VIP Color VP485 User manual

VP485Printer
U s e r G u i d e

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Copyright © VIPColor Technologies Pte Ltd.
This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are
reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another
language without the prior written permission of VIPColor Technologies Pte Ltd.
Warranty
VIPColor Technologies Pte Ltd takes steps to ensure that this user guide is correct; however,
errors may occur, and the information in this guide is subject to change without notice.
VIPColor Technologies Pte Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material,
including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose.
VIPColor Technologies, Pte Ltd. shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or
consequential damages in connection with furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Trademarks
Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and/or other countries.
VIPColor is a trademark of VIPColor Technologies, U.S.A., Inc
VP485 and VP485e is a trademark of VIPColor Technologies, U.S.A., Inc
All other company and product names may be the registered trademarks or trademarks of their
respective owners.
VP485 / VP485e User Guide 02/2009
WARNING
Electrical Shock Hazard
Serious shock hazard leading to death or injury may result if you do not take the following
precautions:
•Ensure that the AC power outlet (mains) has a protective earth (ground) terminal.
•Disconnect the printer from the power source prior to performing any troubleshooting
procedures.
•Prevent water or any other liquids from running onto electrical components or circuits, or
through openings in the enclosure.

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Regulatory information
VIPColor Environmental Policy
Product VP485 / VP485e is in compliance with the requirements of VIPColor Environmental policy
and has been assessed to ensure rate of recovery, re-use and recycling of constituent parts are
acceptable.
Ink use
This product’s fast mode uses less ink, which might extend the life of the cartridges.
Ozone-depleting chemicals
Ozone-depleting chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), have been eliminated from
VIPColor Technologies manufacturing processes.
Power consumption
Power usage drops significantly while in PowerSave/Sleep mode, which saves natural resources
and saves money without affecting the high performance of this product.
Material safety data sheets
Material safety data sheets (MSDSs) can be obtained from the VIPcolor website at
URL: http://www.vipcolor.com/ .
Recycling
1) Listed below are design for recycling pointers that has been incorporated into this product:
a) The number of the materials has been kept to a minimum while ensuring proper
functionality and reliability.
b) Dissimilar materials have been designed to separate easily.
c) Fasteners and other connections are easy to locate, access and remove using common
tools.
d) High priority parts have been designed so that they can be accessed quickly for efficient
disassembly and repair.
e) The packaging materials for this device are selected to provide maximum protection for
the least cost possible, while attempting to minimize environmental impact and facilitate
recycling. The rugged design of the product assists in minimizing both packaging materials
and damage rates.

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2) The symbol (shown below) on the product or on its packaging indicates that this product should
be separately disposed of, and not together with other unsorted municipal household waste. It
is highly recommended to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designated
collection point for recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The separate
collection and recycling of waste equipment at the time of disposal will help to conserve natural
resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the
environment , through controlled treatment of possible hazardous substances that may exist.
For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please
refer to VIP Color website at URL: http://www.vipcolor.com/ .
Safety Precautions
Please read the safety warnings and cautions provided in this manual to ensure that you use your
printer safely. Do not attempt to use your printer in any other way than is described in this manual.
Warning
You may cause an electric shock/fire or damage the printer if you ignore any of these safety
precautions.
Caution
You may cause injury or damage the printer if you ignore any of these safety precautions.
Choosing a location
Do not place the printer close to flammable solvents such as alcohol or thinners.

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Power supply
•Never attempt to plug in or unplug the printer from the power supply when your hands are wet.
•Always push the plug all the way into the power outlet.
•Never damage, modify, stretch or excessively bend or twist the power cord. Do not place heavy
objects on the power cord.
•Never plug the printer into a power socket that is shared with other equipment (extension lead/
cord, 2- or 3- way adapter, etc.).
•Never use the printer if the power cord is bundled or knotted.
•If you detect smoke, unusual smells or strange noises around the printer, immediately unplug
the printer at the power supply and call for service.
•Periodically, unplug the power cable from the rear and use a dry cloth to wipe off any dust or
dirt collected on the plug and the power outlet. If the printer is placed at a location exposed to
a lot of dust, smoke, or high humidity, dust collected on the plug will absorb moisture and may
cause insulation failure and fire.
Cleaning the printer
•Use a dry cloth to clean the printer. Never use flammable solvents such as alcohol, benzene
or thinners. If flammable solvents come in contact with the electrical components inside the
printer, it could cause a fire or electric shock.
•Always unplug the printer from the power outlet before cleaning the printer. If you accidentally
switch the printer on while cleaning it, you could injure yourself or damage the printer.
Maintaining the printer
Do not attempt to disassemble or modify the printer. There are no user serviceable parts inside the
printer. Never attempt any maintenance procedure which is not described in this guide.
Choosing a location
•Do not install the printer in a location that is unstable or subject to excessive vibration.
•Do not install the printer in locations that are very humid or dusty, in direct sunlight, outdoors,
or close to a heating source. To avoid the risk of fire or electric shocks, install the printer in a
location that has a constant temperature range of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F) and humidity of
10% to 90% (condensation free).
•Do not place the printer on a thick rug or carpet.

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Power supply
•Ensure that the area around the power outlet is kept clear at all times so you can easily unplug
the power cord when if necessary.
•Never remove the plug by pulling on the cord.
•Do not use an extension lead/cord.
•Never use a power supply source other than the one rated for the printer in the country of
where you purchased the printer.
•AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
Working with the printer
•Do not use flammable sprays near the printer. This could cause a fire or electric shock if spray
were to come in contact with the electrical components inside the printer.
•Never put your hands or fingers in the printer while it is printing.
•When moving the printer, carry the printer at both ends.
•Do not place any object on the printer.
•Do not place any metal objects (paper clips, staples, etc.) or containers of flammable solvents
(alcohol, thinners, etc.) on top of the printer.
•Should any foreign object (metal or liquid) fall into the printer, unplug the power cord and call
for service.
•When installing or transporting this printer, do not incline it, lay it down on its side, or turn it
upside down. Ink can leak.
Ink Cartridges
•For safety reasons, store ink cartridges out of the reach of small children. If a child should
ingest any ink, consult a doctor immediately.
•Do not shake the ink cartridges. Ink may leak out and stain clothing or the surrounding area.
•Never touch the electrical contacts or print head after printing. The metal parts may be very hot
and could cause burns.

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Choosing a location for the printer
Follow these guidelines to select a suitable location for the printer:
˙The area must be well ventilated and free from dust emissions.
˙Avoid places where the printer will be exposed to direct sunlight, liquids or chemicals.
˙Avoid places that are subject to abrupt changes in temperature and humidity.
˙Select a surface that is stable and sturdy to take the weight of the printer.
NOTE: It is recommended that the printer be run on an uninterruptable power supply.
Unpacking the Printer
1. Cut the tape securing the flaps at the top of the printer box.
2. Open up the flaps and remove the packing material from the top of the box.
CAUTION: Be careful when lifting the printer out from the packing box as the printer is heavy. Get
help from another person to assist you in lifting the printer out from the box.
3. Carefully lift the printer out from the box and set it on a level and sturdy surface at the selected
location.
4. Open the top cover of the printer.
5. Carefully remove the packing material inside the printer.
6. Close the printer cover.
NOTE: Do not throw away the printer box and packing materials in case you need to use them for
transporting the printer to another location.

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Contents
Copyright..............................................................................................i
Regulatory Information ......................................................................ii
Safety Precautions ............................................................................iii
Choosing a location for the printer..................................................vi
Unpacking the Printer .......................................................................vi
1 Printer Parts and Their Functions...............................................1
Front View ......................................................................................1
Control Panel..................................................................................2
Status lights reference....................................................................3
Rear View.......................................................................................4
2 Setting Up the Printer ..................................................................5
Install the ink cartridges .................................................................5
Install the printheads ......................................................................6
Connect the power cable................................................................8
Run the printhead alignment ..........................................................9
Unwinder Setup............................................................................10
Load Label Media.........................................................................11
Install the printer driver.................................................................12
3 Printer Control Panel .................................................................13
Control panel display and buttons ................................................13
Selecting printer options...............................................................15
Main menu ...................................................................................16
Submenus and options ................................................................16
Printer Setup menu..................................................................16
Test menu ................................................................................16
Maintenance menu ..................................................................17
Eject Media menu....................................................................17
Advanced menu.......................................................................17
4 Using the Printer ........................................................................18
Select print media ........................................................................18
Load media ..................................................................................19
Change print settings ...................................................................20
To change settings from an application for current jobs ...............20
To change default settings for all future jobs ................................21
To print on special or custom-sized media ...................................21
Canceling a print job ....................................................................22

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5 Install and Uninstall the Driver Software .................................23
To install the software before connecting
the printer (recommended) ......................................................23
To connect the printer before installing the software....................24
Uninstall and reinstall the Printer Drivers.....................................25
Method 1: To uninstall from a Windows computer ...................25
Method 2: To uninstall from a Windows computer ...................26
6 Maintainance ..............................................................................27
Replace the ink cartridges ...........................................................27
Clean the printheads ....................................................................28
To align the printheads .................................................................28
To clean the printheads ................................................................29
To replace the printheads.............................................................30
Store printing supplies..................................................................32
Store ink cartridges .................................................................32
Store printheads ......................................................................32
7 Troubleshooting Resources......................................................33
Solve printing problems................................................................33
The printer shuts down unexpectedly ......................................33
Red, Green and Yellow printer lights are on or flashing...........33
The printer is not responding (nothing prints)..........................34
Printer does not recognized an installed printhead .................34
Printer takes a long time to print..............................................34
Blank or partial page printed ...................................................35
Something on the page is missing or incorrect........................35
Placement of the text or graphics is wrong..............................35
Printed image is over the gap..................................................36
Poor print quality and unexpected printouts .................................37
Poor quality printouts ...............................................................37
Meaningless characters print...................................................37
Ink is smearing ........................................................................38
Output is faded or dull colored.................................................38
Colors are printing as black and white.....................................38
Wrong colors are printing ........................................................39
Printout shows colors bleeding................................................39
Colors do not line up properly..................................................39
Troubleshoot installation issues....................................................40
Hardware installation suggestions...........................................40
Software installation suggestions ............................................41
Clear a jam in the printer .........................................................42

1PRINTING PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
Chapter 1
Printer Parts and Their Functions
Front View
Top cover
Control panel
Status lights
Manual cutter
Ink cartridge
compartment
cover

PRINTER PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS 2
CAUTION: Do not turn off the printer using the Power switch on the rear of
the printer. Always turn it off using the Power button on the control panel, to
ensure that the printhead carriage is returned to its proper position at the right
side of the printer.
Control Panel
Status lights
LCD display
Menu buttons
Power indicator
Power button

3PRINTING PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
Status lights reference
The indicator lights indicate status of the printer and are useful for diagnosing
printing problems. This section contains information about the lights, what they
indicate, and what action to take if necessary.
Interpreting status lights
Green
˙ Off No power.
˙ Solid Printer is on-line and ready for
printing or printing is in progress.
˙ Flashing Printer is receiving data from the
host computer.
Amber
˙Off Printer has no warning status.
˙ Solid One of the ink cartridges is close
to empty and needs replacement.
Once the ink cartridge is empty the
Amber light will go off, and then the
red light starts flashing.
˙ Flashing One of the ink cartridges is running
low.
Red
˙ Off Printer has no error status.
˙ Solid Printer has an error status.
˙ Flashing One of the ink cartridges has run
out and needs replacement.
The general over all definition of the lights are as follows:
˙ The green light indicates that the printer is on-line and ready for printing or
printing is in progress.
˙ The amber light is used when the printer warning that one of the supplies
is running low.
˙ The red one shows that the printer has an error.
Red
Amber
Green

PRINTER PARTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS 4
Rear View
Power connector
Power switch
GPIO port
USB connector
Stock sensor
position adjustment
Network connector
Media width guide
Media feeder
Rear module

5SETTING UP THE PRINTER
Chapter 2
Setting Up the Printer
To set up the printer, you need to do the following:
AInstall the ink cartridges
BInstall the printheads
CConnect the power cable
DRun the printhead alignment
EUnwinder setup
FLoad Label Media
GInstall the printer driver
A
Install the ink cartridges
The printer uses four ink cartridges: (CMYB
– Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) and two
printheads.
NOTE: The ink cartridges have to be correctly
installed before the printer can function properly.
Each color cartridge fits in a specific slot, as
indicated by the colored labels below over slots.
From left to right, the colors are Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow and Black.
1. Open the ink cartridge compartment cover.
2. Remove ink cartridge from the packaging.
Ink cartridge

SETTING UP THE PRINTER 6
3. Push the ink cartridge firmly into the
corresponding slot as indicated by the colored
labels at ink cartridge compartment.
NOTE: The ink cartridge will not sit properly if it is
in the wrong slot.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to install the other
cartridges.
B
Install the printheads
NOTE: The printheads have to be correctly
installed before the printer can function properly.
1. Open the top cover.
Printheads

7SETTING UP THE PRINTER
The printhead carriage is on the left of the printer.
2. Remove the packing tape from each of the
latches on the carriage.
3. Lift up the printhead latch.
4. Shake the printhead 6 times as shown.
5. Remove the printhead from its packaging.
6. Remove the protective cap and tape.
CAUTION: Handle the protective cap, tape, and
ink cartridges carefully to avoid staining your
clothes or surrounding work area.
Once the protective cap and tape are removed,
do not touch the electrical contacts or print area
of the printhead on the ink cartridge. The printer
may not print out properly if you touch it.
NOTE: Keep the protective cap and tape so that
you can replace them on the printhead when you
need to remove it from the printer.
7. Check the colored labels on the printhead
carriage indicating where each color printhead
should be installed.
8. Push the printhead firmly into the carriage.
NOTE: The printhead will not sit properly if it is in
the wrong slot.

SETTING UP THE PRINTER 8
9. Repeat steps 4 to 8 to install the other
printhead.
10. Lower the printhead latch to secure the
printheads.
11. Close the top cover.
C
Connect the power cable
NOTE: Make sure the packing material inside the
printer has been removed and the printer cover is
closed.
1. Attach the power cable securely to the printer
before plugging the other end into a power
outlet.
2. Turn on the printer using the Power switch
near the power connector.
CAUTION: Do not turn off the printer using this
Power switch on the rear of the printer. Always
turn it off using the Power button on the control
panel at the front of the printer. This ensures that
the printhead carriage is returned to its proper
position at the right side of the printer and that the
printheads are protected.

9SETTING UP THE PRINTER
D
Run the printhead alignment
Printhead alignment procedure should be performed when new printheads are
installed in the printer. This is to ensure all the printheads are lined up properly
to provide optimum print quality.
NOTE: If the printhead alignment procedure is not carried out, your printouts
will have misaligned ruled lines and will look fuzzy or blurred.
˙ Press or to move to an option.
˙ Press to select an option.
˙ Press Esc to move up to the previous level at any time.
1. On the control panel, press the Menu button to
enter the Main menu.
2. Select PRINTER SETUP.
3. Select Align Printheads.
You will be prompted with “Remove all stock,
Insert Letter/A4 paper into rear of printer,
Press enter to start” message.
4. Press to begin procedure.
NOTE: The printhead alignment procedure requires two Letter/A4 sized
sheets of paper. General purpose material will be sufficient, but inkjet stock
is recommended. The procedure will take about 2 minutes to complete. A
message appears on the control panel when it is completed.
Once the printhead alignment procedure is completed, proceed to load the
media stock you will be using for the print jobs.
TEST
esc
MAINTENANCE
PRINTER SETUP
EJECT MEDIA
Left Margin Adjust
Select Media Thickness
TOF Alignment
esc
Align Printheads

SETTING UP THE PRINTER 10
E
Unwinder Setup
Left edge

11 SETTING UP THE PRINTER
F
Load Label Media
1. Insert the media print-side up along the left
edge of the media feeder.
The printer will automatically feed the stock
and position it correctly for printing.
2. Slide and adjust the media width guide to suit
the media stock size that you are using.
3. Slide the stock sensor within the width limits of
the media.
4. Make sure the roll of media aligns with the left
edge of the media feeder and the media width
guide.
5. The control panel will display that the printer is
now Online.
FEED MENU Clr
ONLINE BYMC
Left edge
Media width
guide
Stock
sensor