Bixolon SLP-DX220 setup guide: labels, USB, Ethernet, driver

The SLP-DX220 is Bixolon's compact 2-inch direct thermal label printer: 203 dpi, up to 54 mm print width and labels from 15 to 60 mm wide. This guide takes you from the box to the first label over USB or Ethernet.

Which version do you have

All SLP-DX220 printers share the same mechanism, buttons and lights. They differ in the interfaces on the back:

The SLP-DX220EG/BEG in our shop is the Ethernet version with USB. The product page lists all versions we carry. The SLP-DX220 prints only on direct thermal labels; it has no ribbon.

Place the printer and connect power

Put the printer on a flat, level surface away from humidity. Leave space around it, and keep the back and the bottom free so that air can circulate.

1. Make sure the power switch is off.
2. Check that the voltage on the adapter label matches your mains supply.
3. Plug the adapter's DC connector into the power port on the printer.
4. Connect the power cord to the adapter, then plug the cord into the wall socket.

Load the labels

1. Open the paper cover with the cover lever.
2. Spread the media holder apart and put the roll between the two sides.
3. Pull the labels forward with the printable side facing up. This applies to rolls wound inwards and outwards.
4. Slide the media guide against the edges of the labels so that they run straight.
5. Close the paper cover until it clicks.

The gap sensor sits in the media guide, and a separate sensor reads black marks and notches. You don't need to set either of them by hand: the printer detects the media itself (see the next step).

Let the printer detect your labels

On the first start, the SLP-DX220 runs Smart Media Detection. It recognises gap and black-mark labels without any settings and needs 3 to 5 labels to do it.

1. Switch the printer on. Both lights turn green when it is in standby.
2. Press Feed. The printer feeds a few labels while it measures them, then stops.
3. Press Feed again. One label should come out and the printer should stop at the next gap.

Smart Media Detection also starts by itself when the printer notices a different label length, and after a factory reset. If labels still stop in the wrong place, run gap or black-mark calibration as described in SLP-DX220 calibration.

Print a self-test

The self-test shows the firmware version, the configuration and a print quality pattern. It is a quick way to check the printer before you connect a PC.

1. Check that the labels are loaded correctly.
2. Switch the printer off.
3. Press and hold Feed and switch the printer on.
4. Release Feed when the self-test starts printing.

The self-test isn't available when the optional peeler is installed.

Connect the printer to your PC

Switch the printer off before you plug in any cable.

• USB: connect the USB B port on the back of the printer to your PC. Bixolon recommends a cable no longer than 1.8 m.
• Ethernet: connect the ETHERNET port to your network switch with a UTP cable, CAT5 or better.
• Serial (standard version): connect the cable to the SERIAL port and tighten the screws on both sides. The serial cable is an option.

Install the Windows driver

Download the driver from the SLP-DX220 download page on bixolon.com. Bixolon offers two Windows drivers: the EuroPlus Windows Driver and the Seagull Windows Driver. Both support Windows 10 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 11 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2019 and 2022; ARM processors are not supported. Install one of them.

1. Run the installer and follow its steps. Select the SLP-DX220 when it asks for the model.
2. For USB, choose the USB port the printer is connected to.
3. For Ethernet, add a Standard TCP/IP Port with the printer's IP address (see the next step).
4. Open the printer properties and click Print Test Page.

The same page has CUPS drivers for macOS and Linux, and Bixolon's label software Label Artist-II for Windows.

Set up the network (Ethernet version)

By default, the Ethernet interface gets its IP address from your network (DHCP) and prints on TCP port 9100. To see or change the address, use Windows BIXOLON Utility from the download page:

1. Install and start BIXOLON Utility, then click Search.
2. Double-click the printer, or select it and click Settings.
3. Check or set IP Address Assignment Method, IP Address, Subnet Mask, Gateway and Port Number, then click Save.

A fixed IP address is best for a shared printer, so the Windows port never points to an old address. You can also open the printer's web page: type its IP address into a browser and sign in with the user name and password from Bixolon's network connection manual. Change the default password after the first sign-in.

To connect the Windows driver over the network: open the printer properties, go to Ports › Add Port › Standard TCP/IP Port, enter the IP address and finish the wizard. Then open Configure Port, check that Raw uses port 9100, and print a test page.

Set the label size and print your first label

Enter the exact width and height of your labels in the driver's printing preferences and in your label software. Then print a test label from your software. If the print shifts from label to label or a blank label comes out between prints, check the size first, then calibrate.

When something doesn't work, the two lights tell you why. See SLP-DX220 troubleshooting for the full light table and fixes, and the SLP-DX220 guides for everything about this model.