TSC DA210 and DA220 setup guide: from unboxing to first label

This guide takes a new TSC DA210 or DA220 from the box to the first printed label. Both are 4-inch direct thermal printers: they print on heat-sensitive labels and never use a ribbon. Setup is the same for both, except for the network connections that only the DA220 offers.

Before you start

Check the box

The box contains the printer, a quick installation guide, a USB cable, a power cord and an external power adapter. Labels are not included. Keep the packaging in case you need to ship the printer.

Know the controls

The printer has one FEED button (TSC calls it the Feed/Pause button) and one LED that lights green, amber or red. The power switch, the power socket and the interfaces are at the back. You open the top cover with the release tabs (levers) on the left and right sides.

Check which interfaces your model has

• DA210: USB 2.0. Bluetooth is available only as a factory-fitted option.
• DA220: the standard board has USB 2.0, USB host, RS-232 serial and Ethernet. TSC also builds the DA220 with a USB and Ethernet board, and with factory-fitted Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Look at the back of your printer to see which ports it has. Options can't be added later, so the version you bought is the one you set up.

Load the labels

1. Pull the release tabs on both sides and open the top cover.
2. Pull the two media holders apart and place the roll between them. The printable side must face up as the labels come off the roll.
3. Pull the labels forward through the media sensor and lay the leading edge on the platen roller.
4. Close the top cover gently and press until both latches are firmly closed.

For a 38 mm core, lock the media holders in place with the media holder lock switch first, then fit the 1.5 in adapters on the left and right holders.

Video: TSC

TSC lists this video as its loading video for the DA Series. It was filmed on the earlier DA200.

Large rolls and fanfold labels

Media that does not fit inside the printer enters through the external label entrance chute at the back. This includes fanfold stacks and rolls on the optional external roll mount, which takes rolls up to 214 mm on a 76.2 mm (3 in) core. Lock the media holders with the media holder lock switch, feed the labels in from the back, printable side up, under the sensor and onto the platen roller, then close the cover.

Connect the cable and switch on

1. Place the printer on a flat, stable surface.
2. Make sure the power switch at the back is off.
3. Connect the USB cable to the printer and the PC.
4. Plug the power adapter into the power socket of the printer, then plug the power cord into the wall outlet.
5. Switch the printer on. The LED turns solid green when the printer is ready.

TSC asks you to switch the printer off before you plug the power adapter into it. Use only the supplied 24 V adapter; a wrong power supply can cause poor print quality.

Calibrate the media sensor

Calibration teaches the printer where each label starts. Do it now, and again whenever you change label type.

1. Switch the printer off.
2. Press and hold FEED, then switch the printer on. Keep holding.
3. The LED lights amber, then blinks red five times. Release FEED while it blinks red.
4. The printer feeds a few labels while it measures them. The LED turns solid green when it is ready.

You can also calibrate in TSC Console, or force the gap or black-mark sensor. See DA210/DA220 calibration for details.

Print a self-test

The self-test checks the printer before you install software. Switch the printer off, hold FEED, switch on, and release FEED while the LED blinks amber (the second group, after the red blinks). The printer prints its self-test and then enters dump mode, in which it prints the data it receives instead of labels. Switch the printer off and on to return to normal operation.

Once TSC Console is connected, you can also print a configuration page there: select the printer and open Functions › Printer Configuration › Configuration Page.

Install the Windows driver

TSC supplies a Windows driver made with Seagull Scientific. TSC's quick guide installs the driver after the cable is connected and the printer is switched on.

1. Download the Windows Driver from the Resources section of the DA Series product page. Check the supported Windows versions listed with the download.
2. Unzip the file and run the driver wizard.
3. Choose your model (DA210 or DA220) and the port it is connected to. For USB, select the USB port that the wizard finds.
4. Finish the wizard and print a Windows test page.

If the wizard doesn't find a USB printer, switch the printer off and on again. Windows may also have detected the printer already, so check your list of printers before you add it a second time.

Set the label size

Open the printer's Printing preferences › Page Setup, click New under Stock, enter a name, width and height that match your labels exactly, and click OK. Then select this stock. TSC lists a wrong label size as a cause of paper jams.

Connect by Ethernet, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

Network settings are made in TSC Console, TSC's free Windows tool for setup and diagnostics. Download it from the TSC Console page, unzip it and start it. Connect the printer by USB and add it under Printers › Add Printers › USB.

Ethernet (DA220)

1. Double-click the printer in TSC Console to open its configuration, go to the Ethernet tab and choose DHCP or enter a fixed IP address, subnet mask and gateway. Click Set.
2. With DHCP, click Get to read the IP address the printer received.
3. Connect the network cable. In TSC Console choose Add Printer › Network, enter the IP address and click Discover.
4. In the Windows driver installer, choose a network (TCP/IP) port with the same IP address.

Wi-Fi (DA220 with Wi-Fi option)

In the printer configuration, click Get, open the Wi-Fi tab, enter the SSID, select WPA-Personal encryption, enter the key, switch DHCP on and click Set. The IP address should appear in TSC Console within about 5 to 15 seconds. If it doesn't, use Functions › Wi-Fi Default and set it up again. Then remove the USB cable and add the printer by its IP address.

Bluetooth (factory option)

Pair the printer in Windows (Control Panel › Hardware and Sound › Devices and Printers › Add Device). Windows assigns a COM port, which you can see in Device Manager. Select that COM port in TSC Console and in the driver.

Details are in the TSC Console user manual.

Print 100 × 150 mm shipping labels

Both models print up to 108 mm wide and take labels up to 114 mm wide, so 100 × 150 mm courier labels fit.

• Create a stock of 100 mm width and 150 mm height in the driver and select it.
• Calibrate after loading the shipping labels.
• In your PDF viewer, print at actual size (100 %) rather than fit to page, and choose portrait or landscape to match the label.
• Shipping label rolls often come on 76 mm (3 in) cores. These don't fit inside the printer; use the optional external roll mount, or rolls on 25.4 mm or 38 mm cores of up to 127 mm diameter.

If something goes wrong, see DA210/DA220 troubleshooting or all DA220 guides.