Zebra ZD420 / ZD620 / ZD421 / ZD621 ribbon — size, core and grade

About the ZD420

Read the letter after the number before you order. The ZD420t and ZD620t take loose ribbon rolls. The ZD420c takes a Zebra ribbon cartridge, which is a different format, and the ZD420d and ZD620d print on direct thermal labels and use no ribbon. Zebra's ZD421 sheet also lists a cartridge model beside its roll model. For the roll models Zebra gives two rolls: 74m on a ½-inch core, or 300m on a 1-inch core, and the ZD421t and ZD621t sheets repeat the same two. Ribbon width is 33.8mm to 109.2mm, so the printer's own limit sits a little under the 110mm size. The ZD620 prints up to 8 inches a second against 6 on the ZD420, and the ZD420 and ZD620 print 203dpi as standard with 300dpi as a field upgrade. Zebra's guide says the printer detects the silvery reflector on the end of a Zebra roll to report ribbon-out, and that it does not state which side of the ribbon is inked. Send the full model name, the roll length you run and the core size.

Zebra ZD420 / ZD620 / ZD421 / ZD621 specifications for ribbon

Source: Zebra documentation

Ribbon specification

These printers need ribbon with a reflective ribbon-out trailer and a core notched on both sides. Codewell supplies rolls with both — mention your printer model when you order.

110mm × 74m is the standard size for this model. Because we slit in-house you are not restricted to it: you can order a narrower width that is still a few millimetres wider than your label, so less ribbon overhangs and goes to waste.

Load the ribbon the right way round

Zebra's guide says to check that the ribbon and the empty take-up core both have notches on the left side, and that a 74m roll has notches on the right side too. Use an empty core with the same inside diameter as the roll, which avoids wrinkling. The guide warns against pairing 74m ribbon with older cores notched on one side only, and against cores with damaged notches, which can slip and cause wrinkles or poor end-of-ribbon sensing.

Which grade for a ZD420

The printer does not decide the grade — the label material and the conditions it has to survive do.

Unsure? The ribbon selector narrows it in two questions, or see the full size chart listing the printer models we have checked.

Loading ribbon in a Zebra printer

Core sizes: ½ inch and 1 inch. Winding: Zebra desktops (GK, GX, GC) take outside-wound ribbon only. For the ZD series, Zebra's guides do not state the ink side, so we confirm the winding against your roll before dispatch. The ZT230, ZT231 and 105SL Plus are outside only; the ZT410, ZT420, ZT610 and ZT620 take outside wound as standard, and inside wound only with Zebra's optional spindle. Specify your model when ordering for confirmed compatibility.