How to Use the Zebra ZD421 Label Printers and Software

Owned by Emily Wolf
Last updated: May 09, 2024
3 min read

How to add your printer and configure the settings:

  1. download Zebra Setup Utilities from the Zebra Website

    1. https://www.zebra.com/us/en/software/printer-software/zebra-setup-utility.html

    2. Click Install a New Printer

      1. Manufacturers: ZDesigner

      2. Printers: Scroll down to ZDesigner ZD421 203dpi ZPL and select it

      3. click Add / Install new printer and next

    3. Click next on the ports selection

    4. Click finish

    5. This should then pop up with a progress bar of printer installation

    6. from here, you can decide if you want to download the Zebra Font Downloader app and put it on the desktop

  2. Configure the Printer

    1. In the Printer Utility Set up, click Configure Printer

      1. the labels that will be sent with the printer are 2.23 by .75 inch labels with a NORMAL orientation

      2. Speed and darkness isn’t super necessary to mess with but you can if you would like.

      3. Print mode is Direct Thermal Transfer (Direct)

      4. Should just be able to click through the rest of the stuff and then you can decide if you want to save the settings to a file or not (I recommend it)

  3. From here you can move onto configurating Zebra Designer 3 stuff

How To Configure Zebra Designer 3 and Actually Print Things:

  • Open Zebra Design 3 (blue icon on your desktop next to Zoom)

  • Click ‘Create New Label’ 

  • Make sure the printer connected is the ZDesigner ZD421-203dpi ZPL 

    • If it is not this printer please contact libtech@ou.edu

    • Click next if everything is correct

  • Make sure ‘Print on a roll of labels’ is selected. 

    • If not, select this. 

  • PLEASE PRINT USING PORTRAIT MODE NOT LANDSCAPE 

  • Unit of measure is inches and the measurements are 2.00 inches wide and 1.5 inches height 

  • Once done with this, it will look kind of like you’re making a single slide presentation. 

    • Add a barcode and fix it so it fits on the barcode the way you want it to 

    • Then edit the barcode info double click the barcode or R-click and select properties

      • This will pop up an extra tiny box with whatever the current barcode says (probably 12345678901) then click ‘apply’ 

      • Type in the information you want it to say under the ‘source’ tab

      • Make sure in the barcode settings across the top blue ribbon stuff that it’s marked to be “human readable” above or below the barcode so the numbers print.

  • barcode printer software.png

  • When you print, make sure it’s printing to the ZDesigner Printer and make sure it’s printing the number of barcodes you want

    • PLEASE DO NOT MESS WITH THE SPEED AND DARKNESS OF THE LABELS

  • There is a format label saved in files if you would like that for reference and just to continually edit instead of having to reformat a label each time. 

    • Consider saving the file on the desktop of the workstation at

      C:\Users\Default\Desktop

      so that the file can be seen by all users that log into the computer.

HERE ARE THE LABEL PRINTER THINGS:
https://www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra_dam/en/spec-sheets/z-perform-2000d-spec-sheet-en-us.pdf

If you have any questions please reach out to libtech@ou.edu