Installing Zebra printer
Follow these steps to install a Zebra direct thermal printer on your Windows or Mac computer. Popular models include the GK420d, ZD420d, and ZD421d.
You can also follow these steps if your printer used to work but has stopped printing.
It's important to follow these steps in the right order.
On this page
Installing on Windows
Don't connect the printer to your computer yet — don't plug in the USB cable.
To install the Zebra printer on your Windows computer, first download Zebra Setup Utilities. Install the application by clicking through all the steps with the default settings.
Installing Zebra printer
Now that Zebra Setup Utilities is installed, you can use it to install and configure the Zebra printer.
Open the Zebra Setup Utilities application. Choose USB and click 'Next'.
When you see this screen, connect the Zebra printer to your computer and turn it on.
Wait for Windows to recognize and install the printer automatically — you don't need to do anything yourself. Want to check that it worked? Type 'Printers' in the Windows search bar. Your printer now shows up in the list.
Now click 'Finish' in Zebra Setup Utilities.
This screen now shows the printer that Windows installed automatically. If you've installed multiple Zebra printers, you'll see all of them listed here. The printer is now successfully installed.
Configuring Zebra printer
These steps configure the Zebra printer's paper size and print quality for shipping providers. We assume you use A6 labels (4 x 6 inch), which is standard for most shipping providers.
In the Zebra Setup Utilities application, select the Zebra printer you want to configure.
Then click 'Configure Printer Settings'.
Set Units to inch
Set Width to 4.02
Set Height to 5.98
Click 'Next'.
Set Speed to 2.0
Set Darkness to 5
A speed of 2 can feel a bit slow, but it's important for print quality, so the shipping labels stay scannable for shipping providers.
Click 'Next'.
Set Print Mode to Direct. The other options are already correct by default, but to be safe, set Media Type to Web Sensing and both input fields to 0.
Click 'Finish'. Your printer is now configured.
Calibrating Zebra printer
It's often necessary to calibrate the printer after configuring it. This teaches the printer how the paper is loaded and where a label starts and ends.
If labels still print incorrectly after setting up the right paper size, calibrating the printer can often solve this.
In the Zebra Setup Utilities application, select the Zebra printer you want to calibrate.
Then click 'Open Printer Tools'.
Click the 'Action' tab.
Select 'Calibrate media'.
Click 'Send'.
The printer will now print 2 to 5 blank pages. After this, the printer is calibrated and you can close the tool.
Next, you can check and set up the printer.
Installing on Mac
To install the Zebra printer on your Mac, you don't need Zebra Setup Utilities — that application is Windows-only. macOS already includes the Zebra driver, so there's nothing extra to install.
Connect the Zebra printer, open the Apple menu, and go to Printers & Scanners.
Click 'Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax…'. Your Zebra printer appears in the list of detected devices. Select it.
At the bottom, next to 'Use', click 'Select Software'. Type Zebra in the search field and choose the driver that ends in ZPL, then click 'Add'. The printer is now installed.
Calibrating Zebra printer
On Mac, calibration isn't done through the computer, but directly on the printer itself using its buttons. The exact button combination differs per model — check the manual or support page for your Zebra model.
During calibration, the printer feeds a few blank labels through and stops neatly at the gap between two labels. The printer is then calibrated.
Check and set up
Your printer is now installed, configured, and ready to use. Download the Picqer test label and print it on your Zebra printer to check how it comes out.
If the label prints clearly and you can see all 4 corners, the printer is configured correctly.
Next, you can set up printers in Picqer.
