Zebra ZT400 Series Industrial Printers

The Zebra ZT400 Series is a versatile industrial printer family designed for businesses that need durable construction, strong performance, flexible configuration and easy long-term management in demanding labelling environments. Positioned for manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail distribution, healthcare and other operational workflows, the ZT400 Series provides industrial reliability with a practical balance of performance, usability and expandability. The series includes two main models. The ZT411 is the 4-inch model, designed for standard industrial label widths, high-speed label output and applications that may require higher-resolution printing. The ZT421 is the 6-inch model, designed for wider labels and media where a broader print area is needed. Both models support thermal transfer and direct thermal printing and are built around Zebra Link-OS and Zebra DNA for Printers. The ZT400 Series is designed to support evolving business needs. It is available in 203 dpi and optional 300 dpi configurations, while 600 dpi is available on the ZT411 only. This gives businesses flexibility to choose between standard industrial labelling, higher-quality label output and very detailed small-label applications. The ZT411 reaches up to 14 ips, or 356 mm per second, while the ZT421 reaches up to 12 ips, or 305 mm per second. The ZT411 offers a maximum print width of 104 mm, while the ZT421 offers a maximum print width of 168 mm. The ZT411 supports maximum print lengths of 3988 mm at 203 dpi, 1854 mm at 300 dpi and 991 mm at 600 dpi. The ZT421 supports maximum print lengths of 2591 mm at 203 dpi and 1143 mm at 300 dpi. These specifications make the ZT400 Series suitable for a wide range of operational labels, shipping labels, compliance labels, product identification labels and warehouse labels. The printer construction is designed for demanding environments. Standard features include a metal frame, bi-fold metal media cover with enlarged viewing window and side-loading supplies path for easier media and ribbon loading. The bi-fold door helps the printer fit into tighter spaces, while the metal frame supports long-term durability in industrial use. The thin-film printhead with E3 Element Energy Equalizer supports consistent print quality. Ease of use is a major advantage of the ZT400 Series. The 4.3-inch full-colour touch display provides an intuitive icon-based interface for settings, languages, connectivity and printer status. Colour-coded alerts can be seen from a distance when the printer is paused or in an error state. The side-loading media path, colour-coded media guides and illuminated paths help operators load media and ribbon more easily, even in poorly lit environments. Connectivity is strong for industrial and enterprise deployments. Standard communications include high-speed USB 2.0, RS-232 serial, 10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth and dual USB Host. The dual USB Host ports allow users to connect peripherals such as keyboards, scanners or memory devices, supporting configuration transfer, data entry and standalone workflow flexibility. The ZT400 Series also offers two open communication slots for optional internal cards. Options include dual-band 802.11ax Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.3, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, parallel interface, 10/100 Ethernet and applicator interface. These options allow businesses to adapt the printer to wired, wireless, automation and legacy infrastructure requirements. Media handling is highly configurable. Options include full rewind, peel with liner rewind, passive peel, full-roll liner take-up, front-mount guillotine cutter with catch tray, 1-inch core media supply hanger for ZT411, and ink-side-in ribbon supply for ZT411. These options support different workflows, from simple tear-off operation to automated, high-volume and process-integrated labelling. The ZT400 Series supports a broad range of media. The ZT411 supports media widths from 25.4 mm to 114 mm in tear / cutter mode, and 25.4 mm to 108 mm in peel / rewind mode. The ZT421 supports media widths from 51 mm to 178 mm in tear / cutter mode, and 51 mm to 171 mm in peel / rewind mode. Maximum media roll size is 203 mm outside diameter on a 76 mm core. Supported media thickness ranges from 0.058 mm to 0.25 mm. Media types include continuous, die-cut, notch, black-mark and linerless media when used with the correct linerless model. Linerless capability is available on the ZT411 only. There are two linerless options: a factory-installed direct thermal linerless model and a field-installable linerless upgrade kit for existing ZT411 printers. Zebra’s ZeroLiner solution can increase the number of labels per roll, reduce backing liner waste and reduce downtime from roll changes. Linerless capability should not be applied to the ZT421 or to non-linerless ZT411 configurations. Ribbon support is industrial-grade. The standard ribbon length is 450 m. The ZT411 supports ribbon widths from 51 mm to 110 mm, while the ZT421 supports ribbon widths from 51 mm to 174 mm. The ribbon core is 25 mm. This makes the ZT400 Series suitable for durable thermal transfer labelling across different industrial media and ribbon combinations. RFID is available as an optional capability. The integrated RFID system supports tags compatible with UHF EPC Gen 2 V2.1, ISO/IEC 18000-63 and RAIN RFID protocols. RFID is available on both 4-inch and 6-inch models and is user-upgradable in the field. Adaptive Encoding Technology automatically selects optimum encode settings. A field-installable on-metal RFID kit is available for the ZT411 only and is not available on the 600 dpi model. The ZT411 also has a field-installable automation kit for use with automatic labelling systems. The kit includes an extended peel mechanism, captured media spindle and applicator interface card. This makes the ZT411 relevant for environments where a printer needs to be integrated into automated labelling workflows. Software and management are central strengths of the ZT400 Series. The printers are powered by Link-OS and supported by Zebra DNA for Printers. Zebra DNA provides productivity, management, development and visibility tools that support better performance, simplified remote management and easier integration. Printer Profile Manager Enterprise enables browser-based discovery, configuration and troubleshooting of Link-OS printers across a network. The ZT400 Series can integrate into device management systems using Zebra DNA MDM connectors, including AirWatch and SOTI MobiControl environments. Zebra Network Connect can also support direct connection to industrial Ethernet networks without additional equipment, helping improve security and reduce setup and troubleshooting effort in industrial automation environments. Programming language support includes ZPL and ZPL II. EPL and EPL2 are available on 203 dpi models only. Optional ZBI 2.0 allows printers to run standalone applications, connect to peripherals and support more advanced workflow logic. This helps the ZT400 Series fit into both traditional printer environments and more integrated operational systems. Barcode support includes common linear and 2D symbologies such as Code 39, Code 128, UPC, EAN, ISBT-128, PDF417, DataMatrix, MaxiCode, QR Code, MicroPDF, RSS-14 and Aztec. Font and graphics support includes resident ZPL II bitmap fonts, scalable ZPL fonts, international scalable and smooth bitmap fonts, Unicode support and downloadable graphics, fonts, templates and formats. The ZT411 measures 495 mm × 269 mm × 324 mm and weighs 16.33 kg. The ZT421 measures 495 mm × 336 mm × 324 mm and weighs 18.14 kg. Full rewind configurations are larger and heavier: the ZT411 with full rewind weighs 22.09 kg, while the ZT421 with full rewind weighs 25.08 kg. Exact dimensions should be checked for the selected configuration. Operating temperature depends on print method. Thermal transfer operation is specified from 5°C to 40°C, while direct thermal operation is specified from 0°C to 40°C. Storage and transportation temperature is -40°C to 60°C. Operating humidity is 20% to 85% non-condensing, while storage humidity is 5% to 85% non-condensing. Electrical input is auto-detectable 100–240 VAC, 50–60 Hz, and the printers are ENERGY STAR qualified. The ZT400 Series is suitable for manufacturing applications such as work-in-process, product identification, serial number labels, package labelling and receiving / put-away labelling. In transportation and logistics, it supports order picking, packing, shipping, receiving, cross-docking and compliance labelling. Retail applications include distribution centres and back-of-store operations. Healthcare applications include laboratory labelling, blood bank labelling, asset tracking and pharmacy labelling. Overall, the Zebra ZT400 Series is a strong industrial printer family for organisations that need reliable performance, industrial durability, flexible connectivity, RFID options, linerless options on the ZT411 and enterprise-grade management through Zebra DNA. The ZT411 is the best fit for 4-inch industrial labelling, high-speed output, 600 dpi requirements, linerless applications and selected automation or on-metal RFID workflows. The ZT421 is the better choice for wider 6-inch industrial labels and larger media requirements.

Datasheet

Product Features

• Connection: USB, Ethernet, Serial, Bluetooth
• Resolution: 203 dpi, 300 dpi, 600 dpi

Product Identifiers

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