Zebra printer skipping labels

Symptoms

The printer skips a label, prints on the gap, or feeds a long strip before it prints. Shipping labels come out with the barcode cut in half.

Cause

Tracking does not match the stock. Gap mode on continuous paper hunts for a gap that is not there. Black-mark stock set to gap sensing stops in the wrong place. Label length that is longer than one real label makes the printer treat two labels as one.

Fix

Look at the roll. Die-cut shipping labels use gap. Black marks use mark. Receipt paper with no gap uses continuous.
In printer setup, pick 4×6 or your real size, set tracking, and calibrate.
Read media tracking if you want the command the tool sends.
If the picture is aligned but the tear is off, nudge tear-off by about 40 dots. Do not add extra label length to move the tear bar.

FAQ

Why does a Zebra skip every other label?

Label length is often longer than the real label, so the printer treats two labels as one. Set the length to one label and calibrate.

The printer feeds a long strip and then prints

Tracking is set to gap on continuous stock, or the other way around. Match tracking to the roll, then run calibration.