Zebra 2824 and 2844 Thermal Tag Printers Previous   Top   Next   

(Thermal printing is available in BCSS Diamond and Virtual.)

About the Printer | Printer Installation | Print with BCSS | Thermal Labels | Troubleshooting | Zebra Support

The Zebra 2824 Thermal Printer was recently configured for BCSS to accommodate the number of Consignpro users converting to BCSS. Otherwise, we recommend the Zebra LP 2844 with its 4"-wide capacity which provides much more label flexibility. The 2824 prints on 2"-wide labels.

BCSS now supports Zebra TLP printers.

Printer Reset When the Zebra 'acts up', try this: Turn the printer off. Hold the feed button down and turn it back on. When printing starts, release the feed button. When printing stops, press the feed button several times to dump the print queue. Another way to do this is to turn the printer off. Go to Control Panel then Printers. Click on the Zebra listing then click on Printer and select 'Clear All Documents. Restart the print and attempt to print again.

The Zebra Direct Thermal LP 2844 Label Printer

Direct Thermal Printers use a thermal print head that applies heat to a chemically-treated paper, creating lines, text and graphics. The labels are up to 4" wide with 4 pips and 203 dpi.

The disadvantages of thermal labels are that they fade with age and will turn black if exposed to heat or strong sunlight (not a concern to most consignment stores), and the print head must also be replaced periodically.

In BCSS the Zebra is used to print price tag labels which may be printed a few at a time as needed, so labels are not wasted.

Outdated thermal labels use 'notches' to advance labels through the printer. There are only 500 sets of two tags on these older 2-across rolls. Tags are wasted because a minimum of 2 tags must be printed each time.

The new Horizontal Tags are cost and time efficient. They have 1300 1" x 4" labels on a roll. The printer is forced to print before moving forward, so there is no waste.

Zebra USB Installation

Please read these instructions carefully before attempting to install or connect the printer to the computer.

  1. Remove the Zebra printer and power supply from the box.
  2. Connect the power supply and a USB cable to the printer.
  3. Turn the printer ON.
  4. Put the Installation CD into the CD-ROM or CD-RW drive.
  5. Connect the printer to the computer with the USB cable.
  6. The New Hardware Wizard will appear on screen. (Sometimes a screen will appear asking if you want Windows to connect to the Internet. Click NO then click Next.)
  7. Accept the default on the following screen and click Next.
  8. The Wizard will locate and install the printer driver.
  9. The Hardware Installation dialog box will appear.
  10. Click 'Continue Anyway' to complete the driver install.
  11. Click Finish on the next screen.
  12. A popup will appear stating the new hardware has been installed and is ready to use.

Follow the instructions immediately below for configuring the printer with BCSS.

Configuring the Zebra with BCSS

By default the 2844 is in 'page mode' which is correct for the new FoxPro version of BCSS. Please make sure the 2844 is not in 'line mode'.

  1. Turn the printer off.
  2. Hold down the feed button.
  3. Turn the printer on.
  4. When the indicator light flashes, release the feed button.
  5. The printer advances several labels and prints a status page.
  6. Check the 3rd line of the printout to see which mode is active.
  7. Press the feed button to exit dump mode and return to normal operation.

Also, check the spelling of the printer name in Control Panel/Printers. The name of the Zebra listing must be exactly Zebra  LP2844 (or 2824) (with 2 spaces between 'Zebra' and 'LP') . If the CD provided with the printer is used for installation, this spelling should be correct.

Bar codes may be turned off for (not printed on) labels (In Program Setup, Printers, uncheck 'Check this box to include bar codes on appropriate price tag widths').

Thermal Printer Setup in BCSS

On the Main Menu, select File (then Program Setup):

Select Printers:

Select the Zebra LP2844 (or 2824) from the drop-down menu to the right of 'Print Thermal Price Labels (Print Price Tags in older versions of BCSS). If the printer isn't listed, the printer or printer driver may need to be installed. (Get Zebra Printer Drivers.)

Check which size label will be used.

Click OK to save changes and exit setup.

These are Label Printing Options using BCSS and the Zebra printer. Make these selections in Program Setup, Printers:

Power off the printer now and then to refresh.

Printing Labels with the Zebra Printer

Tags for the 2844

Please see Thermal Labels.

Troubleshooting

Labels Don't Appear in the Print Preview

  1. Go to File, Program Setup, General tab. Uncheck 'Print Preview Off' and 'Automatic Lists Off' then click Save/Exit.
  2. Go to Labels, Inventory. If 'Quantity Greater Than 0' is checked, items with quantity = 0 will not appear in the label print preview. If labels are to be printed for items with quantity of 0, uncheck this option.
  3. At the lower left of the Inventory Labels Screen, check 'Label Quantity = Item Quantity" if a label is to be printed for each of several of the same item(s).
  4. At the bottom of the Inventory Labels Screen, 'Zebra Thermal Printer' must be selected.
  5. Press the 'Print Price Labels' button (not 'Select Labels to Print').

Prices Don't Appear on the Label

If the Discount Schedule is being printed on the price label, it is because 'Show discount price schedule on pricing labels' in selected in Program Setup, Inventory. The first price in the Discount Schedule is the Current Price.

There isn't enough space to print both price (only) and the discount schedule on the same line. To show price only, uncheck the option to print the Discount Schedule.

Printer Doesn't Work

By default the 2844 is in 'page mode' which is correct for the new FoxPro version of BCSS. Please make sure the 2844 is not in 'line mode'.

  1. Turn the printer off.
  2. Hold down the feed button.
  3. Turn the printer on.
  4. When the indicator light flashes, release the feed button.
  5. The printer advances several labels and prints a status page.
  6. Check the 3rd line of the printout to see which mode is active.
  7. Press the feed button to exit dump mode and return to normal operation.

Also, check the spelling of the printer name in Control Panel/Printers. The name of the Zebra listing must be exactly Zebra  LP2844 (or 2824) (with 2 spaces between 'Zebra' and 'LP') . If the CD provided with the printer is used for installation, this spelling should be correct.

If the printer doesn't print after it has been plugged in, connected to the computer, and has paper loaded, please go to Start, Control Panel, Printers to see if the printer is listed. If not please follow these steps to install the printer driver:

  1. Be sure the printer is connected to the PC with a functional cord, is online and has paper.
  2. Verify the port setting: Go to Start, Control Panel, Printers and right click on the printer. Click on the Ports Tab and verify that the ESD or USB port is selected.
  3. Click on this link to download the printer driver: http://www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/drivers_downloads/drivers.html?printerid=62.
  4. The procedure that ensues may differ from driver to driver but basically after the download is finished:
  5. Opt to unzip the downloaded file.
  6. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
  7. During the installation, select the correct model number and select a USB port for printer connection to the PC.
  8. On the final installation screen, leave the check in the box for 'Launch installation of Zebra Font Downloader Setup Wizard'.
  9. When 'Finish' is pressed, the driver files will be installed.
  10. Run the Font Loader installer.
  11. Confirm that the printer installed by going to the Control Panel and clicking on Printers.
  12. Open BCSS.
  13. Click on File on the Main Menu (then Program Setup):

    Click on Printers:

  14. Select the Zebra 2844 or 2824 (LP or TLP) from the drop-down menu. If the printer isn't listed, the printer or printer driver may need to be installed. (Zebra Printer Drivers)

    For the 2844, check if 2-across labels will be printed. Bar codes cannot be printed on these narrow labels. Bar codes can be printed on labels that are 2" to 4" wide.

    Check which size label will be used.

  15. Click OK to save changes and exit setup.

User Hint: Power off the printer now and then to refresh.

Manufacturer's Promotion



  

The Direct Thermal LP 2844 Label Printer has a 4" carriage and can feed labels in 3 different ways, so old and new labels can be used.

The LP 2844 integrates easily into a variety of printing applications, including shipping, receiving and inventory control.

The printer can be connected via serial, parallel, USB (preferred) and has an optional Ethernet ZebraNet PrintServer for easy network connection.

The 2844 is available from BCSS and includes an installation CD and cable.

Labels

Users Guide

Online Tech Support

Zebra Printer Drivers

Zebra Customer Support:

Direct Email Contact: ipccTechSupport@zebra.com

United States and Canada, +1 847 634 6700 or +1 866 230 9494

Europe, call the US at +001 847 634 6700

Asia Pacific, +65 6858 0722

Latin America, +1 847 634 6700


If you did not purchase telephone support, please email support for help. (Add the domain name mm.st to your email program's Approved Senders List or White List to lessen the chance that spam filters will block our emails to you. Instructions)