GA Cody-3 User manual

INTERNATIONAL
Thermal-Transfer / Direct Thermal Printer
Cody-3™User Manual

2
Contents
The Printer 3
Introduction 3
Instructions for Proper Use and Precautions 3
Limitation of Liability 3
Product Features 4
Standard Equipment 4
Specifications 5
Print Specifications 5
Ribbon Specifications 5
Media Size 5
Product Introduction 6
What’s in the Box 6
Printer Components 7
External 7
Internal 8
Installation 9
Installing the Printer 9
Installing the Ribbon 9
Installing the Media 10
Printer Settings and Control 11
Error Alerts 11
Button Functions 11
Self-Test 12
Maintenance and Adjustment 13
Troubleshooting 13
Maintenance 14
Cleaning Steps 14

3
The Printer
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the Cody-3™ thermal-transfer and direct thermal printer.
This printer is built with two sets of gears to drive the motor and can handle 300 meters of ribbon and large
label rolls. The printer’s inner volume fits 5” OD (Outer Diameter) media rolls.
The Cody-3 is designed for real-time and batch label printing, with standard serial, USB, and Ethernet
connection ports. Thermal-transfer and direct thermal printing modes are both available so that you can
choose various kinds of printing materials.
Common 1D barcode and 2D barcode fonts are built into the printer. It supports 4-direction printing, and
characters can be enlarged from 1 to 8 times. The printer also supports eight dierent size bitmap fonts as
well as OCR-A and OCR-B fonts, making this printer the best choice among printers of the same class.
Instructions for Proper Use and Precautions
• The printer should only be used in a dry environment, do not expose it to moisture (sprays of water,
mists, etc.).
• Do not use the printer in an explosive atmosphere (under atmospheric conditions with a mixture of
dangerous substances in the air).
• The printer should not be used close to high-voltage power lines.
• If operating the printer with the cover open, ensure that any clothing, hair, jewelry, etc., does not contact
exposed rotating parts.
• Printer operation should be limited to only those actions outlined in the user manual. Work beyond this
may only be performed by trained personnel or certified service technicians.
• The printer should always be stored and operated under the recommended environmental conditions
(Please see page 5 of this manual).
• This product may cause radio interference, and users may need to take adequate preventive measures.
• The user must take proper care to avoid potential electric shock hazards.
• Precautions should be taken by the user to prevent possible burn risks (e.g., the printhead may become
hot and cause severe burns. Allow the printhead to cool before manipulating it).
• Care should be taken when handling the product to ensure it is not damaged (e.g., dropping the printer,
spilling liquids/chemicals into the printer, using dierent power voltage than specified).
• If care is not taken, the product’s electronics could be damaged by an electrostatic discharge (e.g.,
always observe proper electrostatic safety precautions when handling static-sensitive components
such as PC boards and printheads. Switch o all aected devices, such as computers, printers, and
accessories, before connecting or disconnecting them).
Limitation of Liability
In no event shall GA International Inc., its ailiates, or any of the parties involved in the creation, production, or
delivery of the accompanying product (including hardware and software) be liable for any loss, inconvenience,
or damage whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential or otherwise (including,
without limitation, consequential damages including loss of business profits, business interruption, or loss of
business information/data) arising out of the use of, the results of the use of, or inability to use the product,
even if GA International Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Product Standard 300DPI
Direct Thermal Printing ✓✓
Thermal-Transfer Printing ✓✓
ABS Plastic Housing ✓✓
Gap Sensor ✓✓
Ribbon Sensor ✓✓
Printhead Open Sensor ✓✓
USB 2.0 Communication Interface ✓✓
16 MB SD RAM ✓✓
8 MB FLASH ✓✓
LED Indicators ✓✓
GZPL, EZPL, GEPL Printer Languages ✓✓
Characters and Barcodes Can be Printed in Four Degrees of Rotation (0, 90, 180, 270) ✓✓
Can Print text, Barcodes, and Pictures
✓✓
Supported Barcodes Supported Picture Formats
1D Barcodes 2D Barcodes
BMP, PCXCode 39, Code 93,
EAN-8, EAN-13, EAN
8/13 (with 2 & 5 digits
extension), UPC-A,
UPC-E, UPC-A and
UPC-E with EAN 2
or 5 digit extension,
Interleaved 2-of-5 (I 2
of 5), Interleaved 2- o-f
5 with Shipping Bearer
Bars, Codabar, Code 128
(subset A, B, C), EAN
128, RPS 128, UCC 128,
UCC/EAN-128 K-Mart,
Random Weight,
Postnet, ITF 14, China
Postal Code, HIBC, MSI,
Plessey, Telepen, FIM,
GS1 DataBar, German
Post Code, Planet 11
& 13 digit, Japanese
Postnet, Standard 2
of 5, Industrial 2 of 5 ,
Logmars, Code 11, ISBT
-128, Code 32
PDF417, Datamatrix
code, MaxiCode, QR
code, Micro PDF417,
Micro QR code and
Aztec code, Code 49,
Codablock F , TLC 39
4
Product Features
Standard Equipment

Print Specifications
Ribbon Specifications
Media Size
Printhead 300 dots/inch (12 dots/mm)
Print Speed (Inches/Second) up to 4 inch/s (102mm/s)*
Maximum Print Width 4.16” (105.7mm)
Minimum Print Length 0.16” (4mm)*
Maximum Print Length 30” (762mm)
Maximum Ribbon Diameter 2.67” (68mm)
Maximum Ribbon Length 984’ (300m)
Ribbon Core Diameter 1” (25.4mm)
Ribbon Width Min. 1.18” (30mm), Max. 4.33” (110mm)
Ribbon Winding Coated side-out
Maximum Media Roll Diameter 5” (127mm) OD
Media Type Continuous, gap (die-cut), black mark, notch
Media Width Min 1” (25.4mm)/Max 4.64” (118mm)
Media Thickness Min 2.36mil (0.06mm)/Max 10mil (0.254mm)
Roll Core Diameter 1” / 25.4mm
Label Length 0.157”-30” (4-762mm)
Media Gap Height Min 0.079” (2mm)
Model Cody-3™
Printer Size
Length: 11.0” (280mm)
Height: 7.3” (186mm)
Width: 8.3” (210mm)
Printer Weight 5.29lbs (2.4Kg)
Power Supply Input: Auto Switching 100-240VAC, 50-60Hz
Output: 24V, 2.5A
Operating
Conditions
Work environment: 41°F to 104°F (5°C to 40°C); 30-85%, non-condensing
Storage environment: -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C); 10-90%, non-condensing
5
Specifications
*Minimum print height and maximum print speed specifications can be dependent on non-standard variables such as label type, thickness,
spacing, liner construction, etc.

6
Product Introduction
What’s in the Box
1. Cody-3™ thermal-transfer/direct thermal printer
2. Power cord
3. Power adapter
4. USB cable
5. Ribbon holder and take-up spools
6. Flash drive with software and driver installation instructions
7. Cardboard take-up core
1
4
2
3
5
7
6

7
Printer Components
External
Label Exit
Power Button
Feed Button
Cover Release Catches
Pull catches for opening the printer cover
Feed Slot
External Label Unwinders & Fanfold Labels
Calibration Button
Power Jack
USB Port Serial Port
Ethernet Port
Operation Panel
Front View
Rear View

8
Internal
Label Guide Plate
Label Supply Hub
Label Guide Release Catch
Release catch for opening the
label supply hub
Release Catch
Release catch for closing
the printer cover
Label Sensor
Guide Track
Platen
Platen Fasteners

Picture 1 Picture 2 1. Pull the catches on the left and
the right towards the front to unlock
and open the printer cover.
2. Place the ribbon roll onto
the ribbon hub. Place an empty
cardboard core onto the ribbon
take-up spool. Attach the ribbon to
the empty core.
3. Clamp the left and right side of
the ribbon hub into the printer, left
side first.
Picture 3 Picture 4 4. Open the front cover. Clamp the
left and right side of the ribbon hub
into the printer, left side first.
5. Close the front cover and push
the release catch to close the cover.
Picture 5
9
Installing the Ribbon
Installation
Installing the Printer
1. Place the printer on a stable surface.
2. Make sure the power is turned o.
Do not plug in the power cord when the printer is turned on.
3. Connect a serial, USB, or Ethernet cable to the printer and PC.
4. Connect the power cord to the power supply socket.

2
1
3
4
5 6
7
2
10
Installing the Media
1. Press the release catch to unlock the label guide plates.
2. Slide the label guide plates apart.
3. Place the label roll between the label guide plates.
4. Press the release catch again to slide the label guide plates together until the label roll is securely
fastened between the plates.
5. Feed the labels through the label guides and pull them until they exit the printer.
6. Pull the release catch forward to close the printer cover.
7. Press the FEED button to ensure that the labels feed smoothly.

LED Indicator
Power
LED Stauts LED Type Beeps Description Solution
Print Head Error 2 x 4 beeps The printing mechanism is not
correctly closed.
Open the print mechanism and
close it again.
Print Head Error None High temperature at the print
head.
Once the print head has cooled
down, the printer switches to
standby mode.
Media Error 2 x 3 beeps
No ribbon is installed and the
printer displays an error.
Make sure that the printer is set to
direct thermal printing mode.
The ribbon is finished or the
label supply hub is not moving. Replace the ribbon roll.
Media Error 2 x 2 beeps
No paper is detected.
Make sure that the label sensor is
positioned correctly. If the sensor
still does not detect the paper, run
the auto-detection function again.
Paper is finished. Replace the label roll.
Printer feed problem.
Possible reasons: the print medium
has become trapped around the
platen roller; the sensor cannot
detect a gap or black mark
between the labels; there is no
paper. Please reset the sensor.
File Error 2 x 2 beeps
The memory is full. The printer
prints the message “File
System full”.
Delete unnecessary data or install
additional memory.
Unable to find file. The printer
prints the message “File Name
NotFound”.
Use the “~X4” command to print all
files. Then check whether the files
exist and whether the names are
correct.
A file of the same name already
exists. The printer prints the
message “Duplicate Name”.
Change the name of the file and try
storing it again.
11
Printer Settings and Control
Error Alerts
In the event of a problem that prevents the normal functioning of the printer, you will see an error message
on the LED indicators and hear some beep signals. Please refer to the below table for common error alerts.
Button Functions
1. Feed
When the printer is ready (Power LED is solid green), press
the FEED button, and one label will be fed through the printer.
2. Label Calibration
The printer can automatically detect and store label height.
That means the host computer does not need to transmit the
label height to the printer.

Model & Version
USB ID setting
Serial port setting
MAC address of Ethernet port
IP protocol setting
IP address of Ethernet port
Gateway setting
Netmask setting
Number of DRAM installed
Image buffer size
Number of forms
Number of graphics
Number of fonts
Number of Asian fonts
Number of Databases
Number of Scalable fonts
Free memory size
Speed, Density, Ref. Point, Print direction
Label width, Form length, Stop position
Cutter, Label Dispenser, Mode
Sensor Setting
Code Page
RT700:GX.XXX
USB S/N:12345678
Serial port:96,N,8,1
MAC Addr:xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx
DHCP Enable
IP xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Sub-Mask xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
##################################
1 DRAM installed
Image buffer size:1500 KB
0000 FORM(S) IN MEMORY
0000 GRAPHIC(S) IN MEMORY
000 FONT(S) IN MEMORY
000 ASIAN FONT(S) IN MEMORY
000 DATABASE(S) IN MEMORY
000 TTF(S) IN MEMORY
4073 KB FREE MEMORY
^S4 ^H8 ^R000 ~R200
^W102 ^Q100,3 ^E18
Option:^D0 ^O0 ^AD
Reflective AD:1.96 2.84 2.49[0.88_23]
Code Page:850
12
Self-Test
The self-test function lets you check whether the printer is functioning normally. Here is how you run the
label size calibration and self-test.
1. Check that the label stock is loaded correctly.
2. Turn o the printer.
3. Turn the printer on again, keeping the FEED button pressed. When the LED starts to flash red, release
the FEED button. The printer will now measure the label stock and store the label height.
4. Once the printer has successfully measured the label stock, it will print a self-test label. The contents
of a self-test printout are listed below.

Problem Solution
The printer is switched on but the
LED does not light up. Check the power supply.
The LED lights up red, and printing
is interrupted.
Check the software settings (driver settings) or command codes.
Look for the error alert in the table on page 11, Error Alerts.
Check whether the print mechanism is closed correctly.
The label stock passes through the
printer but no image is printed.
Please make sure that the label stock is loaded the right way up
and that it is suitable material.
Choose the correct printer driver.
Choose the correct label stock and a suitable printing mode.
The label stock jams during
printing.
Clear the paper jam. Remove any label material left on the thermal
printhead and clean the printhead using a soft lint-free cloth dipped in
alcohol.
There is no printed image on some
parts of the label.
Check whether any label material or ribbon is stuck to
the thermal printhead.
Check for errors in the application software.
Check whether the starting position has been set incorrectly.
Check the ribbon for wrinkles.
There is no printed image on part of
the label, or the image is blurred.
Check the thermal printhead for dust or other dirt.
Use the internal “~T” command to check whether the thermal printhead
will carry out a complete print job.
Check the quality of the print medium.
The printed image is positioned
incorrectly.
Check whether there is paper or dust covering the sensor.
Check whether the label stock is suitable. Contact your supplier.
Check the paper guide settings.
A label is skipped during printing.
Check the label height setting.
Check whether there is dust covering the sensor.
Run the auto-detection function.
The printed image is blurred. Check the darkness setting.
Check the thermal printhead for dust or dirt.
The cutter does not cut o the
labels in a straight linen (optional). Check whether the label stock is positioned straight.
The cutter does not cut o the
labels completely (optional). Check whether the label is more than 0.2 mm thick.
When using the cutter, the labels
are not fed through or cut o
incorrectly (optional).
Check whether the cutter has been correctly installed.
Check whether the paper guides are functioning correctly.
The label dispenser is not
functioning normally (optional).
Check whether there is dust on the label dispenser.
Check whether the label stock is positioned correctly.
13
Maintenance and Adjustment
Troubleshooting

14
Maintenance
Dirt on the printhead or ribbon or glue residue from the label stock may result in inadequate print quality. The
printer cover must, therefore, always be closed during printing. Keeping dirt and dust away from the paper
or labels ensures a good print quality and a longer printhead lifespan.
Cleaning Steps
Here is how you clean the printhead
1. Turn o the printer.
2. Open the printer cover.
3. Remove the ribbon.
4. To remove any label residue or other dirt from the printhead (see purple arrow), please use a soft lint
free cloth dipped in alcohol.
*The printhead should be cleaned once a week.
*Please make sure that there are no metal fragments or other hard particles on the soft cloth used to clean the printhead.

WARNING
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of GA International Inc.
[e-mail]
ga-international.com
Labtag.com |Industritag.com
USA / CANADA INTERNATIONAL
[phone] [phone]
INTERNATIONAL
V1.0;10MAR2022