Brother PT-1280 Electronic Labeling System User's Guide

FCC NOTICE

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
• Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Brother Industries, Ltd. could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

• Use only Brother TZ tapes with this machine. Do not use tapes that do not have the [TZ mark].
• Do not clean the machine with alcohol or other organic solvents. Only use a soft, dry cloth.
• Do not touch the print head mechanism. Use a soft wipe (e.g. a cotton swab) when cleaning the print head.
• To avoid injuries, do not touch the cutter's edge.
• To prevent damage or breakage of the glass, do not press hard on the LCD display.
• Do not put any foreign objects into or heavy objects on the machine.
• Do not leave any rubber or vinyl on the machine for an extended period of time, otherwise the machine may be stained.
• Do not get the machine wet, such as by touching with wet hands or spilling beverages on to the machine.
• Do not expose the machine to extremely high temperatures or high humidity. Never leave it on the dashboard, in the back of your car, near heaters or other hot appliances. Keep it out of both direct sunlight and rain.
• Avoid using the machine in extremely dusty places.
• Do not pull on the tape being fed from the P-touch labeler, otherwise the tape cassette may be damaged.
• Do not attempt to cut the tape while printing or feeding since this will damage the tape.
• Do not try to print labels using an empty tape cassette set in the P-touch labeler. Doing so will damage the print head.
• Remove the batteries and disconnect the AC adapter if you do not intend to use the machine for an extended period of time. (Note: When power is disconnected for more than three minutes, all text shown in the display and any text files stored in the memory will be lost. Language and unit settings will also be cleared.)
• Do not use old and new batteries together or mix alkaline batteries with other type batteries, or set the positive and negative end in the wrong position. Otherwise, the batteries may leak or be damaged.
• Use only the AC adapter designed exclusively for this machine to prevent any damage or failure.

Unpacking Your P-touch Labeler

Check that the package contains the followings before using your P-touch labeler.

Diagram Description: Shows the P-touch PT-1280 labeler, a TZ tape cassette, a User's Guide, an Accessories Guide, and a Warranty Card.

Included items may differ by distribution.

Power Supply & Tape Cassettes

Open the back cover by pressing in the rough area at the top end of the machine. If a tape cassette is already installed, remove it by pulling it straight up. Also, if batteries are already installed, remove them. Make sure that the power is turned off when replacing batteries or tape cassette.

Diagram Description: Illustrates opening the back cover, removing a tape cassette, and removing batteries. It shows the print head and tape cutter lever.

• Insert six new AAA-size alkaline batteries (LR03), making sure that their poles point in the correct directions. Always replace all six batteries at the same time using brand new ones.
• Insert a tape cassette, making sure that it snaps into place.

Diagram Description: Shows the process of inserting a tape cassette. It highlights the end of the tape, toothed wheel, cutter's edge, tape guide, and tape exit slot. It advises to ensure the tape feeds under the tape guides. If the ink ribbon is loose, use your finger to wind the toothed wheel in the direction of the arrow on the cassette. Only Brother TZ tapes should be used with this machine.

Securely close the back cover, making sure that it snaps into place. After you have installed the tape, feed the tape (see Feeding) once and then push in the tape cutter lever to cut the tape.

When using optional AC adapter (model AD-30/AD-24):

1. Insert the plug on the adapter cord into the adapter jack on the top end of the machine.
2. Insert the plug into the nearest standard electrical outlet.

For memory back up, we recommend using AAA-size alkaline batteries (LR03) together when using the AC adapter.

Keyboard & LCD

Diagram Description: Illustrates the P-touch PT-1280 keyboard layout, labeling keys such as [Power key], [Function key], [Favorite keys], [Character key], [Tab key], [Caps key], [Shift key], [Symbol key], [Auto Format key], [Print key], [Cursor key] (with instructions to use with [Shift key] for top/end of text), [Preview key], [OK key], [ESC key], [Backspace key], [Enter key], [Accent key], and [Space key]. It also shows the LCD display area.

The LCD shows one row of 15 characters; however, the text that you enter can be up to 80 characters in length.

Initial Setting

1. Start your machine. Supply power by using six AAA batteries or the optional AC adapter, and then press [Power key].
2. Set the language (English/Spanish/French/Portuguese). Choose a language with [Cursor key] and press [Confirm key].
3. Set the unit (inch/mm). Choose a unit with [Cursor key] and press [Confirm key].

• The machine automatically turns off if no key is pressed within 5 minutes.
• To cancel operations, press [Cancel key].
• To initialize the settings, turn off the machine and then while holding [Shift key] and [Power key], press [Power key] to turn the machine back on. Finally, release [Shift key] and [Power key].

Creating Labels

See the under side for steps of creating labels.

Troubleshooting

What to do when...

Problem: The display stays blank after you have turned on the machine.

Solution: Check that the batteries are correctly inserted. If the batteries are weak, replace them. Check that the AD-30/AD-24 adapter is correctly connected.

Problem: The machine does not print, or the printed characters are blurred.

Solution: Check that the tape cassette has been inserted correctly. If the tape cassette is empty, replace it.

Problem: The printed characters are not formed properly.

Solution: The batteries may be weak. Replace them.

Problem: The memory has cleared on its own.

Solution: The batteries may be weak. Replace them.

Problem: A blank horizontal line appears through the printed label.

Solution: There may be some dust on the print head. Remove the tape cassette and use a dry cotton swab to gently wipe the print head with an up-and-down motion. The print head can be cleaned more easily if the optional print head cleaning cassette (TZ-CL3) is used.

Problem: The machine has "locked up" (i.e., nothing happens when a key is pressed, even though the machine is on).

Solution: Turn off the machine, and then while holding [Shift key] and [Power key], press [Power key] to turn the machine back on. Finally, release [Shift key] and [Power key]. Note: The text and formats in the display and all text files stored in the memory are erased. Also, the language and unit settings will be cleared.

Specifications

Accessories

(Supplies may differ by distribution.)

If the cutter blade becomes blunt after repetitive use and the tape cannot be cut cleanly, replace with new cutter unit (stock no. TC-5) by obtaining from an authorized brother reseller.

Switching Upper Case/Lower Case

Upper case [ON indicator]

Lower case [OFF indicator]

Diagram Description: Shows example text "A B C D E" for upper case and "a b c d e_" for lower case.

Making Two Line Text

Move the cursor to where the second line starts and press [Enter key].

Use either 3/8" (9 mm) or 1/2" (12 mm) wide tape for two line text.

Diagram Description: Shows a split view labeled "Display" and "Label image", with text positioned on two lines.

Entering Symbols

Diagram Description: Presents tables of symbols categorized into groups 1 through 11. Each group lists corresponding symbols.

• To go to the next group, press [Cursor key].
• To cancel operations, press [Cancel key].

Entering Accented Characters

Diagram Description: Shows two tables listing accented characters. The left table shows uppercase accented characters (A, C, D, E, G, I, K, L, N, O, R, S, T, U, Y, Z), and the right table shows lowercase accented characters (a, c, d, e, g, i, k, l, n, o, r, s, t, u, y, z). It also shows a symbol for "accent" or "diacritic".

• To cancel operations, press [Cancel key].
• The order of accented characters differ by the selected LCD language.

To Clear

By pressing the [Backspace Key], the letters will be deleted one by one.

All text and settings will be cleared.

Diagram Description: Shows the [Backspace Key] and a [Clear All] function indicator.

Setting [Size]

Diagram Description: Shows selection options for label size: [Large], [Medium], [Small], with indicators for confirmation and selection.

Automatically adjusts the text size according to the tape width.

Setting [Width]

Diagram Description: Shows options for text width: [Normal], [×2], [×1/2].

Setting [Style] (Vertical)

Diagram Description: Shows options for text style: [Normal], [Bold], [Outline], [Shadow], [Italic], [Italic Bold], [Italic Outl] (Italic Outline), [Italic Shadow], [Vertical].

Setting [Underline/Frame]

Diagram Description: Shows options for underline and frame styles: [Off], [Underline], [Callout], [Banner], [Round], [Wooden], [Candy].

Frames can not be printed on 9/64" (3.5mm) tape.

Setting [Tab]

You can make aligned texts by setting tabs.

Example: To set a tab between "ABC" and "D". The cursor should be positioned where you set a tab.

Diagram Description: Shows "Display" and "Label image" areas. The display shows "ABC" and "D" with a cursor between them. The label image shows "ABC" and "D" with a tab space.

You can also set a tab by using the [Tab Key] on the keyboard.

Setting [Tab Length] (Auto / 0.0" - 4.0")

You can also select the length by entering the length with Num keys.

To return to [Auto], press [Cancel key].

Setting [Label Length] (Auto / 1.2" - 12.0")

You can also select the length by entering the length with Num keys.

To return to [Auto], press [Cancel key].

Setting [Auto Format]

You can choose label length from six formats to create labels for various applications.

Diagram Description: Shows examples of applications and their corresponding label lengths: VHS Spine (5.5"), MiniDV Spine (1.6"), Audio Tape (3.5"), CD Case Spine (4.4"), File Tab (3.2"), Divider Tab (1.6").

Text Preview

You can preview the text before printing.

• The LCD shows the whole text and the label length (inch/mm), then returns to the original text.
• Only the text can be previewed, not the font, style, size, underline/frame or any additional features.

Feeding (Tape Feed)

Diagram Description: Shows the [Feed key] and [Confirm key].

Printing

To cut off the label, push in the tape cutter lever on the upper-right corner of the machine.

To prevent damage to the tape, do not try to cut while the message "Print" or "Feed" is displayed.

Setting [Margin] (Tape Margin)

Diagram Description: Shows options for margin settings: [Full], [Half], [Narrow].

[Full]/[Half]/[Narrow] is for leaving equal margins on both sides of the text.

NOTE: Cut along the printed dots (:) with scissors so the text is centered in the label.

Diagram Description: Shows examples of Full, Half, and Narrow margins with text "ABC" and measurements like "1"", "1/2"", "1/6"".

[Chain Print] is for printing more than 1 copy of a label with minimum margin <e.g. 1>. You can also create a label containing texts in various styles; print a text in one style, and before feeding, enter the second text in another style <e.g. 2>.

FEED THE TAPE BEFORE USING THE CUTTER (see Feeding/Printing). Otherwise A PART OF THE TEXT MAY BE CUT OFF. Do not try to pull the tape since this may damage the tape cassette.

Diagram Description: Shows examples of Chain Print with "ABC ABC ABC" and "ABC ABC DEF".

Using [Print Option]

Memory (Favorites)

You can save and print your favorite label in seconds at the touch of a button. There are three Favorite Keys ( [Favorite Key 1], [Favorite Key 2], [Favorite Key 3] ) to store your three favorite labels.

To Save: [Save key] then [Favorite Key]

To Print: [Favorite Key]

To Open: [Open key] then [Favorite Key]

When the saved text contains more than 8 characters, use [Cursor key] to scroll through the text.

Function Shortcuts

In addition to the basic steps to search for a function, PT-1280 provides you with function shortcuts so you can easily jump to a frequently used function just by pressing [Shift key] and the shortcut key shown in the table below. To confirm, press [OK key].