Issue / Question
ZQ500 Series Printer Setup Overview.
Applicable To
ZQ510, ZQ520
Resolution / Answer
![]() |
NOTE Zebra Support Community Site has been updated to replace obsolete industry terms with modern terminology. This article uses the term Central instead of Master, and Peripheral instead of Slave. |
For more information, refer to User Guide: ZQ500 Printer Specifications.
The printer comes from the factory set to tear-off mode with black mark media and adjusted for full-width paper label stock. Many printing applications will function with these factory settings and require no additional adjustments beyond the communications setup and minor darkness adjustment. However, depending on the media being used and application requirements, some setup may be necessary to perform optimal performance.
- Media Related Settings: Media refers to the labels, tags, and stock used in the printer.
- Print Quality: Modifying Print Speed, Darkness, for example, to achieve a quality print.
- Communications Setup: USB, Serial, Wireless, and Bluetooth.
- Printing App, Driver, or Program.
![]() |
IMPORTANT! All printer settings can be impacted by commands from a mismatched or misconfigured driver or software application. A printer functioning correctly after setup but fails or indicates an error after label requests are received, most likely affected by the host side misconfiguration of the driver or printer software settings. Typically, the host device that generates the printer commands for printing has a setup configuration that sends these as commands to the printer. Ensure all settings match the printer settings to avoid intermittent issues. |
Media Related Settings and Calibration
- Understanding your media
Media Related Configurations
![]() |
NOTE As mentioned above, it is important to ensure that all driver and applications settings match what you are setting the printer up to ensure that the printer does not encounter errors due to improper settings. |
- Media Type – Continuous, Gap/Notch, and Black Mark. Default is Black Mark (Bar).
- Print Method – ZQ500 Series Mobile Printers are Direct Thermal only. They do not support Thermal Transfer printing or the use of ribbon, so they do not require a Print Method selection or configuration.
- Print Mode – The ZQ500 Series Mobile Printers only support Tear-off mode, set by default. This mode is related to the label presentation after printing and is limited to the installed options. Refer to Print Mode Details for more information.
- Media Loading – Properly load the media for the Print Mode you intend to use. For more information, refer to User Guide: Loading the Media in the ZQ500 Series Printers.
- Understanding the Media Sensors
- Calibrate the printer for the media.
IMPORTANT! This is the most crucial and beneficial step in adequately configuring the printer.
Print Quality
Print quality is a product of proper printer setup and the use of compatible media for the application. The three impacting factors to consider are:
- The Media Capabilities
- Print Speed
- Print Darkness
![]() |
NOTE The print job itself can also contribute to the quality of print that you receive. If a third-party application is being used, such as a web application, .pdf file, or any other design application, the file may be converted to a graphic so that the printer can properly interpret and print the data. Graphics will typically print with lower quality than if you were to send direct CPCL/ZPL code, and this can cause barcode scanning issues or poorly printed text on the media. |
- USB
- Serial
- Wireless Network Setup
- Use the ZebraNet Bridge to assign the desired network settings. Refer to the article: Setup or Configure a Zebra Wireless or Bluetooth Printer Using ZebraNet Bridge.
- Use the Zebra Setup Utility, a network setup wizard, to configure your printer for a wireless network. Refer to the article: Configuring Connectivity for Wired or Wireless Networks using the Zebra Setup Utility.
- Supported Wireless Securities. Image: Wireless Security.
- Bluetooth Setup
When connecting to a Windows PC, you must first add (or discover) the Bluetooth device and then install a driver for the printer so you can specify the appropriate COM port to allow for communication.
- Windows 7 Bluetooth Configuration and Driver Install. Refer to the article: Windows 7 Bluetooth Setup for Zebra Printers
- Windows 8 Bluetooth Configuration and Driver Install. Refer to the article: Windows 8 Bluetooth Configuration for Zebra Printers
- Android Bluetooth Setup. Refer to the article: Configure Bluetooth Setup Using the Zebra Setup Utility
![]() |
NOTE If printing from Android devices, you would need a custom application. Use the Zebralink Multiplatform SDK for assistance. |
We do offer a demo app from the PlayStore, "Zebra Utilities", but it is not a full functioning application and is not intended for use in production.
Printing App or Program
Zebra printers are command interpretation engines using printer commands to define the printed images. The printer must receive the commands in the supported printer language such as ZPL, EPL, or Line Print. The printer will not respond if the label format received does not contain the required programming commands for label printing. To print, programming commands can be entered into a file and communicated to the printer, received as an output through a driver from an application, or created using one of many Zebra Label Software packages on the market.
- For a general overview of Label Format Creation, refer to Drivers and Applications for Label Creation for more information.
- Zebra offers ZebraDesigner Version 2 Software for Label Creation. Refer to the link for more information.
Utilities and Drivers
Application or Utility | Comment |
Zebra Setup Utilities: Downloading ZSU and Configuring Printer Settings | This is a free Windows-based utility that features a printer setup wizard for a simple printer or network setup. |
Setup or Modifying a Zebra Printer Configuration Using ZebraNet Bridge | This is an enterprise application for network printer management but is free to use for configuring a network or locally connected printer |
ZPL Programmers Guide | The ZPL Programming Guide contains useful commands to control the printer's settings as well as the print that it produces. |
Configure or Modify Basic ZebraDesigner Driver Settings Information | If you are using the ZDesigner Driver there is a Printing Preferences section that allows you to configure your printer. |
Helpful Information: