QuickLabel Systems QLS-4100X Setup Guide Page 1

Digital Color Label PrinterOperation & Setup GuidePart Number 22834-464Firmware V 1.1 Rev. B 09/02Specifications are subject to change without n

QLS-4100 X 102 Physical SetupThis chapter will help you to familiarize yourself with the orientation and compo-nents of the QLS-4100 X. This chapte

QLS-4100 X 100QLS-4100 X Dimensions* all dimensions are in Inches

QLS-4100 X 101QLS-4100 X Dimensions* all dimensions are in Inches

QLS-4100 X 102Appendix BSpecifications

QLS-4100 X 103QLS-4100 X SpecificationsPrinting Method Thermal Transfer, Spot and CMYK Process ColorPrint Stations 4 printheadsRegistration Accuracy +

QLS-4100 X 104Appendix CReplacement Parts

QLS-4100 X 105Part Number Description14076-001 *Printhead14039-001 *Drive Roll (black polyurethane)14039-401 *Drive Roll (blue silicone)14041-101 *Pin

QLS-4100 X 106Appendix DColor QuickLabel 99 ProSetup

QLS-4100 X 107Color QuickLabel 99 Pro SetupThe following guide explains how to configure Color QuickLabel 99 Pro softwarefor use with the QLS-4100 X p

QLS-4100 X 108Open the File | Print Seup menu. The following screen will appear:Choose QLS-4100X Single Sided from the Select Printer pulldown list.S

QLS-4100 X 109Click on the Communications tab. The following screen will appear:Select the desired Printer Communication:Bidirectional (recommended)

QLS-4100 X 11Unpacking the PrinterRemove the printer from the packing carton.Ensure that the printer has suffered no visible signs of damage during sh

QLS-4100 X 110101112Select the appropriate Printer Mode:Bidirectional and Unidirectional communicationSelect DUAL for parallel and serial port connect

QLS-4100 X 111Appendix EWindows Printer DriverSetup

QLS-4100 X 112Windows Printer Driver SetupThe following guide explains how to configure the Windows Printer Driver for usewith the QLS-4100 X printer.

QLS-4100 X 113Click on the Paper tab. Choose a pre-defined label size from the pulldown list orenter a label width and length for a custom size. Cho

QLS-4100 X 114Click on the Device Options tab. If a Cutter or Cutter/Stacker option will be used,place a check mark in the Enable Cutter box. If Rib

QLS-4100 X 115Click on the Color tab. Select Process or Spot depending on the mode of opera-tion being used. If Process is chosen, select CMY or CMY

QLS-4100 X 116Click on the Graphics tab. Select the desired halftoning method for your image.A representation of the output effect each halftoning me

QLS-4100 X 117Click on the Intensity & Speed tab. Select the desired default print intensities foreach of the print stations and select the print

QLS-4100 X 118When the Print-Time menu is enabled, the processed image can be saved alongwith the print-time settings into an file which can later be

QLS-4100 X 12Printer OrientationThe Illustration below is provided to orient you to the QLS-4100 X printer. Thekeypad and display is the printer’s us

QLS-4100 X 13Features of the QLS-4100 XFacing the left side of the QLS-4100 X with its cover lifted, you can view themedia unwind, print stations, and

QLS-4100 X 14Side View

QLS-4100 X 15Rear Panel ViewFacing the rear panel of the printer, you will observe the air intake regulator,power connection, and other interface conn

QLS-4100 X 16Installing the Unwind MandrelYour QLS-4100 X was shipped with the Media Unwind Mandrel uninstalled toprotect it from damage during transi

QLS-4100 X 17Locate the AC Power Input at the bottom of the rear panel.Plug the power cord into the printer. Be sure to use only the AC Power Cordsupp

QLS-4100 X 18Computer ConnectionsThe parallel interface is normally the primary method of sending data from thehost computer to the printer. A Centro

QLS-4100 X 19Centronics Parallel PortPin AssignmentsPin Signal1 /STROBE2 DATA BIT 03 DATA BIT 14 DATA BIT 25 DATA BIT 36 DATA BIT 47 DATA BIT 58 DATA

Copyright © 2002 Astro-Med, Inc.This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted,transcribe

QLS-4100 X 20123RS-232 Serial PortUsing a standard (straight through connection) RS-232 serial cable, connect theappropriate mating end of the cable i

QLS-4100 X 21Network ConnectionThe QLS-4100 X can be connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) using an ap-propriate external print server.The print ser

QLS-4100 X 22Utility Port ConnectionOn the rear panel of the printer, the Utility Port permits connection to externaldevices such as the optional Quic

QLS-4100 X 23Compressed Air ConnectionPreparing the Air RegulatorWhen you receive the QLS-4100 X Printer, the Air Intake Regulator is ready foroperati

QLS-4100 X 24DIP Switch SettingsLocated on the rear panel of the printer are a series of small switches used to setvarious communication parameters an

QLS-4100 X 25DIP Switch Settings

QLS-4100 X 263 Loading Media and CalibrationNow that your QLS-4100 X is unpacked and all connections have been made tothe printer, you are ready to

QLS-4100 X 27Loading Thermal Transfer RibbonThe QLS-4100 X is capable of printing using Spot Color or Process Color thermaltransfer ribbons.When using

QLS-4100 X 28To load Thermal Transfer Ribbon at each print station:Fully seat a roll of coated-side-in ribbon on the print station’s Supply Mandrel. Y

QLS-4100 X 29Loading Label or Tag MediaThe QLS-4100 X is capable of printing on a wide variety of media types and sizesand is designed to accept media

Table of Contents1 Quick Start ... 7QuickLabel Systems Media ...

QLS-4100 X 30Flip the Drive Roller Lift Lever clockwise to open the drive roller.Remove the Media Retainer from the media supply mandrel by first loos

QLS-4100 X 3111121314151617Thread the media through the Media Sensor Assembly and then through theMedia Travel Roller assembly.Continue to thread the

QLS-4100 X 32Adjusting the Media SensorThe QLS-4100 X is equipped with two intelligent media sensors. One sensor isused for Gap or Notched media type

QLS-4100 X 33Calibrating MediaCalibrating the printer for the type of media being used is essential and is the firstprocedure that must be performed p

QLS-4100 X 34Press the SELECT key. The display will show the following prompt:Press and hold the FORM FEED/ADVANCE key until the liner is inside the

QLS-4100 X 3513If calibration was unsuccessful, the following message will be displayed:The printer will then re-initiate the calibration procedure.Af

QLS-4100 X 36Calibrating Reflective MediaLift each of the printheads for this calibration routine in order to conserve ribbon.Disengage the drive roll

QLS-4100 X 37Press the SELECT key. The display will show the following prompt:Press and hold the FORM FEED/ADVANCE key until the reflective mark is p

QLS-4100 X 38Calibrating Continuous MediaPress the PRINT/PAUSE key until the printer display shows Pause on the display.Press PREV or NEXT key until t

QLS-4100 X 394 Keypad Controls and MenusThe QLS-4100 X features an intuitive, easy-to-use Control Panel consisting of abacklit LCD display, status L

Windows Print Mode ... 48Mirror Mode ...

QLS-4100 X 40The keypad buttons perform the following general functions:PRINT/PAUSE • toggles the printer between Ready and Pause state• pauses or re

QLS-4100 X 41Print/PauseWhen the printer is idle (i.e. not printing labels), the PRINT/PAUSE key will togglethe printer between a Ready state and a Pa

QLS-4100 X 42Menu FunctionsThe following list outlines all of the menus that are accessable via the user inter-face. Some menus, as noted, are only a

QLS-4100 X 43Print SpeedThis function allows you to choose the printing speed. The QLS-4100 X iscapable of printing at speeds of 2 - 7 ips (inches pe

QLS-4100 X 44The printhead intensity determines the temperature of the printhead heating ele-ments. The amount of heat applied to the thermal transfer

QLS-4100 X 45To set Print Intensity via the front panel:Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Intensity menu is displayed.Press the NEXT or PREVIOU

QLS-4100 X 46By default, when printing on media with registration marks (gaps, reflective marks,etc.), the printer will place the label image area bet

QLS-4100 X 47Label CounterThe QLS-4100 X can dynamically display either the ongoing total number of la-bels that have been printed since the printer w

QLS-4100 X 48Windows Print ModeYou can print to the QLS-4100 X Printer directly from any Windows applicationsuch as CorelDRAW!™, Adobe Illustrator™, M

QLS-4100 X 49Mirror ModeThe QLS-4100 X has the ability to print labels in a mirror image format. Thisformat is useful when printing on transparent med

AppendiciesA Physical Data ... 99B Specifications ...

QLS-4100 X 50Cutter FlagWhen using an optional Cutter/Stacker accessory, it is possible to enable or dis-able the insertion of extra blank tags to dem

QLS-4100 X 51Cutter OffsetWhen printing on media with registration marks (gaps, reflective marks, etc.), theprinter will place the label image area be

QLS-4100 X 52Print Line AdjustmentPrint Line Adjustments allow you to align the printing of each of the four printstations to obtain accurate color re

QLS-4100 X 53To perform a Print Line Adjustment:Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key to cycle through the Print Line Adj menus untilthe print station you wa

QLS-4100 X 54Cross Web AdjustmentCross Web Adjustments allow you to align the printing of each of the four printstations to obtain accurate color regi

QLS-4100 X 551234Pause: Cross Web AdjHead 1 = < 5 *To perform a Cross Web Adjustment:Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key to cycle through the Cros

QLS-4100 X 56TTR SensorThis function is for use by QuickLabel Systems’ technicians when performingdiagnostics at the factory. In general use, the TTR

QLS-4100 X 57CalibrateCalibrating the printer for the type of media being used is essential and is the firstprocedure that must be performed prior to

QLS-4100 X 58Test Print123The QLS-4100 X is equipped with a number of built-in test patterns used for check-ing color alignment, print quality, and pr

QLS-4100 X 59Factory ResetThe factory reset feature of the QLS-4100 X returns all parameters available throughthe printer’s front panel to their facto

QLS-4100 X 60System UpgradeSelecting System Upgrade causes the printer to reset itself in preparation for afirmware upgrade. This procedure is perform

QLS-4100 X 61QLS SettingsThis function prints all of the current settings of the printer.To print current printer settings:Press the PRINT/PAUSE key u

QLS-4100 X 62System BaselineThis function is used to synchronize printing when using multiple QLS-4100 Xprinters. If you are sending the same image fi

QLS-4100 X 63TTR / MediaPause: TTR/MediaStandard *TTR/Media allows to select printhead heat and history that has been tailored to aspecific media and

QLS-4100 X 64TTR DropThe QLS-4100 X is equipped with QuickLabel Systems’ patented RibbonRationtechnology. This feature automatically determines when

QLS-4100 X 655 OperationTo prepare the QLS-4100 X for printing, make sure that:• Power connection has been made• Communication connections have been m

QLS-4100 X 66Powering the Printer OnWhen you turn on your printer, it will execute an initialization procedure and self-test. During this process, the

QLS-4100 X 67When you download a label to a printer, the printer will begin printing the label aslong as the printer is in the READY state. You will n

QLS-4100 X 68Printer IndicatorsWhen power is on, the printer has four indicator lights that provide a visual cue tothe printer’s current state.Indicat

QLS-4100 X 69The following pages show a number of possible error messages that may be en-countered during operation. Instructions are provided on how

QLS-4100 X 71 Quick StartCongratulations ! You have purchased QuickLabel System’s best digital color la-bel printer - ever. The QLS-4100 X represe

QLS-4100 X 70Drive Roll UpWarningWhenever you are not using the printer, leave the the drive roll in the openposition. This will prevent flat areas fr

QLS-4100 X 71Printheads DisabledHd1 Hd2 Hd3 Hd4Deletes all labelsSELECT to confirm• Displayed after the self-test when the printer is powe

QLS-4100 X 72Color AlignmentColor alignment refers to the alignment of each color with respect to the othercolors:Print Line adjustment refers to the

QLS-4100 X 73You will also examine the block patterns to observe both the horizontal and verti-cal alignment. If any color appears horizontally misali

QLS-4100 X 74Print Line AdjustmentPrint Line Adjustments allow you to align the printing of each of the four printstations to obtain accurate color re

QLS-4100 X 75Printing will continue throughout the adjustment process until the printer is pausedor the operating state of the printer is changed. Th

QLS-4100 X 76Cross Web AdjustmentThe best method for evaluating web alignment is to examine the Proc. Block TestPattern. Lack of alignment in the test

QLS-4100 X 77Evaluating print qualityPress the PRINT / PAUSE key to put the printer into the pause mode.Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS key until the Test

QLS-4100 X 78Advancing the MediaThe FORM FEED/ADVANCE key can be used to advance the media by one fulllabel or tag length each time the key is pressed

QLS-4100 X 79Adjusting the Print SpeedWhen setting the print speed, you must consider the characteristics of the mediaand ribbon in use as well as the

QLS-4100 X 8QuickLabel Systems MediaYour QLS-4100 X has been designed to provide optimal print quality only whenused with Genuine QuickLabel Systems L

QLS-4100 X 80Enabling / Disabling RibbonRation™The QLS-4100 X RibbonRation™ feature can be enabled or disabled via the usercontrol panel of the printe

QLS-4100 X 81Printing LabelsTo print labels, you need to send a label from QuickLabel Systems’ ColorQuickLabel® 99 Pro software program, or from a 3rd

QLS-4100 X 82Printing Test PatternsThe QLS-4100 X is equipped with a number of built-in test patterns used for check-ing color alignment, print qualit

QLS-4100 X 836 Advanced AdjustmentsYour QLS-4100 X has been carefully set at the factory to print optimally using yourspecific type of media and rib

QLS-4100 X 84Printhead Tangency AlignmentThe proper alignment of the printhead over the platen roller produces optimumtransfer of ribbon to the media.

QLS-4100 X 85Printhead Angularity AdjustmentThe color registration is monitored on the right side of the label as it exits theprinter. The Test Print

QLS-4100 X 86Thermal Transfer Ribbon TensionThe QLS-4100 X features an automatic ribbon tensioning mechanism to ensureconsistent tension from a full t

QLS-4100 X 87Printhead LiftYour QLS-4100 X printhead is mounted to a center-pivoting shaft. This permitseven pressure to be applied by the printhead

QLS-4100 X 88Adjusting System BaselineThis function is used to synchronize printing when using multiple QLS-4100 Xprinters. If you are sending the sam

QLS-4100 X 897 Maintenance and RepairYour QLS-4100 X is designed for long-life and trouble-free operation. In order tokeep your printer operating a

QLS-4100 X 9Quick Start GuideIf you are an experienced user of a QuickLabel Systems Digital Color Printer oryou have attended QuickLabel Systems Colle

QLS-4100 X 90Recommended Tool ListThe following is a list of recommended tools for maintenance and repair of theQLS-4100 X.3/16” X 4” long Slotted Scr

QLS-4100 X 91Routine CleaningThe parts of each print station, especially those that come in direct contact withthe ribbon, will accumulate residue. To

QLS-4100 X 92After normal use or as a result of a failure, the printheads will eventually need tobe replaced.Some symptoms of printhead failure includ

QLS-4100 X 93891011Reconnect the three harness connectors to the replacement printhead.Position the printhead under the bracket and move the printhead

QLS-4100 X 94Platen ReplacementPlaten rollers are like tires on a car, in that they wear with use. After continuednormal use, it may be necessary to

QLS-4100 X 95Drive and Pressure Roll ReplacementAfter prolonged use, the drive roller or pressure roller may develop flat areas,which will impede cons

QLS-4100 X 96Loosen the set screw on the inner side of the drive roll and pull the roller to theoutside against the frame plate. This will reduce the

QLS-4100 X 97Changing the Fuse or Line VoltageYour QLS-4100 X has been configured for your line voltage at the factory. Shouldyou need to replace the

QLS-4100 X 98Firmware UpgradesFirmware is the internal operating system of the QLS-4100 X. Periodically, firm-ware upgrades are made available to add

QLS-4100 X 99Appendix APhysical Data