Troubleshooting

Zebra ZQ320 Plus troubleshooting: lights, battery and printing

What the Fault light and power ring on the ZQ320 Plus mean, and how to fix media, battery, Bluetooth, print quality and label position problems.

10 min Difficulty: Easy Updated: By SCANSHOP team
In this guide

    The ZQ320 Plus has no display: the amber Fault light and the light ring around POWER show what is wrong. Find the pattern, then open the fix.

    123456
    Patterns over four seconds. 1 Fault light solid amber: out of media · 2 Fault light blinking once a second: media cover open · 3 Fault light blinking once every 2 seconds: printhead too hot or printhead fault · 4 Power ring solid red: unhealthy battery · 5 Power ring flashing red twice a second: charge fault · 6 Power ring flashing green fast: printer on without a battery

    Find your symptom

    What you see Likely cause Fix
    Fault solid amber Out of media Fix 1 →
    Fault blinking once a second Media cover open Fix 2 →
    Fault blinking every 2 seconds Printhead too hot or faulty Fix 3 →
    No lights when you press POWER Battery flat, asleep or not seated Fix 4 →
    Power ring red or flashing red, short battery life Battery or charging problem Fix 5 →
    Bluetooth light off, jobs don't arrive or the connection drops Sleep, range or pairing Fix 6 →
    Paper feeds but the print is blank, faded or partial Paper loaded wrong way, dirty printhead, weak battery Fix 7 →
    Print starts in the wrong place, labels skip Media type, marks or settings don't match Fix 8 →
    Settings changed and the printer misbehaves Settings need restoring Fix 9 →

    Fixes

    1. Out of mediaFault light solid amber

    CauseThe roll has run out, or the printer cannot see the paper.

    Fix

    1. Push the latch release button forwards to open the cover and check the roll.
    2. Load a new roll, pull the end out past the front and close the cover until it clicks. The paper advances by itself.
    3. If the light stays on, check that the roll turns freely without rubbing on the sides.
    4. Brush out the compartment and keep the sensor windows free of dust.
    2. Media cover openFault light blinking once a second

    CauseThe media cover is open or not fully latched.

    Fix

    1. Press the cover down until it clicks.
    2. If the light keeps blinking with the cover closed and paper loaded, contact us. Zebra notes that a flashing error with no visible cause can mean the printer software needs reloading.
    3. Printhead too hot or faultyFault light blinking once every 2 seconds

    CauseThe printhead has passed 70 °C, or a printhead element has failed.

    Fix

    1. Wait. Printing stops until the printhead cools to 62 °C, then continues by itself. Zebra warns that label data can be lost, so reprint anything that is missing.
    2. Keep the printer out of direct sunlight and within Zebra's operating range of −15 to 50 °C.
    3. If the light blinks while the printer is cool, print a configuration report and check the line "Print-head test". If it doesn't read OK, contact us for service.
    4. Printer won't switch onNo lights

    CauseThe battery is flat, still in its shipping sleep state, not clicked in, or still has its tape insulator.

    Fix

    1. Press and hold POWER until the lights come on, then release. Holding it for more than 5 seconds cancels start-up.
    2. Connect the printer to a Zebra AC-to-USB adapter. A new battery wakes up when it charges.
    3. Check that the battery's tape insulator is gone and the battery clicks into place.
    5. Battery and charging problemsRed power ring, short battery life, slow printing

    CauseSolid red means the battery is unhealthy. Fast red flashing means a charge fault. Fast green flashing means the printer runs without a battery. A weak or cold battery also makes the printer print more slowly.

    Fix

    1. Charge within Zebra's charging range of 0 to 40 °C, out of direct sun.
    2. Use only Zebra chargers and genuine Zebra PowerPrecision+ batteries.
    3. Check Battery Health on the configuration report.
    4. Zebra notes that a battery older than a year can lose capacity through normal ageing. Replace a battery that shows red or doesn't hold its charge.
    6. Bluetooth disconnectsJobs don't print from the phone or PC

    CauseThe printer is asleep, out of range, or the pairing on the phone is out of date.

    Fix

    1. Keep the phone within about 10 m. The Bluetooth light is solid while connected.
    2. The printer sleeps after 20 minutes without use and wakes when a device connects over Bluetooth. The first job after sleep can take a few seconds longer.
    3. Remove the printer from the phone's Bluetooth list and pair again.
    4. Check that media is loaded and the cover is closed, as Zebra lists for communication errors.

    Steps are in Pair the ZQ320 Plus over Bluetooth.

    7. Blank, faded or partial printPaper feeds, little or no print

    CauseThe roll is in the wrong way round, the paper is not direct thermal, the printhead is dirty, the battery is weak, or the cover is not latched.

    Fix

    1. Check that the heat-sensitive side faces the printhead. Scratch the paper quickly with a fingernail: the coated side shows a dark mark.
    2. Close and latch the cover fully.
    3. Switch the printer off and let the printhead cool. Clean the thin grey line on the printhead with a Zebra cleaning pen, from the centre to the edges. Zebra advises this every five rolls.
    4. Charge or replace the battery.
    5. For labels, Zebra advises checking that the "Tone" setting is 50. Adjust darkness in the app under Settings › Print Quality.
    8. Skipped labels or wrong print positionPrint starts in the wrong place

    CauseThe media type set in the printer or your software doesn't match the roll, black marks are not where the sensor expects them, or the media is not supported by your version.

    Fix

    1. In the Printer Setup Utility, open Settings › Media and set the media type, width and length to match the roll.
    2. Run Actions › Calibrate Media. The printer feeds media while it measures.
    3. Black mark media needs marks on the back, centred on the roll, and a centre strip free of dark pre-printed graphics.
    4. Die-cut labels with gaps need a gap sensor. Zebra's user guide lists it for the indoor (retail) version only, not for our outdoor version, so use receipt paper or linerless labels.
    9. Restore default settingsNo reset button sequence

    CauseZebra's ZQ320 Plus user guide has no button sequence for a factory reset. Settings are restored by sending commands to the printer instead.

    Fix

    1. First correct the media and print quality settings in the Printer Setup Utility app; that solves most problems.
    2. To restore a group of settings, connect the printer to a PC with Zebra Setup Utilities, from the ZQ320 Plus support page, and send Zebra's device.restore_defaults command for that group. Copy the exact command line from Zebra's article linked below, or ask us first.
    3. Pair the printer again after its Bluetooth settings are restored.

    The command lines are in Zebra's article Restoring Factory Default Settings with Mobile Printers. The FEED and POWER combination prints a report; it does not reset anything.

    Frequently asked questions

    Why is the amber light on my Zebra ZQ320 Plus blinking?

    Blinking once a second means the media cover is open. Blinking once every 2 seconds means the printhead is too hot or faulty. A solid amber light means the paper has run out.

    How do I factory reset a ZQ320 Plus?

    Zebra's user guide describes no reset button sequence for the ZQ320 Plus. Groups of settings are restored by sending a device.restore_defaults command from Zebra Setup Utilities, as described in Zebra's support article.

    Why does my ZQ320 Plus print blank receipts?

    Usually the roll is in the wrong way round or the paper is not direct thermal. Turn the roll so the coated side faces the printhead.

    Was this guide helpful?

    Used in this guide

    Compatible consumables and accessories for the ZQ320.

    Compatible labels

    ProductSize (W × H) Material Labels / rollCorePrice
    Labels (Linerless), Thermal Paper, ZeroLiner 2000D, W: 80 mm, H: 100 m, D: 40 mm, C: 12.7 mm, label roll (ZIPZLM3013254) Labels (Linerless)ZIPZLM301325480 × mm Thermal Paper 112.7 mm231,00 Kč+VATOut of stock View
    Labels, Zebra, Thermal Paper, Z-Perform 1000D, W: 76.2 mm, H: 50.8 mm, D: 39.88 mm, C: 19 mm (3013759) Zebra Z-Perform 1000D301375976.2 × 50.8 mm Thermal Paper 9619 mm91,00 Kč+VATIn stock
    Labels, Zebra, Thermal Paper, ZeroLiner 2000D, W: 58 mm, H: 100000 mm, D: 40 mm, C: 12.7 mm (ZIPZLM3013255) Zebra ZeroLiner 2000DZIPZLM301325558 × 100000 mm Thermal Paper 112.7 mm197,00 Kč+VATOut of stock View
    Labels, Zebra, Thermal Paper, Z-Perform 1000D, W: 54.5 mm, H: 38.1 mm, D: 39.88 mm, C: 19 mm (3013758) Zebra Z-Perform 1000D301375854.5 × 38.1 mm Thermal Paper —19 mm84,00 Kč+VATIn stock

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    Still stuck?

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    Zebra ZQ320 Plus Mobile Receipt & Label Printer (ZQ32-A0E04TE-00)9.697,00 Kč+VAT View product