Zebra have announced the availability of their ZXP 8 Series Retransfer Card Printer. These retransfer printers could be an ideal solution if you are looking for a printer which can print ID cards, driver licences, gift cards and many more applications.

One of the key benefits of the Zebra ZXP 8 Series is its ability to deliver you high speed printing with photo quality results. A print speed of up to 190 cards per hour means it is the ideal card printer to keep your operation performing at optimum levels. The Zebra ZXP 8 Series has been designed to integrate with a whole host of applications, saving you the time and resources setting it up. Other key benefits of the Zebra ZXP 8 Series include a patent pending, simultaneous dual sided image transfer process. This allows you to print on both sides of the card.

The Zebra ZXP 8 Series Retransfer Card Printer looks set to revolutionise the way we view retransfer card printers. Long gone are the days where print speeds restrict the amount of cards you can print. This printer responds to your needs to have a card printer capable of delivering high quality at high speeds.

AM Labels are proud to offer the Zebra ZXP 8 Series Retransfer Card Printer with prices starting at £1,938.60.

If you would like more information about the Zebra ZXP 8 Series Retransfer Card Printer, please click here.

Well, the labelling and barcoding world has seen many changes in 2009. On top of the recession, the up and down fluctuations of the Euro has made 2009 challenging for the industry. But alongside the bad the good prevails with new innovations in technology to make our life’s easier in business.

The Highlights

The first quarter starting the New Year with a buzz, AM Labels took over Applied Labels, extending production facilities to cope with demand.

The new VIP VP485 has made high volume colour inkjet printing more affordable, faster and in a more compact form factor, with an increased resolution (up to 4800x1200dpi) and increased print width (up to 8.5 inches) it caters for a wide variety of colour printing applications. The 3D2015 Label Dispenser was released to offer a simple effective method of dispensing labels on-demand.

Spring saw new heights for Tec, releasing their first 600dpi printer – the Tec B-SX600 for specialist printing needing incredibly accurate and fine printing. The B-SX600 will print on labels as small as 3mm in height at an incredible 600 x 1200 dpi ultra-high resolution.

Zebra released their smallest portable printer, The EM 220 is perfect in customer-facing environments or when users will be wearing the printer for long periods.

AM Labels added Epos systems and software to their portfolio, offering low cost hardware and software choices for retailers starting out, or looking to switch from a till. Epos systems start with single store systems up to a fully integrated system for multiple stores and tills.

Summer kicked off with a brand new Datalogic Gryphon offering a more ergonomically designed and lightweight barcode scanner with a faster read rate and improved IP rating.

Epson launched a new colour label printer the TM-C3400, Primera introduced the AP360 bottle labeller and Zebra announced the new G-series printers.

AM Labels joined the world of Twitter with open arms and is excited to find out the latest and greatest goings on in the world of labelling and barcoding.

Autumn saw revolutionary new technology from Motorola with their MC9500, incorporating a universal accessory system, groundbreaking modular technology, and improved day-to-day management. Motorola also launched the MT2000 that has added computer functionality and technological updates on top of the Symbol P360/P370/P460/P470 scanners.

Zebra launched the newly improved Zebra LP2824/TLP2824 plus printers and the new Zebra Xi4 high performance label printer with more memory, a faster print speed and Ethernet as standard.

Jewellery labelling arrived in style with a label printer, professional labelling software and a variety of different jewellery labels to suit individual stores.

Nearly the end of the year but that doesn’t stop us looking for the best products to offer our customers. December has seen new product offerings for visitor management, memory scanning and the launch of Label Focus - our new focal point for everything labelling.

Check out the full list below:

Following the successful introduction of the new Xi4 High Performance printer, the XiIIIPlus printer family will be discontinued effective 30^th November 2009

The new Xi4 printer has models with print speeds of up to 356mm (14″) per second and offers the greatest choice, with four print widths (110, 140, 170, 220mm), three resolutions (200, 300 and 600dpi) and multiple media-handling options.

Variants:

Zebra 110Xi4
Zebra 140Xi4
Zebra 170Xi4
Zebra 220Xi4

Xi4 Benefits:

Enhanced Xi4 printers feature:

• Dependable print quality – on-board diagnostics to ensure optimum print quality
• Faster print speeds – up to 356mm per second (110Xi4^TM and 140Xi4^TM) for increased batch and print/apply productivity
• Large easy-to-read front panel with LCD content and navigation customisableto meet user needs.
• Fast 10/100 Ethernet connectivity as standard
• Improved ribbon- and media-low LCD/network alerts
• RFID-upgrade-ready (110Xi4).

Call 01536 414222 or click here to view more information on the Xi4 and to buy online

Page mode uses EPL2 commands, you will require page mode if you want to print your labels through a Windows driver, or Windows software such as Zebra Designer.

If the printer is in Line Mode you can only send EPL1 commands to it – not EPL2 commands.

Related Printers: LP/TLP2722, LP2824, LP2844 and LP2443, LP2844, TLP2844, LP2824, TLP2824, TLP3844, TLP3842

How do I set my printer to be in page mode? This is a fairly simple process, just perform these steps:

1. At the back of the printer switch the power off
2. Press down the feed button and switch the power on
3. Release the feed button when it flashes Red
4. When the feed button flashes Green, press down the feed button and release it when it turns Amber
5. The printer is now in page mode.

How do I check what mode the printer is in?

Simply print a configuration label and near the top of the configuration printout it will show Line Mode or Page Mode:

1. Turn printer power off.
2. Press and hold the feed key, then turn power back on.
3. After light flashes a couple times release your finger from the feed key.
4. Wait for the calibration sequence to end and for the configuration label to print.
5. Press the feed key once.

• Zebra printer
• Printer power cable (provided with the printer) 2 parts, mains lead and power supply unit (PSU)
• Communications cable (depending on how you wish to connect the printer to your PC, this can be a USB, Parallel or Serial cable or an Ethernet cable) (Purchased separately)
• Roll of Labels (Purchased separately)
• Ribbon (Thermal transfer printers only, Purchased separately)
• Zebra Designer Installation disk (provided with the printer)

If any of the items that should have come with the printer are missing, or you require labels, ribbons or a connection cable, please contact AM Labels technical support using the contact information listed below.

From getting your printer out of the box to printing your first label, this can be completed in 6 easy to follow steps.

Quick Navigate:

Step 1: Loading the labels

Step 2: Loading the ribbon (TLP 2844 and G-Series Thermal Transfer Printers)

Step 3: Connecting the printer to your PC

Step 4: Installing Zebra Designer

Step 5: Installing the printer driver

Step 1: Loading the labels

To load the labels into the printer, have the printer facing towards you. At either side of the printer there are two green clips, simultaneously pull both green clips towards you to open the lid and push the lid upwards. On 2844 series printers, the lid will lock into place using an internal support strut.

At the base of the printer there will be two identical green label spindles, pull these apart and place your label roll onto the provided support. On G-Series printers, please ensure that the media is placed between the guides provided.

On the 2844 series, you will then need to slide the labels in between the adjustable label guide and use the green wheel on the right hand side, to adjust the two guides to sit snugly either side of the media.

Your labels will now be ready to print.

Step 2: Loading the ribbon (TLP 2844 and G-Series Thermal Transfer Printers)

In the thermal transfer printers, there are two separate spindles in the top half of the printer.

On 2844 series printers, place the ribbon on the spindle that is furthest back shiny side up, and a waste core onto the spindle that is closest. Please ensure that the holes in the ribbon and waste cores slide into the notches on their spindle. Pull the ribbon down and underneath the print head and then roll the ribbon around the waste core.

To close the 2844 series printers, press the green support strut to the left and slowly close the lid until an audible click can be heard. On G-Series printers close lid and again, ensure it clicks.
Step 3: Connecting the printer to your PC

Zebra desktop printers have 4 different connectivity options, Serial, Parallel, USB and for local area networking Ethernet.

To connect to your PC, connect the PSU to the mains lead, connect PSU into the printer and connect the relevant connectivity option from the printer to the computer (or network point if using the Ethernet cable)
Step 4: Installing Zebra Designer

Use the installation wizard to install Zebra Designer on your desktop PC. To install the software, do the following:

1. Put the Zebra Designer CD in your CD-ROM drive. An installation window automatically opens.
2. Click Install. A new window opens showing all ZebraDesigner editions.
3. Click on the version of ZebraDesigner that you want to install, and follow the prompts.

To continue installation, do the following:

1. Click the Next button.
2. Specify the program group you want to use for ZebraDesigner Pro.
3. Specify if shortcuts to Zebra Designer should be created on the desktop or in the Quick Launch area.
4. To finish installation, click the Install button.

Step 5: Installing the printer driver

To install the printer driver, please follow the option below for your connectivity type,

Serial, Parallel and Ethernet options

For all of these options,

1. Click the Start button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and click the ‘Control Panel’ option. Once open, double click ‘Printers and Faxes’.
2. On the left hand side, click ‘Add a printer’. The ‘Add printer wizard’ should open.
3. Click Next
4. Ensure that ‘Local printer attached to this computer’ is selected and that ‘Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer’ is unchecked. Click Next.
5. When prompted, select the port required from the drop down list provided (in the case of Ethernet connections you may need to create a port, please contact AM Labels support if you require help with this). Click Next.
6. Click the ‘Have Disk’ button. A window entitled ‘Install From Disk’ will open, click the ‘Browse…’ button to browse for our driver.
7. Browse to the following location C:\Program files\ZebraDesigner\Drivers\ZD\0×2000xp. In this folder you should find a file entitled ZD, double click on it, and then click ok on the ‘Install from Disk’ window.
8. You should now see a list of printers. Please select your printer, and click Next.
9. The next couple of options allow you to assign a name to the printer, set it as the default or share the printer. Please select your required option at each stage and click ‘Next’ to continue.
10. When prompted, click Finish. You may receive a prompt informing you that the driver is not digitally signed. If this happens, click the button entitled ‘Continue installation’.
11. Click Finish to complete the driver installation.

USB

For printers connected by USB, upon switching the printer on windows should show a found new hardware wizard box,

1. Select the ‘Install from a specific location’ option and click next.
2. Select the ‘Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install’ option and click next.
3. Click the ‘Have Disk’ button. A window entitled ‘Install From Disk’ will open, click the ‘Browse…’ button to browse for our driver.
4. Browse to the following location C:\Program files\ZebraDesigner\Drivers\ZD\0×2000xp. In this folder you should find a file entitled ZD, double click on it, and then click ok on the ‘Install from Disk’ window.
5. You should now see a list of printers. Please select your printer, and click Next. The driver will now be installed. You may receive a prompt informing you that the driver is not digitally signed. If this happens, click the button entitled ‘Continue installation’.
6. Click the ‘Finish’ button to complete the installation.

Contact Details

If you require any of the ‘purchased separately’ items, please don’t hesitate to contact our sales department on 01536 414222 who will be more than willing to assist you with your requirements.

For technical support please contact the AM Labels Technical Team on 01536 414400 or e-mail support@amlabels.co.uk.

Introducing, Zebra latest desktop printer, adding yet another feather to their cap, the LP2824 & TLP2824 plus.

Why have Zebra released this new printer?

As of December 2009, Zebra will be discontinuing their LP & TLP series of printers and replacing them with the new Zebra G-Series models. The Zebra G-Series printers are only available with a four inch version and as there is currently no two inch G-Series they have made a few adjustments to the existing 2824 2 inch printers.

So what’s different between the existing 2824 models and this new one?

In all honesty, not that much has changed but the changes they have made will make a difference.

Programming Language: The current standard version is available with EPL (Eltron Programming Language) or the Z version is available with ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) the new Plus version is now available with both options as standard.

Processor: The standard version has a 16 bit processor where as the new plus model will come with a 32 bit processor as standard.

Memory: The current standard version has 512kb Flash and 128kb SRAM while the new plus version has 4MB Flash with 8MB SDRAM as standard.

Good news, Royal Mail Despatch Express has been designed to work with any thermal label printer! You have a full choice of all the manufacturers’ printers (with a minimum of 200dpi resolution).

Depending on how many labels you want to print in a day, depends on which printer you will require. A desktop printer is normally enough for most companies printing up to 1,000 despatch labels per day up to 4.09 inches (104mm) wide.

The best value desktop printer for this is the Zebra LP2844, this printer is being replaced by a faster model with more memory in December 2009:

These new replacement printers are available for immediate delivery.

• Zebra GK420d – Serial and USB Interfaces, 5 inches (127mm) per second print speed
• Zebra GX420d – Serial, Parallel and USB Interfaces, Optional 802.11b/g WLAN or Bluetooth, 6 inches (152mm) per second print speed.

If you are printing more than a 1,000 labels a day, you may want to consider either the Zebra S4M (up to 10,000) or the Zebra ZM400 (up to 60,000) that are suited for more demanding applications.

For more information about the best thermal printer for you, please call 01536 414222.

The good old Eltron Orion, wherever did that beauty disappear to? Here’s how the story goes. In 1998, printing giant Zebra merged with Camarillo, California-based Eltron International.

Once the merge was complete, Zebra re-branded the then known Eltron Orion as the Zebra LP/TLP series printers.

In August 2009, Zebra announced the final dates of manufacture for the LP&TLP series of printers and the introduction of the G-Series, the replacement for the highly popular LP/TLP series.

Zebra G-Series Benefits:

• Easy to set up and use within your application, complete with free basic label software allowing you to quickly design and print your labels.
• Expansive 4MB/8MB memory for printing labels up to 991mm deep.
• User friendly clam shell design allows for quick media loading.
• Selft adjusting label guide
  
• Suitable for labels from 25 – 104 mm wide (when positioned one across).
• Ideal for low volume printing at speeds up to 6” (152mm) per second (500-1000 labels per day depending on the label size).
• Greater connectivity options with the option of 10/100 Ethernet, wireless and/or Bluetooth.

Call 01536 414222 or click here to view more information on the G-Series and to buy online

• Print position is drifting up and down
• Print is drifting side to side
• Labels stopping in random locations
• Prints, then skips a label
• Print is overlapping onto next label
• Error light is on; orange or red

How to calibrate your Zebra printer

For printer models: Orion (2442, 2443 and 2543), LP/TLP Strata (2684), LP/TLP2722, 2742, 3742, LP/TLP2824, LP/TLP 2844 and TLP3842.

1. Turn off the printer at the back and have media loaded.
2. Hold the feed button down, and turn the printer back on whilst holding down the feed button.
3. When the status indicator light starts flashing, release the feed button.
4. The status light will turn green and feed a few blank labels.
5. After the printer stops feeding labels, it prints the internal printer information. Press the feed button once to exit dump mode.
6. You will then get another label with the “out of dump” message on it.

Your printer is now ready for use. If the status light stays orange or red see our post on: What do the status lights indicate on my Zebra printer?

However, there are exciting new printers on the horizon! The Zebra LP2844 and TLP2844 are being phased out and replaced by the Zebra G-Series desktop printers (GK420d and GK420t).

The new G-Series direct thermal and thermal transfer models are easily integrated into the workplace and offer more benefits than their predecessors with a faster print speed of up to 6” (152mm) per second rather than the 4” (102mm) p/s and a greater memory size so it can buffer larger designs to print quicker. They also have greater connectivity options with the option of 10/100 Ethernet, wireless and/or Bluetooth.

As the G-Series come with EPL and ZPL programming languages they are fully software compatible with all previous models as well as being fully backwards compatible with all labels and ribbons used by the 28 Series.

For a full comparison between the LP2844 and TLP2844 and the incoming G Series click here. As well as the LP2844 and TLP2844 models, the whole 28 Series (excluding the RFID Printing R2844Z) are being discontinued. For details on these and replacement modes see below.

Take advantage of some of the great offers on discontinued models still available from AM Labels go to www.amlabels.co.uk.

AM Labels Limited provides all labels ribbons and consumables plus full and on-going maintenance and technical support to all LP2844 / TLP2844’s for at least 4 years.

Discontinuation dates and Replacements:

After these dates there may be remaining stock available to be purchased from AM Labels, but no new stock can be purchased from Zebra Technologies.