Cause or Overview
Zebra printers require their native print language to generate labels. Sending a plain text file will not work. If the printer receives incorrect commands or the wrong driver, it will not respond. Zebra Desktop and Tabletop printers primarily use ZPL or EPL languages. Check your printer's specifications to see which one it supports. ZPL and EPL commands must be sent as properly formatted ASCII text.
ZPL Example:
^XA ^FO20,20^A0N,40,40^FDTest Text ^FS ..... ^XZ and so on
General Tips:
- Driver Check: Ensure you have the correct driver installed, and its settings match your label settings in the printing application.
- Printer Spooler: Check and clear the printer spooler if needed. Refer to Clearing the Windows Print Spooler.
- Firmware: Verify the firmware version and upgrade if necessary. See Upgrading Zebra Printer Firmware.
- Reset Printer: Default the printer and adjust the settings again.
- Driver Reinstallation: Re-install the driver and print using ZebraDesigner v3 Essentials (free). See Download and Install the Latest Version of ZebraDesigner v3.
- Driver Settings: Ensure driver settings match those in your printing software.
- Test Printing: If using a third-party application, print a test label from the driver. Refer to Print Windows Test Label and Printer Configuration Label Using Version 5 and Version 8 Drivers or use ZebraDesigner v3 Essentials. If the test print works, the issue may be with your application.
 | NOTE To download the driver or the latest firmware click the link to Printer Support, scroll down the page, select your printer from the list, and select Drivers or Printer OS (Firmware) on the printer's support page. |
The following details ensure the printer and source format data are matched correctly.
Problem Resolution
| Problem | Resolution |
| ZPL Printer is not responding when I send my label request. |
- Correct Programming Language must be sent to the printer. Use the hex dump feature to examine received data. See the User Guide or relevant links.
- ZPL Format must start with ^XA and end with ^XZ. Incomplete formats will not print. Refer to Zebra Setup Utilities: Sending Printer Commands and Receiving Data.
- Format Prefix (caret ^) must be correct. Default is Hex 5E, but it can be changed. See Changing the Default ZPL Language Format Prefix.
- Configuration Label: View the Configuration Label to ensure the format prefix matches your data. Refer to Printing or Downloading the Configuration Settings of a Zebra ZPL Compatible Printer.
- Zebra Protocol setting on the Configuration Label must be set to NONE. This is only used for Ack-Nak data interchange.
|
| EPL Printer is not responding when I send my label request. |
- Line Termination: Each line must end with a Carriage Return/Line Feed (CR/LF).
- EPL Format Structure: Verify all data components are correctly placed. Refer to the EPL Programming Guide.
- Correct Programming Language must be sent to the printer. Use the hex dump feature to examine received data. See the User Guide for the procedure.
|
Communication Diagnostic Test: Perform a communication diagnostic test to troubleshoot data issues. This prints ASCII hex characters and requires large enough labels for readability.
Methods to enable this mode vary by printer.
Helpful information:
