Set up for GoDEX label printers

1.  Pre Configuration required from your Printer supplier  ( For Creative Technology )

DO NOT USE THE AUTOCALIBRATE FEATURE, OR ALLOW THE CLIENT TO DO SO. SEE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Pre-setup (this only needs to be done once and would be done at Kiwi Labels before dispatching the printer)

Send the following command to the printer  (using godoctor.exe) which allows it to switch to Reflective Sensor without calibrating

^XSET,LABELCMD,08

this tells the printer to be open minded, and accept the instructions from the print file 

Your printer supplier will then need to print to this printer with a Windows Driver set, as shown in the following screen grabs.

The the following command will be sent to the printer: ~~Internalcommandsaveasdefault

This saves these settings as the factory defaults.

( For users: )

2.  Insert the labels, and the ribbon.  Plug into power. Do not connect the USB cable until the following steps have been taken.

3.  Windows PC setup

Note:  Your printer supplier can pre-configure and test the printer for printing on luggage labels.  These settings will be saved as the factory defaults, but the printer driver on your PC must be set as shown in the following screen shots, or the correct settings in the printer will be changed.

• Download Godex ZX420i printer driver from Godex ZX420i Printer Drivers by Seagull Scientific
• Install the printer driver and make the changes shown in the attached screen grab images
• When printing the pdf choose Luggage Labels as the paper size (learn more about setting up a luggage label paper size here )

OR

4.  Mac set up

Note:  Your printer supplier can pre-configure and test the printer for printing on luggage labels.  These settings will be saved as the factory defaults, but the printer driver on your Mac must be set as shown in the Mac set up, or the correct settings in the printer will be changed.

a)    Add the GoDEX printer to your system preferences

• From the Apple Menu, system preferences, select Printers and Scanners

• click the + to add a printer, and as the GoDEX printer will be connnected, it will find the GoDEX printer, in the next screen. Select the GoDEXdriver.  Close the window

b)    Create a custom paper size in Word or similar, 50mm wide x 427mm long, called Luggage Labels.

In Word, create a new document, go to File...page set up, 

Format for:  GoDEX printer

From the Paper size drop down list, choose Manage custom sizes

Click the + in the bottom left corner, to add a new paper size

Call it Odyssey Luggage Labels, Width 50mm, Height 427mm,  and set Top, bottom, left and right margins to 0mm

Click OK

This creates a paper size called Odyssey Luggage Labels which you select when you are printing your labels

c)    Configure the printer

To do this you need a super power!  (You will need your computer's administrator username and password to do this)

1.  Go to the Finder and open Applications, Utilities, and double click Terminal

After the $ sign in terminal, copy and paste this instruction: cupsctl WebInterface=yes 

then press the return key on the keyboard

2.  Now open a browser window and type in: 127.0.0.1:631/printers

then press enter

You will arrive at a page like this:

Locate the GoDEX label printer and from the Admin menu, choose set defaults. 

Choose custom media size, set the units to millimetres, and then set the size to Width 50 and Height 427

Change Media type: to thermal transfer, and 

Change Media tracking:  to Non-continuous (Mark sensing)

Click set default options.  I think it may prompt you to enter your admin user name and password at this point

Technical tip:  All of the instructions for those first two steps are here: https://supportcommunity.zebra.com/s/article/Install-CUPS-driver-for-Zebra-Printer-in-Mac-OS?language=en_US

If the printer thinks the label is too short:

Instructions from Noel at Kiwi Labels:

I finally tracked the problem down to some troublesome settings relating to the printer’s reflective media sensor.

 

I suspect someone tried to auto-calibrate the printer, which would be fine with shorter labels, but it doesn’t work on the luggage labels because they are so long – the printer sees the labels as continuous material (with no gaps or black marks at all).

The sensor readings that this failed auto-calibrate attempt created are hard to get rid of – a factory reset doesn’t clear them.

 

To get around this I got the client to install the label roll upside down. I then used GoLabel software to print some additional black marks (75mm apart) across the back of the labels (with the media type set to continuous). I disabled the see-through sensor and ran a reflective sensor test (with the labels up the right way again) to overwrite the old reflective sensor readings with new readings from the home-made black marks. Obviously, the printer then thinks the labels are much shorter, but this is easily corrected by sending a print job formatted for the actual label length, so the printer remembers the right sensor readings and adjusts to the right length.

 

I can’t say for sure that auto-calibrating was what made Luke’s printer so truculent, but I will update my instructions to include a note about not trying to auto-calibrate. You might like to do the same in the instructions you provide.

Tips for Mac and Windows users

• After making any change, such as turning the printer off, changing labels or ribbons, we recommend you print one test label first (rather than a dozen) to ensure it finds the mark, and prints the subsequent labels in the correct position
• Tear the labels off by dragging down and to the left, not up!

• The thermal print head is about 33% of the cost of a new label printer.  Take care of it.  It should be cleaned with an alcohol wipe regularly.  Problems which can occur if the print head isn't clean are fine vertical lines missing from the printed output, or fine vertical lines dragging down below your text.   The printer

  cover should therefore be kept closed whenever possible, keeping dirt and dust away from the paper or labels ensures a good print quality and a longer lifespan of the print head.

• Here is how you clean the print head:

  Switch off the printer
  Open the printer cover
  Remove the ribbon
  Release the print head by turning the print head release lever
  To remove any label residue or other dirt from the print head please use an alcohol wipe