The LabelWriter printer is designed to give you a long and trouble-free service while requiring very little maintenance. You will get the best possible performance from your LabelWriter printer if you follow the setup instructions that appear in the Quick Start Guide and the procedures described in this section.
To keep your LabelWriter printer working properly, you should clean it from time to time. Dusting the outside of the printer occasionally will help keep foreign matter from getting inside the printer. However, it is still a good idea to periodically perform some basic interior maintenance, such as cleaning the label path with the cleaning card.
You can easily clean your LabelWriter printer using the following items:
- Lint-free cloth.
- Isopropyl alcohol, diluted dishwashing detergent, or diluted glass cleaner. Caution If you use glass cleaner, make sure it does not contain ammonia.
- Small, soft brush, such as a toothbrush or child’s paintbrush.
- LabelWriter cleaning card. To purchase cleaning cards, visit www.dymo.com.
To clean the exterior of your printer and the label roll compartment
1. Disconnect the power cord.
2. Use the lint-free cloth to wipe the exterior of the printer.
3. Remove dirt and smudges with one of the cleaning solutions mentioned above.
4. Open the top cover.
5. Use a small, soft brush or cotton swab to whisk away paper dust and other stray particles from the inside of the printer.
6. Remove the roll of labels and clean under the roll.
7. Reconnect the power cord.
8. If you have a LabelWriter cleaning card, follow the instructions printed on cleaning card packaging.
9. Reload the roll of labels and carefully close the top cover.
To clean the tape print head (LabelWriter Duo only)
1. Press the button on the front of the label cassette tray.
2. Remove the label cassette.
3. Use a small, soft brush or cotton swab to wipe away paper dust and other stray particles from the inside of the tray.
4. Remove the cleaning tool from the inside of the tray. If you do not have a cleaning tool, contact DYMO Consumer Care.
5. Gently wipe the print head with the tool. The print head is very delicate, so use care when cleaning.
6. Replace the cleaning tool, insert the label cassette, and press the button to close the tray.
To clean the cutter blade (LabelWriter Duo only)
1. Press the button on the front of the label cassette tray.
2. Remove the label cassette.
3. Quickly press the Form Feed and Label Eject buttons at the same time. The cutter blade will move into view.
4. Use a cotton swab and alcohol to clean both sides of the cutter blade. The cutter blade is extremely sharp. Use caution when cleaning.
5. After cleaning the blade, press the Label Eject button once to return the blade to its home position. You can also follow this procedure if the cutter blade becomes lodged in the forward position and
Performing a Printer Self-Test
If you experience problems with broken characters or other print quality issues, perform a printer self-test. The self-test verifies that all elements of the print head and printing mechanism are in working condition.
To perform a self-test
1. With a roll of labels in the printer, press and hold the form-feed button on the front of the printer for five to ten seconds. The printer begins printing vertical lines along the width of the printer. The test pattern automatically changes every 3/4 inch (19 mm).
2. Once the self-test begins, release the form-feed button.
3. To stop the self-test, press and release the form-feed button.
Correcting Poor Print Quality
Poor print quality is most frequently caused by one of the following:
- An old roll of labels • Labels made by a manufacturer other than DYMO
- Labels where the thermal coating has been compromised
- A dirty print head First, make sure you are using DYMO-branded labels. Do not use third-party labels because the thermal coating on other labels has a different sensitivity than DYMO-branded labels. Also, the perforated holes between the labels made by other manufacturers are frequently not detectable by LabelWriter printers. If the print quality becomes faint, small dots of white appear scattered through the printed characters, or light and dark patches of printing appear, you are probably using a faulty roll of labels. Try using a different roll from a fresh box. If the second roll prints correctly, the problem is with the first roll of labels. Another possibility is that the LabelWriter print head needs cleaning. See "Caring for Your Printer" on page 17 for information about cleaning the label path with a LabelWriter cleaning card.