How Zebra Technologies is building on a legacy to deliver next generation desktop printing with more connectivity, performance, and security.
Letting go can be hard. But holding on to old technology can be even harder.
Zebra’s G-Series Thermal Desktop Printers have been a mainstay for label and barcode printing for well over a decade, spanning a broad church of vertical markets that include warehousing, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, transport and logistics.
With millions of units sold around the globe since they were launched in 2008, G-Series Desktop printers have been the go-to label printer in the label and barcode space and, at the time of their launch, they were cutting edge technology.
Zebra has a long legacy as technology leaders and innovators with numerous market firsts over our 50+ years. Matched to the design excellence and reliability that has become synonymous with Zebra products, the result is a desktop printer series that has stood the test of time.
But technology advances, and more than ever there are advantages and benefits customers can obtain by trading up to smarter print technology.
From G to Z… next generation desktop printing arrives
As an innovator, Zebra’s mission is to enable enterprise customers to empower their workers to gain a performance edge. Most Zebra products are transacted through the channel, via a vast network of stocking distributors, and technology and reselling partners. But when you are working with volumes of printers Zebra has become accustomed to, transitioning an established portfolio is a process.
In the summer of 2019, we began the process of helping our partners and customers move on to next-generation printing with the launch of the ZD220 and ZD230 models. These were our new value-tier desktop printers, which were introduced to directly replace the GC-Series. ZD200 Series desktop printers are engineered with Zebra quality to deliver reliable operation at an affordable price to offer the basic features you need; all backed by Zebra service and support, including printer repair specialist partners.
In the Spring of 2021, we completed the transition of our 4” wide desktop portfolio, with the launch of the mid-tier ZD421 models, and our premium-tier ZD621 models, directly replacing the GK-series and the GX-series respectively.
Then, during the summer of 2022, we refreshed the 2” portfolio, launching the ZD411 mid-tier models and an all-new premium-tier offering in the 2” desktop space with the launch of the ZD611 models. The ZD611 delivered an industry first from Zebra, with the launch of a radio frequency identification (RFID) version of the ZD611, the first 2” RFID thermal desktop printer in the market.
Expect more… and experience more
The timing of our desktop portfolio refresh has been somewhat serendipitous. The last few years of pandemic and chip shortages have seen our customers expecting more from their Zebra devices, and our desktop printers have been at the sharp end of a demand surge.
Particularly in the supply chain, we’ve witnessed organisations needing to react to unprecedented change, to respond and deliver in an agile fashion, but also to sustain that agility. Our customers are asking whether their incumbent systems will remain capable of identifying and tracking assets through an organisation, providing the necessary data insights, visibilities, and centralised management capabilities, regardless of changes in scaling and complexity of operations that you may need to implement.
Customers are now expecting more from their print operations than ever before. With Zebra’s ZD-Series, they now can experience more with best-in-class performance and features that help them get the job done faster. In fact, ZD421 is 700% more powerful than the GK-Series that it replaces, with ZD621 being 300% more powerful than the GX-Series.
With the ZD-Series, we now offer the most comprehensive and technically advanced print and labelling portfolio, there’s no need to compromise; as we’ll discover.
A Zebra for every occasion
We have a saying at Zebra; “Zebra is there”. It’s because we span so many verticals and industries, we tend to find Zebra’s used just about everywhere.
From cross-docking applications on the loading bay, inventory tracking in the warehouse, to point-of-sale and shelf-edge labelling in the retail store. With Zebra, customers can choose from direct thermal (no ribbon) or thermal transfer (wax, wax/resin, or full resin ribbon) where you need longevity of the printed image.
Another use case is positive patient identification in healthcare with our ZD510-HC dedicated wristband printing solution. These come with a dedicated medical grade power supply, and a disinfectant-ready UV-resistant housing which is designed to handle regular sanitising with harsh chemicals and UV light, helping to increase patient safety.
Alternatively, our ZD611 and ZD621 models can be supplied with the option of RAIN RFID print and encoding solutions. Zebra’s own RE40 RFID module provides adaptive encoding technology, which allows for excellent media flexibility and simple RFID calibration, eliminating complex placement guidelines. Optimised to efficiently print and encode labels, tags and wristbands, they give you greater tracking abilities, deeper visibility and enterprise insights in an ever-competitive business environment.
There are even linerless versions of the ZD611 and ZD621, providing not just a more sustainable solution to label printing, but one that can aid productivity, with its continuous label format and greater number of labels per roll.
Speaking of productivity, we’ve just launched a new packing bench technology solution, which sees a combination of a linerless ZD621 desktop printer, with one of our fixed industrial scanners, to provide up to 33% packing efficiency gain for our logistics customers.
Whatever our customers’ asset tracking challenge, chances are we have a desktop printer fit for the task and the budget.
Best out-of-the-box experience
Zebra allows you to get printing quickly and easily. Zebra printers are simple to install with USB connectivity, starting with the value-tier ZD220 and ZD230 models, and media changes are quick with Zebra’s OpenACCESS™ clamshell design to keep your workflows moving.
Intuitive to use. Status at-a-glance
A single LED indicator and single button for feed/pause make it easy to operate and identify printer status on the ZD220 and ZD230.
Move up to the mid-tier ZD411 and ZD421 models, and five LED icons and an advanced three-button user interface offers added functionality and control, complete with colour-coded touch points to guide you through media-handling tasks for speedy media changes.
At the top of the pile, the 4.3” colour touch display, which now features across almost all Zebra industrial thermal printers as standard, is available on RFID and healthcare versions of the ZD611 and ZD621 desktop printers as standard, and is an option on others. The easy-to-use menu features step-by-step setup wizards, troubleshooting animations, media-loading, calibration guidance and supports stand-alone printing applications.
Connect it your way
USB and ethernet are largely standard now across the range, providing universal interoperability. But peruse the options list to make it easier and more cost-effective to start with a base device and add connectivity later when you need it. Depending on the model, you’ll find NFC Print Touch, Bluetooth, Serial RS-232, and 801.11ac Wireless as potential ways to get hooked up to your back end operations.
Crisp print quality. Faster print speeds
Even the base model ZD220 provides 203 dpi resolution at 4 ips, with 128MB Flash and 128MB SDRAM memory, so you’ll not be left wanting.
If that’s not enough performance for your needs, ZD421 can support 300dpi at up to 4ips, whilst ZD621 supports the same resolution at 6ips. Both devices come with 512MB Flash and 256MB SDRAM. Plenty of memory for all the graphics and fonts you may need.
Backwards compatibility. Forward engineering
Integrate your ZD-Series desktop printers into your existing printer fleet with confidence. Use the same label formats and applications you’re using today. It supports Eltron Programming Language and Zebra Programming Language and can emulate languages normally associated with other printer brands using Zebra’s Print DNA application called Printer Emulations.
Simple to set up, manage, with unparalleled security
When it comes to safeguarding your organisation’s and customers’ data, printers today are far more at risk. Unless protected, printers are 68% more likely to be the source of an external threat or breach and are 118% more likely to be the source of an internal threat or breach.
With Zebra’s ZD Series printers you can trust them to help keep your sensitive data safe and strengthen your security posture. Featuring PrintSecure, part of our proprietary Print DNA software suite.
Zebra printers can work with a host of MDM connectors, and by leveraging the power of our VisibilityIQ Foresight solution and Printer Profile Manager Enterprise, you get unrivalled visibility into your print fleet and a full featured remote printer management solution.
Mobile pairing solutions.
A perfect pairing with your next Zebra desktop printer would be a Zebra mobile computer. We have a series of iOS or Android applications that can pair to your Zebra printer for on-the-go management and printer insights.
Our Printer Setup Utilities application gives you the tools in the palm of your hand to easily configure all your Print DNA printers.
Match this with the Security Assessment Wizard to uncover security vulnerabilities and compare your printer settings against security best practices, so you can make changes based on your conditions to increase protection.
And much, much more… add options and accessorise your Zebra
Alongside the usual gamut of media handling options that you would expect from your desktop provider, it’s now possible to turn your desktop printer into a portable solution.
Zebra also has a comprehensive mobile printer portfolio. While those offerings lack thermal transfer and 300dpi resolution, it’s now possible to take your printer to where the action is and untether from the plug by adding the battery accessory and maybe the carry case for your ZD400 or ZD600 Series desktop printers.
Every printer purchase is really a software purchase in disguise.
Perhaps the biggest transformative move that we have seen in the industry since the launch of the G-Series back in 2008 has been with the advance of software solutions.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of Link-OS, Zebra’s one-of-a-kind enterprise printer operating system, and our ecosystem of software applications, Print DNA.
Print DNA is the genetic code that transforms printers with business-catalytic capabilities. The unique combination of innovative applications, utilities and developer tools produces high performing, remotely manageable printers that are easy to integrate, ensuring Zebra Link-OS printers provide a superior printing experience.
Visibility within a customer’s print fleet, data, insights and metrics, along with the ability for full-featured remote management of the print base, is where we see the single biggest benefit to our partners and their customers.
This is why Zebra has been aggressively working with these leading MPS solution providers and partners to enable thermal printers to be managed in the exact same way. We want our customers to have the option to have their thermal printers fully managed by themselves, a third party or as part of an MPS agreement already in place for other printing devices.
In other words, your entire thermal printing solution can now be procured “as-a-service” versus the traditional transactional sales model. That’s huge!