Visual guide

Print your first label in 3 minutes

Choose your printer and we show you, screen by screen, where to click.

Step by step

Choose your printer above

Troubleshooting

Does your label look like this?

Find the drawing that looks like what you get: below it you have the cause and the solution.

Compatibility

Brands, languages and resolutions

Brand	Recommended route	Language	Common resolutions	What you need to do
Zebra	Direct to Zebra or helper	ZPL	203 · 300 · 600 dpi	Nothing: the extension detects the resolution by itself.
TSC	Helper	TSPL	203 · 300 · 600 dpi	Nothing: TSPL is chosen if the driver is a TSC one.
SATO	Helper	ZPL (emulation)	203 · 305 · 609 dpi	Enable ZPL emulation in the printer menu.
Toshiba TEC	Helper	ZPL (emulation)	203 · 305 · 600 dpi	Enable ZPL emulation if the model has it; otherwise, via driver.
Honeywell / Intermec / Datamax	Helper	ZPL (emulation)	203 · 300 · 406 · 600 dpi	Enable ZPL emulation in the printer menu.
Godex	Helper	ZPL (emulation)	203 · 300 · 600 dpi	Enable ZPL emulation.
Brother QL, Dymo	Chrome dialog	Its driver	300 dpi	Have the roll size set up in its driver.
Laser or inkjet (office)	A4 sheet	Its driver	—	100 % scale and check the alignment once.

No jargon

Glossary

dpi: Dots per inch of the printhead. It is on the printer’s sticker: 203, 300 or 600 are the most common. More dpi = more detail.
Thermal transfer: Prints with a ribbon (ink tape). The label lasts for years. The ribbon must match the label: wax, wax-resin or resin.
Direct thermal: No ribbon: heat darkens a special label. Cheaper, but it fades with sunlight or heat.
Darkness (density, temperature, contrast): How much the printhead heats up. Zebra calls it darkness (0-30); TSC and Brother, density; other brands, temperature or contrast. If it prints too light, raise it; if it smudges, lower it.
Speed: How far the label moves per second. Slower usually gives a more solid black.
Driver: Each printer’s Windows program. Printing “via driver” depends on it being set up correctly; “direct” skips it.
ZPL, TSPL…: The language of each brand of label printer. The extension speaks them for you.
Calibrate: The printer measures where each label on the roll starts and ends. Do it when you change the roll.

Still not right? Print the Test label template: it has a frame, millimetre rulers and two barcodes. If the frame is cut off or shifted, it is the calibration or the X/Y offset; if the size printed on it does not match, the driver size; if the barcodes do not scan, the resolution or the darkness. Not sure? Send us a photo of that label at hello@printertag.com and we will tell you what is going on.