DuraLabel LabPRO ® User's Guide Graphic Products, Inc. 1-800-788-5572 Local: 503-644-5572 www.DuraLabel.com www.GraphicProducts.com E-mail: info@GraphicProducts.
©2009, Graphic Products, Inc.
WARRANTY The Graphic Products DuraLabel® LabPRO is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for a period of two years from the date of purchase with the following exception: The DuraLabel® LabPRO print head is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. Within this period, Graphic Products, Inc. will, at its sole option, repair or replace any components which fail in normal use.
GETTING STARTED Minimum System Requirements Operating System: Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista Memory: 128 MB RAM Additional Requirements: IT Administration Privileges Supplies The ribbon and various print media for the DuraLabel LabPRO have been optimized ® for compatibility and print quality. Only authorized supplies from Graphic Products will print correctly in the DuraLabel LabPRO.
INTRODUCTION Welcome...And congratulations on the purchase of your new DuraLabel® LabPRO Thermal Transfer Printer! We've included this guide to get you printing as quickly as possible. In this guide you'll find information on setting up your printer, configuring your software, and creating custom labels. We know that all topics cannot be addressed in any document and are ready to answer your questions. If you have any questions or concerns, make sure to give us a 1-800-788-5572 call! Graphic Products, Inc.
LOAD PRINTER Printer Ribbon Parts Rear Spring-Loaded Hub for Ribbon Supply Spindle Rear Hub (for Flange-side of Spindle) for Ribbon Supply Spindle Front Spring-Loaded Hub for Ribbon Rewind Spindle Front Hub (for Flange-side of Spindle) for Ribbon Rewind Spindle Flange of Ribbon Spindles insert on the right side, when facing the front of the Printer.
Load Ribbon IMPORTANT! Always turn OFF the printer when loading supplies. Always wait at least 5 seconds before turning ON the power. The ribbon and various print media for the DuraLabel LabPRO have been optimized for compatibility and print quality. Only authorized supplies from Graphic Products will print correctly in the DuraLabel LabPRO. ® ® Turn the power OFF first! 1. Open the Ribbon Mechanism Cover by pressing down and in on the Ribbon Mechanism Cover to unlatch, then lift up and back to open.
4. Apply the provided paper core onto the front Ribbon Rewind Spindle. 5. Skip to Step 6, section Load Ribbon Continued. (See page 7, section “Load Ribbon Continued”) To Load 2.5" ribbon supply 2. With the flange of the spindle on the right side, apply 2.5" Ribbon Supply to the Front Ribbon Spindle with the Ribbon Supply leader extended over the top and towards the back. Ribbon leader Flange of Spindle Fig. 3 Correct ribbon application for Spindle 3. Align the 2.
Load Ribbon Continued - For All Ribbon Supply Sizes The ribbon loading process is the same for all sizes of ribbon for Steps 6 - 12 of section “Load Ribbon Continued”. Pages 7-9, Fig. 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, & 14 illustrate 4.3" ribbon supply. 6. Apply the Ribbon Supply Spindle to the Rear Hub, with the Ribbon Supply leader dropped down. Fig. 7 Ribbon Supply (4.3") Spindle inserted at Rear Hubs Fig. 6 Ribbon Supply (4.3") spindle being inserted at Rear Hubs 7.
8. Open the Printer Cover by pulling forward the Printer Cover Release Levers on the sides of the printer. Fig. 10 Printer Release Lever being pulled forward 9. Grab the Ribbon Supply leader that is hanging down. Fig. 11 Ribbon Supply (4.3") being pulled down and underneath 10. Pull it towards you and underneath the Ribbon Mechanism and Print Head, up to the Front Hub. NOTE: The ribbon should rotate with ease as you unroll it. The dull side of the ribbon should face down towards the label stock.
. Tape the entire width of the end of the Ribbon Supply leader to the paper core of the Ribbon Rewind Spindle. Fig. 13 Ribbon Supply (4.3") taped to Ribbon Rewind Spindle 12. Roll the Ribbon Rewind Spindle (top side of spindle moving away from you) to secure the Ribbon Supply and eliminate wrinkles, fingerprints or flaws. Fig. 14 Ribbon Supply (4.3") rolled tight with dull-side facing out (dull-side of ribbon should face label stock) Your Ribbon Supply should be loaded.
Printer Inside Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fig. 1 Inside of Printer with Ribbon Mechanism open in an upright position 1. Supply Loading Diagram 2. Label Supply Roll 3. Label Roll Mounts 4. Fixing Tabs 5. Teflon Bar (white) 6. Adjustable Label Guides (turquoise) 7. Media Sensor/Black Mark Sensor (turquoise) 8. Platen Roller (black) 9.
Load Label Stock IMPORTANT! Always turn OFF the printer when loading supplies. Always wait at least 5 seconds before turning ON the power. Turn printer power OFF first! 1. With the Ribbon Mechanism still in upright position. Load Label Stock onto Label Supply Spindle and center it using the Fixing Tabs on each end to secure supply. 2. Place loaded Label Supply Spindle in the Label Roll Mount slots with the Label Stock extending over the top of the roll and towards the front of the printer. Fig.
3. Lead the Label Stock underneath the white Teflon Bar, over the black Platen Roller and through the Printed Label Opening, leaving at least 1/2" of supply extended out. Fig. 4 Label Stock loaded correctly with printable surface faced up and liner faced down 4. Move the Adjustable Label Guides to hold the Label Stock in place. Fig.
5. Close the Printer Cover by slowly lifting back then gently down until it latches closed as described in the supply loading diagram located inside the top cover at the back of the printer. Fig. 6 Diagram located on back, right side of Printer, when the Printer Cover is open Fig. 7 Printer Cover closed with Ribbon Mechanism Cover open 6. Close the Ribbon Mechanism Cover by pressing down and in until it latches closed. Fig.
TAPE GUIDE INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS To Use Tape Guides The following are instructions on how to install Tape Guides. Tape Guides are required for 1/2" label stock and shrink tube sizes 3/8" and smaller. Larger vinyl and shrink tube are adequately held in place by the Adjustable Label Guides. 1. Load shrink tube or 1/2" label stock into the DuraLabel® LabPRO and thread it through the cutter.
3. When facing the front of the printer, hold the Tape Guide in hand with the smooth, flat-side facing up and the cut-out opening oriented on the left side. NOTE: Move the Adjustable Label Guides inwards, leaving about a 2″ gap for easy installation. Cut-out opening Fig. 2 Smooth, flat-side Fig. 3 Grooved-side Fig. 4 Tape Guide with smooth, flat-side up, grooved-side down with cut-out opening on the left side 4.
5. Align the labeling supply to fit underneath and in the grooved section of the Tape Guide. This allows for optimal alignment and smooth dispensing. Fig. 5 Tape Guide not completely pressed down with shrink tube aligned under grooved section of Tape Guide 6. Press the Tape Guide down completely into place. Fig. 6 Tape Guide pressed down into place and over shrink tube supply.
IMPORTANT! You must have administrative rights in order to install driver. NOTE: Find out your Windows version by right-clicking on the My Computer icon (located on your desktop). Select the Properties option. Your Windows version is located under the System heading. Make sure you have installed the latest updates from Microsoft, including service packs. CONNECT PRINTER Connect the power supply from the DuraLabel LabPRO to an electrical outlet.
Install Using USB Cable The following instructions (pages 18-19) are only for those using a USB Cable. Skip to page 20 of the User's Guide if installing manually. IMPORTANT! You must have IT administrator privileges in order to install driver. IMPORTANT! If you are upgrading from any existing DuraLabel installation the previous driver will need to be uninstalled. Please see the inside cover of the QuickStart Guide for instructions. ® A Found New Hardware dialog box may appear.
When prompted to continue, click Continue Anyway. A dialog box will appear showing the progress of the files being copied. It will close after copying is complete. A Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box will appear after completion. Click Finish to exit and close the screen. A Found New Hardware notification box may appear. Skip to page 24 of User's Guide, section “Configure Windows 2000/XP/Vista Printer Driver.
Install Using Parallel Cable The following instructions (pages 20-23) are only for those using a Parallel Cable. IMPORTANT! You must have IT Administrative Privileges in order to install driver. Insert the Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. (If you encounter a dialog box that says you must have .NET Framework, follow the instructions in the box.) NOTE: If the CD does not automatically run, go to Start >> My Computer and double-click on the DuraLabel® LabPRO icon.
A screen may appear showing the progress of installation. An Add Printer Wizard window should have appeared on your screen; click Next. Select either Local or Network for your printer driver. If you select Local, make sure the “Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer,” is unchecked. Check Use the following port, and select LPT1 and click Next. Select Graphic Products DuraLabel® LabPRO and click Next.
IMPORTANT! If you had previous Seagull Scientific drivers installed, press Cancel then reload the cd and refer to the inside cover of the QuickStart Guide for instructions on how to “Upgrade Drivers”. Keep existing printer name as Graphic Products DuraLabel® LabPRO and select Yes if you wish for it to be set as your default printer, then click Next. Decide if you would like to share the printer with other network users, then click Next.
Select No to “Do you want to print a test page,” then click Next. Make sure your settings are correct. If so select Finish, otherwise select Back and change to the correct settings. If prompted to continue, click Continue Anyway. A dialog box will appear regarding Completing the DuraLabel® LabPRO Driver Setup, click Finish. Your driver should be installed and you should be ready to set up for printing.
CONFIGURE DRIVER Configure Windows 2000/XP/Vista Printer Driver IMPORTANT! Perform the driver configuration before opening the document you wish to print. Instructions are for printing on continuous rolls of vinyl Access the DuraLabel® LabPRO Printer Properties by clicking the Start >> Settings >> Printers. This will bring up the Printers folder. Right-click on the Graphic Products DuraLabel® LabPRO and select Printing Preferences from the drop-down menu.
Continuous Vinyl Printing Instructions To set the cutter, select the Stock Tab. Set the Media Settings “Type” to Continuous. In order for the automatic cutter to cut after each label, under Media Handling next to “Post-Print Action,” select Cut and then next to “Occurrence” select After Every Page. These settings may be later adjusted to your specifications in the Printer Properties as you are printing your labels. Select Apply on the bottom of the Printing Preferences window.
Black Mark Label Instructions Black Mark Calibration In order to print labels with black marks, the label stock needs to be calibrated. To do so, with the printer power OFF, hold the FEED button down while turning ON the printer. Release the FEED button while it blinks green-amber. The LED color will flash as follows: red (5 blinks) amber (5 blinks) then green and amber will blink alternately. Once this process is complete follow the "Driver Settings for Black Mark Labels" to change the driver settings.
Cut Labels in Intervals To cut labels in intervals, you may do so by setting the “Occurrence” to After Specified Interval under the Stock Tab. Set the Interval to the number of labels needed. Click Apply to save your settings. Adjust Print Speed Print Speed is adjustable from 2.0" to 3.0"/sec. Choose the print speed from the Option Tab by clicking on the arrow to the right of the “Print Speed” box. Adjust Darkness The Darkness is adjusted from 0 to 15 in increments of 1.
LABEL CREATION Before We Begin... This documentation describes how to make standard labels. If you are printing RTK labels, please see the RTK software documentation. The RTK documentation was installed on your computer at the same time the RTK software was installed. The examples in this tutorial were tested with Microsoft Word 2000. Some variations may occur with different versions of Word, or with different word processors, but the basic principles will be the same.
Use Templates We have provided a variety of templates on the DuraLabel LabPRO to help get you ® printing labels in no time. To get to these templates, you should install from the start-up screen on your Installation CD. This should only take a minute or two. Click on Install Templates and Symbols on the start-up screen, then follow the instructions. The Templates will install to your Desktop on your computer.
To Change the Automatic Cutter Setting: You can change the automatic cutter settings without going back into the printer driver. Go to File >> Print , then click on the Properties button next to DuraLabel® LabPRO. Choose the Stock tab. A new dialog will open which allows you to change the cutter options. If you do not want to cut between labels select None under Media Handling next to “Post-Print Action.” If you want to cut between labels, select Cut and next to “Occurrence” select After Every Page.
Change Page Setup Click on the File menu, then the Page Setup selection. Now click the Margins tab. Set all of your margins and edges to 0. This will allow you to print on the entire area of your tape. Set the orientation to desired layout. Depending on your operating system, the orientation may be on another Tab. Select the Paper Size tab. Set your paper size to the size of the label you wish to create.
Orientation Create the label with the width and height of the Label. If the width of the label is the width of the tape installed in the printer, then set the orientation to Portrait. If the height of the label is the width of the tape installed in the printer, set the orientation to Landscape. Click OK to commit your changes.
LABEL DESIGN Text Working with text for label creation is only slightly different from working with text in a normal document. In a document, text can be treated as a whole: formatting, layout and design can be universal. With a label, each section of text has to be handled separately. Titles will have to be moved and adjusted, portions of text will have to be moved around independently and with more detail than in a normal document.
Format the text inside the box to any size and style, then position the box for the desired layout. Initially, the text box will have a border around it. To get rid of the border, double-click the text box. When you do this, the Format Text Box dialog will appear. Click the Colors & Lines tab. Click the Color drop-down menu under Line and select No Line. Then, click OK, and the border will be gone.
Graphics Drawing Tools Many word processors have built-in drawing tools. You can use these tools to enhance the look of your labels. Designs can be as complex as you desire, but colors should be kept to black and white. Black and white will give you the best contrast, and the best printing output. Actual print color depends on the ribbon and vinyl loaded in the DuraLabel LabPRO and is unaffected by the colors shown on your ® computer screen.
You can insert other objects, graphics, and clip art from the same pull-down menu. When working with images it is important to remember the type of printer you are using. Images should be formatted so that your printing output matches the capabilities of the printer. The DuraLabel LabPRO is designed for label creation, ® and has a monochromatic output (meaning it can only print one color at a time.) With Word it is easy to make your images print in monochrome.
Symbols Symbols can be used on labels and signage to get your point across visually. When safety is a concern, it is important to have a language that is universal, and symbols accomplish just that. For your convenience we've included more than 400 ready-to-use symbols, which are divided by category, on your DuraLabel LabPRO CD. Just choose a symbol, insert it ® into your document, then print a visually appealing and informative label or sign.
The symbols folder is located inside the DLP Templates and Symbols folder. Just choose the symbol you want from the categorized folders and insert into your document. Once your symbol is inserted into your text document, you can resize and move it to your desired layout. Helpful Hint: When trying to determine the size of your label or the size of the symbol you place on it, take into consideration the distance from which the sign or label will be viewed.
Bar Codes The bar code program we have included easily displays and prints bar codes from your Windows based word processing program. Install the dBest Barcode Package from the CD. When the CD startup screen appears upon inserting the CD in the CD drive, simply click on Install dBest Barcode Package and follow the on-screen instructions. You can get all of the technical information about the included bar codes in the Bar Code Font Library >>> Programmers Guide once the bar code software is installed.
If you do not see the dBest Barcodes Toolbar, you need to run the toolbar as a macro. Refer to the following: 1. Go to the top menu bar in MS Word. Select: Tools >>> Macro >>> Macros 2. A window will appear with a list: Macros in: All Active Templates & Documents. 3. Select: Bar Code Toolbar and click Run NOTE: To force the toolbar to display every time you start Word, go to Start >>> Search >>> For Files and Folders and type in BCFONT. Click OK. Once the file is found, right click it and choose “copy.
Sequencing How to do Number Sequencing using Word and Excel. Sequencing is most commonly used to increment a numeric value to be used in labels for wire wrapping. You can make use of an Excel spreadsheet template as well as a Word template (included on your installation CD): 1. Open an existing template from the DuraLabel CD or start a new Word document. 2. Because Excel uses Pixel measurement instead of inches, you will want to set this to match in Word.
Now that you have the desired label size, its time to add the text to it. Keeping Word open, browse to the provided Excel template: Number Sequence.xls This is a predefined template with the formula already in place to increment a numeric value by one. 1. Open the existing Excel template Number Sequence.xls 2. First, format the cells to match the size of label you have. Click on the upper left corner of the spreadsheet Fig. 2 to highlight the entire document. See Fig. 1. Fig. 3 3.
Fig. 4 4. Now that you have the correct size matching your label, change the value in the first cell (column A, row 1) and enter any static text you want. Leave it blank for none. In the next cell (column B, row 1) enter the number you would like to increment. See Fig. 4. The next cell (column C, row 1) enter the value you would like to increment by Default is 1. After setting this, you should see the increment in each cell below cell 1. In this example, the cells have been adjusted in increments of 10.
Once you're satisfied with the amount of increments and cell span, its time to copy this into your Word template. Go back to the Word document that you previously created. !!Remember!! The page layout of the Word template must match the cell size you specified in your Excel template. Select the entire Column you just created by clicking on the top header of the cell. In this case, the “A.” Go to Edit >>> Copy, to copy the entire column.
Import from Excel How to transfer Excel spreadsheet information into a Word label NOTE: These instructions are for users of Windows 2000. If you are using Windows XP, please follow the directions on page 41. A. Merging One Column from a Spreadsheet to a Label: 1. Make sure the Excel file you are going to merge has been saved. 2. Open up the Word Document with the label template. 3. Alter the font in Word to the size of your choosing. 4. Open up the Excel file you intend to merge into the Word label.
5. Click on column header A, right click the mouse, and select Copy. 6. Toggle (Alt-Tab) over to the Word document and find the Edit button on the Windows Tool Bar (top left of screen) and then click and select Paste Special. 7. Next, select Unformatted Text and click OK. 8. The Excel column should now be in the Word label. You are now ready to print your labels. B. Merging Multiple Columns from a Spreadsheet to a Label: 1. Open the saved Excel document you plan to merge into Word. 2.
3. On the toolbar on top of Word, click on Insert, then click Text box. 4. Use the cross hair cursor. Click in the field of the document, a text box will appear. 5. Resize the text box to your preference. See below 6. When the text cursor is blinking in the text box, click on the Insert menu and select Field. 7. The box on the left should remain with the blue highlighting of the word “All”. 8. On the right column, move the cursor so the blue highlight is over MergeField. 9.
10. Put a space after “MERGEFIELD” then type in the column heading from your Excel document that you will want to merge into the label (i.e., “Input.”). 11. It will then look like this: “MERGEFIELD Input.” See below 12. Click OK and the box will vanish. 13. At this point, you should have the word “Input” (for example) in your text box. 14.
21. On the next box you see, “ENTIRE WORKBOOK” will be blue highlighted. Click OK. 22. You will then see a pop up box with a question mark. Click OK. 23. On your Word document, click on Tools, then Mail merge. 24. Click on Create, then Form Letters, then click Active Window. See below 25. Click on Get Data, then click on Open Data Source. 26. At the bottom, you will see Files of Type. 27. Click on the drop down of All Files at the bottom. 28. Find and double-click on the file name of your Excel document.
CLEANING & GENERAL MAINTENANCE Cleaning of the Cutter, Print Head and Platen Roller IMPORTANT! Always turn the printer OFF before cleaning, performing maintenance, or loading supplies. Always wait at least 5 seconds before turning ON the power. Basic cleaning of the print head, cutter and platen roller will prolong the life of the printer and will aid in producing crisp, clear labels and signs with every print. Please refer to page 10 of the User's Guide for better clarification of Printer Inside Parts.
Cutter Fig. 3 Cutter Mechanism (detachable face in front of printer) 1. Open the DuraLabel® LabPRO top cover. 2. Rewind any supply that may be loaded away from the cutting mechanism. 3. Open a cleaning swab and place the swab between your forefinger and thumb. Squeeze swab until it snaps. Alcohol will be distributed to the cotton side of the swab. 4. Run the swab back and forth several times across the cutting mechanism to remove any buildup of labeling adhesive. Fig.
Cleaning The Cutter From The Inside As an option you may also remove the cutter from the printer to efficiently clean both sides of the cutting blades. 1. Gently but firmly, lift the cutting mechanism out of the printer with both hands. Wires will still be connected, so avoid pulling cutting mechanism too hard or too far from the printer. Doing so may damage wire connections. 2. Open a cleaning swab and place the swab between your forefinger and thumb. Squeeze swab until it snaps.
Platen Roller 1. Remove the platen roller by squeezing the black tabs on either side of the platen roller and lifting up. Black Tabs Fig. 6 Platen Roller 2. Open a cleaning swab and place the swab between your forefinger and thumb. Squeeze swab until it snaps. Alcohol will be distributed to the cotton side of the swab. 3. Run the swab back and forth several times across the Platen roller to remove any buildup. 4. Replace platen roller in printer 5.
TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM NUMBER LED is solid red ..................................................................... 1 Print stops, LED blinks red ................................................... 2 LED blinks amber & red ....................................................... 3 LED blinks red when printing die-cuts................................. 4 LED blinks green ................................................................... 5 Printer feeds extra tape and blinks red............................
TROUBLESHOOTING The following are simple solutions to the most common printing challenges that occur ® with the DuraLabel LabPRO. Please call Graphic Products for free technical support. 1. SYMPTOM: LED is solid (non-blinking) red. Possible Cause: Cover is not latched properly. Solution: Push down on both front corners of the printer to ensure both latches are secure. 2. SYMPTOM: Printing suddenly stops and LED blinks red. a. Possible Cause: Either the label stock or the ribbon supply is out.
4. SYMPTOM: When using die-cuts, printing stops shortly after starting print job and LED blinks red. Possible Cause: Gap sensor has not been initialized. Solution: 1. Power OFF the printer and wait 5 seconds. 2. Hold the FEED button while powering back ON the printer. 3. Continue to hold FEED until the light flashes red, then release. NOTE: Printer will dispense blank label stock as a result. (See pages 12-13 of Printer's Manual) 5. SYMPTOM: After printing a label the LED blinks green.
8. SYMPTOM: After first label prints, LED blinks amber and red. Possible Cause: Printer could not recognize the label stock. Solution: Only authorized supplies from Graphic Products will print correctly in the DuraLabel® LabPRO. If error occurred with Graphic Products supplies, contact Graphic Products for a replacement roll of label stock. 9. SYMPTOM: Printer does not respond, after sending print job. a. Possible Cause: Printer is OFF. Solution: Power ON the printer. b.
11. SYMPTOM: When using either small shrink tube or 1/2" vinyl, the print is not aligned correctly or is constantly shifting out of place. Possible Cause: Tape guide is either not loaded properly or not loaded at all. Solution: 1. With the smooth side of the tape guide faced up, position the uniquely shaped hole over that left spacer. 2. Push it down so the guide is locked in with the spacer. 3. Once in place, slide the spacers all the way together. 4.
14. SYMPTOM: Streaking occurs while printing. a. Possible Cause: Ribbon was installed with too much slack or it was not centered, creating a crease in the ribbon. Solution: Tighten the slack and eliminate all creases in the ribbon. b. Possible Cause: Printer requires service. Solution: Contact Graphic Products. 15. SYMPTOM: Speckling occurs while printing. a. Possible Cause: Print head requires cleaning. Solution: Use an alcohol cotton swab to clean the print head. b.
SPECIFICATIONS Printer ▪ Type: Thermal Transfer ▪ Print Speed: Selectable speeds of 2 and 3 inches per second ▪ Resolution: 300 DPI ▪ Max. Print Width: 4 in. ▪ Max. Print Length: 40 in. ▪ Ribbon Capacity: 984 ft. Indicators & Buttons ▪ Indicators: PWR., ON-LINE, ERR. ▪ Buttons: POWER & FEED Communication Interface ▪ Communications: USB v1.
1-800-788-5572 P.O. Box 4030 Beaverton, OR 97076 © 2008, 2009, Graphic Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.DuraLabel.com v. 1.
