Zebra ZT420 RFID Printer

The Zebra ZT400 Series is a line of industrial thermal printers built on a metal frame with a bi-fold metal media cover, side-loading supplies path and a 4.3-inch full-color touch display. The series comprises two models — the 4-inch ZT411 and the 6-inch ZT421 — each available in 203 dpi, 300 dpi and, on the ZT411 only, 600 dpi resolutions. Both support thermal transfer and direct thermal printing.

The ZT400 Series is used for work-in-process, product ID and serial numbers, and package labeling in manufacturing; order picking, shipping and receiving, cross-docking and compliance labeling in transportation and logistics; distribution center and back-of-store operations in retail; and laboratory, blood bank, asset tracking and pharmacy labeling in healthcare.

Print width and speed are the main differences. The Zebra ZT411 prints up to 4.09 in. (104 mm) wide at up to 14 ips (356 mm/sec), while the ZT421 prints up to 6.6 in. (168 mm) wide at up to 12 ips (305 mm/sec). The 600 dpi resolution option is available on the ZT411 only, as are the 1 in. I.D. core media supply hanger and ink-side-in ribbon supply options.

The ZT421 accepts wider media — 2.00 in. (51 mm) to 7.0 in. (178 mm) in tear/cutter mode versus 1.00 in. (25.4 mm) to 4.5 in. (114 mm) on the ZT411 — and is correspondingly larger at 13.25 in. wide and 40 lbs. (18.14 kg), against 10.6 in. and 36 lbs. (16.33 kg). Choose the ZT421 for wide pallet and shipping labels, and the ZT411 for standard 4-inch work, higher speed, or when 600 dpi is required.

Yes. The Zebra ZT400 Series integrated RFID system is user-upgradable in the field and available on both the 4-inch ZT411 and 6-inch ZT421, so a printer bought for barcode work can be converted when tracking requirements change. It supports tags compatible with UHF EPC Gen 2 V2, ISO/IEC 18000-63 and RAIN RFID protocols, and Adaptive Encoding Technology automatically selects the optimum encode settings.

The ZT411 RFID On-metal Tagging Solution is a separate, field-installable kit — Zebra describes it as the only dedicated option for printing and encoding the thicker RFID labels used on metal containers and assets, which defeat standard RFID media. Note that the on-metal kit is available on the ZT411 only, and not on the 600 dpi model.

The Zebra ZT400 Series comes standard with 10/100 Ethernet, RS-232 Serial, USB 2.0 high-speed, dual USB Host ports and Bluetooth 4.1. Two open communication slots accept internal cards for dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth, bi-directional parallel, additional 10/100 Ethernet or an applicator interface.

The dual USB Host ports let you connect a scanner and keyboard simultaneously, or use a memory stick to replicate firmware, files and configurations across printers without unplugging peripherals. The Network Connect option attaches ZT400 printers directly to an Industrial Ethernet network with no additional equipment, and the Print Touch app pairs the printer to NFC-enabled devices with a tap, surfacing dynamic QR codes for support content.

In most cases, yes. The Zebra ZT400 Series supports both ZPL and ZPL II, so label formats and applications built for other Zebra printers transfer directly. It also supports EPL and EPL2 with Line Mode for legacy application compatibility, which eases migration from older Zebra desktop printers — note that EPL is available on 203 dpi models only.

For non-Zebra fleets, the Virtual Devices app lets the ZT400 interpret printer languages normally associated with other brands, so existing formats from a competitive printer can often be used without reauthoring. This makes the ZT400 a practical drop-in replacement across mixed printer estates.

Zebra ZT400 Series printers run Link-OS and are supported by Print DNA, Zebra's suite of productivity, management, development and visibility tools. Printer Profile Manager Enterprise, a Print DNA option, is a browser-based console that discovers every Link-OS printer on the network and manages one printer, a defined group or an entire global estate without manually tracking down or configuring individual units.

Print DNA MDM Connectors integrate networked ZT400 printers into an existing AirWatch or SOTI MobiControl deployment, giving a single pane of glass across Zebra devices and printers. Zebra also provides complimentary deployment utilities for initial setup, and visibility tools reporting printer health, usage and performance. Print DNA features vary by model and may require a support contract.