Zebra Technologies ZT400 manual Ribbon Problems, 151

Troubleshooting

Ribbon Problems

151

Ribbon Problems

Table 3 identifies problems that may occur with ribbon, the possible causes, and the recommended solutions.

Table 3 • Ribbon Problems

Problem	Possible Cause	Recommended Solution
Broken or melted	Darkness setting too high.	1. Reduce the darkness setting. See Print
ribbon		Darkness on page 67 for how to change the
		darkness setting.
		2. Clean the printhead thoroughly. See Clean
		the Printhead and Platen Roller
		on page 132.
	The ribbon is coated on the	Replace the ribbon with one coated on the
	wrong side and cannot be used	correct side. For more information, see Coated
	in this printer.	Side of Ribbon on page 18.
Wrinkled ribbon	Ribbon was loaded incorrectly.	Load the ribbon correctly. See Load the Ribbon
		on page 60.
	Incorrect burn temperature.	For optimal print quality, set the darkness to the
		lowest possible setting for your application. You
		may want to perform the FEED Self Test
		on page 165 to determine the ideal darkness
		setting.
		See Print Darkness on page 67 for how to
		change the darkness setting.
	Incorrect or uneven printhead	Set the printhead pressure to the minimum
	pressure.	needed for good print quality. See Adjust the
		Printhead Pressure on page 124.
	Media not feeding properly;	Make sure that media is snug by adjusting the
	“walking” from side to side.	media guide, or call a service technician.
	The printhead or platen roller	Call a service technician.
	may be installed incorrectly.
The printer does not	The printer may have been	Calibrate the printer, this time using ribbon, or
detect when the	calibrated without ribbon.	load printer defaults. See Calibrate the Ribbon
ribbon runs out.	Later, ribbon was inserted	and Media Sensors on page 119 or Load
	without the user recalibrating	Defaults on page 74.
In thermal transfer
	the printer or loading printer
mode, the printer did
	defaults.
not detect the ribbon
even though it is
loaded correctly.
The printer indicates	The printer was not calibrated	Calibrate the printer. See Calibrate the Ribbon
that ribbon is out,	for the label and ribbon being	and Media Sensors on page 119.
even though ribbon is	used.
loaded correctly.

4/8/14 ZT400 Series™ User Guide P1066582-002