Citizen Setup

FIRST get the Citizen Driver for windows here:

http://www.seagullscientific.com/drivers/citizen-windows-printer-drivers.aspx

If the tag alignment is floating around the most common cure is to calibrate.

This is because Shopkeeper is guaranteed to request the same position for the text on each tag.

But, the printer looks for the tag mechanically.

It has a sensor/eye to see where the tags begin and end. It has to sense the difference in density between the backing paper alone and the backing paper with the tag.

But it has to learn this difference which is calibration.

This is a printer function totally outside of Shopkeeper.

Such tag printers often have a 'quick' calibration where you might press a button for a few seconds. But they also have a 'long' calibration here you specifically have to place backing paper under the sensor - take a measurement then take another measurement with the tag + backing paper - etc.

The printer manual has the instructions. Here are a few tips

If you're lucky the printer may 'auto-calibrate' otherwise it's a few steps.

After loading the tags and ribbon press the printer's FEED button a few times. If it's calibrated then it will feed exactly one tag for each press.

If not, then there are some steps in the printer's manual and below is a recap.

Only when the printer feeds exactly one tag for each press of the FEED button would you go on to the tag layout step.

You probably have a copy of the manual for the Citizen CLP 621 (or it's on the CD which came with the printer). If not we have a copy on our website.

http://goo.gl/RDvEJ

or you can search for a pdf manual which you'd want to do in any case if your printer model is a bit different.

Attached is a document we found for Citizen calibration (attached)

For the tag printer. If your tags are the rat-tail (string) tags with the two text areas separated by a perf and a tail shooting out, make sure that the tags are positioned such that when they exit the printer the text areas are on the left and the tail shoots out to the right (sometimes people receive rolls of tags with the wrong orientation which is awkward).

Also verify that the ribbon you received is a resin type. Sometimes non-jewelry-supply houses send wax-based ribbons which are not suitable for jewelry.

Note that your printer should most likely be in See-through (aka transmissive, aka transparent) mode. ..

It's a little fiddly but it's vital that this type of printer be calibrated in order to accurately "see" the tags. The steps are in the printer manual.

a) Set the printer to TRANSPARENT mode - page 39 in the manual.

b) Calibrate the printer for Transparent mode - page 40 in the manual.

c) [not likely to be important] check that the media thickness adjustment is not way off - e.g. somewhere between settings 1 and 3. Page 42

If the printer is correctly calibrated then when you press the Feed button the printer should feed exactly one tag per press.