Zebra ZM400 industrial barcode printer

Name: Zebra ZM400
Brand: Zebra

ZM400 specifications

Status: Discontinued. Last sale September 30, 2014 (Asia-Pacific December 31, 2014); successor ZT411
Manufacturer service and support: Ended December 30, 2019 (Asia-Pacific March 31, 2020)
Print method: Thermal transfer and direct thermal
Resolution: 203 dpi (8 dots/mm), 300 dpi (12 dots/mm), 600 dpi (24 dots/mm)
Print speed: 203 dpi 61-254 mm/s, 300 dpi 61-203 mm/s, 600 dpi 38-102 mm/s
Max print width: 104 mm (4.09 in, 203 dpi)
Max print length: Continuous: 203 dpi 3,988 mm / 300 dpi 1,854 mm / 600 dpi 508 mm
Label width: Tear-off and cutter 25.4-114 mm, peel and rewind up to 108 mm
Minimum label length: Tear-off, peel, rewind 13 mm; cutter 25.4 mm
Media thickness and roll: 0.058-0.25 mm (including liner), roll OD 203 mm, core 76 mm
Ribbon: Width 51-110 mm, length 300 m (2:1) and 450 m (3:1), core 25.4 mm, roll OD 81.3 mm
Memory: 16 MB DRAM (12 MB user), 8 MB flash (2 MB user) / optional 64 MB flash (58 MB user)
Printer languages: ZPL II, XML-enabled ZPL / EPL II, APL-I, APL-D on 203 dpi models only
Interfaces: USB 2.0, IEEE 1284 bidirectional parallel, RS-232C serial (DB9F)
Optional interfaces: ZebraNet wired print server (10/100), 802.11b/g wireless print server, RS-422/485 adapter, twinax and coax
Options: Cutter, peel, liner take-up, rewind, gray ribbon spindle (ink-side-in ribbons), 300 and 600 dpi printheads, RFID reader/encoder
Power: AC 90-265 V, 48-62 Hz
Operating temperature: 5-40°C, humidity 20-85% (non-condensing)
Dimensions and weight: 338 H x 278 W x 475 D mm, 15 kg (without options)

The ZM400 is a 4-inch industrial label printer in the Zebra Z series. With the 203 dpi printhead it prints up to 104 mm wide, and printheads came in three types: 203 dpi, 300 dpi, and 600 dpi. Its 6-inch sibling, the ZM600, has no 600 dpi printhead.

ZM400 speed and continuous print length by resolution

Printhead	Speed settings	Max continuous print length	Barcode bar width (non-rotated)
203 dpi	61 mm/s, 76-254 mm/s	3,988 mm	4.9-49 mil
300 dpi	61 mm/s, 76-203 mm/s	1,854 mm	3.3-33 mil
600 dpi	38 mm/s, 51-102 mm/s	508 mm	1.6-16 mil

Speed ranges listed as a range are raised and lowered in 25 mm/s increments. When a barcode is rotated 90 degrees and printed vertically with the 300 dpi printhead, the narrowest bar becomes thicker at 3.9 mil.

The firmware accepts ZPL II and XML-enabled ZPL. Only the 203 dpi ZM400 accepts EPL II, APL-I, and APL-D commands, so to use formats built in EPL on 300 dpi or 600 dpi units, they must be converted to ZPL formats.

Ink-side-in ribbons and the gray spindle

The standard ribbon spindle is black and takes ribbons wound with the ink side out. Ribbons wound with the ink side in load only with the alternate thermal transfer option, which uses a gray spindle, and this option was available only on the ZM400.

If you do not know which side of the roll is inked, peel off one label, press a corner of its adhesive side against the outside of the ribbon roll, and pull it away. If ink powder transfers to the label, it is an outside-wound ribbon; if nothing transfers, it is an inside-wound ribbon.

Ribbon width goes up to 110 mm, and if the ribbon is narrower than the media, the exposed part of the printhead wears first. Length comes in two sizes depending on the media-to-ribbon roll ratio: 300 m (2:1) and 450 m (3:1).

Starting printhead pressure dial positions by label width

There are two printhead pressure dials, inner and outer, each with levels 1-4 on the ZM400. Start at the positions below according to label width.

Label width	Inner dial	Outer dial
1 in	3	1
2 in	4	1
3 in	3	2
3.5 in or more	3	3

If the print fades on the left, raise the inner dial one level; if it fades on the right, raise the outer dial. If the media drifts to the left during printing, raise the outer dial or lower the inner one by one level.

Standard ports and cable lengths

USB 2.0, IEEE 1284 bidirectional parallel, and RS-232C serial (DB9F) are the standard ports. Cables can be up to 5 m for USB, 3 m for parallel, and 15.24 m for serial. Wired Ethernet (10BASE-T/100BASE-TX) and 802.11b/g wireless LAN require the ZebraNet print server option.

The liner take-up option, which winds up the liner instead of feeding it out the front when labels are peeled in peel mode, was also available only on the ZM400.

End of sale in 2014 and the successor ZT411

The ZM400's last sale date was September 30, 2014, and only the Asia-Pacific region sold it until December 31, 2014. Manufacturer repair and technical support also ended on December 30, 2019 (Asia-Pacific March 31, 2020).

The successor model designated by Zebra is the ZT411. The 104 mm print width, 3,988 mm continuous print length at 203 dpi, and the 600 dpi printhead option are the same on both models. Top speed at 203 dpi is 254 mm/s on the ZM400 and 356 mm/s on the ZT411.

The parallel port is standard on the ZM400 but optional on the ZT411. Sites that connected to a PC with a parallel cable should order the parallel option with the replacement or switch to USB.

Windows drivers and the English user guide for the unit you use now are collected on the ZM400 driver download page.

FAQ

ENTER PASSWORD appears on the display when I try to change communication settings.

The factory password is 1234. Use the MINUS key to move to the digit to change and the PLUS key to increase the number, then press SELECT. Changing the password to 0000 with the ZPL command ^KP stops it from asking.

Can ribbons narrower than 51 mm be loaded?

The narrowest ribbon Zebra tested on the ZM400 is 51 mm. Narrower ribbons can be loaded if they are wider than the media in use, so print on the actual media first to check print quality.

How often should the printhead and platen roller be cleaned?

For direct thermal printing, clean every media roll (152.4 m for fanfold); for thermal transfer printing, every ribbon roll or every three media rolls. Use the Zebra preventive maintenance kit (part number 47362) or a cotton swab moistened with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol mixed with 10% or less deionized water.

Zebra ZM400