AstroNova QuickLabel QL-850 User manual

USER GUIDE

QL-850 User Guide
Part Number 9006-0000006
Revision 1.0
10/2019
QuickLabel, An AstroNova™ Division
World Headquarters
600 East Greenwich Ave., West Warwick, RI 02893
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
www.QuickLabel.com
Technical Support
Tel: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
www.QuickLabel.com/support/

© 2019 AstroNova, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any
form by any means without written permission of QuickLabel.
Trademarks
QL-850® and CQL Pro® are registered trademarks of AstroNova, Inc.
Adobe®, Photoshop®, and Illustrator® are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Corel® is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation.
Microsoft® Windows® 7, Windows® 8, and Windows® 10 are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
Goo Gone® is a registered trademark of Weiman Products, LLC.
ICC Profile
ICC Profile Powered by X-Rite Incorporated

Obtaining Service
To obtain warranted service, please contact QuickLabel Technical Support through one of the
Factory Sales and Service Centers.
Contact Information
World Headquarters
600 East Greenwich Ave.
West Warwick, RI 02893 USA
Toll-Free: 877-757-7978 | Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.com
European Headquarters
Waldstrasse 70
63128 Dietzenbach | Germany
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.de
Canada
3505 Rue Isabelle
Suite O
Brossard, QC J4Y 2R2
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.ca
Latin America
Av Insurgentes Sur No 1602, 4º Piso
Suite 467
Col. Credito Constructor
Ciudad de Mexico CDMX 03940
Mexico
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.com/es
Denmark
Marielundvej 46A, 2.
2730 Herlev
Tel: [phone]
trojanlabel.com
France
Parc Euclide
ZA la Clef de St Pierre
10A Rue Blaise Pascal
78990 Elancourt
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.fr
United Kingdom
A5 Westacott Business Centre
Westacott Way, Maidenhead
Berkshire, SL6 3RT
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.co.uk

China
1F, Bldg2#,
458 North Fu Te Road,
Shanghai Waigaoqiao F.T.Z., 200131
Tel: [phone]
quicklabel.cn
Ownership Information
Congratulations and thank you for your business. Your purchase of a QuickLabel digital label
printer is an investment in production flexibility and packaging efficiency. Please record the
model number and serial number of your product.
FCC Part 15 Compliance
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protectionagainstinterferenceinaresidentialinstallation.Thisequipmentgenerates,uses,and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CAUTION: Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

RoHS2 Compliance
The QL-850 Label Printer does not contain the substances specified within ANNEX II of
“Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the
restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
(RoHS)”, that is, lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls
(PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) exceeding their specified maximum
concentration values tolerated by weight in homogeneous materials, except for the exemptions
set in ANNEX Ill of the Directive and its amendments.
This information is offered in good faith to the best of our knowledge, but is subject to revision
as new information becomes available.
WEEE Directive
European Union (and EEA) only.
These symbols indicate that this product is not to be disposed of with your household waste,
according to the WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC), the Battery Directive (2006/66/EC) and/or your
national laws implementing those Directives.
If a chemical symbol is printed beneath the symbol shown above, in accordance with the
Battery Directive, this indicates that a heavy metal (Hg = Mercury, Cd = Cadmium, Pb = Lead)
is present in this battery or accumulator at a concentration above an applicable threshold
specified in the Battery Directive.
This product should be handed over to a designated collection point, e.g., on an authorized
one-for-one basis when you buy a new similar product or to an authorized collection site for
recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and batteries and accumulators.
Improper handling of this type of waste could have a possible impact on the environment and
human health due to potentially hazardous substances that are generally associated with EEE.
Your cooperation in the correct disposal of this product will contribute to the effective usage of
natural resources.
For more information about the recycling of this product, please contact your local city office,
waste authority, approved scheme or your household waste disposal service.
(EEA: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)

WEEE Compliance - India only
This product is not to be disposed of with your household waste, according to the e-waste
(Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. This product should be handed over to a designated
collection point,e.g., toan authorized collection site for recycling wasteelectrical andelectronic
equipment (EEE). Improper handling of this type of waste could have a possible negative
impact on the environment and human health due to potentially hazardous substances that are
generally associated with EEE. At the same time, your cooperation in the correct disposal of
this product will contribute to the effective usage of natural resources. For more information
regarding return and recycling of WEEE products, please contact QuickLabel.
Also, this product complies with the “India E-waste Rule 2011” and prohibits use of lead,
mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers
in concentrations exceeding 0.1 % by weight and 0.01 % by weight for Cadmium, except for the
exemptions set in Schedule ll of the Rule.
Battery - For CA, USA only
Included battery contains Perchlorate Material ---- special handling may apply.
See http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate for details.

Declaration of Conformity
Declaration de Conformité
Ubereinstimmungserklärung
Dichiarazione di Conformità
ID DoC-QL-850
Manufacturer’s name and address
Nom et adresse du fabricant
Hersteller
Nome del costruttore
AstroNova, Inc.
600 East Greenwich Avenue
West Warwick, RI 02893 USA
Brand Name(s)
Nom(s) de marque(s)
Markenname(n)
Nome/i dei marchi
QuickLabel ®
Model No.
Modele No.
Model Nr.
Modello No.
QL-850, QL-850 w/ Rewinder
Description of Products
Description des produits
Produktbeschreibungen
Descrizione dei Prodotti
Color Label Printer
Standards to which conformity is declared
Standards auquel la conformité appartient
Normen für welche Übereinstimmung erklärt wird
Norme per le quali si dichiara la conformità
FCC 47CFR Part 15 Subpart B (3/2017)
IC ICES-003:2016 Ed.6
EN 55032 ED 2:2015
EN 55024:2010 + AMD1:2015
IEC 60950-1:2005 (Second Edition) + Am 1:2009 + Am 2:2013
EN 60950-1:2006/A11:2009/A1:2010/A12:2011/A2:2013
ANSI/UL 60950-1:2007 Ed.2 +R:14Oct2014
CSA C22.2#60950-1:2007 Ed.2+A1;A2
Application of Council Directives
Application des Decisions du Conseil
Anwendbar fur die Richtlinien
Applicazione delle Direttive del Comitato
2014/30/EU
2014/35/EU
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the equipment specified above conforms to the above Directive and Standard.
Je, Soussigné, déclare que l’équipment spécifié ci-dessus est en conformité avec la directive et le standard ci-dessus.
Ich, der unterzeichnende erkläre hiermit, daß das oben beschriebene Gerät den vorgenannten Richtlinien und Normen entspricht.
Il sottoscritto dichiara che l’apparecchio sopra specificato è conforme alle Direttive e Norme sopra specificate.
Steven Holbrook
Quality Assurance Manager
AstroNova, Inc.
CE Label First Affixed Date: 19 Date of issue: 9/30/2019
Place of issue: West Warwick, RI
European Contact: Your local AstroNova, Inc. Sales and Service Office.
FRANCE - Parc Euclide, ZA la Clef de St Pierre, 10A Rue Blaise Pascal 78990 Elancourt
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]
GERMANY - Waldstraße 70, D-63128 Dietzenbach
Tel. [phone], Fax: [phone]
UNITED KINGDOM - Westacott Way, Maidenhead Berkshire, SL6 3RT
Tel: [phone] • Fax: [phone]

QL-850 User Guide 9
Contents
Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Installation and Setup Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Unpacking the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Before Installing the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Powering On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Installing the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Using the After Shipping Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Loading and Unloading Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 2: QL-850 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Printer Part Names and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Operation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
LED Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Color Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Chapter 3: Designing and Printing Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Designing Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Setting up the Label Design Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Printing Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Estimating Ink Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 4: Printer Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Replacing Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Powering Up After Extended Downtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Upgrading the Print Module Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Chapter 5: Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Error 1001 - Paper Path Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Error 1002 - No Media at Pinch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Error 1003 - Unwind too Slow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Error 1004 - Unwind too Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Contents
QL-850 User Guide 10
Error 1005 - Out of Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Error 1006 - Cutter Jam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Error 1007 - Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Error 1008 - Continuous Media Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Error 1009 - Can't Calibrate Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Error 100A - Main Side Door Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Error 100B - Top Cover Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Error 100C - Maintenance Cartridge Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Error 100D - Transport not Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Error 100E - Belt Motor Stall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Error 100F - Pinch Motor Stall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Error 1010 - Can't Start Vacuum Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Error 1011 - Unwind Over Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Error 1012 - TOF Mark not Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Error 1013 - Internal Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Error 1014 - Internal Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Error 1015 - Internal Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Error 1016 - Can't Tighten Unwind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Error 1017 - Print Engine Start Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Error 1018 - Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Error 1019 - Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Error 101A - TOF Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Error 101D - Not Printing Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Error 1020 - Shared Memory Read Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Error 1021 - Shared Memory Write Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Error 1022 - Shared Memory Response Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Error 1023 - System Initialization Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Error 1024 - Unexpected Engine Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Error 1025 - Shutdown Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Error 1030 - Can't Erase EEPROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Error 1031 - Can't Program EEPROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Error 1032 - Invalid EEPROM Checksum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Error 1038 - Upgrade Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Error 1039 - Upgrade Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Error 103A - Upgrade Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Error 1040 - Failed to Read Job Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Error 1042 - Can't find Job Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Error 1043 - Can't find Job Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Error 1044 - Can't find Job Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Error 1045 - Can't find Job Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Error 1046 - Can't find Job Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Error 1050 - The Maint Cartridge is Full . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Error 1051 - Not ready to print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Error 2001 - Faulty Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Error 2002 - Incorrect Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Error 2003 - Printhead Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Error 2004 - Unlicensed Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Error 2005 - Unusable Printhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Error 2006 - Printhead Unprimed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Error 2007 - Maintenance Busy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Error 2008 - 1000 Series Error Occurred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Error 2009 - Maintenance Jam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Error 200A - Black Cartridge is Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Error 200B - Magenta Cartridge is Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Contents
QL-850 User Guide 11
Error 200C - Yellow Cartridge is Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Error 200D - Cyan Cartridge is Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Error 200E - Multiple Cartridges are Missing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Error 200F - Black Ink Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Error 2010 - Magenta Ink Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Error 2011 - Yellow Ink Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Error 2012 - Cyan Ink Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Error 2013 - Multiple Inks Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Error 2014 - Missed TOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Error 2015 - Page Sequence Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Error 2016 - Cartridge Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Error 2017 - Encoder Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Error 2100 - Unspecified Paper Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Error 3XXX - Software Communication Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Removing a Media Jam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Known Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Resolving Windows 7/8/10 USB Installation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Resolving USB Communication Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Identifying and Resolving Priming Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Addressing Data Starvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chapter 7: Rewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Before Installing the Rewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Installing the Rewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Installing the Rewinder when using the External Unwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Rewinding Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Chapter 8: External Unwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Before Installing the External Unwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Installing the External Unwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Unwinding Labels with the External Unwinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Chapter 9: Shipping and Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Shipping Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Storage Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Chapter 10: Safety Warnings and Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Power Supply and Power Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
General Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Moving the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Ink Cartridge and the Maintenance Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Chapter 11: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Label Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

QL-850 User Guide 12
1
Getting Started
Installation and Setup Overview
Refer to the installation and setup summary for an outline of the required steps.
1. Unpack the printer. See “Unpacking the Printer” on page 12.
2. Ensure all parts are included. See “Checking the Included Parts” on page 14.
3. Before installing the printer, select an appropriate location and ensure system
requirements are met.
•See “Choosing an Installation Location” on page 15.
•See “Installation Precautions” on page 16.
•See “System Requirements” on page 16.
4. Connect the power cable to the printer. Switch the printer power on. See “Powering On”
on page 16.
5. Install the printer driver.
•See “Installing the Printer Driver (USB)” on page 17.
•See “Installing the Printer Driver (Network)” on page 18.
6. Use the After Shipping wizard in the QL-850 Maintenance Utility. See “Using the After
Shipping Wizard” on page 19. This wizard will guide you through the following actions.
• Foam support block removal - See “Preparing the Maintenance Roller” on page 20.
• Ink cartridge installation - See “Installing Ink Cartridges” on page 21.
• Printhead installation - See “Installing the Printhead” on page 22.
7. Load media. See “Loading Media” on page 25.
Unpacking the Printer
The printer is secured using packing tape and cushioning materials to protect it against
vibrations and shock during transportation. Use the following procedure to unpack the printer.
Keep the packing materials for future transportation.
Note: If you open the top cover of the printer, you will see a foam block installed over the
maintenance roller. You will remove this block later when using the After Shipping Wizard to
prepare the maintenance roller, install ink cartridges, and install the printhead. See “Using the
After Shipping Wizard” on page 19.
1. Remove the packing straps from the shipping carton. Cut the tape securing the top of the
carton. Then open the top of the carton.
2. Remove the accessory box and packing materials from the shipping carton.
3. Lift the shipping carton off the printer and shipping pallet.

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QL-850 User Guide 13
4. With help from another person, lift the printer off the shipping pallet.
Caution: The printer is heavy and moving it requires two people. One person should lift
the front by the indicated lift point, while the other person should lift the back by the
indicated lift point. Do not lift the printer by the mandrel. Lift the front of the printer by the
recessed handle. Lift the rear of the printer by the flat area of the plastic frame above the
mandrel. Keep the printer level while lifting it.
5. Place the printer on a sturdy, flat horizontal surface that can support at least 100 pounds
(45.4 kilograms).
6. Remove all packing tape from the printer exterior. This tape is used to secure the doors
and covers in place.
There is also tape holding the maintenance cartridge in place. Open the main side door
and lower side door to access and remove this tape.
7. With the main side door open, remove the yellow transport unit shipping lock by rotating
it counterclockwise approximately 45 degrees, aligning it, and then pulling it straight out.
Save the lock for future shipping purposes.
Note: The printer will function with the transport shipping lock installed. However, the
transport unit cannot be removed while the lock is in place.

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QL-850 User Guide 14
8. Grasp the transport unit handle and pull the transport unit straight out of the printer.
An absorbent pad is positioned above the transport unit for shipping. Remove this pad.
9. Reinstall the transport unit. Ensure it is fully inserted in the printer.
10. Close the main side door but leave the lower side door open.
11. Grasp the maintenance cartridge and pull it straight out of the printer. Then reinstall the
maintenance cartridge. Ensure it is fully inserted in the printer.
12. Close the lower side door.
Checking the Included Parts
Check to make sure the following items are included with the printer.
• Power cable
• USB cable (do not connect until prompted during driver installation)
• Printhead
• Four ink cartridges (one for each color)

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QL-850 User Guide 15
Before Installing the Printer
Choosing an Installation Location
The installation environment must be as described in this section.
• The printer power cord must be able to connect to an outlet (100V - 240V AC). This outlet
must be easily accessible.
• Avoid installing the printer near a faucet, water heater, humidifier, or refrigerator.
• Ensure the environment temperature is within 41 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 35
degrees Celsius). For optimal print quality, anenvironment temperature of approximately
73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) is recommended.
• Ensure the environment humidity is within 20% to 80% (non-condensing) relative
humidity. For optimal print quality, a relative humidity of approximately 60% is recom-
mended.
• Avoid placing the printer in areas exposed to high temperature and humidity, extremely
low temperature, severe temperature changes, or direct sunlight. Especially, avoid
placing the printer near fire, outdoors, in distribution warehouses, or in refrigerated areas.
• Avoid installing the printer in areas subject to dust.
• The room must be properly ventilated.
• No printer feet should float. The printer must be held level constantly.
• When placing the printer on a desk, table, or other similar surface, it must be sturdy and
stable enough to support the weight of the printer. The table must be rated for a minimum
of 100 pounds.
• The minimum space required for installation and maintenance is shown below.
8 inches
203 mm
15 inches
381 mm
17.75 inches
451 mm
8 inches
203 mm

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QL-850 User Guide 16
Installation Precautions
When installing the printer, observe the following precautions.
• Imaging faults can result from dew condensation that occurs when the printer is moved
from a cold place to a warm place. Leave the unpacked printer as is for at least two hours
before installing it.
• The printer is heavy and moving it requires two people. One person should lift the front
by the indicated lift point, while the other person should lift the back by the indicated lift
point. Do not lift the printer by the mandrel. Lift the front of the printer by the recessed
handle. Lift the rear of the printer by the flat area of the plastic frame above the mandrel.
Keep the printer level while lifting it.
• Theprinterhasrubberfeetthat helpsecuretheprinterandpreventaccidentalmovement.
When moving the printer on the installation surface, apply slight upward lifting pressure.
Dragging the printer may result in damage to the rubber feet.
System Requirements
• Windows® 10/8/7
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
• 350 MB free hard drive space
• Internet connection for software download
• One available USB 2.0 port for USB installation ornetwork connectivity for network instal-
lation
Powering On
1. Connectthepower cableto theprinterpower inlet[1]. Connecttheother endof thepower
cable to the power source. Then turn on the power via the power inlet switch [2].
[1]
[2]
[3]

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QL-850 User Guide 17
2. Press and hold the power key [3] for one second to turn the printer on.
The printer will begin the power-up process, including opening the printhead latch, and
the green LED will flash momentarily. When the green LED stops flashing and remains
on, the printer will be ready to use.
Note: The red error LED will be on until you use the After Shipping wizard later in this
guide.
Note: If the printer is on, you can press and hold the power key [3] for three seconds to
turn it off.
Installing the Printer Driver
Installing the Printer Driver (USB)
1. Ensure the QL-850 is powered on but not connected to your PC via the USB cable.
Important: Do not connect the USB cable until prompted later in this procedure.
2. Power on your PC and download the QL-850 installer program from
www.QuickLabel.com/downloads. Run the “Setup.exe” file. The Installer wizard will
open. Choose Install Driver.
3. Choose Install Printer Software. The software installation wizard will start.
Note: If the Windows logo testing or publisher verification warning messages appear
during installation, choose to continue the installation.
4. When prompted to select a printer connection method, choose Configure to print using
USB. Then choose Next.
Note: A USB configuration is required for the initial installation. You can later install the
printer as a network printer.
5. When prompted, connect the QL-850 to your PC with a USB cable. The installation will
continue once the USB connection is made.
6. When prompted, select whether the QL-850 will be set as the default printer.
7. Choose Finish.

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QL-850 User Guide 18
Installing the Printer Driver (Network)
Use the following instructions to install the printer via a network connection.
Fordetailed information aboutthetopicof networking, refer todocumentation applicable toyour
network environment and/or contact your network administrator.
1. Ensure the QL-850 is powered on and connected to the network via a LAN cable.
2. Power on your PC and download the QL-850 installer program from
www.QuickLabel.com/downloads. Run the “Setup.exe” file. The Installer wizard will
open. Choose Install Driver.
3. Choose Install Printer Software. The software installation wizard will start.
Note: If the Windows logo testing or publisher verification warning messages appear
during installation, choose to continue the installation.
4. When prompted to select a printer connection method, choose Configure to print over
the network. Then choose Next.
5. When prompted, view the list of printers discovered on your network.
• If your QL-850 printer is on the list, select it.
• If your QL-850 printer is not on the list, choose Other Printer. You can search for
the printer by entering its IP address. See “Changing Printer Networking Settings”
on page 18. When the printer is found, select it.
With your QL-850 printer selected, choose Next.
6. When prompted, select whether the QL-850 will be set as the default printer.
7. Choose Finish.
Changing Printer Networking Settings
You can view and change printer networking settings with the QL-850 Toolbox application. This
application is available in the following situations:
• Your PC is connected to the printer via USB and the driver software has been installed
for USB printing.

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QL-850 User Guide 19
• Your PC is connected to the printer via the network and the driver software has been
installed for network printing.
The QL-850 Toolbox application allows you to enable/disable DHCP and change the IP
address of the printer.
Note: Some QL-850 Toolbox features are not supported. Use only the features described in
this procedure.
1. Open the QL-850 Toolbox application from a PC connected to the printer via USB.
From the Windows Start Menu, choose Start > All Programs > QuickLabel QL-850 >
Toolbox.
A web browser will open and display the QL-850 Toolbox application.
2. Choose the Diagnostics link to display the Diagnostics information.
The IP address for the printer is displayed on this page. Note the IP address for reference
purposes.
3. If the IP address does not appear, or you would like to change the IP address, choose
the Network Config link. Network configuration information will be displayed.
• If you would like to automatically assign a new IP address based on DHCP, select
the dhcp and autoip options. Then choose Submit.
• If you would like to assign a specific IP address, ensure the dhcp and autoip
options are not checked. Enter the new IP address in the ip_address field and
choose Submit.
4. Choose the Diagnostics link to return to the Diagnostics information. Confirm the
network settings before exiting the application.
Close the web browser to exit the QL-850 Toolbox application.
Using the After Shipping Wizard
After installing the driver, the QL-850 Maintenance Utility will be available for use. You will use
the After Shipping wizard in this utility to prepare the maintenance roller, install ink cartridges,
and install the printhead.
1. Launch the QL-850 Maintenance Utility.
From the Windows Start Menu, choose Start > All Programs > QuickLabel QL-850 >
QL-850 Maintenance Utility. A language and printer prompt will open.
Select a display language and the QL-850 printer you want to connect to. Choose OK.
2. Choose the Cleaning tab.
3. Choose After Shipping. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete this procedure.
This wizard will guide you through the following actions.
• Preparing the Maintenance Roller - See “Preparing the Maintenance Roller” on
page 20.
• Installing Ink Cartridges - See “Installing Ink Cartridges” on page 21.
• Installing the Printhead - See “Installing the Printhead” on page 22.

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QL-850 User Guide 20
Preparing the Maintenance Roller
A foam block is installed over the maintenance roller to protect it during shipping. Use the
following instructions to remove this foam block.
1. Open the top cover and remove the cinch strap [1].
2. Remove the foam support block [2] from the printer. Use caution when removing the
block to avoid dislodging the maintenance roller assembly.
Save the foam support block and strap for future shipping purposes.
3. Verify that the maintenance roller assembly is level and installed properly. Make sure
both ends of the roller are snapped into place.
[1]
[2]