Qls 2000 Series User manual

QLS™ 2000/3000 Series
Digital Color Printers
Operation & Setup Guide
Part No. 22834-451
03/05
Firmware V 1.3
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
____________________________________________________
QuickLabel® Systems
an Astro-Med, Inc. product group
600 East Greenwich Avenue
West Warwick, RI 02893
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.quicklabelsystems.com
____________________________________________________
Technical Support 1.800.343.4039

Copyright © 2000 - 2005
This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this manual may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language in any form by any means without written permission of QuickLabel® Systems.
LRU, CQL, QLS, QuickLabel, Range Boss, and Top Hand are trademarks of QuickLabel
Systems. MicroCell and RibbonRation are trademarks of Astro-Med, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Limited Warranty
QuickLabel Systems, an Astro-Med, Inc. product group, warrants all non-wear components
of this product against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one (1) year from
the date of original purchase. If the customer discovers a defect, this defect must be
reported promptly to QuickLabel Systems. QuickLabel Systems will, at its option, repair or
replace the defective component or product at no additional charge except as set forth
below.
Repair parts and replacement parts will be furnished on an exchange basis and will be
either reconditioned or new. All replaced parts become the property of QuickLabel
Systems. Travel, freight, and other expenses related to warranty repairs are not covered.
Service Agreements are available for purchase and provide on-site service and/or loaner
equipment. This warranty is void if the product has been damaged by accident, abuse,
neglect or misapplication, or if the product has been improperly installed, or if the product
has been modified without the express written permission of QuickLabel Systems.
With respect to printers and print and apply systems, QuickLabel Systems warrants the
printhead for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase, or one million linear inches,
whichever occurs first, contingent upon the use of QuickLabel Systems thermal transfer
ribbon. This specific printhead warranty does not apply to printheads damaged by
accident, abuse, neglect, misapplication, or the like.
QuickLabel Systems makes no warranty, either express or implied, with respect to this
product's fitness for a particular purpose. QuickLabel Systems is not responsible for your
product if it is lost or damaged in transit.
Canadian Emissions Requirements
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department
of Communications.
Le present appareil numérique n’emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques de la class A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le
brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des Communications du Canada.
FCC Compliance Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation. Shielded cables must be used with this unit to ensure compliance
with the Class A FCC limits.

WARNING
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
NOTE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in
a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the operation guide,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Ownership Information
Use the spaces below to record the model and serial number of your product.
Model ____________________________________ Serial No. _____________________
Contact QuickLabel Systems
Contact QuickLabel Systems to pass along your comments about any QLS product, Astro-
Med, Inc. Data Acquisition Instrument, Grass Instruments, or related software products. To
contact the QuickLabel® Systems Development Group, call 401-828-4000 or e-mail us at
[email protected].

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Manufacturer’s Name: Astro-Med,Inc.
Manufacturer’s Address: Astro-Med, Inc.
600 East Greenwich Avenue
West Warwick, RI 02893 USA
declares that the product
Product Name: QLS-2000 QLS-2001
QLS-3000 QLS-3001
conforms to the following product specifications:
Safety: EN 60950-1:2001
CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1-03
EMC: EN 55022:2000, Class A
EN 55024:1998
EN 61000-3-2:2000
EN 61000-3-3:1995
Relevant Directives are 89/336/EEC and 73/23/EEC
Steven Holbrook / Quality Assurance Manager
03/03/2005
European Contact: Your local Astro-Med, Inc. Sales and Service Office.
FRANCE – Astro-Med SNC, Parc dʹActivities de Pissaloup, 1, rue
Edouard Branly, 78190 Trappes (Tel. [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email:AstroMedFr[email protected])
GERMANY – Astro-Med GmbH, Senefelderstrasse 1/T6, D-63110
Rodgau (Tel. [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail])
UNITED KINGDOM – Astro-Med, Inc., Astro-Med House, 11 Whittle
Parkway, Slough, SL1 6DQ. (Tel. [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected])
ITALY –Astro-Med S.R.L, Via Plezzo 8, 20132 Milano. (Tel. 39-02-
26411909 Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail])

QLS 2000/3000 Digital Color Printers
Table of Contents i
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Before You Get Started...................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
2000/3000 Digital Color Printer Specifications ......................................................................... 1
Comm Ports ............................................................................................................................... 3
Internal Components.................................................................................................................. 4
User Interface .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Keypad & Indicator Lights......................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 2
Printer Setup....................................................................................................................................................... 7
Assembly..................................................................................................................................................... 7
QLS 2000/3000 Series Printers .................................................................................................. 7
Cutter, Cutter-Stacker, or External Rewinder............................................................................. 7
Communications.......................................................................................................................................... 7
Printer Drivers............................................................................................................................ 7
Platforms Supported................................................................................................................... 7
Comm Protocol.......................................................................................................................... 8
Comm Port................................................................................................................................. 9
Baud Rate / Handshaking.........................................................................................................10
Media......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon (TTR) Media..................................................................... 11
Loading Label Media............................................................................................................... 13
Specify Media Type................................................................................................................. 16
Calibration................................................................................................................................................. 16
Current Media.......................................................................................................................... 16
Label Length............................................................................................................................ 18
Chapter 3
Printing ............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Printer Status ............................................................................................................................................. 19
Initialization............................................................................................................................. 19
Current Settings ....................................................................................................................... 19
Operation................................................................................................................................................... 20
CQL 99™ and Third-Party Design Software ........................................................................... 20
Print/Pause ............................................................................................................................... 20
Advance Media........................................................................................................................ 21
Print Quality .............................................................................................................................................. 21

QLS 2000/3000 Digital Color Printers
ii Table of Contents
Test Print Quality..................................................................................................................... 21
Heat Intensity .......................................................................................................................... 23
Printhead Pressure ................................................................................................................... 24
TTR Media Tension................................................................................................................. 26
Print Position............................................................................................................................................. 26
Print and Cut Offset................................................................................................................. 26
Web Alignment ....................................................................................................................... 27
Mirror Images.......................................................................................................................... 28
Image Area .............................................................................................................................. 29
Speed......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Job Reprints .............................................................................................................................................. 30
Chapter 4
Printer Maintenance ........................................................................................................................................ 31
Routine Cleaning....................................................................................................................................... 31
Replacing Parts ......................................................................................................................................... 33
Printheads ................................................................................................................................ 33
Platen Rollers........................................................................................................................... 35
Drive Roller............................................................................................................................. 37
Upgrade Firmware..................................................................................................................................... 39
Parallel Upgrade ...................................................................................................................... 40
Serial (RS-232) Upgrade .........................................................................................................41
Enable/Disable TTR Sensors ................................................................................................... 42
Chapter 5
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................................................... 43
Solutions to Common Problems ................................................................................................................ 43
Mechanical Problems............................................................................................................... 43
Poor Print Quality.................................................................................................................... 43
Index ................................................................................................................................................................. 45

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Before You Get Started 1
Chapter 1
Before You Get Started
Overview
All QLS 2000/3000 series thermal transfer printers print in vibrant spot color.
In addition, the 3000 model prints full process color.
QLS 2000 Model .......................... Prints two spot colors on one side of the media.
QLS 2001 Model .......................... Prints one spot color on each side of the media
simultaneously.
QLS 3000 Model .......................... Prints three spot colors or full process color on one
side of the media.
QLS 3001 Model .......................... Prints two colors on one side of the media and one
color on the opposite side simultaneously.
2000/3000 Digital Color Printer Specifications
Print Method ................................. thermal transfer
Print Speed.................................... up to 5 ips
Resolution..................................... 304 dpi
RAM ............................................. 1 MB Flash optional for download and storage of
bitmaps or fonts. Dynamic sizing of RAM occurs
automatically when maximum label length is changed
to accommodate download of bitmaps or fonts.
Drivers .......................................... Windows or Macintosh
Communications........................... RS232, RS422, Centronics® Parallel

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
2Before You Get Started
Pin table for the serial interface is:
1 ........................................not used
2 ........................................TXD (transmit data)
3 ........................................RXD (receive data)
4 ........................................DTR (data terminal ready)
5 ........................................ground
6 ........................................DSR (data set ready)
7 ........................................internally connected
8 ........................................internally connected
9 ........................................not used
Media Travel Sensors ....................
Transmissive .....................Senses the gap, inverted gap, notch,
string hole, or punch out. This sensor is
marked by a sliding red handle and
pointer that is to be positioned over the
gap, notch, string hold, or punch out.
Reflective ..........................Senses a black mark on the underside of
a label or tag. This is a fixed sensor and
is not adjustable.
TTR Media Roll Length ................300 meters
TTR Media Widths........................1.75, 2, 2.75, 3.25, 3.75 inches
Label Media...................................die cut or continuous; paper, plastic, or synthetics;
card or care tag
Min/Max Label Media Size ...........1” to 4.625” W x 0.2” to 22” L
Max Label Thickness.....................12 pt
Min/Max Print Width ....................5 mm to 4.4 inches

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Before You Get Started 3
Label Print Software ..................... optional
Label Design Software.................. optional
Standard Bar Codes ...................... all standard, plus Agfa® True Type™ scalable fonts
Power Requirements ..................... 110/240V A/C, 50/60 Hz, 400W
Dimensions ................................... 20” x 17” x 22”
Weight .......................................... 84 lb
Heat Intensity................................ 1 (coolest, results in the lightest output) to 32 (hottest).
Other Options ............................... external cutter, external cutter-stacker, external
rewinder
Comm Ports
Ports for external connection to the printer are provided on the rear of the unit.
1 parallel port
2 serial port
3 reserved for future use
4 utility I/O port
Figure 1, QLS 2000/3000 Comm Ports

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
4Before You Get Started
Internal Components
All models contain mechanisms similar to those shown on the 3000 model
illustrated.
Figure 2, Interior - QLS 3000 Digital Color Printer
1 thermal transfer ribbon (TTR) rewind mandrel (front print station)
2 TTR tension switch
3 TTR unwind mandrel (front print station)
4 silver clip holding the cam
5 drive roller pressure cam lever (closed position)
6 drive roller pressure support assembly

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Before You Get Started 5
7 drive roller
8 platen roller
9 guide roller
10 print station cam lever (open position)
11 printhead
12 media index roller
13 media sensor (reflective/gap-notch sensor inside)
14 media guide roller
15 media unwind mandrel
User Interface
Keypad & Indicator Lights
When power is on, indicator lights provide a visual indication of the printer’s
current status. The buttons on the front panel provide access to menus:
Figure 3, QLS 2000/3000 Keypad & Indicator Lights

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
6Before You Get Started
1 Print/Pause LED
Illuminates when pressed, when the printer is paused, when an error occurs, and
when TTR or label media runs out.
2 LCD Display
3 Up Arrow
Cycles through settings within a menu; cycles through submenus.
4 Menu
Displays current status, protocol, media type, printing progress, and speed. Press to
toggle from current status to a selection of submenus.
5 Print/Pause
Toggles the printer from print to halt printing.
6 Form Feed/Advance
Advances the media by one full label length (to the next registration mark) when
pressed and released; continually advances the media when pressed and held.
7 Calibrate
Calibrates the appropriate top-of-form sensor to the currently loaded media.
8 Data LED
Blinks when data is received from an external source.
9 Error LED
Illuminates when an error condition occurs.
10 Power LED
Illuminates when the printer is in a Ready state.
11 Left Arrow
Cycles the display through menu choices displays current settings for active menus.
To navigate submenus and select menu options, use the arrow buttons.
12 Select
Accepts the displayed setting.
13 Down Arrow
Cycles through settings within a menu; cycles through submenus.
14 Right Arrow
Cycles the display through menu choices, displays current settings for active menus.
To navigate submenus and select menu options, use the arrow buttons.
15 Cancel
Cancels the current label(s) or test pattern.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Printer Setup 7
Chapter 2
Printer Setup
Assembly
QLS 2000/3000 Series Printers
Printers are shipped partially disassembled to prevent damage during shipment.
Locate the printer cover and five #6 screws shipped with the equipment.
Attach the cover to the printer.
Cutter, Cutter-Stacker, or External Rewinder
Peripherals are documented separately. Refer to the documentation for the
appropriate option. The connection from the cutter or cutter-stacker to the
printer will be through the printer’s utility I/O port.
Communications
Printer Drivers
Refer to the printer driver documentation for software installation instructions.
QLS 2000/3000 series printers can be addressed by a Windows™ driver, by
QuickLabel Systems CQL 99™ software, and by third-party software.
Platforms Supported
IBM-compatible PCs and Macintosh workstations are supported.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
8Printer Setup
QLS 2000 and 3000 Series printers can receive data through either a serial or
parallel connection. Bidirectional communication (send and receive) is
supported serially.
TO CONNECT THE PRINTER TO A WORKSTATION:
1. Be sure power is Off.
2. Connect (parallel or serial) communications cables and power cables
between the rear of the printer and power and comm sources.
Comm Protocol
Protocol can be set by the printer driver, by CQL 99, or by third-party software.
TO SET THE COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL AND SELECT A HOST
COMMAND PREFIX:
1. Press the Menu button to display the main menu.
2. Use the arrow keys to move the on-display indicator to Comm, then press
Select. The Communications menu will be displayed.
3. With the on-display indicator positioned at Ptcl press Select.
4. Use the arrow keys to select the printer name (required for use with CQL 99
label creation software) or to select Graphics (for other Windows
applications).
5. You will be prompted to confirm. To confirm and save the new parameters,
move the cursor before Yes, then press Select.
6. Use the arrow keys to position the on-display indicator before Pref and
press Select.
7. Use the arrow keys to select a command prefix and a format prefix for host
protocol commands to be received by the printer. Defaults are <SOH> for
the command prefix and <STX> for the format prefix. If you are using
CQL 99 label creation software, use the default command prefixes.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Printer Setup 9
8. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to permanently change the
communications parameters. To save communications parameters, move
the cursor before Yes, then press Select.
9. With the on-display indicator positioned before Delim press Select.
10. Use the arrow keys to select a command delimiter for commands to be
received by the printer. The default delimiter is <CR><LF>. If you are
using CQL 99 label creation software, use the default command delimiter.
11. You will be prompted to confirm. To confirm and save communications
parameters, move the cursor before Yes, then press Select.
Comm Port
The comm port in use (parallel, RS-232, or RS-422) must be selected to enable
communications. If either RS-232 or RS-422 are being used, baud rate can also
be selected. The default comm port is parallel.
NOTE SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO ENABLE
STATUS MESSAGES TO BE RECEIVED FROM THE PRINTER
OR TO ENABLE USE OF CQL™ 99 LABEL CREATION
SOFTWARE (BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS).
If using both parallel and RS-232 serial communications, select and set up RS-
232 first, then select and set up parallel communications.
TO SELECT COMM PORTS:
1. Press the Menu button to display the main menu.
2. Use the arrow keys to move the on-display indicator to Comm, then press
Select. The Communications menu will be displayed.
3. With the on-display indicator positioned before Port, press Select.
4. Use the arrow keys to specify which port is being used and press Select to
confirm.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
10 Printer Setup
Baud Rate / Handshaking
If the Comm Port setting is RS-232 or RS-422, set Baud Rate and Handshaking
to match host workstation settings. The default baud rate is 19,200.
TO SET BAUD RATE AND HANDSHAKING METHOD:
1. Press the Menu button to display the main menu.
2. Use the arrow keys to move the on-display indicator to Comm, then press
Select. The Communications menu will be displayed.
3. Press the right arrow to move to the Baud Rate field. The default rate is
19,200. To change the default, press the up/down arrow to select a new
rate, then press Select.
4. You will be prompted to confirm the change. Press the up/down arrow to
indicate Yes, then press Select.
5. Press the right arrow to move to the Hshk field, then press Select.
6. Press the up/down arrow to select XON/XOFF or Hardware, then press
Select.
7. You will be prompted to confirm that you want to permanently change the
communications parameters. To save communications parameters, move
the cursor before Yes, then press Select.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Printer Setup 11
Media
Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon (TTR) Media
If your printer is a QLS 3000 model and you are setting up for process color
printing, load ribbon in the following sequence:
Front Printhead ............................. Cyan TTR
Center Printhead ........................... Magenta TTR
Rear Printhead .............................. Yellow TTR
If you are setting up for spot color printing on any model, ribbon can be loaded
in any sequence.
Figure 4, TTR Media Path on Standard Printstation, or on Inverted Printstation

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
12 Printer Setup
TO LOAD TTR:
1. Be sure power is Off. Raise the printer cover.
2. Fully seat TTR roll on the TTR unwind mandrel. Ensure that the ribbon
unwinds to the left of and beneath the roll.
3. Fully seat a cardboard take-up core on the associated TTR rewind mandrel.
4. Open the printhead (flip printhead cam lever counterclockwise on standard
printstations, clockwise on inverted printstations).
5. Advance the TTR around the outside of each station’s TTR guide roller(s).
6. Advance the TTR between the printhead and the platen roller.
7. On standard printstations, advance the TTR over the TTR guide spindle.
On inverted printstations, advance the TTR around the outside of the
station’s two guide spindles.
8. On standard printstations, advance the TTR beneath and around the
cardboard take-up core on the rewind mandrel. On inverted printstations,
advance the TTR above and around the take-up core.
9. Tape the TTR to the core.
10. Close the printhead.
11. Repeat procedure for remaining printstations.
Adjustment of the ribbon tension may be required after loading TTR. If the
TTR is wrinkling or smudging, adjust the tension to alleviate these conditions.

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
Printer Setup 13
Loading Label Media
The Media menu allows you to tell the printer what type of media is loaded on
the printer: sensors, image dimensions, label dimensions, and any offsets.
Figure 5, Label Media Path, 2000/3000 Series Printers

QLS 2000/3000 Series Digital Color Printers
14 Printer Setup
TO LOAD LABELS:
1. Be sure power is Off. Raise the printer cover.
2. To open each printhead, flip the cam lever on each (counterclockwise on
standard printheads, clockwise on inverted printheads).
Figure 6, Standard Printhead Open Figure 7, Standard Printhead Closed
Figure 8, Inverted Printhead Open Figure 9, Inverted Printhead Closed