Zebra · Label printers
Zebra ZT421 label printer
This page covers the Zebra 6-inch ZT421: rolls narrower than 51 mm including the liner go to the ZT411, and for rolls over 110 mm check the ribbon width first. In GoodLabel Designer, 168 mm fits as ^PW1344 at 203 dpi; at 300 dpi enter 167.9 mm or less to stay within the 1984-dot limit.
- Print method
- Thermal transfer and direct thermal
- Resolution
- 203 dpi variant, 300 dpi variant
- Print speed
- 61–305 mm/s (203 dpi), 61–254 mm/s (300 dpi)
- Max print width
- 168 mm
- Unit label width setting limit
- 1344 dots (203 dpi), 1984 dots (300 dpi) — Designer ^PW is ceil(ceil(mm×dpi/25.4)/8)×8
- Media width
- 51–178 mm (tear-off, cutter), 51–171 mm (peel-off, rewind)
Specifications
| Print method | Thermal transfer and direct thermal |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 203 dpi variant, 300 dpi variant |
| Print speed | 61–305 mm/s (203 dpi), 61–254 mm/s (300 dpi) |
| Max print width | 168 mm |
| Unit label width setting limit | 1344 dots (203 dpi), 1984 dots (300 dpi) — Designer ^PW is ceil(ceil(mm×dpi/25.4)/8)×8 |
| Media width | 51–178 mm (tear-off, cutter), 51–171 mm (peel-off, rewind) |
| Min label length | Tear-off, peel-off and rewind 12.7 mm, cutter 25.4 mm |
| Max print length (continuous media) | 2590 mm (203 dpi), 1143 mm (300 dpi) |
| Media thickness | 0.058–0.25 mm |
| Media roll | Core 76 mm, outer diameter up to 203 mm |
| Ribbon | Up to 450 m, width 51–174 mm, core 25 mm |
| Command language | ZPL, ZPL II, EPL (203 dpi only) |
| GoodLabel Designer model | ZT421 (ZPL, 203 / 300 dpi) |
| Dimensions and weight | 495 × 336 × 324 mm, 18.14 kg |
| Operating temperature | Thermal transfer 5–40°C, direct thermal 0–40°C |
Rolls narrower than 51 mm including the liner do not fit the ZT421. This 6-inch unit takes 51–178 mm media and prints 168 mm wide, so sites that use both narrow and wide labels share the work with the 4-inch ZT411.
ZT421 and ZT411 by label width
| Item | ZT421 | ZT411 |
|---|---|---|
| Narrowest media | 51 mm | 25.4 mm |
| Widest media (tear-off, cutter) | 178 mm | 114 mm |
| Widest media (peel-off, rewind) | 171 mm | 108 mm |
| Max print width | 168 mm | 104 mm |
| Ribbon width | 51–174 mm | 51–110 mm |
| Designer resolution buttons | 203 / 300 DPI | 203 / 300 / 600 DPI |
A 150 mm wide label cannot be printed in one pass on the ZT411, whose print width is 104 mm, so it is a job for the ZT421. Conversely, a label roll that is 45 mm wide including the liner is narrower than the ZT421's 51 mm minimum media width and is printed on the ZT411.
Entering a 168 mm label in the Designer
The Designer converts the label width (mm) to dots, rounds up in 8-dot steps and sends it in the ^PW command. The upper limit of the unit's label width setting is 1344 dots at 203 dpi and 1984 dots at 300 dpi.
| Label width | 203 dpi ^PW | 300 dpi ^PW |
|---|---|---|
| 150 mm | 1200 | 1776 |
| 167.9 mm | 1344 | 1984 |
| 168 mm | 1344 | 1992 (8 dots over the limit) |
On a 203 dpi unit, a 168 mm width entered as is fits the 1344-dot limit. On a 300 dpi unit, 168 mm rounds up to 1992 dots and exceeds the limit, so enter a width of 167.9 mm or less to keep ^PW within 1984 dots.
- In the Printer settings window, select the ZT421 model and click the 203 DPI or 300 DPI button to match your unit.
- Set the media type to match the roll, one of Gap labels (^MNY), Continuous media (^MNN) or Black mark (^MNM), and after changing rolls send ~JC once with Auto detect.
Ribbon width for wide labels
The ZT421 ribbon spindle takes ribbons 51–174 mm wide, 450 m long, on 25 mm cores. The ribbon should be as wide as or wider than the label roll to reduce head wear, so load a ribbon of 160 mm or more on a 160 mm roll.
The GoodLabel wax ribbon 300M comes in widths from 40 mm to 110 mm. ZT421 media starts at 51 mm, so the variants you would actually choose are 60–110 mm, and rolls wider than 110 mm including the liner need another ribbon of a matching width.
Compatible with GoodLabel Designer
You can design and print labels for this model with GoodLabel Designer, our free label software. GoodLabel Designer · User Guide
FAQ
- How much slower is the 300 dpi variant than the 203 dpi?
- Top speed drops from 305 mm/s at 203 dpi to 254 mm/s at 300 dpi. Both variants have the same max print width of 168 mm.
- What happens if I enter 180 mm for the Designer label width?
- The ZT421 prints up to 168 mm wide, so the part outside that is not printed, and on a 300 dpi unit ^PW rounds up in 8-dot steps, so 167.9 mm is the practical limit. Media up to 178 mm can be loaded, but place the design within the printable area.
- Does peel-off reduce the width available for wide labels?
- The upper media width limit in peel-off and rewind modes is 171 mm, 7 mm narrower than the 178 mm in tear-off and cutter modes. The output mode is not in the Designer commands and is chosen in the unit menu; the steps are the same as in the peel-off and rewinder section of the ZT411 page.
Drivers & manuals
How to buy
- In Korea, this product is sold through our Korean online store. Korean product page →
- Outside Korea, contact us by email. Email: Contact →
- Or buy from an authorized dealer in your country.
Other models in this category
Good LabelGoodLabel 4B-2054NS direct thermal label printerThe GoodLabel 4B-2054NS is a direct thermal only 4-inch printer driven by GoodLabel Designer in TSPL; the Gap length field value goes into the GAP command as is. GoodLabel 4B-2054NS, W-4B-2054NS and Xprinter 4B-2054N in the model list are all TSPL at 203 dpi, so each sends the same commands.
BixolonBixolon SLP-DX220 label printerThe SLP-DX220 is a Bixolon 2-inch direct thermal printer, 54mm print width, 203dpi, up to 6ips, rolls 15–60mm wide. Select SLP-DX220 (ZPL, 203dpi) in the GoodLabel Designer model list, and the Troubleshoot window skips the print method step and guides only saving the label type and Detect media.
BixolonBixolon SLP-DX223 label printerA 2-inch direct thermal printer for dense text and QR codes on small labels 10–20mm tall, using the SLP-DX220 body with a head of about 11.8 dots per mm (print width 56.9mm, max 4ips). In the Designer model list it appears under its sales name, SLP-DX223, with a single ZPL, 300dpi setting.
BixolonBixolon SLP-DX420 label printerThe SLP-DX420 is a Bixolon 4-inch direct thermal only printer, 108mm wide at 203dpi and up to 7ips, suited to printing many thermal labels such as 100×150mm shipping labels. In GoodLabel Designer, select SLP-DX420 (ZPL, 203dpi); copies of the same label go as one ^PQ quantity command.
BixolonBixolon SLP-DX423 label printerFor the SLP-DX423, you must select the SLP-DX423 (ZPL, 300dpi) entry in GoodLabel Designer; if you send to the 203dpi SLP-DX420 entry, labels come out shrunk to about 68% of their size. The printer is a Bixolon 4-inch direct thermal only model with a 105.7mm print width and a max speed of 5ips.
BixolonBixolon SLP-TX400 label printerIn the GoodLabel Designer Troubleshoot window, the print method step (thermal transfer or direct thermal) appears only when the Printer model field shows SLP-TX400. It is a Bixolon 4-inch thermal transfer and direct thermal printer (203dpi, 108mm, max 7ips); Designer entry: SLP-TX400 (ZPL, 203dpi).