satisfying.
How do I insert a label roll?
Inserting a label roll works quite straightforward:
Printer model: GC420t (same for TLP 2844, TLP 3842)
Printer model: GK420t, GX430t
Please contact us if results are not satisfying or if you are using an older printer model such as TLP 2642.

Questions relating to external keyboard KDU:
Do I need the keyboard if I am using a Windows PC or laptop computer?
No, if you are working with a Windows PC or laptop, you can enter the data directly on the keyboard of your computer. You only need the external keyboard if you do not have or do not want to use a Windows PC.
How many label formats can I save in the internal printer memory and print out with my external keyboard?
The internal printer memory can currently only store one label format. Should you want to use more than one label format, we recommend to install and use the software Zebra Designer on your PC.

Questions relating to label printing software "Zebra Designer":
What can the software Zebra Designer do?
For each label format that you use, Zebra Designer lets you define a label template that you can save on your PC. Just print out your labels by first opening the related label template and then entering the data that you would like to be printed (e.g. sales price). You will find all drivers and the software Zebra Designer here on this page or under www.zebra.com.
Should you wish to use Zebra Designer, the correct printer driver is named "ZDesigner___" followed by the model name of your printer, e.g. ZDesignerGX430t".
Can Zebra Designer import external data?
Yes, but you will need to use Zebra Designer Professional, this will lead to additional costs. Please note that we can not support you with regards to linking your external database fields (e.g. rows and columns in Excel) to the fields in Zebra Designer Professional.
Can I use Zebra Designer for warehouse management?
No, Zebra Designer is merely a printing software that does not allow for any warehouse management.
Can Zebra Designer print bar codes?
Yes.
Can I print off data also directly from other programs such as Word oder Excel, without using Zebra Designer?
Yes.

Questions relating to ink ribbons:
Which ink ribbon is right for me?
This depends on the printer and the label material. We will be happy to consult you.
Are there other ribbon colours than black?
Yes, we can also provide you with ribbons in gold or silver. Please note that there may be a shipment delay, because we do not have all kinds of gold and silver ribbons in stock.
How do I see that I need to reorder ink ribbons?
When you open the printer, you will see 2 parts of the ink roll, the new roll goes into the rear slot and then the roll unwinds and fills up the roll in the front slot. If you see that the ink roll in the rear slot is about empty, it is time to reorder.
Important: When the ink roll is used up, you will find an empty cardboard core in the rear slot. Please do not throw this away, because you will need the empty cardboard core when you insert the new ink roll. More information below.
How do I insert the ink ribbon?
This is quite simple: Please open the printer and position it in a way that you can see the front side. The power and USB connections are on the rear side then and not visible to you.
Printer model: GC420t (same for TLP 2844, TLP 3842)
Printer model: GK420t, GX430t
Please contact us if results are not satisfying or if you are using an older printer model such as TLP 2642.

Live online support with Teamviewer
If the PC, the printer is installed to, is connected to the internet, we are able to support you online at your desk. 

This service may not be free, we will let you know before we start the session.

The process is quite simple:
1st step:
Send us a support request using the form below and describe your problem.

Support request

2nd step:
We will call you back and start an online session on your PC. You will be able to follow the session in front of your PC, so total transparency is guaranteed.
3rd step:
Start the Teamviewer software by clicking on the icon below:
Your PC will download an executable file. Please open this file (you will find it in your download list) and start the Teamviewer session. A window will open and show you our logo as well as an ID and a passcode. Please let us know both ID and passcode.
4th step:
We will start the support session together with you. You can follow all steps live on your screen and of course we will be answering your questions as well.
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