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Printronix T4M Manual
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User’s Manual
SL4M™ and T4M™
RFID Smart Label and Thermal Printers

This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. No
part of this document may be reproduced, copied, translated or incorporated
in any other material in any form or by any means, whether manual, graphic,
electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior written consent of
Printronix.
COPYRIGHT © 2007, 2011 PRINTRONIX, INC. All rights reserved.
Trademark Acknowledgements
SL4M and T4M are trademarks of Printronix, Inc.
Printronix, IGP, IGP/Auto Label Mapping, PGL, and PrintNet are registered
trademarks of Printronix, Inc.
HP is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
PCL is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
IBM is registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Centronics is a registered trademark of Genicom Corporation.
IEEE is a registered service mark of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers, Inc.
ANSI is a registered trademark of American National Standards Institute, Inc.
EIA is a registered service mark of Electronic Industries Association.
ZPL, ZPL II, and Zebra are registered trademarks of Zebra Technologies
Corporation.
TEC is a registered trademark of the Toshiba TEC Corporation.
Intermec is a registered trademark of the Intermec Technologies Corporation.
SATO is a registered trademark of SATO America, Inc.
DPL is a trademark and Datamax is a registered trademark of Datamax
Technologies Corporation.
Monarch is a registered trademark of Paxar Corporation.
IER is a registered trademark of IER Siège
Andalé is a registered trademark of Monotype Corporation.

1 Introduction ......................................................... 11
The SL4M/T4M Thermal Printer .......................................................... 11
Standard Features ........................................................................ 11
Optional Features.......................................................................... 12
Thermal Printer Technology ................................................................ 14
The Printing Process ..................................................................... 14
Manual Conventions ............................................................................ 14
Warnings And Special Information ...................................................... 15
Related Documents ............................................................................. 15
Thermal Consumables......................................................................... 16
Media Selection............................................................................. 16
Ribbons ......................................................................................... 16
2 Operation ............................................................ 17
Unpacking The Printer ......................................................................... 17
Installation............................................................................................ 18
Power Cord Requirements ............................................................ 21
Setting Up The Printer ......................................................................... 21
Loading Ribbon ............................................................................. 22
Loading Roll Media ....................................................................... 25
Loading Fanfold Media.................................................................. 30
Operating Modes ................................................................................. 34
Controls And Indicators ....................................................................... 35
Power Switch ................................................................................ 35
Powering On The Printer............................................................... 35
Control Panel ................................................................................ 36
Media Handling Modes ........................................................................ 40
Printhead Pressure Adjustment ........................................................... 41
Media Thickness Adjustment ........................................................ 41
Media Width Adjustment ............................................................... 42
Printhead Alignment...................................................................... 43
Positioning The Media Sensors ........................................................... 44
Sensing Different Media Types ..................................................... 46
Running Auto Calibrate........................................................................ 47
Running Media Profile ......................................................................... 48
Running Manual Calibrate ................................................................... 50
Table of Contents

Table of Contents
3 Standard Interfaces............................................. 53
Overview.............................................................................................. 53
Auto Switching ..................................................................................... 53
Parallel Interface.................................................................................. 54
Centronics ..................................................................................... 54
IEEE 1284 ..................................................................................... 56
Serial Interface..................................................................................... 59
RS-232 .......................................................................................... 59
4 Configuring The Printer ....................................... 61
Overview.............................................................................................. 61
Setting Printer Configuration Parameters ..................................... 61
Moving Within The Configuration Menu ........................................ 61
Selecting A Menu Option .............................................................. 63
Changing Printer Settings ............................................................. 64
Hidden Menus...................................................................................... 64
Menu Overview.................................................................................... 65
Main Menu ........................................................................................... 66
MEDIA SETUP Menu .......................................................................... 68
MEDIA SETUP Submenus............................................................ 69
SENSOR SETUP Menu....................................................................... 83
SENSOR SETUP Submenus........................................................ 84
EMULATION MENU ............................................................................ 90
Overview ....................................................................................... 90
EMULATION Submenus ............................................................... 96
PRINTER SETUP Menu .................................................................... 105
PRINTER SETUP Submenus ..................................................... 107
INTERFACES Menu.......................................................................... 116
INTERFACES Submenus ........................................................... 120
CONFIGURATION MENU ................................................................. 139
CONFIGURATION Submenus.................................................... 140
DIAGNOSTICS Menu........................................................................ 142
DIAGNOSTICS Submenus ......................................................... 143
Saving A Configuration ...................................................................... 145
Auto Save Configuration.................................................................... 146
Specifying A Power-Up Configuration ............................................... 148
Modifying A Saved Configuration ...................................................... 149
Printing A Configuration..................................................................... 150
Loading A Saved Configuration ......................................................... 151

Table of Contents
5 Downloading Software ...................................... 153
Loading Flash Memory ...................................................................... 153
Downloading Software With The Firmware Download Utility............. 154
Downloading Software Through The Parallel Port............................. 155
Downloading Software Through The NIC .......................................... 156
Downloading Software Through The NIC Using FTP ........................ 158
Downloading Software Through The USB Port ................................. 160
Downloading Software If Flash Contains Only Boot Or
Corrupt Code ..................................................................................... 161
Using TrueType Fonts ....................................................................... 162
Downloading TrueType Fonts............................................................ 162
Printronix Windows Driver........................................................... 162
PGL Emulation (Online) .............................................................. 163
Download Mode .......................................................................... 163
PTX_SETUP ............................................................................... 166
Labeling Applications .................................................................. 166
Select And Print Downloaded TrueType Fonts.................................. 167
6 Routine Care And Troubleshooting................... 169
Cleaning............................................................................................. 169
Exterior Cleaning......................................................................... 169
Interior Cleaning.......................................................................... 170
Cleaning the Printhead, Platen Roller, Media Sensors, And
Media Damper............................................................................. 170
Printer Tests ...................................................................................... 174
Troubleshooting Common Situations................................................. 174
Improving Processing Time......................................................... 174
Data Exchange............................................................................ 175
Controlling Print Quality............................................................... 176
Determining Printhead Wear ....................................................... 176
Replacing The Printhead ................................................................... 177
Restore The Printer To Operation ..................................................... 179
Solving Other Printer Problems................................................... 180
Printer Alarms ............................................................................. 188
Fault Messages........................................................................... 188
Status Messages......................................................................... 210

Table of Contents
A Specifications .................................................... 213
Print Method................................................................................ 213
Media .......................................................................................... 214
Ribbon......................................................................................... 216
Indicators And Switches .............................................................. 216
Memory ....................................................................................... 217
Optional Expanded Memory Cartridge ........................................ 217
Media Cutter Option .................................................................... 217
Host Interfaces ............................................................................ 218
Power .......................................................................................... 218
Environmental ............................................................................. 219
Physical....................................................................................... 219
Acoustic Noise ............................................................................ 219
B Printer Options .................................................. 221
Hardware Options.............................................................................. 221
Interface Options ............................................................................... 223
Software Options ............................................................................... 223
Installing The QCMC ......................................................................... 225
Saving The Printer’s Configuration To The QCMC............................ 227
Copying The QCMC “Snapshot” Image to a Second Printer ............. 229
Updating The Printer Configuration To The QCMC .................... 231
Loading New Firmware On The Printer....................................... 231
Installing The EMC ............................................................................ 232
Using The Standard Peel Without Liner Rewinder ............................ 234
Configure The Printer Menu........................................................ 234
Load Media ................................................................................. 235
Using The Full Media Rewinder Option ............................................. 237
Configure The Printer Menu........................................................ 237
Load Media ................................................................................. 237
Rewinder Full Sensor Setup ....................................................... 240
Using The Full Media Rewinder With 3 Inch Diameter Core
Adapters ............................................................................................ 241
Configure The Printer Menu........................................................ 241
Install The Core Adapters And Media Take-Up Core.................. 241
Load Media ................................................................................. 243
Rewinder Full Sensor Setup ....................................................... 245
Using The Standard Peel With Liner Rewinder Option...................... 246
Configure The Printer Menu........................................................ 246
Load Media ................................................................................. 247
Removing Label Liner from the Rewinder................................... 251

Table of Contents
Supplies ............................................................................................. 252
Genuine Printronix Thermal Transfer Ribbons............................ 252
Genuine Printronix Media............................................................ 253
Ribbon And Media Usage ........................................................... 254
C ASCII Control Codes......................................... 255
D General Information .......................................... 257
Printronix Customer Support Center.................................................. 257
Printronix Supplies Department................................................... 257
Corporate Offices ........................................................................ 258
Training Available On Printronix Products ......................................... 258
Warranty Information ......................................................................... 259
Communication Notices..................................................................... 260
Software License Agreement............................................................. 263
Limited Software Product Warranty ................................................... 265
E Glossary............................................................ 267

Table of Contents

11
1 Introduction
The SL4M/T4M Thermal Printer
NOTE: As used in this manual, the terms “SL4M/T4M” and “printer” refer to
all models within the series. “SL” refers to all SmartLine RFID models.
The SL4M/T4M series consists of a family of high quality, direct thermal and
thermal transfer printers specifically designed for printing labels and tags from
any MS-DOS
®
, Windows
®
, or ASCII based compatible computer.
The SL4M/T4M, Smart Ready, and SmartLine series are comprised of the
products detailed in Table 1.
NOTE: All models are RFID Ready.
Standard Features
• 8MB Flash memory (fixed on controller PCBA)
• 32MB DRAM memory (fixed on controller PCBA)
• Bar Codes: Supports over 30 types of bar codes.
• Download: Fonts, forms, and graphics to printer memory.
• Emulations:
• Printronix PGL
®
. Provides printer system commands for text,
barcodes, graphics, lines, and boxes.
• ZGL, TGL, IGL, STGL, DGL, MGL, and IEGL Interpreters:
ZGL (Zebra
®
), TGL (TEC
®
), IGL (Intermec
®
), STGL (SATO
®
),
DGL (Datamax
®
), MGL (Monarch
®
), and IEGL (IER Siège
®
)
interpreters are powerful integration tools that allow the SL/T5R to
function in virtually all legacy ZPL, TEC, IPL, SATO, DPL™, MPCL
II
®
, and IER
®
application environments without requiring modification
to host data stream.
Table 1. The SL4M/T4M Thermal Printer
Model Max Print
Speed (ips) Printing Density (dpi) Max Print Width (inches)
SL4M/T4M 10 203 4.1
SL4M/T4M 10 305 4.1

12
Chapter 1 The SL4M/T4M Thermal Printer
• Fanfold media handling
• High Resolution Printhead: 203 dpi or 305 dpi for sharp graphics and
text.
• Media capacity: Eight inch diameter roll media on three inch core
(203mm diameter on 76.2mm diameter core)
• Media sensing: Horizontal positioning for gap, notch, hole, or black mark
sensing.
• Print speeds: Up to 10 ips (both 203 and 305 dpi)
• Printheads: Snap-in, interchangeable 203 dpi and 305 dpi
• Printing: On demand single label and batch label
• Resident Fonts: Letter Gothic Bold (#93779), Courier Bold (#93952), CG
Triumvirate Bold Condensed (#92250), OCR-A (#90993), OCR-B
(#91409), CG Triumverate (#92244), CG Triumverate Bold (#92248), and
CG Times (#92500).
• Ribbon capacity: 450m on one inch core (4.5 µm ribbon thickness)
• Standard Interfaces:
• Serial: RS-232
• USB 2.0 Universal Serial Bus
• Parallel: Centronics
®
-compatible parallel, IEEE
®
1284 compliant
parallel
• Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal Printing
• Ventless System: for operation in environments with airborne particulate
matter without compromising performance.
Optional Features
• Expanded Memory Cartridge (EMC): The expanded memory cartridge
(EMC) is a user installable option. The EMC can be ordered in any of
these configurations as a factory option kit or as a field upgrade kit:
• Expanded Memory - 32MB Expanded Memory Cartridge that
provides additional Flash memory for forms, logos, and fonts
(see “Optional Expanded Memory Cartridge” on page 217).
• Asian TrueType
®
Fonts - Separate cartridges containing fonts for
Simplified Chinese, Korean, or Japanese allows PGL or ZGL to print
complex Double Byte Character Set (DBCS) characters (see “DBCS
Character Sets and Fonts” on page 223).
• Andalé TrueType
®
Fonts - Separate cartridges containing Andalé
TrueType
®
fonts allowing PGL or ZGL to print characters for virtually
every language used in the world today, including simplified and
traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. (see “Andalé Fonts” on
page 223).

Optional Features
13
• Printer Job Language (PJL) - status read back between the printer
and the host computer. This option is available with or without
expanded memory (see “Printer Job Language (PJL)” on page 224).
• Quick Change Memory Cartridge (QCMC) - This cartridge option
provides an easy way to copy a printer’s firmware and configuration
settings from one printer to another. A “snapshot image” of the
source printer is stored on the QCMC and a simple interface is
provided to copy that image to a target printer. Once the image has
been copied to the target printer, the two printers will be identically
configured. The QCMC has its own resident network MAC address
that will be used in place of the printer’s LAN/WLAN MAC address
when the cartridge is left installed in a printer (see “Quick Change
Memory Cartridge (QCMC)” on page 224).
When kept installed in the printer, the QCMC adds approximately
24 MByte of Flash memory.
• Full Media Rewinder: In batch rewind mode, rewinds printed labels into
a removable roll.
• Label Taken Sensor: Detects presence and removal of labels in Peel-Off
mode. Included only with the Standard Peel without Liner Rewinder or
Standard Peel with Liner Rewinder options.
• Media Cutter: Automatically cuts printed media when the media exits the
printer.
• Network Interface Card (NIC): Allows you to attach the printer to a LAN
(Local Area Network) rather than attaching it directly to a host computer.
The PrintNet Enterprise Suite (PNE) remote management software is
standard with this option.
NIC adapters are available as user installable option, mounted inside the
printer with the 10/100Base-T (UTP) connection only.
NOTE: In this manual, the terms Network Interface Card (NIC) and Ethernet
are used interchangeably.
• NIC, Wireless: Provides wireless 802.11b/g connectivity without
expensive cabling and reconfigurations required from a wired network.
PNE is standard with this option.
• Real Time Clock: A clock chip with internal battery that keeps track of the
year, month, day, hour, minute, and second values. It continues to
operate when the printer is off.
• RFID Encoder: The RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) encoder
reads and writes information to smart labels (with embedded RFID tags).
• Standard Peel with Liner Rewinder: In label peel-off mode, peels off
labels one at a time before printing the next label and rewinds the liner
into a discardable roll.
• Standard Peel without Liner Rewinder: The Peel-Off mode peels labels
while discarding the dispensed liner in front of the printer.
For more information about printer options, see Appendix B on page 221.

14
Chapter 1 Thermal Printer Technology
Thermal Printer Technology
Quiet and fast, with excellent print quality, your multifunction thermal printer
uses an inline thermal printhead. The thermal printer operates differently from
a line matrix or laser printer, because the thermal printer uses a printhead with
heating elements and special paper or ribbon.
The Printing Process
The thermal printhead allows two modes of operation:
• Direct Thermal
During direct thermal printing, the thermal printhead selectively heats
small, rectangular thermal dots. When these contact the coated thermal
paper, the dyes and developers in the coating react to the heat and
develop an image. This mode of printing is generally used for short-term
labeling applications.
• Thermal Transfer
During thermal transfer printing, the heated thermal dots contact a
thermal ribbon. The heat reacts with the ribbon and bonds the image to
the paper. This method is used especially for abrasive, long-storage
applications and for specialized applications, such as in extreme
environmental conditions or where tamper-proofing is required.
Manual Conventions
• Operator panel keys are often shown by their symbol or icon (located on
the control panel directly below the key).
Example: Press the ↵ key for ENTER.
• LCD fault messages display the specific fault in uppercase letters.
A corrective action in upper and lowercase letters displays below the fault
message.
Example: PAPER OUT
Load Paper
• Key combinations are indicated by the +(plus) symbol.
Example: Press the Up key + Down key at the same time.

15
Warnings And Special Information
For your safety and to protect valuable equipment, read and comply with all
information highlighted under special headings:
WARNING Conditions that could harm you and damage the equipment.
CAUTION Conditions that could damage the printer or related equipment.
IMPORTANT Information vital to proper operation of the printer.
NOTE: Information and helpful tips about printer operation.
Related Documents
The following documents are available at www.printronix.com.
• Quick Setup Guide — Explains how to unpack, install, and set up the
printer.
• Maintenance Manual — Explains how to maintain and repair the line
matrix printer at the field service level of maintenance.
• PGL Programmer's Reference Manual — Provides information used with
the optional IGP Printronix emulation enhancement feature.
• ZGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy ZPL
application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• TGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy TEC application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• IGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy IPL application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• STGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy SGL application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• DGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy DGL application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• MGL™ Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy MGL application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• IEGL
®
Programmer’s Reference Manual — Provides information for the
printer to function in the legacy IER application environment without
requiring modification to host data stream.
• PXML Application Developer Reference Manual — Provides information
for printers to be managed remotely by a management model.

16
Chapter 1 Thermal Consumables
• Network Interface Card User's Manual — Information about network
protocols, configuration, and operation.
• PrintNet Enterprise Suite User’s Manual — Information about the remote
management software utility which allows you to organize all of the
printers in your office remotely in a single database, download software
and printer settings from a host computer with a single mouse click.
• XML Direct for Oracle Quick Start Guide — Explains the use of the XML
language with the Printronix® SL4M/T4M XML Direct printer.
• XML Direct for SAP Quick Setup Guide — Explains the use of the XML
language with the Printronix SL4M/T4M XML Direct printer.
• RFID Label Reference Manual — Explains the use of the Printronix
SL4M/T4M printer and RFID label application.
Thermal Consumables
Media Selection
Since there are two print modes of operation, there are two kinds of thermal
media:
• Direct thermal media
• Thermal transfer media
Direct thermal media is paper coated with special chemicals that act as an
accelerator, acceptor dye, and binder. During direct thermal mode, the heat
from the thermal printhead contacts the paper, causing a chemical reaction
which results in a printed image.
Thermal transfer media requires ribbon. A wide range of Printronix thermal
transfer media is available, such as film or synthetic paper substitutes. Most
of these media options can be die-cut for easy label applications. The wide
selection of media sizes and face stocks have been tested with Printronix
ribbons for print quality and usage. Consult your Genuine Printronix Supplies
Catalog, call the Printronix Customer Solutions Center at [phone], or
access the Printronix web page at www.printronix.com.
NOTE: The term “media” used in this manual refers to all the different kinds
of label or tag stock that can be used in the printer.
See “Genuine Printronix Media” on page 253 for more information.
Ribbons
Printronix offers a wide range of ribbons specifically engineered to enhance
printing capabilities and to prevent premature printhead wear. Therefore, you
should use a Genuine Printronix Thermal Ribbon in your printer.
See “Genuine Printronix Thermal Transfer Ribbons” on page 252 for more
information.

17
2 Operation
Unpacking The Printer
The printer is shipped in a carton and protective bag. The top lid of the carton
has instructions for removing the internal packing material. Keep all packing
material in case repacking is required.
CAUTION Avoid touching the electrical connectors to prevent electrostatic
discharge damage while setting up the printer. The discharge of
accumulated electrostatic energy can damage or destroy the printhead
or electronic components used in this device.
Shipping Container
Packing Material (4)
Printer
Accessories
Plastic Bag
Lifting Strap (2)

18
Chapter 2 Installation
1. Place the shipping container upright on a flat, level surface.
2. Open the box and remove the first layer of packing material along with
any lose items.
3. Remove the accessories box and set it aside.
4. Pull the printer out of the shipping container by using the two plastic
straps as handles.
5. Remove the bands and plastic bag.
6. Check that all components on the packing list are included.
Installation
The following sections will guide you through the printer installation process.
1. Place the printer on a flat level surface that allows easy access to all sides
of the printer.
CAUTION Never operate the printer on its side or upside down.
2. Set the printer power switch to O (Off).
WARNING Failure to properly ground the printer may result in electric shock to the
operator.
In compliance with international safety standards, this printer has been
equipped with a three-pronged power cord. When inserted in a correctly
wired power outlet, the ground conductor will ensure that the printer
chassis is at ground (earth) potential. Do not use adapter plugs or
remove the grounding prong from the cable plug. If an extension cord is
required, ensure that a three-wire cable with a properly grounded plug is
used.
3. Attach the AC power cord to the AC power receptacle in the back of the
printer.
4. Attach the AC power cord to a grounded (three prong) electrical outlet of
the proper voltage. See “Power Cord Requirements” on page 21.
5. Attach Communication Interface:
a. Parallel Interface
Attach a suitable parallel printer cable from the computer to the
Centronics/IEEE 1284 interface connector at the back of the printer.
Snap the bail locks to the Centronics connector to secure the
interface cable to the printer.
b. Serial Interface
Attach a suitable serial printer cable from the computer to the DB-9
RS-232 serial interface connector at the back of the printer. For
additional information on serial cable wiring, refer to “Routine Care
And Troubleshooting” on page 169.

19
c. USB
Attach a USB cable with noise suppresion filters on BOTH ends from
the computer to the USB connector at the back of the printer.
d. NIC Connection
Insert a suitable NIC cable from your hub or switch to the NIC
connector located in the I/O panel in the rear of your printer.
NOTE: The printer supports simultaneous connection of the parallel, serial,
USB, and NIC interfaces using the Auto Switching feature.
Auto Switching is described on page 53.
Parallel Interface
Serial Interface
RS-232
Ethernet Interface
(optional)
Interface Panel with Ethernet Option
USB Connection