ZEBRA® DESKTOP QL PRINTER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

To ensure that your Zebra printer continues to work efficiently and effectively, you need to understand the various indicators and testing procedures incorporated into the QL series printers. This guide explains those indicators and procedures.

INTERPRETING INDICATORS

The printer’s indicators display various printer functions and their statuses.

STANDARD CONTROL PANEL

Refer to the chart below to find the state of the two LEDs on the control panel. Then refer to the relevant troubleshooting topic overleaf.

OPTIONAL LCD CONTROL PANEL

The top of the display shows several icons that indicate various printer functions. Check the icon status then refer to the relevant troubleshooting topic overleaf.

KEY TROUBLESHOOTING TOPICS

TROUBLESHOOTING TESTS

printing a configuration label

Printing a configuration label helps to diagnose the printer issue. To print a listing of the printer’s current configuration, follow these steps:

1. Turn the printer off. Load the media compartment with journal media (media with no black bars printed on the back).
2. Press and hold the feed button.
3. Press and release the Power button and keep the feed button pressed. When printing starts, release the Feed button.

Refer to figures a and B for a sample configuration printout.

COMMUNICATIONS DIAGNOSTICS

if there is a problem transferring data between the computer and the printer, try putting the printer into Communications Diagnostics Mode (also referred to as “DUMP” mode). The printer will print the aSCii characters and their text representation (or the period “.”, if not a printable character) for any data received from the host computer.

to put the printer into communications diagnostics Mode:

1. Print a configuration label as described above.
2. at the end of the second diagnostics report, the printer will print: “Press FEED key to enter DUMP mode”.
3. Press the feed key. The printer will print: “Entering DUMP mode”. (if the feed key is not pressed within three seconds, the printer will print “DUMP mode not entered” and will resume normal operation.)
4. at this point, the printer is in DUMP mode and will print the ASCII hex codes of any data sent to it, and their text representation (or “.”, if not a printable character).

Additionally, a file with a “.dmp” extension containing the ASCII information will be created and stored in the printer’s memory. it can be viewed, “cloned” or deleted using the Label Vista application. (Refer to the Label Vista documentation for more information.)

to terminate the communications diagnostics Mode and return the printer to normal operation:

1. Turn the printer Off.
2. Wait five seconds.
3. Turn the printer ON.