My label printers skips labels between prints, feeds out blank labels or is printing over the same place. (LX500, LX600, LX610, LX910, LX2000, LX3000).

My label printers skips labels between prints, feeds out blank labels or is printing over the same place. (LX500, LX600, LX610, LX910, LX2000, LX3000).

The printer will skip one label before printing for the first time after loading a new roll of label stock. This is to prevent jamming of labels and cannot be disabled.

The printer should not skip labels between consecutive print jobs.

If the printer is skipping labels at times other than the instance described above, try the following:

1. Adjust the Present or Cut options.  We don't recommend cutting/presenting between every label as it requires the printer to move the label stock forward to cut and back to print.  This extra movement can cause skipping, printing over on the same spot, or extra space.  It is best to cut or present the label at the end of the job or after you press the feed button. 



2. Adjust Feed Speed.  If you are printing at Quality 2 or lower on a small label it is possible that the slack loop system is not keeping up with the print speed.  This may cause the labels to slip and print over and over on the same spot.  To fix this, lower the Feed Speed.

LX910/LX3000:



LX900:


3.  Sensor Position. LX Series printers have an adjustable sensor used to detect the gap between die-cut labels or the reflective mark on other labels.  If the sensor is not set within the label stock or on the reflective mark, it will prevent proper detection of the label stock and cause excessive feed, offset printing, or label skipping.  The sensor needs to be set within the label stock.  So for a 1.5'' x 1.5'' square label, you would need to set the sensor to less than 1.5 inches.  If you will only be doing rectangular die-cut labels, the sensor can be left at about .5 inches and you will never have to change it.

Circular, nonstandard label shapes or multiple labels across, will require precise adjustment of the label sensor.  The sensor must be in the exact center of the label or at the uppermost label to detect the gap properly.  Slide bar is a measurement which represents the distance between the edge of the label stock and the sensor. Measure the distance from the edge of the label stock to the correct position on the stock.  Set the sensor to this measurement.  Images of the sensor are shown in this article.

4. Loop Sensor.  Do a loop sensor calibration to make sure there is a slack loop below the roll.  This ensures easy feeding.  The printer grit roller/pinch rollers to not have enough force to pull labels directly from the roll.  This is why we have a system to create a loop below the roll.  Follow the procedure for your printer below.



4a. LX910/LX3000/LX500/LX610/LX600


4b. LX900
a. Unload the label stock and remove it from the printer.
b. Turn off the printer.
c. While holding down the feed button, turn the printer power back on.
d. Reload the label stock.

4c. LX2000. If you are using an LX2000/1000 calibrate paper out and the loop sensor in the status monitor.  


5.  Page Size. If the page size set in the driver is larger than the actual label stock, the ink will be printed on the gaps, and the sensor will start looking for a gap too late.  This can cause label skipping or inconsistent print starting points.  It is best to have the paper size set within .04 inches of the actual stock size.  See the Printer Driver Settings article for your product (linked at the bottom of this article) for more information.

6.  Label Stock Loading.  The label stock may not be loaded properly.  See this article for loading tips.

7. Preprinted Stock. Preprinted stock is not recommended for the LX series of label printers because the printed areas can be misread by the label gap sensor as a gap between labels.  This can cause the printer to back up and find a preprinted area to start printing instead of the next label.  Depending on the layout of the pre-printed area, you may be able to adjust the sensor position to avoid this dark pre-printed area.  You could also add a black mark to the back of the label stock, which corresponds to the gaps.  This sensing method is not as susceptible to misreading preprinted areas as label gaps.

8. Slippery Backing/Liner Material. Test the unit with the label sample material that came with the unit or any other type of label stock.  If it prints correctly, your label stock may not be compatible. The feed rollers need to grab the liner to feed it through the printer.  If they slip as they are feeding you, you could see prints that are shorter than they should be, printing over the same place, skipped labels, or inconsistent start position. 

9. Improper Label Gap Distance. The gap between labels should be at least 1/8" so that the sensor has time to read the difference of light penetration through the liner.  If you purchase labels from Primera or one of our authorized partners, the label stock will have the proper gap distance.

10. Source Image Layer or Object Formatting.  If you are printing from Corel, Illustrator, Photoshop, NiceLabel, Bartender or any program that allows you to print files that consist of multiple layers or objects, those objects or layers could cause the LX to skip labels if they are corrupted or the borders of the object lie outside the printable area of the label.  Try removing, moving or reinserting these objects and printing again.  Also, try flattening the file by exporting it as a BMP, JPG, or TIF.  Open that new file in the same program or any program that supports that file type and print again.

11. Orientation. If the Portrait / Landscape setting does not correspond to the label stock installed, this will also cause the printer to print over the gap and onto the next label.  Make sure this is set correctly. See this article. 

12. Tear Bar (LX900, LX910, LX2000, and LX3000 only).  The labels could be getting caught on the tear bar as it back feeds.  Put the tear guard back on to see if the skipping stops. 

13. Tear Off Labels (LX900, LX910, LX2000, and LX3000 only).  If you are letting the labels fall on the floor after printing, the roller doesn't have enough grip to pull back on the labels when it needs to back feed to do maintenance.  This would be more prone to happen with smaller labels because the grip roller has less surface area to hold on to.  On larger labels, it has an increased surface area for the grip roller and has enough force to overcome the slight resistance that the tear bar would cause.  To test, see if the skipping occurs once the labels hit the floor after printing. 

14. Rewinders.  Using a rewinder can cause narrow label stock or label stock with slippery liners to skip, print longer than it should per label, or have inconsistent start positions. 

15. LX500 Label Stock Roll Issue.
  If you are using an LX500, check for the following defects on the label stock roll.

      a. The label roll diameter is too large (larger than 5") which prevents it from spinning freely on the hubs.  Remove labels by hand until it spins freely.
      b. The core is too short causing the side of the label stock to drag.  Make sure the core of the label stock equals the material width.
      c. The core diameter is too small not allowing it to slip on the hubs.  There is a spring system in the hubs that helps to deal with alignment and back feeding in situations where the label is moved forward for cutting and then back for printing.  Over time, the spring builds tension, and then the roll slips on the hubs.   This allows feeding and maintains the spring tension.   If the core diameter is too small or the core is plastic or some other material besides cardboard, it may not slip as the spring builds tension. If it does not slip, it will not be able to feed and will overprint on the same spot.

16. LX600/LX610 Create Loop. If you are using an LX600/LX610 make sure to check the Create Loop Option - See this article.

Article ID: 44865