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Resolving Print Quality Issues on ZT410 and ZT420 Printers

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Information

 
Issue / QuestionHow do I resolve the print quality issues on ZT410 and ZT420 printers?
Applicable ToZT410 and ZT420 Printers
Resolution / Answer

This article has five sections:

 

Symptoms

  • Light print or faded image
  • Partial missing print or image cut-off
  • Broken bars or lines in a barcode
  • Poor or low barcode ANSI grade
  • White lines appearing in the print
  • Streaks appearing in the print

 

Causes

Media does not match printer settings.

Direct Thermal Media
Direct Thermal media are labels that do not need any ribbon to produce the printing.
The printing happens on the media or a label itself when it contacts the heated printhead. 
In case you need to verify the media you are having is Direct Thermal, use your fingernail and draw a quick line scratching the surface of the media. If you see a visible black streak appearing, you can conclude that the media is Direct Thermal Media. Refer to the video below.
This video demonstrates how to differentiate between Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal:


Thermal Transfer Media
Thermal Transfer Media are the media that need a ribbon to get the printout to stay on the media.
If you do the same test with your fingernail scratching the media, you will not see any visible line. When the ribbon is used for Thermal Transfer printing, it must be compatible with the labels to ensure the printer meets the requirements expected by the users. 
Proper matching of the labels or ribbon assures the pressure and darkness settings do not have to be at the extremes to print correctly.


Configuration 
The printer setup includes adjusting the printhead pressure, setting the appropriate darkness level, and optimizing the print speed. In addition, regular maintenance ensures the printer is operating at an optimal level. 

 

IMPORTANT! All printer settings can be impacted by commands from a mismatched or misconfigured driver or software application. A printer functioning well after setup but failing or indicating an error after label requests are received is most likely affected by the host-side misconfiguration of the driver or printer software settings. The host device that generates the printer commands for printing typically has a setup configuration that sends these as commands to the printer. Ensure all settings match with the printer settings to avoid intermittent issues.

 

Problems and Resolutions
 

NOTE Use the printer Pause Test Label when performing initial print quality adjustments. This will eliminate any issues introduced by the application or driver configurations. Refer to: PAUSE KEY SELF TEST.

 

Problem

Example

Resolution

The print is faded or too light when printing self-test
 

NOTE If the problem occurs after printing from your application, verify your driver or software configurations.

 

NOTE If there is a flood coating or preprint on the label surface where the print issue is occurring, check with your supplier for corrective action.

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  • Clean the Printhead
Contamination can cover the elements preventing heat transfer. 
  • Try increasing the Burn Temp.       
  • Try increasing the printhead pressure by adjusting the ZT400 Printhead Pressure. 
Refer to this article: Adjust ZT Series Printhead Pressure.
 
  • The media must match (if the ribbon is used). If no ribbon is used, verify the quality of the Direct Thermal stock. Check with your media supplier if you have exhausted all suggestions provided. 
  • Reduce the print speed
In the ZDesigner Driver v5  > Navigate to Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Find your printer >  Right mouse click > Printing preferences > Options > Print speed.
In the ZDesigner Driver v8 > Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Find your printer > Right mouse click > Printing preferences >  Print Options > Speed.
  • Verify the ribbon is not slipping due to improper loading.

The print is faded or too light on the left or right side of the label


Refer to Label Properties to view the left or right side of the label.

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  • Ensure the printhead pressure is balanced.
Balancing the Printhead Pressure Detail. 
Refer to: Printhead Pressure Adjustments.
 
ZT400 Printhead Pressure. 
Refer to this article: Adjust ZT Series Printhead Pressure.

Barcode ANSI grade is low or won't scan

 

NOTE It is common to have the darkness
set too high, resulting in bar spreading. This may look visually better but it causes the barcode spaces to reduce lowering the barcode grade.

 

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  • Darkness is set as too high or low. Try changing the darkness on the LCD. Check the driver or application darkness settings. 
  • Print the Feed Self-test Labels and note the barcode quality as the darkness changes.
  • Verify your quiet zone is 10x the narrow bar width. Barcodes too close to the edge may not scan properly.
 
  • Check for printhead element problems printing the Pause test. Missing elements can create problems with the bars in the barcode. Refer to: PAUSE KEY SELF TEST.
The print is smearing or rubbing off

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  • Media and ribbon mismatch
The ribbon ink will rub off the label if it is not matched for the media. Verify your ribbon and media properly fit your application.
The ribbon is wrinkling

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  • Resolving ribbon wrinkle issues
Refer to this article for ribbon wrinkle resolution: Video: Loading Ribbon and Resolving Ribbon Issues on ZT410 and ZT420 Printers.

 

 

White lines in the print

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  • Clean the printhead elements.
Build-up can cause lines in the print. Aggressive cleaning with cleaning film is sometimes needed if there is a baked-on residue that fails to be removed by swabs. 
Refer to Refer to Printhead Maintenance Guide.
  • The printhead element(s) may have failed, and the printer requires service.

The image is cut off on the right 

Refer to Label Properties to view the left or right side of the label.

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Click to Enlarge
 

  • Verify the PRINT WIDTH is set correctly in the LCD and in the driver or application configurations. 
  • If using ribbon, ensure the ribbon is wider than the labels.
  • Verify that no debris or label is stuck to the printhead covering the print elements.

 

Helpful Information:
 


Watch this video and learn how to clean the printhead and platen:


 

How the ZT410 and ZT420 Printers work

There are two thermal printing methods: 
  • Direct Thermal 
  • Thermal Transfer 
Each method uses a thermal printhead that applies heat to the marked surface. 
Differences:

 

Direct Thermal 

Thermal Transfer 

Heated ribbon 

No ribbon is used, creating the image directly on the printed material.

It uses a heated ribbon to produce durable, long-lasting images on various materials. 

Sensitivity to light, heat and abrasion 

More sensitive. 

Reduce the life of the printed materials 

Less sensitive compared to Direct Thermal media. 


The printer uses a single row of heating elements in a printhead assembly pressed against a rubber roller called a platen. The printhead elements are heated as the ribbon (if used), and labels pass as they are pressed together to produce the image.  Any factors that affect the transfer of heat being applied by the elements will result in print image problems (assuming the labels and ribbon are appropriately matched for the application). 
 

  • Printhead Maintenance: Failure to properly clean the printhead elements can result in an insulating build-up that prevents heat transfer. This can also lead to element failure.
  • Printhead Pressure: The pressure must be sufficient to maintain a constant pressing of the printing media while the element heat is transferred. This pressure must be evenly distributed across the width of the label so the image transfer is at the same intensity.
  • Burn Temperature: The darkness must be set high enough to meet the print darkness needed for the image transfer but not so high as to result in image spreading or burning of the ribbon carrier.  Barcodes require that the bars and spaces are of equal width, and increasing the darkness beyond those required can result in space width reduction and barcode scan failures
  • Print Width: The Print Width value determines the maximum width the printer will print. It is often set to the full width, and the label format defines the printed area based on the image location. Applications and drivers may set a print width and reduce the printable area-based label size. This is not a problem unless one attempts to print outside the previously restricted area. Check the LCD  if this occurs to see if the Print Width was changed.

Helpful Information
URL NameZT400-Series-Printer-Resolving-Print-Quality-Issues
TitleResolving Print Quality Issues on ZT410 and ZT420 Printers

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