Citizen CT-S281 Series User manual

LINE THERMAL PRINTER
MODEL CT-S281
User’s Manual
Mode d’emploi
Benutzerhandbuch
Manuale dell’utente
Manual de Usuario
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IMPORTANT: This equipment generates, 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. It has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B computing device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC
Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference
when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own
expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct
the interference.
CAUTION: Use shielded cable for this equipment.
Sicherheitshinweis
Die Steckdose zum Anschluß dieses Druckers muß nahe dem Gerät angebracht und
leicht zugänglich sein.
For Uses in Canada
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus, as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian
department of communications.
Pour L’utilisateurs Canadiens
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Cet appareil numérique ne dépasse pas les limites de carégorie a pour les émissions
de bruit radio émanant d’appareils numériques, tel que prévu dans les réglements
sur l’interférence radio du départment Canadien des communications.
This printer conforms to the following Standards:
The Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC, the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC, the RoHS
Directive 2002/95/EC, and the WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC.
LVD:EN60950-1
EMC : EN55022 Class B
EN61000-3-2
EN61000-3-3
EN55024
This declaration is applied only for 230V model.
Declaration of Conformity

ENGLISH

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GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
●Before using this product, be sure to read through this manual. After having read
this manual, keep it in a safe, readily accessible place for future reference.
●The information contained herein is subject to change without prior notice.
●Reproduction or transfer of part or all of this document in any means is prohibited
without permission from Citizen Systems.
●Note that Citizen Systems is not responsible for any operation results regardless
of missing, error, or misprinting in this manual.
●Note that Citizen Systems is not responsible for any trouble caused as a result of
using options or consumables that are not specified in this manual.
●Except explained elsewhere in this manual, do not attempt to service, disassemble,
or repair this product.
●Note that Citizen Systems is not responsible for any damage attributable to
incorrect operation/handling or improper operating environments that are not
specified in this manual.
●Data is basically for temporary use and not stored for an extended period of time
or permanently. Please note that Citizen Systems is not responsible for damage
or lost profit resulting from the loss of data caused by accidents, repairs, tests or
other occurrence.
●If you find loss of information, error, or uncertain matter, please contact your
Citizen Systems dealer.
●If you find any disordered or missing page(s), contact your Citizen Systems dealer
for replacement.
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GENERAL OUTLINE .................................................................... 7
2. EXPLANATION OF PRINTER PARTS........................................ 10
3. PREPARATION ........................................................................... 13
4. MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING ........................... 21
5. OTHER ....................................................................................... 26
CITIZEN is a registered trade mark of Citizen Holdings Co., Japan
CITIZEN es una marca registrada de Citizen Holdings Co., Japón
Company names and product names in this manual are trademarks or
registered trademarks of relevant companies.
Copyright c 2012 by CITIZEN SYSTEMS JAPAN CO., LTD.

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ... WHICH SHOULD BE STRICTLY OBSERVED
Before using this product for the first time, carefully read these SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. Improper
handling may result in accidents (fire, electric shock or injury).
In order to prevent injury to operators, third parties, or damage to property, special warning symbols
are used in the User’s Manual to indicate important items to be strictly observed.
●After having read this Manual, keep it in a safe, readily accessible place for future reference.
●Some of the descriptions contained in this manual may not be relevant to some printer models.
The following describes the degree of hazard and damage that could occur if the printer is improperly
operated by ignoring the instructions indicated by the warning symbols.
This symbol is used to alert your attention to important items.
WARNING
Neglecting precautions indicated by this symbol may result in injury or damage to properties.
CAUTION
This symbol is used to alert you to the danger of electric shock or electrostatic damage.
This symbol denotes a request to unplug the printer from the wall outlet.
This symbol is used to indicate useful information, such as procedures, instructions or the
like.
Neglecting precautions indicated by this symbol may result in fatal or serious injury.
This symbol is used to indicate prohibited actions.

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■Do not use or store this product in a place where it will be exposed to:
* Flames or moist air.
* Direct sunlight.
* Hot airflow or radiation from a heating device.
* Salty air or corrosive gases.
* Ill-ventilated atmosphere.
* Chemical reactions in a laboratory.
* Airborne oil, steel particles, or dust.
* Static electricity or strong magnetic field.
•Neglecting these warnings may result in printer failure, overheating, emission of
smoke, fire, or electric shock.
■Do not drop any foreign object nor spill liquid into the printer. Do not place any
object on the printer either.
■Do not drop any metallic object such as paper clip, pin or screw into the printer.
■Do not place a flower vase, pot or cup containing water on the printer.
■Do not spill coffee, soft drinks or any other liquid into the printer.
■Do not spray insecticide or any other chemical liquid over the printer.
•Ametallic foreign object, if accidentally dropped into the printer, may cause printer
failure, fire, or electric shock. Should it occur, immediately turn the printer off,
unplug it from the supply outlet, and call your local Citizen Systems dealer.
Do not handle the printer in the following ways:
■Do not allow the printer to sustain strong impacts or hard jolts (e.g., trampling,
dropping, striking with a hard edge).
■Never attempt to disassemble or modify the printer.
•Neglecting to handle properly may result in printer failure, overheating, emission
of smoke, fire, or electric shock.
■Install, use, or store the printer out of the reach of children.
•Electric appliances could cause an unexpected injury or accident if they are handled
or used improperly.
•Keep the power cord and signal cables out of the reach of children. Also children
should not be allowed to gain access to any internal part of the printer.
•The plastic bag the printer came in must be disposed of properly or kept away
from children. Wearing it over the head may lead to suffocation.
WARNING

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Please observe the following precautions for power source and power cord:
■Do not plug or unplug the power cord with a wet hand.
■Use the printer only at the specified supply voltage and frequency.
■Use only the specified AC adapter with the printer.
■Check to make sure that the supply outlet from which the printer is powered has a
sufficient capacity.
■Do not supply the printer from a power strip or current tap shared with other
appliances.
■Do not plug the power cord into a supply outlet with dust or debris left on its plug.
■Do not use a deformed or damaged power cord.
■Do not move the printer while the printer power is on.
•Neglecting to handle properly may result in printer failure, emission of smoke, fire,
or electric shock.
•An overload may cause the power cord to overheat or fire or the circuit breaker to
trip.
■Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not place the printer where
the power cord will be trampled on.
■Do not use or carry the printer with its power cord bent, twisted, or pulled.
■Do not attempt to modify the power cord unnecessarily.
■Do not lay the power cord in the neighbor of a heating device.
•Neglecting these cautions may cause wires or insulation to break, which could
result in leakage, electric shock, or printer failure. If the power cord sustains
damage, contact your Citizen Systems dealer.
■Do not leave things around the supply outlet.
■Supply power to the printer from a convenient wall outlet, readily accessible in an
emergency.
•The printer may not be immediately shut down in an emergency.
■Insert the power plug fully into the outlet.
■If the printer will not be used for a long time, leave it disconnected from its supply
outlet.
■Hold the plug and connector when plugging or unplugging the power cord or signal
cable after turning off the printer and the appliance connected to it.
WARNING

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Do not use the printer under the following conditions.
■A state subject to vibration or unstable state.
■A state with this product slanted.
• Otherwise dropping may cause injury.
• Poor print quality may occur.
■A state where the printer ventilation holes are obstructed by a nearby wall or other
equipment.
■A state where any object is placed on the printer
■A state where the printer is covered or wrapped by a cloth or bed clothing
•Be careful about internal heat buildup, which could cause fire and deform the case.
■Avoid using the printer near a radio or TV set or from supplying it from the same
outlet as these appliances.
■Avoid using the printer interconnected with a cable or cord that has no protection
against noise. (For interconnections, use shielded or a twisted pair of cables and
ferrite cores, or other anti-noise devices.)
■Avoid using the printer with a device that is a strong source of noise.
•The printer may have an adverse effect on nearby radio orTV transmissions. There
may also be cases when nearby electrical appliances adversely influence the printer,
causing data errors or malfunction.
■A state where this product is installed vertically or sidelong.
•Malfunction, failure, or electric shock may result.
■Use the printer with its grounding post connected to a convenient grounding facility.
•If leakage occurs electric shock may result.
■Do not connect the printer’s grounding post onto any of the following facilities:
* Utility gas piping
• A gas explosion could result.
* Telephone line ground
* Lightning rod
• If lightning strikes a large surge of current may cause fire or shock.
* Utility water pipes
• Plastic water pipes should not be used for grounding. (Those approved by
a Waterworks Department may be used.)
■Before connecting or disconnecting the grounding lead to or from the printer, always
unplug it from supply outlet.
CAUTION
Caution label is attached on the position shown in the following figure. Carefully read the
precautions in handling before using the printer.
THESE LABELS INDICATETHE
RISK OF ANY INJURY DUETO
"HIGHTEMPERATURE" OFTHE
PRINT HEAD AND "SAW-
TOOTHED EDGE" OFTHE
MANUAL CUTTER.

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To prevent possible malfunction or failure observe the following.
■Avoid operating the printer without paper properly loaded.
■Avoid the use of paper not complying with specifications.
•May result in poor print quality.
■Avoid using torn pieces of paper or spliced with plastic adhesive tapes.
■Avoid forcibly pulling already loaded paper by hand.
■Avoid wedging the paper into the printer.
•May jam paper. To release, refer to “Removing Jammed Paper” in this manual.
■Avoid using a sharp pointed device to operate panel keys.
■Be sure to firmly insert the cable plug into its mating socket.
•Across connection may damage the printer’s internal electronics or the host
system’s hardware.
■Only use the printer with devices that have designated solenoid specifications for
the cash drawer interface connector.
•Neglecting this caution may result in malfunction or failure.
■Do not transport this printer with the paper roll inside.
•Printer failure or breakage may occur.
CAUTION
To prevent injury and printer failures from worsening, observe the following:
■Do not touch the printing surface of the thermal head.
■Do not touch any of the moving parts (e.g., paper cutter, gears, active electrical
parts) while the printer is working.
■In case of trouble do not attempt to repair the printer. Ask Citizen Systems
service for repair.
■Be careful that the printer cover does not entrap your hands or fingers.
■Be careful with sharp edges on the printer. Do not allow them to injure you or
damage property.
•May result in electric shock, burn, or injury.
If the printer emits smoke, an odd smell, or unusual noise while printing, immediately
abort the current print session and unplug the printer from the supply outlet.
Observe the following precautions for daily maintenance.
■When cleaning the printer, always turn it off and unplug it from the supply outlet.
■Use a soft, dry cloth for cleaning the surface of the printer case.
■For severe stains, use a soft cloth slightly dampened with water.
■Never use organic cleaning solvent such as alcohol, paint thinner, trichloroethylene,
benzene, or ketone. Never use a chemically processed cleaning cloth.
■To remove paper dust, use a soft brush.
■When transporting the printer, remove the paper roll from the printer.
DAILY MAINTENANCE
CAUTION
•The thermal head is at a dangerously high temperature immediately after printing.
Allow it to cool off before launching maintenance work.

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1. GENERAL OUTLINE
The CT-S281 is a thermal line printer designed for use with a broad array of
terminal equipment including, data, POS, and kitchen terminals.
With extensive features, it can be used in a wide range of applications.
1.1 Features
●Compact design.
●The printer allows horizontal or wall mounting installation.
●Auto Cutter provided as a standard unit (performs full cut or partial cut).
●Paper drop-in mechanism facilitating easy paper handling and head cleaning.
●Highly reliable printer mechanism.
●High speed printing with 80 mm/s (60 mm/s at label print mode).
●Fast graphic printing.
●Printer class or Virtual COM can be selected for USB port.
●A variety of functions selectable by memory switches.
●Registration of user-defined characters and logos into flash memory.
●Barcode & 2D Barcode printing is supported.
●2-color printing is supported.
●Can use paper roll with a maximum thickness of 100µm.
●Label and Blackmark paper are usable as option (Label printing).

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1.2 Unpacking
When unpacking the printer, confirm that the following are provided:
●Printer: 1
●AC adapter: 1
●AC power cord: 1
●Sample paper roll: 1 roll
●USB cable clamp(USB Interface model): 1
●Operation panel(for wall mounting): 1
●Quick start guide: 1
●CD-ROM: 1
1.3 Model Classification
The printer models are classified by the following designation method:
POWER
FEED
ERROR
PAPER
FEED
FEED
Printer
AC adapter
Sample paper roll ** AC power cord *
CD-ROM
Quick start guide
USB cable clamp
(USB Interface model)
Operation panel
(for wall mounting)
* The AC power cord plug will vary depending of the region.
** In case of label model, Label paper is used for sample paper roll.
CT-S 281 RS U - WH - PX - M1
Interface
RS: Serial RS-232C compliant
UB: USB
Case color
WH: Cool white
BK: Black
Destination
(Letters + Power cord)
J: Japan
E: Europe
U: USA
Model name
Optional feature
No sign: Standard printing
PX: With paper near-end sensor
XL: With label sensor
PL: With paper near-end sensor and label sensor
Optional feature
No sign: Standard printing
M1: With blackmark sensor (Applicable
only for the printer with label sensor)

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Item Specifications
Model CT-S281RSU CT-S281RSE
CT-S281UBU CT-S281UBE
Print method Line thermal dot print method
Print width 48 mm/384 dots
Dot density 8 (horizontal) ×8 (vertical) dots/mm (203 dpi)
Print speed 80 mm/s (Fastest, print density: Standard level),
60mm/sec in label printing
Number of print columns Font A: 32 columns; 12 ×24 dots horizontal and vertical
Font B: 42 columns; 9 ×24 dots
Font C: 48 columns; 8 ×16 dots
Character size Font A: 1.50 ×3.00 mm
Font B: 1.13 ×3.00 mm
Font C: 1.00 ×2.00 mm
Character type Alphanumeric, International, PC437/850/852/857/858/860/863/
864/865/866/WPC1252/Katakana/Thai code 18
User memory 256KB (User-defined characters and logos can be registered)
Types of bar code UPC-A/E, JAN (EAN) 13/8 columns, ITF, CODE 39, CODE 128,
CODABAR, CODE 93, PDF417, QRCODE
Line spacing 4.23 mm (1/6 inch) settable with command
Paper roll
Thermal paper roll: 58 mm ×φ83 mm, Label paper: 58 mm x φ 80 mm
Paper thickness: 0.06 to 0.1 mm
Interfacing Serial (RS-232C compliant), USB
Input buffer 4k bytes/45 bytes
Supply voltage DC 8.5 V ±5%
Power consumption Standby: Approx. 2 W, Printing: Approx. 18 W (Approx. 26 W max.)
AC adapter Rated input: AC 100 to 240 V, 50/60 Hz
Rated output: DC 8.5 V, 2.5 A
Weight Approx. 630 g
Outside dimensions 106 (W) ×180 (D) ×105 (H) mm
Operating temperature and humidity 5 to 40°C, 10 to 85% RH (No condensation)
Storage temperature and humidity −20 to 60°C, 10 to 90% RH (No condensation)
Reliability Print head life: 50 km, 1 ×108pulses (At normal temperature/
humidity with recommended paper used)
Auto cutter life: 1million cuts(At normal temperature/
humidity with recommended paper used)
Safety standard *
UL, C-UL, FCC Class B TUV, GS, CE marking
*Represents the safety standards acquired when CITIZEN SYSTEMS-made adapters (28AD series)
are used.
1.4 Basic Specifications

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FEED
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2. EXPLANATION OF PRINTER PARTS
2.1 Printer Appearance
Printer cover
Power switch
Cover open button
Operation panel
●Printer cover
Paper is located inside this cover.
●Cover open button
To refill or replace paper, open the paper cover by pushing this button.
●Power switch
This switch turns the printer power ON/OFF.
●Cutter gear cover
To Reliece the cutter lock,open this cover and rotate cutter gear.
Cutter gear cover

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POWER
FEED
ERROR
PAPER
●POWER LED
Lights when the printer power is on and goes off when the printer power is
off. May blink or light in a special mode or in case of a failure.
●FEED button
Pressing this button once causes a paper feed of one line. Pressing the button
continuously causes the paper to feed continuously.
●ERROR LED
Lights or blinks when paper is empty or in case of a failure.
The interval length of blinking shows the type of error.
●PAPER LED
Lights when there is no paper or the paper is low with the optional PNE sensor.
POWER LED ERROR LEDFEED button
Rear Connectors
Operation Panel
●Power connector
Connects to the cable from AC adapter.
●USB Interface connector
Connects to the USB interface cable.
●Serial interface connector
Connects to the serial interface cable.
●Sensor adjuster cover
When adjusting the Paper sensor, remove this cover.
PAPER LED
USB interface TypeSerial interface Type
Power connector
Serial interface
connector USB Interface
connector
Sensor adjuster
cover
Sensor adjuster
cover
Power connector

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2.2 Paper Cover Inside
●Auto Cutter
Cuts the paper when software command is sent to the printer. Cutting method
could be partial cut or full cut, “Partial Only”is set to valid by the default
memory switch 4-8, so that the full cut command will execute as partial cut
operation.
●Manual cutter
Tears the paper by hand.
To cut the printed paper, gently pull the paper from the edge of the paper at the angle
so that paper firmly contacts the manual cutter. Improper direction of pull may result
in poor cutting or excessive unwinding of paper. In some case, characters may be
destroyed at the first printing after the paper is cut.
●Paper near-end sensor (Factory option)
If installed, detects when paper roll goes low. The external diameter of paper
roll remainder will vary depending on the position of the paper near-end
sensor lever.
●Paper-end sensor
Stops printing when this sensor detects paper end.
●Print(thermal)head
Prints characters and/or graphics data on thermal paper.
●Paper feed roller
Feeds paper as part of print mechanism.
2.3 Other Built-in Functions
●User memory
Allows registration of user-defined characters and logo data on the nonvolatile
memory. Data registered remains even after the printer power is off.
●Memory switch
Allow printer configuration, could be set by software command or manually
on the printer, changes remain registered in nonvolatile memory even if the
printer is OFF.
Paper near-end sensor
Paper feed roller
Auto cutter
Manual cutter
Print (thermal) head
Paper-end sensor
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3. PREPARATION
3.1 Connecting the AC Adapter and AC Power Cord
1. Tu rn off the printer power.
2. Plug in the cable connector of the AC adapter to the power connector at the
rear of the printer.
3. Connect the AC power cord to the inlet of the of AC adapter, and insert the AC
power-cord plug into a suitable wall outlet.
CAUTION!
●Use only the specified AC adapter with the printer.
●When disconnecting a cable, do not pull out by the cable. Always hold the plug.
●Always keep the AC power supply away from other noise generating equipment.
●Do not pull the power cord. Otherwise fire, electric shock, or power disconnection
may result.
●If lightning is approaching, unplug the AC power cord from the wall outlet. Otherwise
fire or electric shock may result.
●Keep the power cord away from heat generating appliances. Otherwise the shield of
power cord may be fused resulting in a fire or electric shock.
●If the printer is not to be used for a long time, leave it disconnected from its supply
outlet.
●Lay the cable not to be caught by the leg or the like.
AC power cord
Inlet
Cable connector
AC adapter

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Printer
Pin Signal
2TXD
3RXD
4RTS
6DSR
7SG
20 DTR
3.2 Connecting Interface Cables
Turn off the printer and unplug the power connector. Then follow the procedure
for interface cable connection.
Orient the interface cable terminal correctly and insert it into the interface
connector.
CAUTION!
●When disconnecting the cable, always hold the connector.
●Lay the cable not to be caught by the leg or the like.
Serial Interface
For serial interface cable, use the one with the following connection.
9-pin - 25-pin cable
PC
Signal Pin
RXD 2
TXD 3
DTR 4
SG 5
DSR 6
CTS 8
USB Interface
USB cable clamp

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FEED
FEED
FEED
FEED
3.5mm
φ3.1mm
φ5.7mm
56mm
3.3 Installing the Printer
The printer can be installed horizontally or mounted vertically on the wall.
At the time of shipment, the printer is set for horizontal installation. To install
the printer on the wall, put the accessory operation panel on to the original
one. This will allow easy operation panel reading when printer is wall mounted.
CAUTION!
●No screw for wall mounting is provided. Check the structure and strength of the wall
(plaster board or stronger one) and prepare two appropriate screws (round-head wood
screws of φ3.1, 16 mm or more). And fix the printer by tightening the screws in
accordance with the specified dimensions.
Hooks for wall mounting
Horizontal position Wall mounting

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3.4 Setting DIP Switch (Only serial interface type)
DIP switch is provided only for serial interface specification.
The DIP switch is located at the bottom of the paper holder. To set the DIP
switch open the printer cover and remove the paper.
Baud Rate (bps)
Switch No. Function ON OFF
FEED
FEED
ON
18
OFF
Baud rate selection See Table below.
Initial
Settings
1
Communication condition DIP switch setting Internal memory ON
setting method setting
2Hand shake XON/XOFF DTR/DSR OFF
3Bit length 7 bits 8 bits OFF
4Parity check With parity None OFF
5Parity selection Even parity Odd parity OFF
6OFF
7ON
8Reserved −Fixed OFF
Selecting baud rate
Switch No.
67
2400 OFF OFF
4800 ON OFF
9600 OFF ON
19200 ON ON
1200 bps and 38400 bps can also be selected by a command or the memory
switch. 9600bps is factory setting.

— 17 —
3.5 Adjusting the Paper Near-end Sensor
Move the paper near-end sensor lever to forward or backward. The position to
be set varies in accordance with the paper roll as shown in the following table.
CAUTION!
●Paper remainder (outside diameter of roll) differs by the type of paper roll used.
●The external diameter of the paper roll is only for reference.
●In the wall-mount status, you cannot use the paper near-end sensor.
●Not usable for a label paper roll.
Lever Position External Diameter of Paper Poll Remainder
1φ24
2φ34
unit: mm
FEED
FEED
1
2
Lever