Printer idle, error condition ribbon out - Z Zebra Office Equipment & Supplies

SOURCE: Error conditon ribbon out

if you are not using a ribbon you should configure your printer properties in direct thermal the same with your printer configuration in LCD Panel, if your printer properties is different with the LCD Panel error condition ribbon out will come out to your LCD Panel

SOURCE: printing error condition

First clean the sensor tag and sensor head open and tape. Then perform a calibration label pressing the PAUSE and FEED buttons and turn on the printer, release the keys until it starts to move the label. Wait until you are finished and ready to print.

SOURCE: Zebra 105sl printer shows

so u used the direct thermal label that doesn't need a ribbon ? check the driver at Printer & Faxes on the PC, change the print method on the printing preference from thermal transfer to direct thermal

SOURCE: Error condition ribbon out in ZM400

In the printer setting-

Change the Print Method from - "Tharmal Transfer to Direct Thermal" and save it permanently

SOURCE: zebra printer Zm400 - error condition

This solution is for the Zebra Xi II and the Zebra Xi III , so the wording may be different in different models, but here is the solution:

Press the SETUP button.

Scroll through until you see MEDIA AND RIBBON.

Press the CALIBRATE button.

It will say LOAD BACKING. At this point you must REMOVE the tags completely.

Press CONTINUE.

It will then say REMOVE RIBBON.

Just pull the ribbon to the side so that it does not block the ribbon sensor.

After pulling the ribbon away from the sensor,

CLOSE THE PRINT HEAD.

Hit Continue.

It will now say CALIBRATING PLEASE WAIT
It will then display RELOAD ALL

Reload the labels, making sure to position the end of one label and the beginning of the next label between the red optical sensor.

Then, while keeping the label in that position, move the ribbon back to the normal position, and close the print head. Then hit CONTINUE.
It will then display MEDIA AND RIBBON CALIBRATE

It will calibrate automatically at this point.

Hit the SETUP button.

Hit the NEXT/SAVE button.

You are all done.

Note that this is the intermediate way of calibrating the unit; normally it is done with the CALIBRATE button at the bottom of the front panel. If both of the above do not work, read below (in blue) FIRST-if that doesn't do the trick, then you can do a "hard reset" by powering the unit down, holding the PAUSE and the FEED button at the same time, and while holding them down, turning back on the power. This should only be used as a last resort, however, because it resets everything to factory settings. (NOT a good thing!)

Please be advised that if the intermediate calibration does not correct the issue, then you should use a bottle of 92% rubbing alcohol/Isopropyl alcohol (you can buy at CVS or any pharmacy for less than 2 dollars) and cotton swabs to clean both the top sensor and the bottom sensor-make sure to turn off the power FIRST, and make sure to allow a minute or so for the alcohol to dry after doing the cleaning. The combination of cleaning the sensor and doing the intermediate calibration procedure is about 95% effective.

I am passing this on from experience. The first time we got the 'ribbion out' error, we had to call the big service company in excess of 400.00 to come out. So when she did the above and had it runing in about 2 minutes, I asked the serice person to let me document the procedure. So you get the benefit without having to spend the big bucks!