Costar LabelWriter XL User manual

m
STAR

hank you for purchasing the Labelwriter printer.
T Your Labelwriter printercomes with 2 manuals and
2 disks. Please follow these steps to set up and use your
Labelwriter
XL or XL Plus printer.
I. Follow the directions in the thin Labelwriter User
Manual. It explains:
How to set up your Labelwriterprinter.
How toload and change labels.
How to installWindows print drivers (see #2 below).
2. Next, to install theAddressMatesoftware, open the
AddressMate manualand follow
the directions covering
the installationand use of the software.AddressMate
will promptyou
to installyourWindows print drivers
near the end of
its installation.Youcan refer to
Appendix
E inyour Labelwriter User Manual or
Appendix E in the AddressMate manual for step by
step instructionson installingWindows print drivers.

LABELW RlTER
User Manual for use with Labelwriter XL,
XLPlus, BC and BC Plus printers.
Includes:
Setting
Up Your Printer
Loading Labels
Maintenance
& Troubleshooting
Ordering More Labels
Printer Specifications
Development
Tools
Installing Windows Print Drivers
Using Labelwriter With3rd Party Software
Costar Corporation
599 West PutnamAvenue
Greenwich,
CT 06830

FCC compliance
statement
This equipmenthas beentested and found tocomply with the limits
CommunicationsCommittee) rules. These limits are designed toprovide
reasonableprotection against harmfulinterference in a residentialinstalla-
tion. This equipmentgenerates, uses, and can radiateradiofrequency
energy, and,
if notinstalled and used inaccordancewiththe instructions,
may cause harmful interferencetoradio communications.
However, there
is noguarantee that interferencewill notoccur in a
particular installation.
If this equipmentdoes cause harmfulinterference
toradio ortelevisionreception,which can be determined byturningthe
equipmentoff and on, the user
is encouraged totry correctingthe inter-
ference by one ormore ofthefollowingmeasures:
for aClass
B digital device, pursuantto Part I5 ofthe FCC (Federal
~
Reorient or relocatethe receivingantenna.
Increasethe separation betweenthe equipmentand the receiver.
Connect the equipmentintoan outlet onacircuit different from thatto
Useshieldedcables toconnectthis device tocomputers.
Consult the dealer oran experiencedradiomtechnician for help.
You may find helpfulthe followingbooklet, prepared by the FCC:
Interference HandbookThis booklet
is available fromthe U.S. Government
PrintingOffice, Superintendentof Documents,Washington, DC20402-
which the receiver
is connected.
9325; [phone].
Warning: Changes or modificationstothis unit notexpresslyapproved
bythe party responsiblefor compliancecould void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Copyright
01 991-95Costar Corporation. All rights reserved.
Trademarks
Labelwriter is a trademark of Costar Corporation. All other trademarks
are trademarks oftheir respective holders.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter I . Labelwriter Printer Setup ............................................................................. i
Do you have what you need ...................................................................................................... i
Where toput your printer ........................................................................................................ 2
Connectingthe power
................................................................................................................ 5
~ ~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
Unpackingthe printer .................................................................................................................. i
Identifyingprinter components ................................................................................................. 3
Locatingprinter controls
............................................................................................................ 4
Connectingthe serial cable ........................................................................................................ 5
Installingthe label guide
.............................................................................................................. 6
Loading labels ................................................................................................................................. 8
Removingan empty label roll .................................................................................................. IO
Chapter 2 . Maintenance and Troubleshooting ........................................................... 1 1
Printer maintenance ................................................................................................................... 1 1
Exterior maintenance ................................................................................................................ 12
Interior maintenance ................................................................................................................. 12
Clearinglabel jams ..................................................................................................................... 13
Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................... 13
IRQ settings ................................................................................................................................. 13
Printer isn’t getting power
....................................................................................................... 14
Printer is on but doesn’t print ................................................................................................. 15
Self-test works but printer still doesn’t
printfrom application
................................................................................................................ 15
Howtocorrect poor print quality ......................................................................................... 16
Chapter 3 . Ordering More Labels ..................................................................................... 17
Appendix A . Printer and Serial Interface Specifications ....................................... 19
Appendix B . Warranty and Service ................................................................................. 21
Appendix C . Development Tools ...................................................................................... 23
Appendix D . Battery Pack .................................................................................................... 25
Appendix F . UsingLabelwriter with 3rd Party Software .................................... 35
Appendix E . InstallingWindows Print Drivers ............................................. : ............. 27

CHAPTER 1
SETUP
This chapter explains how to set up your new Labelwriter
printer
for optimum performance.
Unpackingthe
printer
The first step in setting up your printer is, naturally, unpacking
the pieces. Be sure tosave all the original packing materials.
They are specially designed to protectthe printer and
will make
repacking easy
if you ever need toship the printer. Now, let’s
take inventory.
Do you have
what
you need?
Having unpackedyour Labelwriter printer, it’s agood ideato
check now
to see that you have all the pieces. You should find the
following items (shown in Figure
I - I):
LabelwriterXL, XLPlus, BC or BC Plus printer
Serial cable
Power transformer
Roll of labels
User manual
Check carefully
to see if anything is missingor damaged. If so,
contact Costar immediately.
Everythingchecked out?Let’s set up the Labelwriterprinter

Figure 1-1. The Labelwriter printer comes with these items:printer, power
transformer, serial cable, roll of lab& user manual.
Whereto put
your printer
Before setting up your Labelwriter,take a few moments to
consider where you plan
to put it. Ofcourse, we can’t cover all
possible setups, butthere are afew general guidelines you might
consider.
Be sure there’s enough roomaround the printer to allow labels
toflow out freely.
Avoid placingthe printer in areas where sudden, severe changes
intemperature and humidityoccur.
Avoid areas with direct sunlight, dust and grease.
Picka clean area.
Select a steady source of electricity and check for other appli-
ances which may be usingthe same circuit. Copiers, heaters, air
conditioners and other motorized equipment can cause power
fluctuations which may interfere withyour printing.
Use a surge protector.

Identifyingprinter
components
Figure 1-2 highlightsthe main components ofthe LabelWriter
printer. Beforesetting up the printer,
let’s see what these compo-
nents do:
I
+z+
Power light
Label
tear bar
-
Formfeed
button
I
Onloffbutton
Figure 1-2. LabelWriter components.
Cover - The cover protects the internal components ofthe
printerfrom dust, moisture and the outside world in general. The
cover
is easily openedwhen changing label rolls.
Power light - The power lightglows green when the printer is
turned on. It flashes when there is somethingwrongwith the
printer, such as when the printer runs out of labels.
Onloffbutton - The on/off button turns the printer on and off.
Form feed button - The form feed button advances the roll
of labels one label each time you press the button.
Label spindle - The label spindle, located insidethe printer,
holds the
roll oflabels.
Label tear bar - The serrated tear bar on the label exit slot
allows quick, clean label removal.

Interface connector - The interface connector,which looks
likea telephone jack,
is a serial connector. One end of the special
serial cable that comes with the printer
is pluggedintothis con-
nector and the other end
is attached toyour computer.
Power transformer - The powertransformer provides
electrical powertothe printer. Connect thetransformer toa
standard grounded outlet.
~~~
-~ ~ -~ ~
Locatingprinter
controls
The printercontrols allow you to turnthe printer onand off, and
advance the label
roll. Refer toFigure 1-3 to locate the following
printer controls onyour Labelwriter printer.
The On/Off Button
The On/Off power button is the left buttononthe front panel of
the printer. Onceyou have the power cord pluggedin, push the
on/off buttontoturn the printer on; press
it again toturn the
printeroff.
\\A-
-
Figure 1-3. Labelwriter onlofand form feed buttons.

Power Light
Whenthe printer is on, the power light located on the front panel
ofthe printer
will glowgreen. The light goes off when you turn
the printer
off.
Form Feedbutton
The form feed button is the right button on the front panel ofthe
printer. Push this buttononce toadvance the label roll one label,
so the nextset ofthree guide holes on the label roll aligns with
the labeltear bar. The label rolladvances one label each time you
press the form feed button.
Connectingthe
power
The power cord is connected to the rear of the printeras
shown in Figure
1-4. Plugthe powertransformer into astandard
grounded outlet.
Connectingthe
serialcable
Your printer and computer communicate through the special
serial cable that comes withyour Labelwriter. The cable has a
telephone-like connector at one end that plugs intothe back
of
the Labelwriter,and two serial connectors at the other end - a
DB9 and DB25 connector. Your PC
will use one or the other of
these two connectors, notboth.
Followthe steps below while referring
to Figure 1-4 to makethe
properconnections:
I. Turnyour computer and printer off.
I
Figure 1-4. Mokingthe right connections. Always connect the power cord to
a grounded outlet.
2. Connectthe printer end ofthe serial cable tothe rear of the
printer.
It fits only one way just like pluggingin a telephone.

3. If you have a 9-pin serial porton your computer, attach the
9-pin connector;
if you have a 25-pin serial port, attach the 25-pin
connector. Securethe connector with the
two screws. The con-
nector you do not use can simply hang loose. Itdoesn't need to
be connected and
will notcause any damage to your computer or
printer. See Figure
1-4.
~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~
4. Turnthe computer on.
Note: You can also connect your Labelwriter to a parallel (LPT)
portby usinga parallel
to serial portadapter cable. This cable is
available direct from Costar. Ask for part #60606.
Installing the
label guide
The labelguide should be installed ifyou are usinga Labelwriter
with standard address labels
or other narrow labels. The label
guide insures that narrow labelsfeed properly.
r
Note: The Labelwriter XLand BC have I I' wide printheads and
can only printon narrow labels up
to I 'I wide (address labelsfor
example)
so the labelguide should always be installed if you are
usingone
of these twomodels. The LabelwriterXLPlus and BC
Plus have 2.25" wide print heads
so they can handle narrowand
wide labels.
For the wider labels, the labelguide should be
removed.

I. Turn the printer off.
2. Removethe spindle from the printer. (Diagram #I)
3. Find the Label Guide (Diagram #2) nested in the well ofthe
printer.
4. Removethe Label Guide by placingyour finger in the
recessed semicircle and gently liftingthe Label Guide from
its
compartment.
5. Hold the Label Guide as shown (Diagram #3).
6. Findthe two small black vertical strips (Diagram #4) located
near the top center of the blackwell (closest
to the label
tear bar).
7. Positionthe Label Guide aligning the opening between the black
strips and press down firmly. The small knob
on the narrow end
ofthe opening should click into place.
8. Replacespindle.
9. Remember to removethe Label Guide when using labels
larger than
I ". You can store the Label Guide inthe recessed
compartment.

Loading labels
Labels are quickly and easily loaded intothe Labelwriter printer.
Follow the instructions below while referringto Figures
1-5 and
1-6.
I. Openthe cover so that you have access to the interior ofthe
printer. Remove any packingmaterial.
2. Remove the labelspindle by lifting it straight up from the label
spindle holder.
w/
For wider label rolls
I
I
) 1 GI;; a straight
Figure 1-5. Looding labels onto the label spindle.
3. Locate your rollof labelsand remove the tape from the end of
the roll. Cutthe lead label in halftocreate a nice straight edge.
The Labelwriter grabs a straight edge much easier.
4. Refer to Figure 1-5 while followingthese instructions: For nar-
rowlabels, removethe right half ofthe label spindle and put the
labels onthe label spindle
so that the end feeds from the bottom
ofthe roll. Reconnect the right half ofthe spindle, with the label
roll snugly secured between the circular plates ofthe spindle.
Ifyou're usingwide labels, remove the right half
of the label
spindle and turn
it around, so that the long end ofthe spindle is
onthe inside. An illustrationindicating how to positionthe spindle
is molded intothe black plastic base inside the printer. Putthe
labels onthe label spindle
so that the end feeds fromthe bottom
ofthe roll. Reconnect the right half ofthe spindle, with the label
roll snugly secured between the circular plates ofthe spindle.

I
Figure 1-6. Insert labels into the feed slot before placing the label roll into
the printer.
5. Be certain that the power cord is connected. Nowturn on the
printer. Thegreen power light will flash and you
will hear the
printer’s motorturningas
it looks for labelstofeed.
6. Holdingthe spindle of labels in one hand, use your other hand
to feed the free end ofthe roll intothe feed slot onthe inside of
the printer, as shown in Figure 1-6. (If it’s easier, you can restthe
label spindle onthetop edge ofthe printer, freeing both hands
to
help with getting the labelfeeding started.)
7. Push the end intothe slot until you feel a slight resistance.
Continue pushinggently. The labelfeed motor
will grab the end
and carry the labelsthrough the printer and outthe exit
slot,
stopping automatically at the end ofthe first label.
Ifthe motor stops turningwhile you’re
still inthe process of load-
ing labels, just pressthe form feed buttontoget
it started again.
(To protect itself, the motor stops turning after a few seconds.)
8. Returnthe label rollspindle with the labelstothe spindle
holder. The spindle
will settle intothe raised shoulder slots inthe
printer. See Figure
1-7.

Figure 1-7. After the labels have been properly fed past the label tear bar,
rest the label spindle holder and close the cover.
9. Tear off the labels coming out the front of the printer by grasp-
ingthe very end and pulling downward and sideways across the
edge
of the labeltear bar.
IO. Close the cover and your Labelwriter printer is ready to go!
Removingan
empty label roll
When the printer runs out of labels, the power light will flash and
you
will need to removethe used roll. Followthese instructions
toremove a used roll
of label$.
I. Leave the printer turned on. Open the cover. Depending
onthe label size you are using, the last label onthe
roll may be
connected
to the corrugated core by a piece oftape. If it is, use
scissors
to cut the label between the roll and the labelfeed slot.
2. Press the Form Feed buttonon the printer’s front panel and
hold
it in as the printerejects the remaining labels or backing.
3. When the labels or backingstop, pull gently to removethe
material from the printer.
Now you can load a new roll of labels.
See the Loading Labelssection earlier in this chapter for instruc-
tions on howto load labels.

CHAPTER 2
MAINTENANCE AND
TROUBLESHOOTING
The Labelwriter printerwas designedtogive longand trouble-
free service, requiringvery little maintenance.You’ll get the best
possible performance from your Labelwriter
if you followthe
instructions in Chapter
I Setup and the procedures described
here. This chapter also covers troubleshooting
for printererrors
and other common problems.
Printer maintenance
Printer maintenance is quick and easy with the Labelwriter
printer. There’s noset schedulefor maintenance; simply perform
the appropriate maintenancewhen you see that
it’s needed.
The Labelwriterprintercan be easily cleaned usingjust a few
simple items. Use these items as often as needed to keep your
printerclean and ingood working order. You’ll needthese items:
0 lint-free cloth
0 isopropyl alcohol, diluted dishwashingdetergent or diluted
(non-ammonia) glass cleaner
0 small, soft brush, such as a paint brush
0 Use these items as they are called for in the maintenance
procedures described inthis chapter.

Exterior
maintenance
~~ ~- ~~~~
~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~~
Cleaning the outside ofyour Labelwriter is as important as clean-
ingthe inside. Dustingthe outside of the printer occasionally
will
reduce the incidence offoreign matter getting inside the printer.
Follow these steps toperformexterior maintenance onyour
printer:
I. Turn the printer off and disconnect the powercord.
2. Dirt, dust, ink and so on will morethan likely be attracted to
the exterior ofyour printer. Use the lint-free cloth to wipe the
exterior ofthe printer. Remove dirt and ink smudges with either
isopropylalcohol, diluted dishwashingdetergent or diluted glass
cleaner.
Avoid productscontainingammonia for cleaningthe printer
or plasticcover.
3. Take a minute to cleanthe work area around the Labelwriter.
There are probably a few labels (new and used) layingaround!
4. Reconnectthe power cord and turnthe printer on.
Interior
maintenance
The printer’s topcover will keep outmost ofthe dust and dirt
which accumulates in operating areas. However,
it is still agood
idea
to periodically perform some basic interior maintenance:
I. Turnthe printer off and disconnect the powercord.
2. Open the topcover.
3. Use a soft brush or a small, soft paint brush towhisk paper
dust and other stray particles away from the inside ofthe printer.
Remove the roll
of labels to clean under the roll, then replace the
labels.
4. Close the top cover.
5. Reconnectthe power cord and turn the printer on.

Troubleshooting
Since the Labelwriter is extremely reliable there’s an excellent
chance you’ll never have
to lookinthis section. However, if you
do find yourself in need of some type oftroubleshooting advice,
use this section
to correctthe problem.
~~~
~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~
Clearinglabel
jams
If you find labelsjammed inthe Labelwriter, follow these steps to
removethem.
I. Open the printer’s cover and use scissors to cut the label
betweenthefeed slot and the
roll oflabels.
2. Press theform feed button to advance the labelthrough the
printer. Reloadthe labelsas described in
Chapter I Setup.
3. If the labelwill notcome outwith the form feed, remove the
label spindle fromthe printer. Pull the jammed label
gently back
out ofthe printerthrough the feed
slot.
IRQ settings
Computers send data to a device through the use ofan address,
much inthe same way a postman delivers a lettertoyour home
usingyour street address.
If you want to send mail from your
home, you putthe mail in your mailbox and raise the redflag. The
postman sees the redflagand picks up your mail. The computer
does the same thingwith a flag called IRQ (Interrupt Request).
When the computer sees an IRQ,
it goes to the devicethat
sent the IRQ and retrieves the data. Below
is a list ofthe address-
es and IRQ’s used by IBM PC-compatible computers:
Bar codes printed on XL
or XLPlus are notscanning
consistently.
The LabelwriterXLand XL Plus can be set through their
Windows printdrivers to printcrisp, readable bar codesthat
match the bar code quality that comes standard in the BC and BC
Plus. Inthe Windows
3. I printdriver, click on the “Setup” button
and then simply set the Darkness Controlto“Light”. Inthe
Windows
95 driver, select “Properties”, then “Print Density” and
then “Light.”

PortName IRQ Address
COM I 4 03F8
COM2 3 02F8
COM3 4 03E8
COM4
3 02E8
LPT
I 7 0378
LPT2
5 0278
The LabelwriterXLsends status information back tothe
computer
so that the computer knows the status ofthe printerat
all times.
If your port settings are notcorrect, then the computer
may not be able
to send data or receive status from the
Labelwriter
XL printer. Your computer must be able to send and
receive data fromthe COM port inwhich
it is connected.
Each device requires
its own address and IRQ -they CANNOT
be shared. Noticethat COM3 and COM4 share
IRQs with COM I
and COM2, respectively.
IMPORTANT: If you encounter printproblems, especiallywhen
you
first set up your Labelwriter XLprinter, most often conflicts
inthe portsettings are the cause
of your problem. An installed
device such as a mouse, modem, networkcard or sound card can
interferewith the LabelwriterXLprinter. Check each of these
devices
to ensure there is noconflict with IRQ and address.You
may need the assistance
of your computer dealer or MIS Manager
to dothis for you.
Printer isn't
gettingpower
The onlofflight onthe front of your printershould glow green
when the printer
is switched on. If it doesn't check tomake sure
that the printer
is plugged in properlyat boththe wall outletand
alongthe back panel
of the printer. Then tryanother machine in
the same wall outlet
to make sure the outlet is good. Ifthe outlet
is good, chances are that the power transformer that came with
your Labelwriterhas become defective. There
is noneed to
returnthe printer. Justcall Costar for a new power transformer.

Printer is on but
doesn’t print
To be certain that your Labelwriter is printing and feeding labels
properly, you can runaself-test.
I. Make sure a roll of labels is loaded.
2. Be sure the printer is OFF and that the serial cable is not
connected.
3. Locate the Form Feed buttonon the front of the printer.
4. Holdthe Form Feed buttondown while you turn on the
Labelwriterwith the power button.
5. The printer will begin printing a self-test pattern onthe labels.
6. End the self-test by turningthe printeroff.
7. Reconnect the serial cable tothe back of the printer, turn the
printeron again, and you’re all set.
If the printerfails a self-test, check to see ifthe labels are loaded
improperlyor
if the serial cable is plugged in (it shouldn’t be
duringthe self-test). Reloadthe labels and retrythe self-test.
If the on/off LED is flashingand labels are loaded, this indicates
that the labels arejammed. You should remove the labels,
look
for jammed orcrimped labels, and then reloadthe labelsaccord-
ing
to the instructionsin chapter I.
The on/off light also flashes when you reachthe end ofa roll of
labels. Load a new rolland the light
will stop flashing.
Self-testworks
but printer
still
doesn’t printfrom
application.
Ifthe self-test works fine butthe printer is still not printingfrom
your application, dothe following:
Check to be sure that you have selected the correct serial port
inyour software and that the serial port
is set for 19,200 baud no
parity,
8 data bits, I stop bit, and XON/OFF flow control. See
Appendix
E for details on settingthese parameters.
Check to see that the serial cable (or parallel toserial adapter)
is properly connected. Make sure you are using a Costar serial
cable. Other ones that
look the same will not work.