Calibrate a Zebra ZD220 or ZD230 with the FEED button
Calibration teaches the ZD220 or ZD230 where each label starts. Zebra calls the automatic routine SmartCal. On these printers you start it with the FEED button; there is no menu. It works the same on direct thermal and thermal transfer models.
You'll need
- The labels you want to print, loaded in the printer
- Ribbon loaded, if you print with ribbon (t models)
- A few labels to spare: calibration feeds some through
When to calibrate
- When you set up the printer for the first time.
- When you change to labels of a different size, brand or batch, or to a different media type.
- When labels skip, the print starts in the wrong place, or the STATUS light flashes red although labels are loaded.
- After a reset to factory defaults.
A new roll of the same labels doesn't need a full calibration. Load it, close the cover and press FEED once or twice to line up the labels.
Set the media sensor for your labels
The printer has two ways to find the start of a label. A sensor in the centre of the media path looks through the liner and sees the gaps between labels. It also handles continuous media. A movable sensor reads black marks, notches or holes on the back of the media.
- Labels with gaps, or continuous media: leave the movable sensor in the default centre position.
- Black marks or notches: slide the movable sensor so its arrow points at the middle of the mark. The sensor only moves between the centre and the left side of the media, so the marks must be within that half. Place it as far from the media edge as you can while the mark still covers the whole sensor window. Media can move about 1 mm sideways while printing, so leave some margin. Stay out of the centre area.
Load the labels and close the cover
Load the roll with the printable side facing up, push the labels under both media guides, and close the cover until it snaps shut. On t models, load the ribbon too. Full loading steps are in the ZD220/ZD230 setup guide.
Run SmartCal with the FEED button
- Switch the printer on and wait until the STATUS light is steady green.
- Press and hold FEED. After about two seconds the STATUS light flashes once. Keep holding.
- The light then flashes twice (a double flash). Release FEED straight after it. In total you see one flash, then two.
- The printer feeds a few labels while it measures them and adjusts its sensors. When the STATUS light is steady green again, calibration is done.
Important
Don't keep holding after the double flash. The next group is three flashes: releasing after it resets the printer to factory defaults instead. If you miss the moment, keep holding for at least two more seconds after the group of three, then release: the printer returns to normal without changing anything.
Video: Zebra Technologies
Video: Zebra Technologies
The videos show the ZD220. The ZD230 uses the same button sequence.
Check the result
Hold FEED until the light flashes once, then release. The printer prints a configuration report, which should start and stop cleanly on the labels. Then print a label from your software. The label size in the driver must match the roll: set it in Printing preferences on the Page Setup tab under Media Settings.
Labels still skip or print in the wrong place
| What you see | Try this |
|---|---|
| Every second label is blank, or print runs across gaps | Check the sensor position for your label type and calibrate again. Check the label height in the driver. |
| Labels with gaps behave like continuous media | Move the sensor back to the centre position and calibrate. Check that Media Type on the driver's Page Setup tab is set to labels with gaps. |
| STATUS flashes red with labels loaded | Check the sensor position, clean the sensors as the Zebra user guide describes, and calibrate. |
| Print start drifts from label to label | Clean the platen roller; a slipping or worn roller moves the labels unevenly. |
| One label missing in the middle of a roll | Pull the labels forward to the next label, close the cover and press FEED once, then once or twice more. |
Other light patterns are explained in ZD220/ZD230 lights and errors.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calibrate a Zebra ZD220?
With the STATUS light steady green, hold FEED. The light flashes once, then twice; release straight after the double flash. The printer feeds a few labels and is then calibrated.
Do I need to calibrate after every new roll?
No. A new roll of the same labels only needs one or two presses of FEED. Calibrate when you change the label size, brand, batch or type.
Why does my ZD230 print on every other label?
The printer has the wrong label length. Check the media sensor position, calibrate, and make sure the label size in the driver matches the roll.
What happens if I hold FEED too long?
After the single flash and the double flash comes a group of three flashes. Releasing after that group resets the printer to factory defaults. To cancel, keep holding for at least two more seconds after the group of three, then release.
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