Brother PT 1950 - P-Touch 1950 B/W Thermal Transfer... User manual

1950
• Read this User’s Guide before you start using your P-touch.
• Keep this User’s Guide in a handy place for future reference.
USER’S GUIDE
www.P-touch.com

INTRODUCTION
Declaration of Conformity
Thank you for purchasing the P-touch 1950!
Your new P-touch will allow you to create labels for any need. Its versatility enables you to
design custom labels by choosing from a variety of frame designs and from many characters
sizes and styles. In addition, the four tape widths (6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm and 18 mm) and
variety of tape colours allow you to print personalised labels, useful for colour-coded filing.
You no longer have to worry about urgent tasks that require professional printing. In the office,
the factory, the lab and the home, the quality and performance of the P-touch 1950 makes it
an extremely practical machine.
Finally, as you may want to refer to this User’s Guide occasionally, we suggest that you keep it
in a handy place.
Use only the adaptor designed exclusively for this machine. See
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
on page 3.
We BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
15-1, Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 487-8561, Japan
declare that the Labelling System PT-1950 conforms with the following normative
documents:
EMC: EN 55022: 1998 Class B
EN 55024: 1998
EN 61000-3-3: 1995
and follows the provisions of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 89/336/EEC (as
amended by 91/263/EEC and 92/31/EEC). The AC adapter also conforms with EN 60950
and follows the provisions of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.
Issued by: BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
P & H company
Development DIV.
IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines, Inc.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, USA.
The names of other software or products used in this document are trademarks or registered
trademarks of the respective companies that developed them.

I
CONTENTS
Getting Started
GENERAL DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................1
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS...................................................................................3
BATTERIES ..........................................................................................................3
AC ADAPTOR ..................................................................................................... 4
TAPE CASSETTE ..................................................................................................5
ATTACHING LABELS ..........................................................................................6
PRINT HEAD & ROLLERS.................................................................................... 7
USING WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER ...........................................................8
For Your Information
POWER KEY......................................................................................................10
CURSOR KEYS ..................................................................................................10
NAVIGATION DIAL .......................................................................................... 12
CODE, ALT & SHIFT KEYS ................................................................................12
SPACE KEY ........................................................................................................ 15
RETURN KEY..................................................................................................... 15
TAB FUNCTION ...............................................................................................16
DELETE KEY ......................................................................................................18
LINE OUT FUNCTION......................................................................................19
CLEAR FUNCTION ...........................................................................................20
COMPOSITE CHARACTER KEYS.......................................................................22
ACCENT FUNCTION ........................................................................................23
SYMBOL FUNCTION........................................................................................25
AUTO FORMAT FUNCTION ............................................................................26
FONT FUNCTION ............................................................................................28
SIZE & WIDE FUNCTIONS................................................................................ 29
STYLE FUNCTION ............................................................................................32
UNDERLINE FUNCTION ..................................................................................34
FRAME FUNCTION........................................................................................... 35
TAPE MARGIN FUNCTION ..............................................................................37
HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT FUNCTION .........................................................38
MIRROR PRINTING FUNCTION....................................................................... 39

II
LENGTH FUNCTION ........................................................................................ 41
AUTO CUT FUNCTION.................................................................................... 42
PRINT KEY ........................................................................................................43
FEED & CUT FUNCTION .................................................................................. 43
NUMBERING FUNCTION ................................................................................44
REPEAT PRINTING FUNCTION ........................................................................46
CURRENCY CONVERSION FUNCTION ........................................................... 47
MEMORY FUNCTIONS..................................................................................... 49
TROUBLESHOOTING....................................................................................... 54
ERROR MESSAGE LIST ...................................................................................... 55
SPECIFICATIONS ..............................................................................................58
ACCESSORIES ...................................................................................................59
INDEX ............................................................................................................... 62

1
TOP VIEW
BOTTOM VIEW
Getting Started
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Tape compartment
cover
LCD display
Keyboard
AC adaptor
connector
Navigation dial
USB port
Tape exit slot
Battery compartment cover

2
KEYBOARD & LCD DISPLAY
W E
R
T
Z
UI P
A
Alt
DFGHJ K L
Y
XC V BN
M
%
=
O
&
/
(
(
134567890
à
å
œ
æ
o
éè ìòù
a£
ñ
O
Code Space
2
@
S
ç
u
ˆ
´
´
.
ø
"
Power keyReturn key
Cursor keys
Delete key

3
● Use only Brother TZ tapes with this machine. Do not use tapes that do not have the
mark.
●
Do not pull on the tape being fed from the P-touch. This may damage the tape cassette.
●
Do not use the machine in dusty places, and keep it out of both direct sunlight and rain.
●
Do not expose the machine to high temperatures or high humidity. Never leave it on the
dashboard or in the back of your car.
●
Do not leave any rubber or vinyl on the machine for an extended period of time. Doing
so may cause staining.
●
Do not clean the machine with alcohol or other organic solvents. Use a soft, dry cloth
only.
●
Do not put any foreign objects into or anything on the machine.
● To avoid injuries, do not touch the cutter’s edge.
●
Use only the AC adaptor (model H/H1) designed exclusively for this machine. Use of
any other adaptor may void the warranty.
●
Do not try to disassemble the AC adaptor.
●
When the machine is not being used for a long period of time and it is not necessary to
keep the text files stored in the memory, disconnect the AC adaptor, and remove the bat-
teries to prevent them from leaking and damaging the machine.
●
When the AC adaptor is connected, unplugging the adaptor from the electrical outlet
before unplugging it from the machine can delete all text files in the memory, even if bat-
teries are installed.
• Use six AA alkaline batteries in this machine.
This portable machine can be used anywhere by installing six (6) AA alkaline batteries . When
you change the batteries, always replace all six at the same time.
To change the batteries:
1 Remove the battery compartment cover on the back of the machine.
2 If batteries are already installed, remove them.
3 Insert six new AA alkaline batteries, making sure that their poles point in the correct
direction.
4 Attach the battery compartment cover.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
BATTERIES

4
☞
Be sure to insert the new batteries within five minutes of removing the old ones,
otherwise the text shown in the display and any text files stored in the memory will
be lost (unless the machine is plugged into an AC outlet with the AC adaptor).
Remove the batteries and disconnect the AC adaptor if you do not intend to use this
machine for an extended period of time. When the power is disconnected, all text
shown in the display and stored in the memory will be lost.
If the batteries are not installed with their positive and negative poles pointing in
the correct direction, the batteries may leak, overheat or explode, or the print head
may overheat.
The AC adaptor (model H/H1) allows you to use this machine wherever there is an electrical
outlet.
To connect the AC adaptor:
1 Insert the plug on the adaptor cord into the connector marked DC IN 9.5V on the right
side of the machine.
2 Insert the plug on the adaptor into the nearest standard electrical outlet.
☞
Only use the AC adaptor designed exclusively for this machine.
Remove the batteries and disconnect the AC adaptor if you do not intend to use this
machine for an extended period of time. When the power is disconnected, all text
shown in the display and stored in the memory will be lost.
When the AC adaptor is connected, unplugging the adaptor from the electrical out-
let before unplugging it from the machine can delete all text files in the memory,
even if batteries are installed.
AC ADAPTOR

5
TZ tape cassettes are available for this machine in a wide variety of colours and sizes. It is pos-
sible to make distinctive colour-coded and stylised labels.
In addition, this machine has been designed to allow you to change the tape cassettes quickly
and easily.
To change the tape cassette:
1 Lift open the tape compartment cover. The installed cassette is also released.
2 If a tape cassette is already installed, remove it by pulling it straight up.
3 If the ink ribbon in the tape cassette to be installed is loose, use your finger to wind the
toothed wheel in the direction of the arrow on the cassette until there is no slack in the
ribbon.
Also, make sure that the end of the tape feeds under the tape guides.
☞
If you are using a new tape cassette provided with a stopper, be sure to remove the
stopper.
4 Insert the tape cassette firmly into the tape compartment, making sure that the entire back
of the cassette touches the bottom of the compartment.
☞
When inserting the tape cassette, make sure that the inner ribbon does not catch on
the corner of the metal guide.
5 Close the compartment cover, then turn on the machine if it is off.
6 Hold down c and press _ once to advance the tape and remove any slack.
☞ This machine does not support stamp tapes (SK-MB/SH-MB).
TAPE CASSETTE

6
LAMINATED TAPE
The enclosed stick enables you to easily remove the backing from labels printed on laminated
tapes.
1 Hold the tape in your left hand, with the printed surface facing up, and hold the stick in
your right hand.
2 Pass the tape halfway through the long narrow hole in the stick.
3 Turn the stick three-quarters of a turn towards you and pull the stick away from you as
shown below.
4 Peel off the label backing.
Some tapes can be folded in half so that the inside edges of the two backing pieces come off
the label, enabling the backing to be peeled off easily.
FABRIC TAPE
Fabric tape is used to attach a piece of fabric printed with your text onto garments using an
iron. After printing the text onto fabric tape and cutting off the label using scissors, place the
label on an ironed garment at the location where you wish to attach it in such a way that the
printed text can be read correctly. Cover the label with another piece of cloth and use an iron
set to a medium-high temperature (160 to 180 °C) to press down firmly for 15 to 30 seconds.
For more details, refer to the instructions included with the fabric tape cassette.
ATTACHING LABELS
GH
ABCDEF
ABCDEF

7
Occasionally, specks of dust or dirt become attached to the machine’s print head and rollers.
This is particularly likely when you are using the unit outdoors or in a very dusty environment.
If a section of the print head is covered with dust, a blank horizontal streak may appear
through the label text. Therefore, as with a tape recorder, the machine’s print head may need
to be cleaned from time to time.
To clean the print head and rollers:
1Turn off the machine. Remove the batteries and disconnect the AC adaptor.
2Open the tape compartment cover, then remove the tape cassette if one is installed. The
print head and rollers are located in the tape compartment.
3Print head: Use a dry cotton swab to gently wipe the print head with an up-and-down
motion.
Rollers: Use a dry cotton swab to wipe each roller with an up-and-down motion while
rotating them with your finger.
4Install a tape cassette, close the tape compartment cover, and then try printing again.
5If a blank streak still appears in the label, repeat steps 1to 4.
If none of the above works, contact your service representative.
☞The print head can be cleaned more easily if the optional print head cleaning cassette
(TZ-CL4) is used.
PRINT HEAD & ROLLERS
Print head
Print head
Print head Rollers
Cotton swab

8
By installing the P-touch Editor, Quick Editor and Printer driver, you can easily print labels
from your personal computer. Various auto format templates are available in the software
for easy label making.
What to prepare :
Procedure :
NOTE :
• Do not connect the USB interface cable to a personal computer until the software has
been installed.
• Be sure to refer to the “Software Installation Guide” to install the software properly.
USING WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER
■CD-ROM
The CD-ROM contains soft-
ware, etc., to install on a
personal computer.
■Software Installation Guide
Keep for future reference.
■USB interface cable
Use this cable to connect
the PT-1950 to the USB port
of a personal computer.
1Start the personal computer, and then insert the CD-ROM into the CD-
ROM drive.
2Install the software by following the instructions that appear on PC dis-
play. Refer to “Software Installation Guide” for detail.
3When P-touch Editor and P-touch Quick Editor is installed, connect the
P-touch to your personal computer by using the USB cable and then
turn on the P-touch.
4The Printer Driver will be installed automatically after you have con-
nected the P-touch to your personal computer.

9
Notes on using with a personal computer
●When connected to the personal computer, the machine will automatically turn off if no
operation is performed within 60 minutes.
●The label length can be set up to 310 mm long.
About CHAIN print mode :
When printing labels continuously, you can reduce the margin size by selecting the “Chain
Printing” option on the computer. The Auto cut function will be off in Chain printing, so you
will need to press c+ _when finally cutting the tape.
☞Please use scissors to cut off Fabric Tapes or Strong Adhesive Tapes.
System Requirements :
Check that your system configuration meets the following requirements.
●Operating system : Pre-installed with Microsoft®Windows®98, 98SE, Me, 2000 Pro,
XP Pro or XP Home
●Memory : 64MB or more
●Hard disk free space: 50MB or more
●Interface : USB 1.1 or later specification
●Monitor : 800 x 600 dot (SVGA / Higher colour or higher graphics card)
●Other : CD-ROM drive for installation

10
The power key ( o ) is located in the lower-right corner of the keyboard. If batteries have
been installed or the machine has been plugged in using the AC adaptor, the previous session’s
information is displayed when the machine is turned on.
The machine will automatically turn off if no operation is performed within the selected time.
See below chart for detail.
To turn on the machine:
●Press o. The previous session’s information appears in the LCD display.
To turn off the machine:
●Press o. The current session’s information is stored in the internal memory.
The machine’s LCD display shows two rows of 9 characters; however, the text that you create
can be up to 99 characters long. You can review and edit your text by using the cursor keys to
move the cursor so that different parts are shown in the display.
LEFT CURSOR KEY
To move the cursor one character to the left:
●Press fonce.
☞If this key is pressed when the cursor is at the beginning of a line following another
line, the cursor moves to the end of the previous line.
To move the cursor several characters to the left:
●Hold down funtil the cursor moves to the desired position.
To move the cursor to the beginning of the current line:
●Hold down cand press f.
Power Supply Non-PC use PC use
Six AA batteries 5 minutes 60 minutes
AC adaptor 5 minutes 60 minutes
For Your Information
POWER KEY
CURSOR KEYS

11
RIGHT CURSOR KEY
To move the cursor one character to the right:
●Press wonce.
☞If this key is pressed when the cursor is at the end of a line followed by another
line, the cursor moves to the beginning of the next line.
To move the cursor several characters to the right:
●Hold down wuntil the cursor moves to the desired position.
To move the cursor to the end of the current line:
●Hold down cand press w.
UP CURSOR KEY
To move the cursor up to the previous line:
●Press honce.
☞If the cursor is in the first line of text, it will move to the beginning of the line.
To move the cursor up several lines:
●Hold down huntil the cursor moves to the desired line.
To move the cursor to the beginning of the entire text:
●Hold down cand press h.
DOWN CURSOR KEY
To move the cursor down to the following line:
●Press eonce.
☞If the cursor is in the last line of text, it will move to the end of the line.
To move the cursor down several lines:
●Hold down euntil the cursor moves to the desired line.
To move the cursor to the end of the entire text:
●Hold down cand press e.

12
The navigation dial in the upper-right corner of the keyboard provides a quick way to access
many of the P-touch functions and to select from the various settings. Refer to the description
of each function for a detailed explanation on how to use the navigation dial.
To select a function or setting:
●Rotate +either clockwise or counterclockwise until the desired function or setting is
displayed.
☞To return to the text without making a selection, press *.
To apply the selection:
●Press +. If a function was selected, the current setting is displayed. If a setting was
selected, it is applied to the text.
Most characters can be entered simply by pressing their keys. However, to use special func-
tions or to enter uppercase letters, accented characters and some symbols, the following spe-
cial keys are necessary.
CODE KEY
To use a function printed above a key:
●Hold down cand press the key immediately below the desired function.
EXAMPLE
To start the Symbol function:
●Hold down cand press sonce.
NAVIGATION DIAL
CODE, ALT & SHIFT KEYS
1: DANGER_
÷×\[
±

13
ALT KEY
To type in characters printed in color on the right-hand side of the keys:
1Press aonce to enter Alt mode. The Alt indicator on the left side of the display comes
on.
2To type in a character written in colour in the lower-right corner of the key, press the key
of the desired character.
To type in a character written in colour in the upper-right corner of the key, hold down
sand press the key of the desired character.
3To exit Alt mode, press aagain. The Alt indicator goes off.
EXAMPLE
To type in “+”:
1Press aonce. The Alt indicator comes on.
2Hold down sand press P.
3Press aagain.
1: 123_
Alt
1: 123+_
Alt
1: 123+_

14
SHIFT KEY
To type in an uppercase letter or a symbol printed in the top left-hand corner of a key:
●Hold down sand press the key of the desired letter or symbol.
EXAMPLE
The Caps mode is similar to holding down s. It allows you to type uppercase letters contin-
uously.
To type in many uppercase letters:
1Hold down cand press a. The Caps indicator on the left side of the display
comes on.
2Press the keys of the desired letters or symbols.
3To exit Caps mode, hold down cand press a. The Caps indicator goes off.
To type in “%”:
●Hold down sand press 5.
1: 5 _
1: 5%_
1: _
Caps

15
The Space key ( _) lets you add blank spaces between characters in your text. It is differ-
ent from the right cursor key ( w), which just moves the cursor without adding blank
spaces.
To add a space:
●Press _.
EXAMPLE
Like on a typewriter or word processor, this machine’s return key ( r) is used to end a
line of text and start another one. When you have finished entering one line, press the return
key to make a new line and move the cursor to it.
☞A label can only contain a maximum of five text lines. If you press rwhen five
lines already exist, the error message “5 LINE LIMIT!” will appear.
To add a space:
●Press _.
SPACE KEY
1: J._
1: J. _
RETURN KEY

16
The return key can also be used to select an item from a list (e.g., add a symbol or accented
character to the text) or to apply a selected setting.
Some questions asking you to confirm a command may appear on the LCD display, especially
when the function that you have chosen will delete or affect files. In these cases, pressing
ris like answering “yes”.
☞To answer “no”, press *. Refer to DELETE KEY on page 18.
To add a new line:
●Press r. The return mark ( ) appears to indicate the end of the line.
To select an item from a list:
●Press r.
To answer “yes”:
●Press r.
This function allows you to separate sections of a line of text by adding tabs. This enables you
to create perfectly aligned columns without having to type in several spaces. All tabs have the
same length and are measured from either the beginning of the line or the previous tab if there
is more than one. The tab length can be set between 0.0 and 30.0 cm.
☞The text can contain no more than 50 tabs. If the maximum number of tabs has already
been added to the text when cis held down and Qis pressed, the error message
“TAB LIMIT!” appears.
Tape widths Maximum number of lines that can be printed
6 mm 2
9 mm 2
12 mm 3
18 mm 5
TAB FUNCTION