QuickLabel Systems QLS-4100X Operation & Setup Manual Download Page 1

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Digital Color Label Printer

Operation & Setup Guide

Part Number 22834-464

Firmware V 1.1

Rev. B 09/02

Specifications are subject to change without notice

___________________________________________

QuickLabel Systems

an Astro-Med, Inc. Product Group

600 East Greenwich Avenue

West Warwick, RI 02893

Toll-Free: 1.877.757.7978 (USA & Canada only)

Tel: 1.401.828.4000

Fax:1.401.822.2430

[email protected]

www.quicklabelsystems.com

___________________________________________

Technical Support 1.877.757.7978

www.quicklabelsystems.com/support/

Summary of Contents for QLS-4100X

Page 1: ...________________________ QuickLabel Systems an Astro Med Inc Product Group 600 East Greenwich Avenue West Warwick RI 02893 Toll Free 1 877 757 7978 USA Canada only Tel 1 401 828 4000 Fax 1 401 822 243...

Page 2: ...teofpurchaseforaperiodof90daysorfor 1 million inches of thermal transfer ribbon whichever comes first contingent upon the use of QuickLabel Sys tems thermal transfer ribbon QuickLabel Systems printhea...

Page 3: ...mpressed Air Connection 23 Preparing the Air Regulator 23 Connecting the Air Supply 23 DIP Switch Settings 24 3 Loading Media and Calibration 26 Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon 27 Loading Label or Tag...

Page 4: ...Alignment 72 Print Line Adjustment 74 Cross Web Adjustment 76 Evaluating Print Quality 77 Advancing the Media 78 Adjusting the Print Speed 79 Enabling Disabling RibbonRation 80 Printing Labels 81 Prin...

Page 5: ...Appendicies A Physical Data 99 B Specifications 102 C Replacement Parts 104 D Color QuickLabel 99 Pro Setup 106 E Windows Driver Setup 111...

Page 6: ......

Page 7: ...use of ribbons making it even more cost effective for long and short label runs QuickLabel Systems Easiest Printer to Use featuring a virtually adjustment free platform that ensures consistent smooth...

Page 8: ...t want There is no minimum spending requirement no frequency requirement no advance payment and you may add new items at any time Freeze Your Costs Your one year commitment to purchase your ribbons an...

Page 9: ...n previously completed Page 11 Unpack the printer Page 16 Install the Media Unwind Mandrel Page 17 Connect the AC Power Cord Page 18 Connect the Host Computer Interface Page 23 Connect the Compressed...

Page 10: ...ious connections that need to be made to the printer before it can be operated This chapter provides the following information Instructions on unpacking and orienting the printer An overview of the fe...

Page 11: ...damage during shipment Verify that the following items have been included in the packing carton AC Power Cord Centronics Parallel Cable Media Retainer 512 Kb Memory Card Warranty Registration Card Ope...

Page 12: ...2 Printer Orientation The Illustration below is provided to orient you to the QLS 4100 X printer The keypad and display is the printer s user interface Left Side of Printer Right Side of Printer Front...

Page 13: ...station 4 TTR Supply print station 4 TTR Rewind print station 3 TTR Supply print station 3 TTR Rewind print station 2 TTR Supply print station 2 TTR Rewind print station 1 TTR Supply print station 1...

Page 14: ...QLS 4100 X 14 Side View...

Page 15: ...QLS 4100 X 15 Rear Panel View Facing the rear panel of the printer you will observe the air intake regulator power connection and other interface connections as shown in the illustration below...

Page 16: ...asily installed by following the procedure outlined below Tools Needed 1 8 Allen Wrench Slide the media unwind mandrel onto the shaft until the backplate flange is seated firmly against the collar loc...

Page 17: ...of receptacle adapater or AC Power Cord that has not been supplied with the unit Doing so can result in damage to the printer Note The printer has been set at the factory for the correct line voltage...

Page 18: ...a soft ware application which uses the serial port to read status from the printer In this case an RS 232 serial cable is supplied with Color QuickLabel 99 Pro See the QuickLabel Systems Host Protoco...

Page 19: ...BIT 2 5 DATA BIT 3 6 DATA BIT 4 7 DATA BIT 5 8 DATA BIT 6 9 DATA BIT 7 10 ACKNOWLEDGE 11 BUSY 12 PAPER END 13 SELECT OUT 14 AUTO FEED 15 N C 16 GND 17 N C 18 N C 19 GND 20 GND 21 GND 22 GND 23 GND 24...

Page 20: ...e opposite end of the serial cable to the host computer Be sure to note which port COM1 COM2 etc you have connected the printer to as this will later be needed for software setup Pin Assignments Pin S...

Page 21: ...corrupting or modifying the data stream Any printer language emulations such as PostScript or PCL should be disabled QuickLabel Systems can supply a compatible print server to be used in PC based or m...

Page 22: ...in Signal Notes 1 N C 2 Ground 3 Cutter On Off Output 1 on 0 off 4 5 VDC 1A max 5 Cutter Error Input 1 error 0 no error 6 Cutter Pulse 500 nsec pulse output 7 N C 8 Pause Input 1 print 0 pause 9 Error...

Page 23: ...an appropriate threaded fitting to the Air Intake Regulator using Teflon tape on the threads to seal the fitting Attach your in house air source to the Air Intake Regulator Turn on the supply of air t...

Page 24: ...es Use the instructions below and the table on the next page to set the dip switches for your printing requirements DIP Switch Function 1 2 RS 232 Serial Baud Rate 3 RS 232 Handshaking 4 Parallel or S...

Page 25: ...QLS 4100 X 25 DIP Switch Settings...

Page 26: ...o the printer you are ready to load label or tag stock thermal transfer ribbon and calibrate the printer in preparation for printing This chapter provides the following information Instructions on loa...

Page 27: ...ibbons each of the print stations prints a dot pattern of a primary color Cyan Magenta Yellow or Black which overlap each other on the label to produce a wide range of colors Process Color ribbon must...

Page 28: ...sest to the Rewind Man drel then downward towards the print station Thread the ribbon around the lower print station ribbon guide roller and under the print station Continue to thread the ribbon up ar...

Page 29: ...thout notches or reflective marks can be used and the length of the printed image is dictated by software When using the transmissive method of sensing the media should have at least a 0 125 3 mm gap...

Page 30: ...secures the roll Note If the media is not fully seated against the back plate an unprinted vertical area or void will appear on the printed label Ensure that the Media Retainer is firmly against the...

Page 31: ...en the drive roller and pressure roller so that it exits from the front of the printer Ensure that the media rests against each of the four Media Guide Rollers located just behind the print stations o...

Page 32: ...Gap Notch sensor is positioned above the media on a movable shaft which can be adjusted out up to 2 5 64 mm from the inside edge of the media The Reflective sensor is positioned below the media in a...

Page 33: ...rrectly The printer stores the last calibration in non volatile memory The printer s internal label queue is reset during the calibration process Any la bels pending in the queue are terminated Use th...

Page 34: ...l is inside the Gap sensor Press the SELECT key The display will show the following prompt Press and hold the FORM FEED ADVANCE key until the next gap is positioned behind the Media Sensor Assembly an...

Page 35: ...displayed The printer will then re initiate the calibration procedure After successful calibration press the PRINT PAUSE key to return the printer to a Ready state Note The QLS 4100 X is capable of se...

Page 36: ...ngage the drive roller by turning the Drive Roll Lift Lever counterclockwise Press the PRINT PAUSE key until the printer display shows Pause on the display Press PREV or NEXT key until the Calibrate m...

Page 37: ...e SELECT key and observe the Reflective mark size on the display If calibration was successful the following message will be displayed If calibration was unsuccessful the following message will be dis...

Page 38: ...AUSE key to return the printer to a Ready state Calibrating Inverted Gap Media Some examples of inverted gap media include clear labels with an opaque liner a material which has sensing marks on the l...

Page 39: ...ndicators and a multi function keypad The Control Panel permits the user to change settings and make adjustments on the fly without the need for a host computer This chapter provides the following inf...

Page 40: ...time the key is pressed or continually advances the media when the key is held CANCEL cancels the current label s or test pattern PREVIOUS NEXT cycles the display through menu choices displays current...

Page 41: ...FORM FEED ADVANCE key serves two functions If the key is pressed momentarily and released the printer will advance the media by one calibrated media length If the key is pressed and held the printer w...

Page 42: ...Off Batch Total Windows Print 1 999 labels available only when Windows Mode is enabled Mirror Mode Off or On available only when Windows Mode is disabled Cut Flag Off or On Cut Offset 1200 to 1200 do...

Page 43: ...l the desired print speed is displayed Available speeds are 2 3 4 5 6 or 7 ips Press the SELECT key to confirm your choice Note Setting the print speed via software will always override this setting Y...

Page 44: ...e darkest print The appropriate heat setting will vary depending on the media and ribbons being used as well as the print speed setting As a general guideline the ribbon types listed below will functi...

Page 45: ...for print station 1 identi fied in the menu as Head 1 Head 1 is the station closest to the media exit The display numerically increments each time the NEXT key is pressed Head 1 Head 2 Head 3 Head 4 W...

Page 46: ...ia the front panel Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Print Offset menu is displayed Press the or key until the desired print offset setting is displayed Print offset settings are 1200 through 1...

Page 47: ...o set the Label Counter function Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Counter menu is displayed Press the or key until the desired counting option is displayed Available Choices are Off no counter...

Page 48: ...rint to the QLS 4100 X the printer automatically enters Windows Print Mode whereby data transmitted from the PC software application is sent to the printer as a bitmapped image While the printer is in...

Page 49: ...sing Color QuickLabel 99 Pro software or the printer s protocol Mirror Mode is not available when using the printer in Windows Mode when using the QuickLabel Systems Windows Printer Driver To enable o...

Page 50: ...Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Cutter Flag menu is displayed Press the or key to select Flag On to enable the flag Press the SELECT key to confirm your choice Note Do not select Append Flag...

Page 51: ...until the Cutter Offset menu is displayed Press the or key until the desired cut offset setting is displayed Cut offset settings are 1200 through 1200 dots Negative values move the cut line towards th...

Page 52: ...4100 X is printing a block test pattern To print a block test pattern Select the slowest print speed for the adjustment process to conserve media and ribbon Press the PRINT PAUSE key until the printe...

Page 53: ...stations 1 2 and 3 are properly aligned with the bars for station 4 Note An efficient way to shift the print line for a given print station is to measure the variation from the reference bar in the te...

Page 54: ...are best performed dynamically while the QLS 4100 X is printing a block test pattern To print a block test pattern Select the slowest print speed for the adjustment process to conserve media and ribb...

Page 55: ...tion of the print relative to the center of the printhead Total range is 32 dots with 16 dots to the left and 16 dots to the right of printhead center Press the SELECT key An asterisk appears to confi...

Page 56: ...s the or key until the setting that you want is displayed Under normal operating conditions the TTR Sensor should be enabled Choices are Enabled or Disabled Press the SELECT key to confirm your choice...

Page 57: ...report a Media Out error Image placement is incorrect or the printed image is clipped Color QuickLabel 99 Pro software reports an error The calibration process automatically senses any gap notch or in...

Page 58: ...n 1 to 5 prints a crosshatch pattern to check print quality Block Pattern All prints a spot color block pattern used for color alignment Proc Block CMYK prints a process block pattern used for color a...

Page 59: ...g message will be displayed to confirm be fore resetting Press the SELECT key to reset the following parameters to the factory default values Note It is recommended that QLS Settings be printed before...

Page 60: ...US key until the Sys Upgrade menu is displayed Press the SELECT key to confirm that you wish to perform a firmware upgrade The printer will display the following Press SELECT again if you are certain...

Page 61: ...indicates the type of information that will be printed 1 2 3 QLS 4100 X Settings SPEED 2 INCHES SEC INTENSITY 1 2 3 4 12 12 12 12 PRINT OFFSET 0 PRINT LINE ADJ 1 2 3 12 9 8 CROSS WEB ADJ 1 2 3 4 5 1 4...

Page 62: ...the system baseline of a printer Press the PRINT PAUSE key to pause printing on the printer whose system baseline will be adjusted Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS pushbutton until the Sys Baseline menu is...

Page 63: ...the QLS 4100 X to print on an even wider range of specialty materials To change the TTR Media type Press the PRINT PAUSE until the printer is in the paused state Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until t...

Page 64: ...e optimal However if film wrinkling seems excessive use the following procedure to change the drop point of the corresponding print station Press the PRINT PAUSE key until the printer is in the paused...

Page 65: ...printer You have chosen and installed a software application from which you will print You have installed the QLS Windows Printer Driver as needed Once you have completed and verified the above you a...

Page 66: ...m a selftest and load system firmware The second line of the display will cycle through memory check The second display will show the printer model QLS 4100 X followed by the system firmware version n...

Page 67: ...e normally without compressed air but without the advantage of ribbon savings If sufficient compressed air is not available during the power up selftest the printer will detect this condition and disp...

Page 68: ...luminate It will re main illuminated to remind you that the printer is in the PAUSE state until you either resume printing cancel the print request or power off the printer This light will also illumi...

Page 69: ...the roller causing it to turn at a regular rate The printer requires media recalibration The printer is out of ribbon on one or more print stations Reload a new roll of ribbon on the indicated print s...

Page 70: ...lowered Indicates that the printer received incorrect or corrupted commands from the host software If this error occurs when printing from ColorQuickLabel 99 software cycle the power on the printer a...

Page 71: ...er the self test when the printer is powered on with one or more of the heads already lifted The printer indicates which heads have been disabled upon power up Displayed when the CANCEL key is pressed...

Page 72: ...osition on the media Cross Web adjustment refers to the horizontal adjustment of a color s print posi tion on the media To examine the color alignment you can print the process Proc Block test pat ter...

Page 73: ...f any color appears horizontally misaligned the cross web values require adjustment if any color appears vertically misaligned the print line ad justment values require adjustment When the black box p...

Page 74: ...performed dynamically while the QLS 4100 X is printing a block test pattern To print a block test pattern Select the slowest print speed for the adjustment process to conserve media and ribbon Press...

Page 75: ...print position down on the label Press the SELECT key An asterisk appears to confirm your choice Repeat steps 1 3 until each of the printed bars for stations 1 2 and 3 are properly aligned with the ba...

Page 76: ...t print station is in need of alignment Also examine the block patterns to observe the horizontal alignment If any color seems horizontally misaligned the cross web alignment must be adjusted Press th...

Page 77: ...ey at any time to stop printing If print quality is not satisfactory allow the test pattern to continue to print and press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key to access any of the four parameters that can be adj...

Page 78: ...d or continually media when the key is held To advance the media Press the PRINT PAUSE key if necessary until Pause is displayed Press the FORM FEED ADVANCE key once and release to advance the media b...

Page 79: ...ont panel Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Speed menu is displayed Press the or key until the desired print speed is displayed Available speeds are 2 3 4 5 6 or 7 ips Press the SELECT key to c...

Page 80: ...he printer on The display will show the following prompt Press the SELECT key RibbonRation is now disabled To Enable Disable RibbonRation from Color QuickLabel 99 Open Color QuickLabel 99 Create or Pr...

Page 81: ...inter menus to change any parameters may need adjustment The following settings can be adjusted while printing Speed Intensity Print Offset Counter Cut Offset Print Line Adj ustment Note It is recomme...

Page 82: ...rn 1 to 5 prints a crosshatch pattern to check print quality Block Pattern All prints a process block pattern used for color alignment Proc Block CMYK prints a process block pattern used for color ali...

Page 83: ...ent relative to the platen roll to optimize ribbon transfer for different material types or thicknesses Adjust the angularity of the printheads with respect to each other so that color alignment is co...

Page 84: ...me plate just to the right of the endplate Loosen the screw on the main plate located inline with the hole Print a block image the width of the label with a saturated color fill of the print station t...

Page 85: ...le adjustment A 1 4 drive ratchet and 3 8 socket are required to loosen two nuts on the printhead bracket Access to these nuts is through the large 3 4 holes in the black cover brackets over each prin...

Page 86: ...condi tions If film is wrinkling on a station turn the knob on the ribbon supply mandrel clockwise to increase the tension If ink is smudging at a station turn the knob on the ribbon supply mandrel co...

Page 87: ...oller This will prolong the life of the printhead and platen while providing a more even application of downward pres sure onto the media where it is needed Tools Needed Slip Joint Pliers Using a pair...

Page 88: ...move the system baseline of a printer Press the PRINT PAUSE key to pause printing on the printer whose system baseline will be adjusted Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS pushbutton until the Sys Baseline men...

Page 89: ...s required This chapter covers the following List of recommended tools for performing maintenance and repairs Procedure for cleaning the print stations Procedure for replacement of a printhead The dri...

Page 90: ...16 Phillips Screwdriver 2 1 4 X 8 Phillips Screwdriver 1 3 16 X 3 Phillips Screwdriver Nut Driver Set containing 1 4 3 16 5 16 3 8 and 11 32 Ball End Allen Wrench Set containing 050 1 16 3 32 5 64 and...

Page 91: ...ndicates the locations for regular cleaning It is recom mended that these surfaces be cleaned with a soft cloth or lint free wipe soaked with Isopropyl Alcohol Harsh chemicals and solvents should be a...

Page 92: ...nd the power cord is disconnected Turn the printer off and unplug the AC power cord Lift the printer s side cover Remove the black guide roller under the static brush for easier access to the printhea...

Page 93: ...und until it seats into the two locating pins in the bracket Tighten the captive mounting screw 1 4 turn to secure the printhead to the bracket Reinstall the platen roller on print station 1 if it was...

Page 94: ...on the frame plate Reach under the printer to loosen the collar on the outside end of the platen roller by turning the black lever counterclockwise Slide the plate and shaft assembly away from the fra...

Page 95: ...shaft assembly away from the frame plate A 3 4 cup washer will drop down as this assembly is pulled away from the side plate Turn the drive roller until the cap screw located on the inside of the roll...

Page 96: ...rip a pair of adjustable pliers onto the top of the gas spring Push down and away from the main plate to separate it from the ball joint on the main plate Remove the collar directly above the pinch ro...

Page 97: ...between the AC Power Input and the red Fuse Holder mod ule Gently twist the screwdriver until the Fuse Holder begins to slide out Grasp the Fuse holder and slide it completely out of the AC Power Inpu...

Page 98: ...when a firmware upgrade is re quired for compatibility with QuickLabel Systems software Selecting System Upgrade causes the printer to reset itself in preparation for a firmware upgrade If it is nece...

Page 99: ...QLS 4100 X 99 Appendix A Physical Data...

Page 100: ...QLS 4100 X 100 QLS 4100 X Dimensions all dimensions are in Inches...

Page 101: ...QLS 4100 X 101 QLS 4100 X Dimensions all dimensions are in Inches...

Page 102: ...QLS 4100 X 102 Appendix B Specifications...

Page 103: ...l Centronics Serial RS 232 Software Windows 95 98 Me NT and 2000 Printer Drivers included Color QuickLabel 99 Pro Label Creation Suite optional Color Halftoning Printer optimized for MicroCell dot pla...

Page 104: ...QLS 4100 X 104 Appendix C Replacement Parts...

Page 105: ...099 000 Gas Spring Drive Station 24878 000 Motor Assy TTR 4 12361 013 Slip Clutch TTR 4 26599 800 Sensor Optical Encoder 14039 301 Roller Optical Encoder 26599 100 Sensor TTR Head Up 9 26599 600 Thru...

Page 106: ...QLS 4100 X 106 Appendix D Color QuickLabel 99 Pro Setup...

Page 107: ...Label Systems for an upgrade Configuring Color QuickLabel 99 Pro from Create and Print Note Skip to step 4 if you are configuring the Print application Steps 1 3 are for configuring a new or existing...

Page 108: ...the memory card being used or none from the RAM Card Size pulldown list Note If none is selected all images will be sent to the internal 512 Kb memory If your images exceed this capacity some or all o...

Page 109: ...ter The printer status cannot be transmitted back to the host when using this commu nication method Unidirectional communication occurs via the parallel port or the serial port Network Used to communi...

Page 110: ...er from the Available Printers pulldown list The Windows Printer Driver must be installed before it will be available for selection from Color QuickLabel 99 Pro Select the appropriate Parallel Port an...

Page 111: ...QLS 4100 X 111 Appendix E Windows Printer Driver Setup...

Page 112: ...r Driver From the Start menu select Settings Printers Windows 98 Me NT 2000 or Start Printers and Faxes Windows XP Right click on the QLS 4100 X Win dows printer driver and select Properties The drive...

Page 113: ...defined label size from the pulldown list or enter a label width and length for a custom size Choose Portrait or Landscape to correspond to the desired orientation of the printed image You may also en...

Page 114: ...enabled by placing a check mark in the Enable Print Time Menu box Doing so will result in a popup window appearing after a label has been processed by the Windows application but prior to being sent t...

Page 115: ...you will be given the option to enable or disable each of the print stations by checking or unchecking the box next to each head Click on the Change button to specify the color corresponding to your a...

Page 116: ...esentation of the output effect each halftoning method will have is shown to the right Generally speaking Coarse Medium and Fine work best for line art and vector based graphics such as clip art Error...

Page 117: ...ensity Speed tab Select the desired default print intensities for each of the print stations and select the print speed If the Print Time menu is enabled these default settings can be changed just pri...

Page 118: ...abel formats for printing in a pro duction environment where you do not wish to have the operator make content changes to the printed label To Save the Processed Label From the menu select File Save P...

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