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USER’S GUIDE

English

INTRODUCTION

With your GL100, you can create labels for any application. Select from the many frames, character 
sizes and styles to design beautiful custom labels. In addition, the variety of tape cartridges available 
allows you to print labels with different widths and exciting colours.
Read this manual carefully before starting and keep the manual in a handy place for future reference.

Industry Canada Compliance Statement (Canada Only)

Avis de conformité aux normes d’Industrie Canada (Canada seulement)

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

• Use only Brother TZ tapes with this machine. Do not use tapes that do not have 

the  

mark.

• Do not pull on the tape being fed from the P-touch, otherwise the tape cassette 

may be damaged.

• Do not attempt to cut the tape while printing or feeding since this will damage the tape.
• Do not clean the machine with alcohol or other organic solvents. Only use a soft, dry 

cloth.

• Remove the batteries and disconnect the AC adapter if you do not intend to use the 

machine for an extended period of time.

Note:

If power is disconnected for more than three minutes, all text shown in the dis-
play and any text files stored in the memory will be lost. Language and unit 
settings will also be cleared.

• Do not put any foreign objects into or heavy objects on the machine.
• Do not expose the machine to extremely high temperatures or high humidity. Never 

leave it on the dashboard or in the back of your car.

• Avoid using the machine in extremely dusty places. Keep it out of both direct sunlight 

and rain.

• Do not leave any rubber or vinyl on the machine for an extended period of time, oth-

erwise the machine may be stained.

• Do not touch the print head mechanism. If the head is touched, clean it immediately 

with a soft wipe (e.g. a cotton swab) to avoid permanent damage.

• To avoid injuries, do not touch the cutter's edge.

• Use only the AC adapter designed exclusively for this machine. Use of any oth-

er adapter may void the warranty.

• Please contact your Brother dealer for details.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions:

4.32" (W) 

 7.84" (D) 

 2.2" (H)

(108mm (W) 

 196mm (D) 

 55mm (H))

Weight:

0.74 lbs. (335g) (without batteries and tape cassette)

Power supply:

Six AAA size alkaline batteries or optional AC adapter 
(AD-30/AD-24)

Tape cassette:

Brother TZ tape
1/4" / 3/8" / 1/2" (width) (6mm, 9mm, 12mm (width))

Cutter unit:

TC-5 (replacement)

POWER SUPPLY & TAPE CASSETTES

a

Remove the back cover by pressing in the rough area at the top end of the machine.

If a tape cassette is already installed, remove it by pulling it straight up. Also, if batteries are 
already installed, remove them.

b

-1 Insert six new AAA-size alkaline batteries, making sure that their poles point in the 

correct directions.

Always replace all six batteries at the same time using brand new ones.

b

-2 Insert a tape cassette, making sure that it 

snaps into place.

• Make sure that the end of the tape feeds under 

the tape guides.

• Be sure to remove the paper tab when install-

ing a new tape cassette.

• If the ink ribbon is loose, use your finger to 

wind the toothed wheel in the direction of the 
arrow on the cassette.

• Use only Brother TZ tapes with this machine.

c

Attach the back cover by inserting the two hooks at the bottom into the slots on the 
machine, then pushing down firmly on the cover until it snaps into place.

After you have installed the tape, feed the tape (see FEEDING) once and then push in the 
tape cutter lever to cut the tape.

Optional AC adapter (AD-30/AD-24)

a

Insert the plug on the adapter cord into the 
adapter jack on the bottom end of the 
machine.

b

Insert the plug into the nearest standard 
electrical outlet.

Cutter unit (replacement)

If the cutter blade becomes blunt after repetitive use and the tape can not be cut clean-
ly, replace with new cutter unit (stock no. TC-5) by obtaining from an authorized broth-
er dealer.

Tape cutter lever

Tape exit slot

Print head

Cutter unit

KEYBOARD & LCD

The LCD shows one row of 8 characters; however, 
the text that you enter can be up to 55 characters in length.

Power On/Off

Press 

a

 to turn on/off the machine.

The machine automatically turns off if no key is pressed 
within 5 minutes.

Print key

Function key

Enter key

Backspace key

Caps key
Space key

LCD indicators

Power key

Cursor key

Num keys/Function shortcuts

Character keys

Accent key

Symbol key

Function

Style

Upper case/Lower case

Cursor

Size

Underline/Frame

GETTING STARTED

a

Start your machine

Supply power by using six AAA batteries or the optional AC adapter, 

and then press 

a

.

b

Set the language (English/French/German)

 

Choose a language with 

b

 and press 

e

.

  

  

Check the display and press 

e

. (To cancel, press 

d

.)

c

Set the unit (mm/inch)

 

Choose a unit with 

b

 and press 

e

.

  

Check the display and press 

e

. (To cancel, press 

d

.)

NOTE: •

You can also display the languages and units by pressing the cor-

responding Num keys (1-3).

NOTE:

• To cancel operations, press 

d

.

• To delete entries backward, press 

d

.

To initialize the settings, turn off the machine and then while hold-

ing down

 

f

 

and

 

d

, press

 

a

 

to turn the machine back on. 

Finally, release

 

f

 

and 

d

.

MAKING TEXT

Switching UPPER CASE/LOWER CASE

"

j

Upper case

Lower case

Making TWO LINE TEXT

Move the cursor to where the second line starts and press 

e

.

NOTE:

Use either 3/8" (9 mm) or 1/2" (12 mm) wide tape for two line texts.

Display

Label image

Entering SYMBOLS

"

h

 

>

 

B

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

You can also display the symbols by pressing 

h

 / 

b

.

To go to the next group, press 

h

.

To skip to a different group, press the corresponding character key of the group.

You can also scroll the symbols in each group by pressing the corresponding character 
key of the group repeatedly.

Group

Symbols

Group

Symbols

A

F

B

G

C

H

D

I

E

ABC

abc

ABC

abc

ABC

DEF

Entering ACCENTED CHARACTERS

"

g

 

>

 

E

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

NOTE: •

You can also display the characters by pressing 

g

 / 

b

.

To go to the next letter group, press 

g

.

To skip to a different letter group, press the corresponding charac-

ter key.

You can also scroll the characters in each letter group by pressing 

the corresponding character key repeatedly.

Letter

Accented characters

Letter

Accented characters

A

a

C

c

D

d

E

e

I

i

L

l

N

n

O

o

R

r

S

s

T

t

U

u

Y

y

Z

z

DESIGNING LABELS

Setting FONT

(

f

+

1

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

HELSINKI

OKLAHOMA

Setting SIZE

(

f

+

2

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

AUTO

 automatically adjusts the text size according to the tape width.

SIZE1

SIZE2

SIZE3

SIZE4

 

SIZE5

NOTE:

Two line texts are printed in SIZE1 regardless of the setting.

Only AUTO, SIZE1 and SIZE2 can be used on 1/4" (6mm) tapes.

Setting STYLE

(

f

+

3

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

NORMAL

BOLD

OUTLINE

SHADOW

ITALIC

I+BOLD

 ( BOLD)

I+OUTL

 ( OUTLINE)

I+SHADOW

 ( SHADOW)

VERTICAL

MIRROR

NOTE:

Two line texts are printed in NORMAL regardless of the setting.

Use clear tape in MIRROR, so the labels appear on the other side when stuck on glass, 
windows or other transparent surfaces.

Setting UNDERLINE/FRAME

(

f

+

4

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

OFF

UNDL

 (Underline)

ROUND

BANNER

WOODEN

VINE

NOTE:

No underline or frame is set to texts in VERTICAL style.

Setting TAB

(

f

+

5

)

You can make aligned texts by setting tabs.

Example: To set a tab between “abc” and “d”

"

b

 

>

 

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

Label image

NOTE:

The cursor should be positioned where you set a tab.

Setting TAB LENGTH 

(0.0" - 4.0"/0-100mm)

(

f

+

6

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

You can also select the length by entering the length with Num keys.

Setting LABEL LENGTH 

(AUTO/1.6" - 11.8"/40-300mm)

(

f

+

7

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

You can also select the length by entering the length with Num keys.

To return to AUTO, press any alphabet key or 

i

.

Using AUTO FORMAT

(

f

+

8

)

You can choose label length from six formats to create labels for various ap-
plications.

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

To CLEAR

(

f

+

0

)

All text and settings will be cleared.

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

Tab

abc

       

d

LCD

Application

Length

LCD

Application

Length

VCR VHS

VCR VHS

5.5"(140mm) FILE TAB

File Tab

2.8"(70mm)

FD 3.5"

3.5" Floppy Disk

2.7"(68mm)

AUDIO

Audio Cassette

3.5"(89mm)

CD CASE

CD

3.9"(100mm) VIDEO 8 VCR 8mm (Video 8)

3.6"(92mm)

PRINTING

TEXT PREVIEW

(

f

+

c

)

You can preview the text before printing.

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

The LCD shows the whole text and the label length (mm/inch), then returns to the original 
text.

Only the text can be previewed, but not the font, style, size, underline/frame or any addi-
tional features.

FEEDING (TAPE FEED)

(

f

+

i

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

PRINTING

"

c

NOTE:

To cut off the label, push in the tape cutter lever on the upper-right corner of the machine.

To prevent damage to the tape, do not try to cut while the message PRINT or FEED is 
displayed.

TAPE MARGIN

(

f

+

.

)

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

FULL/HALF/NARROW

 is for leaving equal margins on both sides of the text.

NOTE:

Cut along the printed dots (:) with scissors so the text is centred in the label.

FULL

HALF

NARROW

CHAIN

 is for printing more than 1 copy of a label with minimum margin 

<e.g. 1>. You can also create a label containing texts in various styles; print 
a text in one style, and before feeding, enter the second text in another style 
<e.g. 2>.

NOTE:

FEED THE TAPE BEFORE USING THE CUTTER (see FEEDING/PRINTING). Otherwise 
A PART OF THE TEXT MAY BE CUT OFF. Do not try to pull the tape since this may 
damage the tape cassette.

CHAIN

<e.g. 1>

<e.g. 2>

Print Option/REPEAT PRINTING

(

f

+

,

)

You can print up to 9 copies of each label.

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

When the tape margin is set to CHAIN, 

FEED THE TAPE BEFORE USING THE CUTTER 

(see FEEDING/PRINTING). Otherwise A PART OF THE TEXT MAY BE CUT OFF. Do 
not try to pull the tape since this may damage the tape cassette.

When the tape margin is set to FULL/HALF/NARROW, cut along the printed dots (:) with 
scissors to separate the labels.

Print Option/NUMBERING

(

f

+

,

)

You can print many copies of the same text while increasing a selected num-
ber by 1 after each label is printed.

Example: To print copies of a label containing a serial number (0123, 0124 and 0125)

"

b

 

>

 

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

The last number that will be printed must be larger than the number selected in the text, 
otherwise the message ERROR appears.

When the tape margin is set to CHAIN, 

FEED THE TAPE BEFORE USING THE CUTTER 

(see FEEDING/PRINTING). Otherwise A PART OF THE TEXT MAY BE CUT OFF. Do 
not try to pull the tape since this may damage the tape cassette.

When the tape margin is set to FULL/HALF/NARROW, cut along the printed dots (:) with 
scissors to separate the labels.

1"

(25mm)

1"

(25mm)

1/2"

(12mm)

1/2"

(12mm)

1/6"

(4mm)

1/6"

(4mm)

(feed

 

&

 

cut)

ABC

ABC

ABC

(feed

 

&

 

cut)

ABC

ABC
DEF

MEMORY 

(

F

+

9

)

You can store up to 9 frequently used text files and recall them to create labels more 
quickly and easily.

"

f

 

>

 

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

To STORE;

"

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

To RECALL;

"

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

To DELETE;

"

f/b

 

>

 

e

 

>

 

b

 

>

 

e

NOTE:

When the memory is full, delete one or more files and then store the new file.

You can also choose a file number by pressing the corresponding Num key (1-9).

FUNCTION SHORTCUTS 

(

F

+...)

In addition to the basic steps to search for a function, GL100 provides you with function 
shortcuts so you can easily jump to a frequently used function just by pressing 

f

 and the 

shortcut key shown in the table below. To confirm, press 

e

 (or the shortcut key again).

NOTE:

PRINT OP contains two functions, REPEAT PRINTING and NUMBERING.

For PREVIEW and FEED, press 

e

 to preview/feed after the LCD message appears.

Key LCD message

Function

Key LCD message

Function

1

FONT

Character font

8

A/F

Auto Format

2

SIZE

Character size

9

MEMORY

Memory

3

STYLE

Print style

0

CLEAR

Clear text + style

4

UNDL/FRM

Underline/Frame

.

MARGIN

Tape margin

5

TAB

Tab setting

,

PRINT OP

Repeat/Numbering

6

TAB LEN

Tab length

c

PREVIEW

Text preview

7

LENGTH

Label length

i

FEED

Tape feed

NOTE:

You can also refer to the chart indicated on the back of the machine.

ERROR MESSAGE LIST

TROUBLESHOOTING

ERROR

An error occurred.

BATTERY

The batteries are weak.

B A T T E R Y

The batteries are empty.

FULL

The maximum number of characters (55 characters) 
have already been entered or the memory is full.

LONG TXT

The text length exceeds the selected label length.

Problem

Solution

The display stays blank after you 
have turned on the machine.

• Check that the batteries are correctly inserted.
• If the batteries are weak, replace them.
• Check that the adapter is correctly connected.

The machine does not print, or the 
printed characters are blurred.

• Check that the tape cassette has been inserted 

correctly.

• If the tape cassette is empty, replace it.
• Check that the character size is appropriate for the 

width of the tape that is used.

The printed characters are not 
formed properly.

• If the batteries are weak, replace them.

Striped tape appears.

• The tape cassette is empty. Replace it.

The memory has cleared on its own.

• The batteries may be weak. Replace them.

A blank horizontal line appears 
through the printed label.

• There may be some dust on the print head. 

Remove the tape cassette and use a dry cotton 
swab to gently wipe the print head with an up-and-
down motion.

The machine has “locked up” (i.e., 
nothing happens when a key is 
pressed, even though the machine is 
on).

• Turn off the machine, and then while holding down  

f

 and 

d

, press 

a

 to turn the machine back 

on. Finally, release 

f

 and 

d

.

Note: The text and formats in the display and all 

text files stored in the memory are erased.
Also, the language and unit settings will be 
cleared.

 / Français

www.brother.ca

LN9974001

A

Printed in China

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