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Troubleshooting
Printing Issues
148
P1066582-002 ZT400 Series™ User Guide 4/8/14
Printing Issues
Table 2 identifies possible issues with printing or print quality, the possible causes, and the
recommended solutions.
Table 2 • Printing Issues
Issue Possible Cause Recommended Solution
General print quality
issues
The printer is set at the
incorrect print speed.
For optimal print quality, set the print speed to
the lowest possible setting for your application
via control panel, the driver, or the software. You
may want to perform the FEED Self Test
on page 165 to determine the optimal settings for
your printer.
See Print Speed on page 67 for how to change
the print speed.
You are using an incorrect
combination of labels and
ribbon for your application.
1. Switch to a different type of media or ribbon
to try to find a compatible combination.
2. If necessary, consult your authorized Zebra
reseller or distributor for information and
advice.
The printer is set at an incorrect
darkness level.
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.
The printhead is dirty. Clean the printhead and platen roller. See Clean
the Printhead and Platen Roller on page 132.
Incorrect or uneven printhead
pressure.
Set the printhead pressure to the minimum
needed for good print quality. See Adjust the
Printhead Pressure on page 124.
Loss of printing
registration on labels.
Excessive vertical
drift in top-of-form
registration.
The platen roller is dirty. Clean the printhead and platen roller. See Clean
the Printhead and Platen Roller on page 132.
Media guides are positioned
improperly.
Ensure that the media guides are properly
positioned. See Load the Media on page 34.
The media type is set
incorrectly.
Set the printer for the correct media type
(gap/notch, continuous, or mark). See Media
Type on page 67.
The media is loaded incorrectly. Load media correctly. See Load the Media
on page 34.
Long tracks of
missing print on
several labels
Print element damaged. Call a service technician.
Wrinkled ribbon. See wrinkled ribbon causes and solutions in
Ribbon Problems on page 151.