User’s Guide www.variquest.
Copyright This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be copied or reproduced by any means without the prior consent of Varitronics, LLC. While every precaution has been taken in preparation of this document, Varitronics assumes no liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions or by statements resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Standard Warranty YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE OPENING THIS PACKAGE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE PROMPTLY RETURN THIS PACKAGE FOR A FULL REFUND. LICENSE AGREEMENT Varitronics, LLC (hereafter "Varitronics") hereby grants you a non-exclusive, nontransferable license to use this VARIQUEST® Software (hereafter “Software”) and the accompanying documentation according to the following terms: 1.
Standard Warranty Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental, or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. 6. GENERAL: This Agreement shall be governed by, and interpreted under, the laws of the State of Minnesota, USA. You acknowledge that U.S. law and regulations may restrict the export/re-export of the Software. You agree not to export/re-export the Software or portions thereof in any form without the appropriate U.S.
Contents Copyright ..................................................................................................................................ii Trademarks ..............................................................................................................................ii Standard Warranty .............................................................................................................. ii Setting up the Awards Maker 400 .......................................................
1 Setting up the Awards Maker 400 Note: If you have not already unpacked your VariQuest® Awards Maker 400, please follow the steps in the Unpacking the VariQuest® Awards Maker 400 document. The Awards Maker 400 is shipped in reusable packaging materials. Save these packaging materials for future use in case you need to ship the Awards Maker 400 printer.
2 Connecting the Power Supply CAUTION! Never operate the printer and power supply in an area where they can get wet. 1. Insert the barrel connector on one end of the Power Adapter into the power jack on the back of the printer. 2. Plug the other end of the cord into an appropriate AC electrical outlet. Note: When plugging the connector into the power jack, leave the power switch in the “O” position and don’t touch the 36-pin parallel connector. 3. Plug the connector into the power jack.
3 Parts and Features Top Cover Power Indicator Ready Indicator Feed Button Cutter Power Switch Release Levers Ribbon Bare Roll Holder VariQuest® Awards Maker 400 User’s Guide Sticker Media Holder 3-1
Ribbon Supply Roll Holder Thermal Print Head 3-2 VariQuest® Awards Maker 400 User’s Guide
4 Loading the Sticker Media To load the sticker media: 1. Lift the top cover and remove the sticker media holder. 2. Load the media roll onto the holder and secure both sides with flanges. Insert the holder back into the media compartment.
3. Open the print head by pressing down on the two release levers. Release Levers 4. With the sticker side facing up, pull the media underneath the print head until the leading edge sits on top of the rubber roller. Note: To prevent waste, do not pull the media any further than the top of the rubber roll. 5. Adjust the right- and left-media guides to ensure a snug fit. The media guides can be adjusted to fit different sticker sizes. Media Guides 6.
5 Loading the Ribbon To load the ribbon: 1. Lift the top cover. 2. Unlatch the print head module by pushing the two release levers.
3. Lift the print head module to expose the ribbon supply roll holder Ribbon Supply Roll Holder . 4. Unwrap the ribbon roll pack and separate the supply roll from the bare roll. 5. Roll the clear part of the ribbon supply roll onto the bare roll until you see the ribbon color. Tip! Hold the bare roll with your left hand and supply roll with right. Wind the ribbon a few times by turning the bare ribbon roll clockwise. 6.
7. Lower the print-head module and insert the bare roll into the top holder by pushing in the spring side first. 8. Close the print head by firmly pressing down the print head module until you hear a click on each side. Snap in one side at a time to ensure proper closure. 9. Turn the print head module flywheel away from you a few times to ensure the ribbon is tightly wound. Flywheel Tip! To ensure secure closure, tap each release lever with your finger a few times.
6 Operating Functions Power Switch: Controls the printer power • On. Normal operation (l position) • Off. The power should be turned off before connecting or disconnecting the USB cable and the Power Cable (O position) Feed Button: Advances the starting point position of the sticker media 1. Press to advance a small length of tape to make sure the sticker is fed through properly. 2. Press to take the printer out of a “pause” condition. • Ready Indicator: Indicates the status of the printer: - Green.
7 Connecting the Printer Use this procedure to connect the printer to the VariQuest® Design Center or PC Note: Use only the USB cord that is supplied with your printer to connect to the VariQuest® Design Center or PC. Do not use a parallel or serial cable. You can connect the Awards Maker 400 to any available USB port on the Design Center. Connect to any USB Port CAUTION! This printer complies with FCC “Rules and Regulations,” Part 15, for Class A Equipment, using fully shielded six-foot data cables.
8 Troubleshooting Typically, when there is an error, the Power LED will keep blinking. The printing job and the communication between the Design Center or PC and printer will stop. To understand the nature of the problem, check the following: A. Power and Ready LEDs Blink at the Same Time Power LED Ready LED ON ON OFF OFF Possible Problems Sticker not feeding through Sticker not loaded Sticker jam Solutions Load the sticker media as indicated in “4. Loading the Sticker Media” on page 7-5.
C. Only the Power LED Blinks Power LED Ready LED ON ON OFF ON Possible Problems Memory full Solutions Contact your Dealer or Varitronics Technical Support for assistance. Cutter failed or jammed Contact your Dealer or Varitronics Technical Support for assistance. Hardware error Contact your Dealer or Varitronics Technical Support for assistance. D. Miscellaneous The VariQuest® Design Center Software shows “Printer Time Out”: 1.
Recovery Recovery To continue your print jobs after the error conditions have been corrected, press the Feed button or restart the printer by turning the power off and on. Make sure that the LED is not blinking and resend your files by going into the VariQuest® Design Center Software and reprinting the job(s).
9 Cleaning the Print Head Note: Disconnect the printer’s power plug before performing any maintenance procedures. Thermal Print Head. Over time, the sticker media and ribbon will release debris on the print head and degrade printing quality. Clean the print head with a foam-tipped swab dampened with isopropyl alcohol. CAUTION! Do not touch the heater element with your fingers. Do not soak the foam-tipped swab excessively.
10 Technical Information VariQuest® Awards Maker 400 Specifications Print Method Thermal Transfer Print Resolution 203 dpi Print Speed 1 - 4 ips Print Length 1" - 45" Print Width Max 4.
CAUTION! 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 instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
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