Brother TD-4420TN User manual

User's Guide TD-4420TN/4520TN
TD-4420TN/4520TN User's Guide (English)
© 2019 Brother Industries, Ltd. All rights reserved.
Version 01
ENG

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Copyright Information
The copyright in this manual, the software, and firmware in the printer described
therein are owned by Brother. All rights reserved.
CG Triumvirate is a trademark of Agfa Corporation. CG Triumvirate Bold
Condensed font is under license from the Monotype Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Any trade names and product names of companies appearing on Brother
products, related documents and any other materials are all trademarks or
registered trademarks of those respective companies.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of the company. No part of this manual may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, for any purpose other
than the purchaser’s personal use, without the expressed written permission of
the company.

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Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Product Introduction .........................................................................................1
1.2 Product Features..............................................................................................2
1.2.1 Standard Features ............................................................................... 2
1.2.2 Optional Features ................................................................................ 3
1.3 General Specifications .....................................................................................3
1.4 Print Specifications...........................................................................................3
1.5 Ribbon Specifications.......................................................................................4
1.6 Media Specifications ........................................................................................4
2. Operations Overview.............................................................................................. 5
2.1 Unpack the printer and check the components ................................................5
2.2 Printer Overview...............................................................................................6
2.2.1 Front View............................................................................................ 6
2.2.2 Interior View ......................................................................................... 7
2.2.3 Rear View ............................................................................................ 8
3. Setup...................................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Setting up the Printer........................................................................................9
3.2 Loading the Ribbon ........................................................................................10
3.3 Loading the Media..........................................................................................14
3.3.1 Loading the Label Rolls ..................................................................... 14
3.3.2 External Label Roll Mount Installation (Optional)............................... 18
3.3.3 Loading the Media in Cutter mode (Dealers only) ............................. 20
3.3.4 Loading the Media in Peel-off Mode (Dealers only)........................... 22
4. The LED Indicator and Feed/Pause Button Functions......................................... 25
4.1 The LED Indicator ..........................................................................................25
4.2 The Feed/Pause Button Functions.................................................................25
4.3 Power-on Utilities ...........................................................................................25
4.3.1 Ribbon and Gap/Black Mark Sensors Calibration.............................. 26
4.3.2 Gap/Black Mark Sensor Calibration, Self-Test, and Entering Dump
Mode .................................................................................................. 27
4.3.3 Printer Initialization............................................................................. 30
4.3.4 Media Sensor Calibration (For the Black Mark Sensor)..................... 31
4.3.5 Media Sensor Calibration (For the Gap Sensor)................................ 32
4.3.6 Skip the AUTO.BAS program ............................................................ 32

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5. BPM (Brother Printer Management Tool)............................................................. 33
5.1 Start the BPM .................................................................................................33
5.2 Printer Function ..............................................................................................34
5.3 Calibrating the Media Sensor using the BPM.................................................35
5.3.1 Auto Calibration ................................................................................. 35
6. Troubleshooting ................................................................................................... 36
7. Maintenance......................................................................................................... 38

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1. Introduction
1.1 Product Introduction
The sleek design of the TD-4420TN/4520TN label printer can handle up to 984 ft. (300 m) of
ribbon and label rolls. Its internal 5” (127 mm) label capacity can be further expanded with an
external label roll mount to handle 8” (203.2 mm) rolls, designed for industrial label printers.
The printer's movable Black Mark Sensor is compatible with a wide range of label media.
The printer uses its high-performance, high-quality, built-in Monotype Imaging®TrueType font
engine with the CG Triumvirate Bold Condensed smooth scalable font. It also provides a choice
of eight different sizes of the alphanumeric bitmap font. The printer's flexible firmware design
allows the user to download additional TrueType fonts from a computer to print custom labels.
It also supports most of the standard barcode formats and can print fonts and barcodes in four
directions.
•For more information about printing labels, see your labelling software's documentation.
•For more information about writing custom programs, see the FBPL Command Reference
Manual.

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1.2 Product Features
1.2.1 Standard Features
Thermal transfer printing
Direct thermal printing
Gap Sensor
Fully movable reflective Black Mark Sensor
Ribbon Sensor
Head Open Sensor
USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)
64 MB DRAM memory
128 MB Flash memory
RTC
BUZZER
Feed/Pause Button
Three-color LED Indicator
Standard industry emulation (including the Eltron®and Zebra®languages)
8 built-in alphanumeric bitmap fonts
Fonts and barcodes can be printed in four directions (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°)
Internal Monotype Imaging®TrueType font engine with CG Triumvirate Bold Condensed
scalable font
Downloadable fonts (from a computer)
Downloadable firmware upgrades
Text, barcode, graphics/image printing (See the FBPL Command Reference Manual for
the supported codes.)
Supported barcodes
1D barcodes
Code128UCC, Code128 subsets A/B/C, EAN128, Interleaved 2 of 5, Interleaved 2 of
5 with check digit, Code39, Code39 with check digit, Code93, EAN13, EAN8, UPCA,
UPCE, EAN and UPC 2 (5) digits add-on, Codabar, Postnet, MSI, MSI with check digit,
PLESSEY, China Post, ITF14, Code11, TELEPEN, TELEPENN, PLANET, Code49,
Deutsche Post Identcode, Deutsche Post Leitcode, LOGMARS
2D barcodes
GS1 DataBar, GS1 DataMatrix, Maxicode, AZTEC, PDF417, QR Code, Micro PDF 417
Supported image formats
BITMAP, BMP, PCX (Max. 256 colors graphics)
Supported Protocols
Ethernet
ARP, MAC, BOOTP, DHCP, DNS, WINS, FTP SERVER, HTTP server, SNTP client,
SMTP client, SNMP V1, Telnet, LPR/LPD, RAW 9100, IPV4, ICMP, IGMP, TCP, UDP

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1.2.2 Optional Features
Feature User Dealer
External Media Roll Mount with 3” (76.2 mm) Core Label Spindle (8.4”(213.4 mm)
outer diameter)
Label Peeler
Regular Full/Partial Cutter (Guillotine cutter)
Paper thickness: From 2.36 mil to 7.48 mil (from 0.06 mm to 0.19 mm)
1.3 General Specifications
Dimensions 8.03” (W) × 6.99” (H) × 11.02” (L) (204 mm (W) × 177.5 mm (H) × 280 mm (L))
Weight 2.5 kg
Power Supply Input: AC 100 V - 240 V, 1.5 A, 50 Hz - 60 Hz
Output: DC 24 V, 2.5 A, 60 W, LPS
Environment Operating temperature: Between 41˚F and 104˚F (between 5˚C and 40˚C)
Operating humidity: Between 25% and 85% (without condensation)
Storage temperature: Between -40˚F and 140˚F (between -40˚C and 60˚C)
Storage humidity: Between 10% and 90% (without condensation)
1.4 Print Specifications
Print Specifications TD-4420TN
(203 dpi model)
TD-4520TN
(300 dpi model)
Print Resolution 203 dots/inch
(8 dots/mm)
300 dots/inch
(12 dots/mm)
Printing Technology Thermal transfer and direct thermal
Print Size
(width × length)
0.125 mm × 0.125 mm
(1 mm = 8 dots)
0.084 mm × 0.084 mm
(1 mm = 11.8 dots)
Print Speed
(inches per second) Up to 6 ips Up to 5 ips
Print Speed for Label Peeler Mode Up to 3 ips
Maximum Print Width 4.25” (108 mm) 4.16” (105.7 mm)
Maximum Print Length 1000” (25,400 mm) 450” (11,430 mm)

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1.5 Ribbon Specifications
Ribbon Diameter 1” (25.4 mm) core: Max. 2.63” (67 mm)
0.5” (12.7 mm) core: Max. 1.57” (40 mm)
Ribbon Length 1” (25.4 mm) inner core: 984 ft (300 m)
0.5” (12.7 mm) inner core: 360 ft (110 m)
Ribbon Core Diameter 0.5” (12.7 mm) and 1” (25.4 mm)
Ribbon Width Between 1.57” and 4.33” (between 40 mm and 110 mm) (with
the 4.33” (110 mm) paper core and notches on both sides)
Ribbon Wound Type Outside wound
1.6 Media Specifications
Label Roll Capacity (Outer
Diameter) Max. 5” (127 mm)
Media Type Continuous, die-cut, black mark, fan-fold, notch
Media Wound Type Outside wound
Media Width Between 0.79” and 4.40” (between 20 mm and 112 mm)
Media Thickness Between 2.36 mil and 7.48 mil (between 0.06 mm and
0.19 mm)
Media Core Diameter 1” (25.4 mm) and 1.5” (38 mm)
Label Length From 0.2” (5 mm) to the max. print length
Label Length (Label Peeler mode) Between 1” and 6” (between 25.4 mm and 152.4 mm)
Label Length (Cutter mode) From 1” (25.4 mm) to the max. print length
Gap Height Min. 0.09” (2 mm)
Black Mark Height Min. 0.09” (2 mm)
Black Mark Width Min. 0.31” (8 mm)

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2. Operations Overview
2.1 Unpack the printer and check the components
Note
Keep the packaging materials in case you need to ship the printer.
The components included in the box:
1. Printer Unit
2. 1” (25.4 mm) Ribbon Paper Core
3. Two 1” (25.4 mm) Ribbon Spindles for the 984 ft (300 m) ribbon
4. Power Cord
5. External Universal Switching Power Supply
6. USB Interface Cable
7. Quick Setup Guide
If any components are missing, contact the product manufacturer's customer service or your
local dealer.
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2
3
4
5
6
7

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2.2 Printer Overview
2.2.1 Front View
1. LED Indicator
2. Feed/Pause Button
3. Roll Compartment Cover Open Tab
4. Label Output Slot
1
2
4
3

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2.2.2 Interior View
1. Roll Compartment Cover 8. Platen Roller
2. Ribbon Supply Spindle 9. Black Mark Sensor
3. Ribbon Supply Hub 10. Gap Sensor
4. Ribbon Rewind Hub 11. Media Guide Tips
5. Ribbon Rewind Spindle 12. Media Guide Hub
6. Print Head Release Button 13. Print Head
7. Roll Guides
WARNING
DO NOT touch rotating parts. There is a risk of injury if your finger is caught in the
rotating gear. Turn off the product before touching the mechanism.
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4
5
12
11
2
3
OPEN
1
6
8
13
10
9
11

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2.2.3 Rear View
1. Power Switch
2. Power Port
3. USB Port (USB 2.0/Hi-Speed mode)
4. USB Host Port
5. RS-232 Serial Port
6. Ethernet Port
Note
Some features are not available depending on the model. For more information, see the product
specification.
1
2
3
6
5
4

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3. Setup
3.1 Setting up the Printer
Note
Before you plug the Power Cord into the Power Port, make sure the printer's Power Switch
is in the OFF position.
Some features are not available depending on the model. For more information, see the
product specification.
1. Place the printer on a flat, secure surface.
2. Plug the Power Cord into the Power Port at the rear of the printer. Then, plug the other end
into the AC power outlet (electrical socket).
3. Connect the printer to the computer with the provided USB cable.
4. Push the “-” side of the Power Switch to turn on the printer.

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3.2 Loading the Ribbon
1. Open the Roll Compartment Cover by
pressing the tabs located on each side of
the printer.
2. Insert the Ribbon Rewind Spindle into
the Paper Core in the direction shown in
the illustrations.
3. First, insert the right side of the Ribbon
Rewind Spindle (marked “R”) into the
Ribbon Supply Hub. Then, insert the left
side of the Ribbon Rewind Spindle into
the hole on the left side of the Ribbon
Rewind Hub.
Note
Alternatively, you can use a 0.5” (12.7 mm)
or 1” (25.4 mm) ribbon roll with notches on
both sides. Insert it into the Ribbon Rewind
Hub directly.
R
L
L
R

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4. Push the Print Head Release Button to
open the Print Head mechanism.
5. Lift the Print Head until it locks into place.
6. Insert the Ribbon Spindle into the ribbon.
Note
The Ribbon Spindle can be substituted
with the ribbon with notches on both
sides, which can be inserted into the
ribbon mechanism directly.
L
Interior
View

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7. First, insert the right side of the Ribbon
Supply Spindle (marked “R”) into the
Ribbon Supply Hub. Then, insert the left
side of the Ribbon Supply Spindle into
the hole on the left side of the Ribbon
Supply Hub.
8. Thread the ribbon through the Print Head
and adhere the leader of the ribbon onto
the Ribbon Rewind Paper Core.
IMPORTANT
Do not dispose of the Ribbon Rewind
Paper Core when replacing the ribbon
roll. This part is necessary for the ribbon
roll replacement.
9. Using the Ribbon Rewind Gear, rotate
the Ribbon Rewind Hub until the ribbon
plastic leader is thoroughly wound and
the black section of the ribbon covers the
Print Head.

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10. Close the Print Head mechanism with
both hands until it locks into place.
Ribbon Loading Path
1. Print Head
2. Ribbon Rewind Gear
3. Media Guide Tips
4. Platen Roller
5. Black Mark Sensor
6. Gap Sensor
7. Ribbon
1
7
6
3
4
2
5

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3.3 Loading the Media
3.3.1 Loading the Label Rolls
1. Open the Roll Compartment Cover by
pressing the tabs located on each side of
the printer.
2. Push up the lock switch to unlock the Roll
Guides.
Slide both Roll Guides outwards.
3. Insert the paper roll with the labels facing
up, as shown in the illustration.
Push down the lock switch to lock the
Roll Guides into place.
Note
Make sure that the label print side is
facing up.

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4. Push the Print Head Release Button to
open the Print Head mechanism.
5. Thread the labels under the Print Head
mechanism and feed the paper through
the Label Output Slot. Position the end of
the paper slightly out of the Label Output
Slot.
Note
The Black Mark Sensor is moveable and the Gap Sensor is fixed. Make sure you align the
Black Mark Sensor Slider with the installed media and that the position of the media's
gap/black mark is aligned with the Gap Sensor.
6. Adjust the Media Guide Tips to fit the
label width.
Media Guide Tips
Platen Roller
Gap Sensor
Black Mark Sensor

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7. Close the Print Head mechanism with
both hands until it locks into place.
8. Use the Brother Printer Management
Tool to set the media sensor type and
calibrate the selected sensor.
a. Start the BPM.
b. Click the Printer Function button.
c. Click the Calibrate button.
For more information about sensor
calibration, see section 5.3.
Note
Calibrate the Gap/Black Mark Sensor every time you change the media.