User’s Manual No. 980181-001 Rev. C©1999 Zebra Technologies CorporationStrataThermal PrintersUser’s Manual

Unpacking YourPrinterOpen the shipping carton and remove theprinter and its accessories.Check List1Printer2Power Cord3Media Holder and Retainers4Clean

Installation The following steps will guide you through theinstallation of the printer and software.Step ➊Attach PowerSee Warnings - Page vi980181-001

Step ➋ AttachInterface CableParallel InterfaceSerial InterfaceFor additional information on serial cable wir-ing, refer to Appendix A.4980181-001 Rev.

Step ➌ ApplyPowerIf the indicator fails to light, refer toAppendix A - Troubleshooting.980181-001 Rev.C 5InstallationOnOOI = On

Step ➍ InstallSoftwareStart your computer. Follow the installationinstructions on the disk label to install thesoftware.Refer to Section 2 - Operation

2OperationThis section provides information on the opera-tion of the printers.All user control (and adjustment) printerfeatures are identified by gree

Your Printer1Cover Release Buttons 8 Carriage Lock/Release Lever2Feed Button9Media Guide Adjustment Gear3 Status Indicator : Transmissive (Gap) Sensor

1 Batch/Dispense Select Switch 8 Ribbon Supply Spindle2 Serial Interface 9 Ribbon Sensor3 Parallel Interface : Label-Taken Sensor4 Power Cord Receptac

The FEED Control The FEED button controls specific printerfunctions: feeding media (labels, tags orcontinuous media), loading media, pausingprinting,

•Holding the FEED button down will causethe printer to continuously Form Feed untilthe button is released. The printer will feedthe media until the ne

The STATUSIndicatorThe STATUS indicator is a power and status in-dicator. When the printer power is first switchedON (1), the STATUS indicator will gl

Loading Labelsor TagsYour printer can print on adhesive backed la-bels, non-adhesive tags or continuous media(typically paper). The printer is capable

Step 2 Place the roll of media on the media holdertube. The media holder tube is directional andwill not work properly if installed incorrectly.The me

Step 3 Center the media roll on the holder. If the mediaroll is narrow, then the media roll holders can beadded to prevent loose (uneven) pack of them

Step 4 Set the media and roll holder on the upper me-dia stand for loading.16980181-001 Rev.COperation

Step 5 Turn the media guide adjustment wheel to-wards the rear of the printer to open the mediaguides.Open the media guides until they are wider thant

Step 6 Open the print head carriage with the releaselever. Pull forward and then up.18980181-001 Rev.COperationRelease Lever

Step 7 Insert the loose end of the media roll betweenthe media guides and under the guide barbracket that holds the transmissive (gap) sensor.Continue

Step 8 Turn the green media guide adjustment wheeltowards the front of the printer until the labelguides match the width of the media.20980181-001 Rev

Step 9 Move the media roll to the lower media standfor printing.980181-001 Rev.C 21Operation

FOREWORDThis manual provides installation and operation information for the Eltron Strata LP (LP2684) andStrata TLP (TLP2684) printers, manufactured b

Step 10 When using the transmissive (gap) sensor fortop of form (label) sensing, verify that the sen-sor is positioned at minimumlabel gap point orcen

Step 11 Close and lock the print head carriage. Push theprint head carriage down to close and then pushthe lever back to lock.Turn on the printer powe

Step 12 Set label detection parameters for media:•Use the AutoSense procedure for first timeuse of new media to set the transmissive(gap) sensor.•Use

Loading TransferRibbonsTransfer ribbons are used when printing onthermal transfer media such as adhesive labelsor non-adhesive tags. Thermal transfer

Step ➊ Install an empty ribbon core onto the front rib-bon (take-up) spindle pair. Push the core ontothe left side ribbon (take up) spindle. Rotate th

Step ➋ Loosen the ribbon leader that secures the lead-ing end of the transfer ribbon roll. Fold the rib-bon leader over and attach it to the under sid

Step ➌ Install the ribbon roll onto the rear ribbon(supply) spindle pair so that the ribbon feedsfrom the top of the roll toward the back of theprinte

Step ➍ Hold open the print carriage to pull the ribbonthrough towards the front of the print carriageand up to the empty take-up core. Center theribbo

Step ➎ Rotate the ribbon take-up core a minimum onefull revolution (from the top to the back of theprinter) to remove most of the slack from the rib-b

Removing APartially UsedTransfer RibbonA partially used transfer ribbon can be removedby following the steps below.The unused portion of partially use

WARRANTY INFORMATIONWe Need To Hear From You!To Establish Your Warranty Period And Provide Access To Technical Support,Send Us Your Product Registrati

Top Of FormSensingTo accommodate different media and mediadimensions, your printer is equipped with sen-sors capable of detecting the top of form for

Using AutoSense The AutoSense feature sets sensitivity of thetransmissive sensor and measures and storesthe form (label) and gap lengths. To activate

Step 4 Tap the FEED Control once to switch the printerback to normal operation.If the indicator light turns AMBER or RED, referto Appendix A for troub

Cleaning YourPrinterYou have easy access to all of the printer’s me-dia path areas to allow for cleaning and clearingof media jams. You can clean the

Cleaning thePrint HeadAs you use your printer, the print head may be-come contaminated resulting in poor print qual-ity. Whenever new labels are loade

Cleaning Underthe Sensor BracketThe transmissive (gap) sensor guide bar bracketcan pivot up for easy cleaning.Step 1 Open the print head carriage.Step

Using the LabelDispenserPrinters with the label dispenser function (indi-cated by a T after the model number) can dis-pense a single label that is alr

Step 3 Remove a few labels. Push a corner of the linerbehind the gray roller and through the slot.Step 4 Remove slack by pulling the liner.980181-001

Step 5 Close the dispenser bar and print head. Tightenthe liner against the dispenser bar.Adjust the media guides (refer to page 19).Step 6 Send your

Appendix ATroubleshootingThis section addresses the most common issuesyou may face with operation and configurationof the printer.Where to Start The f

Table of ContentsInstallation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Introduction . . . . . . . . . . .

Common Printing ProblemsTroubleshooting GuideProblem Solution or ReasonSTATUS indicatordoes not light GREENwhen power switch isturned to the ON (1)pos

Problem Solution or ReasonStatus Indicator is RED1. Check for Out-of-Media condition or missinglabels in the middle of a roll.2. Check for Out-of-Ribb

Other SupportResourcesThe first troubleshooting reference source is thetable on the previous page. Next, contact thedealer where you purchased your pr

Serial InterfaceCommunicationConfigurationThe printer’s serial port is configured with theY command for the printer. See the EPL2 pro-grammer's m

Tag Media Sensing The printer uses a moveable sensor to detect in-dex holes/notches in tag stock. The sensor canmove from a center tag notch to a notc

Appendix BPrinter FeaturesFeatures The printer has many time saving, user friendly,design features. Some of these printer featuresare listed below:• A

•Flash memory makes firmware updates easyand seamless•Create-A-Label Tools for Windows®Software•Windows Drivers (Windows®3.1X,Windows® 95, and Windows

•Easy-to-load label and ribbon path•Easy-to-use EPL2 command language•Prints text, graphics and bar codes in four di-rections: 0°, 90°, 80° and 270°•

•Code 128 Autoselect•CodaBar•UCC/EAN-128•Interleaved 2 of 5•UPC-A, UPC-E, 2 & 5 digit add on•EAN-8, EAN-13, 2 & 5 digit add on•POSTNET•MaxiCod

Media•Type: roll-fed, die-cut, continuous or fan-fold labels, tags or tickets•Materials: thermal transfer or thermal sensi-tive papers•Maximum media w

General Cautions and WarningsThese pages describe general safety and maintenance warnings and cautions for the printer.They are referenced throughout

Mechanical•Width: 13.6" (344mm)•Depth: 11.9" (305mm)•Height: 8.1" (204mm)•Weight: 21.0lbs. (9.5kg)Electrical•Voltage: 115V/60 Hz, 2

Appendix CSupplies and AccessoriesAccessories available for the Strata™ printer arelisted below. Always refer to the ELTRON partnumber when placing an

54 980181-001 Rev.CSupplies and AccessoriesFeaturesLow costEase of useLow Environmental DurabilityLimited Label LifeWill fade and/or discolor whenexpo

980181-001 Rev.C 55Supplies and AccessoriesFeaturesBetter environmental durability.Better abrasion resistance thanwaxMore expensive than waxGood aesth

56 980181-001 Rev.CSupplies and Accessories

Appendix DUsing the Media CutterPrinters with the cutter option have a bezel witha motorized blade. Printers with cutters can dis-pense a single form

Guidelines Use the cutter to cut through continuous paperfrom rolls and liner between labels.You can switch between cutting and feeding byusing the OC

Clearing theCutterIf the media is crooked, a jam can occur. Theonly tool required to clear a jam is a pair of smalltweezers.Step 1—Preparethe PrinterT

Step 2—Clearthe JamUse tweezers to remove media from the internalblade areas.If the jam is inside the cutter, detach the cutterassembly from the print

Step 3—Replacethe CutterAlign the left edges of the bezel and printer.Connect the bezel by snapping down into place.Step 4—Checkthe CutterConnect the

Media Cautions & Tips1) Always use high quality Eltron approved labels and tags.Eltron approved supplies can be ordered from your ELTRONdealer. Fo

World Wide Offices:Zebra Technologies CorporationEltron Products1001 Flynn RoadCamarillo, CA 93012-8706 USAPhone: +1 (805) 579 1800FAX: +1 (805) 579 1

viii 980181-001 Rev.C

1InstallationThis section provides information on theinstallation of the printer and software.Introduction The Strata printer models are low cost, man