Zebra ZT111

Zebra ZT111 is a semi-industrial thermal or thermal transfer label printer with a 104 mm print width. It is built for companies that have outgrown a desktop printer: those printing labels in series and across several shifts in warehousing, logistics and production. It has a metal frame but a plastic housing, which is the trade-off in this class. In return, it takes large label rolls and long ribbons.

Key features

• Printing up to 254 mm/s at 203 dpi, up to 152 mm/s at 300 dpi: a batch of shipping or product labels prints without waiting at the printer.
• Label rolls up to 203 mm in diameter on a 76 mm core, ribbons up to 450 m: labels and ribbon are changed far less often than in desktop printers, and long runs print without interruption.
• Metal frame, plastic housing and a bi-fold cover with a large window: the structure is stable, although the housing is plastic, which is worth knowing for harsh conditions. The bi-fold cover needs less clearance above the printer, and the window shows how many labels are left on the roll.
• Side loading with color-coded touch points and adjustable media sensors: the roll and ribbon are loaded without training. The printer handles continuous, die-cut, notched and black-mark labels from 19.4 to 114 mm wide.
• Simple operation and maintenance: 3 buttons and 5 status LEDs, platen roller and printhead replaced without tools. Built-in analytics and a printhead element sensor let you plan maintenance in advance.
• USB, RS-232, Ethernet, USB host and Bluetooth Low Energy as standard: the printer connects to the network without extra cards. The NFC Print Touch tag pairs it with a phone or tablet with a single tap.
• ZPL and EPL languages and emulation of other printer brands: the ZT111 can replace an older printer without changing label formats or writing new code on the system side.
• Secure Boot, Protected Mode and a decommissioning process: settings cannot be changed by accident, and before the printer is moved its configuration and files are wiped in a single process.

How to choose a variant

• Print technology. Direct thermal needs no ribbon and suits short-life labels such as shipping labels. Thermal transfer with a ribbon gives a durable print for product and warehouse labels that must last for months. The direct thermal version operates from 0°C, thermal transfer from 5°C.
• Resolution. 203 dpi is enough for logistics labels and prints fastest (up to 254 mm/s). Choose 300 dpi for small labels, fine text and dense 2D codes, at the cost of speed (up to 152 mm/s). EPL is available only on 203 dpi models.
• Connectivity. The standard ports are enough on a wired network. An 802.11ac Wi-Fi card or a second Ethernet card are options that can also be added later, without replacing the printer.
• Media handling. Tear-off is standard. The peeler presents the label separated from the liner, ready for manual application, and the guillotine cutter cuts continuous media and labels to length.
• Standalone printing. The ZKDU keyboard display unit lets you print stored label formats without a computer.