The GT800, taking 300 m and 74 m ribbons without adapters
The GT800 is a desktop-size 4-inch thermal transfer and direct thermal printer that takes Zebra genuine 300 m and 74 m ribbons interchangeably without adapters. The 203 dpi model's top speed is 5 ips (127 mm/s), and the 300 dpi specifications are on the GT800 300 dpi page.
| Zebra genuine ribbon | Core inner diameter | Roll OD |
|---|---|---|
| 300 m | 25.4 mm | 66 mm |
| 74 m | 12.7 mm | 34 mm |
Genuine ribbon widths run from 33.8 mm to 109.2 mm. The 74 m ribbon also has a notch on the right side of its core, and both lengths are secured by engaging the left notch on the supply and take-up hubs. After loading the ribbon, feed 20 cm or more of media with FEED to smooth out wrinkles.
Core adapters for third-party ribbons
Third-party ribbons without notches are loaded by fitting them onto the 2 core adapters in the box. The conditions are a fiberboard core with a 25.4 mm (1.004-1.016 in) inner diameter, ribbon width 33-110 mm, and roll OD of 66 mm or less; hard cores such as plastic risk not engaging the adapters properly, so use fiberboard cores.
Fit them with the adapter rim on the left and the ribbon unwinding from the back of the roll. A 110 mm wide ribbon needs no centering, and narrower ribbons are centered on the media using the adapter scale. Turn the take-up core so the ribbon wraps at least one and a half turns.
3-position darkness switch on the unit
The GT800 has a 3-position switch on the unit that raises print darkness without touching driver settings. Position 1 uses the darkness set by the driver or command as is, position 2 adds 3 levels, and position 3 adds 6. It is a switch for adjusting small darkness differences between media and printers on site, and printing too dark with positions 2 or 3 risks lowering barcode read rates.
Ethernet model and parallel port
The GT800's standard ports are 36-pin Centronics parallel, RS-232 serial, and USB. Models with factory-installed 10/100 Ethernet have a LAN port in place of the parallel port, so replacing a unit used with a parallel cable with an Ethernet model changes the cable setup too.
Successor models that take 300 m ribbons
The GT800 is a model that was not sold in North America. Zebra ended sales on January 31, 2020 and ended service and support on March 31, 2023, and designated the ZD220, ZD421, ZD621, and the China-only ZD888 as successors.
To keep using 300 m ribbons, the successor choices narrow. The ZD220 thermal transfer model takes only 74 m ribbons, while the ZD421t and ZD621t take both 300 m and 74 m. Drivers are on the GT800 download page.
