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Why does my printer say “head open” when it is closed?
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In brief. Printers report an open printhead or cover under different names: Head Open on Zebra, Printhead Lifted on Honeywell, 1007 Cover Open or Head Open on Sato, or with a red light. All the guides first cite a printhead, mechanism or cover that is not fully latched. If the message is still displayed once the printhead is properly closed, Zebra and Sato blame the head-open sensor or switch, which Sato has you dust on some models. Open and close again until it clicks; if nothing changes, have the sensor checked by a technician.
Examples:
See all 72 printers
Godex
Honeywell
- Honeywell 4 MP Compact
- Honeywell MP Compact and Nova Series
- Honeywell PC23d
- Honeywell PC42d and PC42t Series
- Honeywell PC43d and PC43t Series
- Honeywell PD43
- Honeywell PD45S
- Honeywell PF4i
- Honeywell PM23c
- Honeywell PM43 Series
- Honeywell PM45 and PM45C Series
- Honeywell PX45 and PX65 Series
- Honeywell PX6i
- Honeywell PX940
- Honeywell RP Series
Sato
Zebra
- Zebra G-Series GK420d, GK420t, GX420d, GX420t and GX430t
- Zebra G-Series GK420d, GK420t, GX420d, GX420t and GX430t
- Zebra QLn420
- Zebra S4M
- Zebra ZC100 and ZC300
- Zebra ZD410
- Zebra ZD411
- Zebra ZD420t and ZD420d
- Zebra ZD421
- Zebra ZD500R RFID
- Zebra ZD510-HC
- Zebra ZD611
- Zebra ZD620t and ZD620d Series
- Zebra ZD621
- Zebra ZQ310 and ZQ310 Plus Series
- Zebra ZQ320 and ZQ320 Plus Series
- Zebra ZQ510 and ZQ520 Series
- Zebra ZQ511 and ZQ521 Series
- Zebra ZQ610 Plus
- Zebra ZQ620 and ZQ620 Plus Series
- Zebra ZQ630 Plus and ZQ630 Plus RFID
- Zebra ZT230
- Zebra ZT231
- Zebra ZT400 Series
- Zebra ZT411
- Zebra ZT420
- Zebra ZT421 and ZT421 RFID
- Zebra ZT510
- Zebra ZT600 Series
- Zebra ZXP Series 7
Why does a printer say “head open” when the head is closed? The causes cited by manufacturers
These causes are taken from the manufacturers' guides and ranked from most to least often cited; each example names the model concerned, whose entry in the model-by-model table below gives the exact procedure.
- Printhead, mechanism or cover not fully latchedAll the guides cite this cause. On the Zebra ZD410, ZD421 and ZD620, press on both front corners of the cover until the latches click; on ZT models, lower the lever until it locks the printhead. On the Toshiba B-EX4T1, the printhead is locked only with the lever in the LABEL or TAG position; on the Honeywell PD45S, the front arm must also be lowered (
Front Arm Lifted). - Head-open sensor or switch dirty or faultyWhen the message stays on with the printhead latched, Zebra blames the head-open sensor (ZT410, ZT231, ZT610) or the head-open switch (ZD421, ZD620, ZQ630), and Sato the head or cover open sensor (CL4NX, PW208NX, PW4NX). On the FX3-LX and CT4-LX, Sato first has you dust this sensor with a can of compressed air.
- Media or ribbon preventing closingBefore closing, Honeywell has you check that the media and ribbon pass correctly through the mechanism (PM43, PD43, PM45), and Zebra that the roll is properly in place on the QLn420, ZQ320 Plus and ZQ620 Plus mobile printers. Sato (PW208NX), Honeywell (PC42t) and GoDEX (ZX400) specify that the media, a label or a ribbon wrinkle must not prevent closing.
- Print or feed started with the printhead openToshiba distinguishes
HEAD OPEN, printhead assembly open while online, fromHEAD OPEN ****, feed or print attempted with the printhead open: once the printhead is locked, press RESTART (B-852, B-EX4T1, B-EX6). Sato makes the same distinction betweenHEAD OPENandHEAD OPEN ERRORon the WS2 and WS4. On the Zebra ZD410, ZD420 and ZD621, the alert appears when a print job arrives or when FEED is pressed with the cover not properly closed. - The light indicates another faultThe same signal sometimes covers several states: flashing red on the Zebra GK420 also indicates media out or, on the GK420t, ribbon out; a red STATUS light and a yellow PAUSE light also indicate a cutter error on the ZT410, ZT420 and ZT510; the solid red LED on the Brother TJ-4420TN, a cutter error.
What to check, in order
- Open, then close again until it clicksOpen the printhead or cover fully, then close it until it locks: press on both front corners of the cover on the Zebra ZD410, ZD620 and ZQ630, lower the lever on ZT models, turn the printhead lever until it closes on Honeywell printers (PM43, PM23c), close the mechanism with both hands on the Brother TD-4.
- Check the media and ribbon pathBefore closing, check that the roll is in place and that neither a label, the ribbon nor a ribbon wrinkle prevents closing.
- Clear the messageDepending on the model: RESTART on Toshiba printers, PAUSE on the Zebra ZT411 and ZT421, FEED on the Zebra GK420 or the GoDEX MX20, Print on the Honeywell PC42t. The STATUS light should then return to solid green, for example on the ZD410, ZD620, ZT231 and ZT610.
- Read all the lightsA shared signal can indicate another fault: media out if SUPPLIES is also red on the ZD420, a cutter error on the ZT410 and ZT510, a cutter error on the TJ-4420TN.
- Clean the sensor when the guide calls for itSato has you dust the cover open sensor with a can of compressed air on the FX3-LX and CT4-LX. On the Honeywell PC42t, if
Printhead Liftedappears with the mechanism closed, check that the round white pad is present on the right-hand side of the print and ribbon mechanism. - Have the sensor checked by a technicianIf the message persists with the printhead latched, Zebra has a technician replace the sensor or repair the head-open switch, and Sato refers you to its technical support. Toshiba says not to attempt to repair the printer: switch it off, unplug it and contact an authorised technician.
Caution: According to Zebra (ZT410, ZT421, ZT510), the printhead can be hot enough to cause severe burns: let it cool before opening the printhead or touching it. Keep your fingers clear when closing the cover or the printhead assembly (Toshiba, Sato), and out of the print mechanism while it is powered (Honeywell).
What the documentation recommends, model by model
For 54 models, the manufacturer's documentation describes this symptom. Each row links to the detailed entry in the guide, with the full procedure and its sources.
| Model | Guide entry | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Zebra ZT230 | Why does my Zebra ZT230 show “HEAD OPEN” when the printhead is closed? | The printhead is not fully closed, or the head open sensor is no longer working properly. Close the printhead fully; if the message persists while the printhead is closed, the Zebra guide says to call a technician to replace the sensor. |
| Honeywell PM43 | Why does the Printhead Lifted icon on my Honeywell PM43 stay red? | According to the Honeywell manual, a red Printhead Lifted icon means that the printhead is raised. Turn the printhead lever clockwise to lower it: the printer then performs the action set for when the printhead is closed (Head Down Action), by default smart calibration. |
| Honeywell PF4i | Why does my Honeywell PF4i display “Print Head UP” or refuse to print, with the printhead raised? | The printhead is raised. Lower it by turning the printhead lever anticlockwise, close the printer, then press Feed as the message instructs. In Fingerprint, if the printer refuses to print, the i key displays the cause. |
| Zebra ZT410 | Why does my Zebra ZT410 show “Head Open” when the printhead is closed? | According to Zebra, either the printhead is not completely closed, or the head-open sensor is malfunctioning. Close the printhead until it locks; if the alert stays on the display, the guide provides for the sensor to be replaced by a technician. |
| Toshiba B-852 | Why does my Toshiba B-852 show “HEAD OPEN” and refuse to print? | The printhead block is open: either it was opened in online mode, or a feed or print was started with the printhead open. Lower the printhead block, pressing at the points indicated to lock it, then press RESTART. |
| Zebra ZT421 | Why does my Zebra ZT421 show “Head Open” when the printhead is closed? | According to Zebra, the printhead is not fully closed, or the head open sensor is not working. Raise and then lower the printhead release lever until the printhead is latched; if the message is still displayed with the printhead latched, the Zebra guide asks you to have the sensor replaced by a technician. |
| Zebra ZT420 | Why does my Zebra ZT420 show “Head Open” when the printhead is closed? | According to Zebra, either the printhead is not completely closed, or the head-open sensor is malfunctioning. Close the printhead until it locks; if the alert stays on the display, the guide provides for the sensor to be replaced by a technician. |
| Zebra ZT411 | Why does my Zebra ZT411 show “Head Open” when the printhead is closed? | According to Zebra, the printhead is not fully closed, or the head open sensor is not working. Raise and then lower the printhead release lever until the printhead is latched; if the message is still displayed with the printhead latched, the Zebra guide asks you to have the sensor replaced by a technician. |
| Honeywell PX6i | Why does my Honeywell PX6i show “Head lifted” (error 1022) or “Printhead Up”? | The printhead is raised. Lower it by turning the printhead lift lever clockwise; on the PX6i, then raise the locking handle, and close the front door and the media cover. |
| Toshiba B-EX4T1 | Why does my Toshiba B-EX4T1 show “HEAD OPEN” when the printhead seems to be closed? | The printhead block was opened in online mode, or a feed or print was started with the printhead open. Lower the printhead block, turn the head lever to the LABEL or TAG position to lock it, then press RESTART if a print was in progress. |
| Zebra GK420 | Why is the light on my Zebra GK420 flashing red when labels seem to be loaded? | According to Zebra, flashing red indicates that the media has run out or the printhead is open, in other words that the cover is not properly closed; on the GK420t, it also covers the end of the ribbon. Reload the roll or close the cover until it clicks, then press FEED to resume. |
| Zebra ZD421 | Why does my Zebra ZD421 report “Printhead Open” when the cover is closed? | According to Zebra, the cover, which carries the printhead, is not fully closed, or the head-open switch needs servicing. Press both front corners of the cover until the latches click; if the alert persists, call in a technician. |
| Sato FX3-LX | Why does my Sato FX3-LX show “Error 1007 (Cover Open)” when the cover is closed? | The top cover is not fully closed, or the sensor that detects it opening is not working. Close the cover until it clicks; if the error is still displayed, Sato says to clean this sensor with a can of compressed air. |
| Zebra QLn420 | Why does my Zebra QLn420 show “MEDIA COVER OPEN” when the cover appears to be closed? | The printer detects that the media cover is open or not properly latched. Open the cover fully with its button, then close it firmly until it latches: according to Zebra, the alert clears as soon as the cause is corrected. |
| Godex MX20 | Why does the ERROR light on my Godex MX20 indicate “Door open” when the cover appears to be closed? | The printer considers that its cover is open. Open the top cover again, check that the paper is properly engaged, then close it fully; the GoDEX troubleshooting table asks you to check that the print mechanism is properly closed. |
| Zebra ZQ630 | Why is my Zebra ZQ630 showing “HEAD OPEN” or “MEDIA COVER OPEN” when the cover is closed? | The printer detects that the printhead or the media cover is not fully closed. Close the cover by pressing on its two upper front corners until it clicks; if the alert persists with the cover latched, contact Zebra support. |
| Zebra ZQ610 Plus | Why is my Zebra ZQ610 Plus showing “HEAD OPEN” when the cover is closed? | The printer detects that the printhead or the media cover is not fully closed. Close the cover by pressing on its two upper front corners until it clicks; if the alert persists with the cover latched, contact Zebra support. |
| Sato PW208NX | Why does my Sato PW208NX show “Error 1007 (Cover Open)” when the cover is closed? | The cover is not locked, or the sensor that detects it opening is faulty. Open the cover and close it again until it clicks; if the error persists with the cover closed, Sato refers you to its technical support. |
| Zebra ZD410 | Why does my Zebra ZD410 report “Printhead Open” (red STATUS light) when the cover seems to be closed? | The cover, which carries the printhead, is not fully latched. Press both front corners of the cover until you hear and feel the latches engage; if the alert persists, Zebra states that the head-open switch must be checked by a technician. |
| Zebra ZD411 | Why does my Zebra ZD411 report “head open” (Printhead/Cover Open) when the cover is closed? | The cover is probably not fully latched. Close it by pressing both front corners of the cover until the latches click; if the alert persists with the cover properly closed, Zebra refers you to a technician for the head-open switch. |
| Zebra ZD420 | Why does the STATUS light on my Zebra ZD420 stay red when the cover is closed? | A solid red STATUS light indicates, among other things, a cover or head that is not properly closed (Zebra alert “Printhead Open”). Lower the cover and press its two front corners until the latches click; if the light stays red with the cover latched, Zebra blames the head-open switch and refers you to a technician. |
| Zebra ZD500R | Why does my Zebra ZD500R report an open printhead (red STATUS light) after the cover is closed? | The head-up sensor considers that the printhead is not closed. Close the printer by pressing on the cover until it clicks into place; on closing, the printer carries out the action selected in Head-Close Action (feed, calibration…). |
| Zebra ZD510-HC | My Zebra ZD510-HC reports “Upper Cover Open” or a media path error: what should I do? | The top cover has been opened. Close it by pressing down on it, then press PAUSE/FEED so that the printer resets the installed cartridge. |
| Zebra ZD611 | Why does my Zebra ZD611 show “Printhead/Cover Open” when I have closed the cover? | The ZD611 considers the printhead cover to be open when it receives a print command or a button press. Press firmly on both front corners of the cover until it latches; if the message comes back with the cover closed, the head-open switch must be checked by a technician. |
| Zebra ZD620 | Why does my Zebra ZD620 report “Printhead Open” when the cover is closed? | The cover is not fully latched, or the head-open switch needs repairing. Press on both front corners of the cover until the latches click into place; if the alert persists with the cover closed, Zebra asks you to call a technician. |
| Zebra ZD621 | Why does my Zebra ZD621 show “Printhead Open” when the cover is closed? | According to Zebra, the ZD621's cover, which carries the printhead, is not latched, or the head-open switch needs repair. Close the cover by pressing down on its two front corners until the latches click; if the alert is still displayed, call in a technician. |
| Zebra ZQ310 Plus | What does the error icon flashing every second mean on my Zebra ZQ310 Plus? | The printer detects that the paper cover is not latched. Close it firmly until it clicks: the paper then comes out a few millimetres and the icon goes off. |
| Zebra ZQ320 Plus | Why does the error light on my Zebra ZQ320 Plus flash once per second? | This pattern indicates that the paper compartment cover is open or not properly latched. Close it firmly until it clicks; the paper should then feed out on its own. |
| Zebra ZQ620 Plus | Why does my Zebra ZQ620 Plus show “HEAD OPEN” when the cover is closed? | The printer detects that the printhead or the media cover is not fully closed. Press the front corners of the cover until the latches click; if the alert persists, the head-open switch must be serviced by Zebra support. |
| Zebra ZT231 | My Zebra ZT231 shows “HEAD OPEN” with the printhead closed: how do I clear the alert? | The ZT231 guide gives two explanations: the printhead is not fully closed, or its head-open sensor is malfunctioning. Close the printhead completely; if the alert stays on the display, the sensor must be replaced by a technician. |
| Zebra ZT510 | Why does my Zebra ZT510 report the printhead as open when it is closed? | According to Zebra, either the printhead is not completely closed, or the head-open sensor is malfunctioning. Close the printhead until it locks; if the alert stays on the display, the guide provides for the sensor to be replaced by a technician. |
| Zebra ZT610 and ZT620 | Why does my Zebra ZT610 or ZT620 show “Head Open” when the printhead is closed? | The printhead is not completely closed, or the head-open sensor is not working properly. Close the printhead completely; if the message persists, Zebra asks you to have the sensor replaced by a technician. |
| Honeywell PC23d | What should I do if my Honeywell PC23d reports an open print mechanism? | This icon lights up when the print mechanism is open or not latched correctly. Lift the cover, check that the roll and paper are properly in place, then close it firmly until it clicks. |
| Honeywell PC42 | Why does my Honeywell PC42t report “Printhead Lifted” when the printhead is closed? | The printer considers that the print mechanism is lifted. Lower it until both tabs click; if the error persists with the mechanism closed, Honeywell asks you to check that the round white pad is present on the right-hand side of the print and ribbon mechanism. |
| Honeywell PC43 | Why does my Honeywell PC43 indicate that the print mechanism is open? | According to the Honeywell manual, this icon lights up when the print mechanism is open or not properly latched. Open the cover again, check that nothing is preventing it from closing, then close it until you hear it click. |
| Honeywell PD43 | Why does my Honeywell PD43 indicate that the print mechanism is open when I have closed it? | According to Honeywell, this icon lights up when the print mechanism is open or not properly latched. Press the mechanism down until it latches, then close the compartment door and the top of the printer. |
| Honeywell PD45S | Why does my Honeywell PD45S display “Printhead Lifted” or “Front Arm Lifted”? | The printhead or the front arm is lifted. According to the Honeywell guide, you just need to lower the printhead (“Printhead Lifted”) or the front arm (“Front Arm Lifted”) to resume printing. |
| Honeywell PM23c | Why does the Printhead Lifted icon on my Honeywell PM23c stay red? | According to Honeywell, this red icon means that the printhead is lifted. Turn the printhead lever clockwise to lower it: the printer then performs the action set for when the printhead is closed (Head Down Action). |
| Honeywell PM45 and PM45c | Why does the Printhead Lifted icon on my Honeywell PM45 stay red? | The printhead is lifted. Lower it with its lever: according to Honeywell, the icon goes out when the printhead is lowered. |
| Honeywell RP2 and RP4 | What do the “Error-Out of media” and “Error-Printhead lifted” alerts mean on my Honeywell RP4? | These are system alerts listed in the default settings of the Honeywell guide. Only “Out of Media” and “Printhead Lifted” are enabled by default; the other alerts remain disabled until you enable them. |
| Toshiba B-EX6 | Why does my Toshiba B-EX6 show “HEAD OPEN” when the printhead is closed? | The printhead block was opened in online mode, or a feed or print was started with the head open. Lower the printhead block, turn the head lever to the locked position, then press RESTART if a print job was in progress. |
| Sato CL4NX | Why does my Sato CL4NX show “Head Open” (error 1007) when the head is closed? | The Sato manuals give two causes: the head is not locked, or the sensor that monitors its opening is faulty. Raise the head, then lower it until the lever locks; if the error is still displayed, call in Sato technical support. |
| Sato CL6NX Plus | Why does my Sato CL6NX Plus show “Error 1007 Head Open” when the head is closed? | The printhead is not locked, or the sensor that detects its opening is faulty. Unlock the head, then press down on it until the lock lever engages; if the message is still displayed, the Sato manual refers you to technical support. |
| Sato CT4-LX | Why does my Sato CT4-LX show “1007 Cover Open” when the cover is closed? | The top cover is not locked, or the sensor that monitors its opening does not detect it. Close the cover until it clicks; if the message is still displayed, the Sato manual advises dusting this sensor with an air duster. |
| Sato PW4NX | Why does my Sato PW4NX show “Error 1007 (Cover Open)” when the cover is closed? | The top cover is not locked, or the sensor that detects it opening is faulty. Close the cover until it clicks; if the error persists with the cover closed, Sato refers you to its technical support. |
| Sato WS2 | Why does my Sato WS2 show two solid red lights? | The print module, in other words the printhead cover, was opened during printing. Close the top cover by pressing on both sides, then restart the job. |
| Sato WS4 | Why do both lights on my Sato WS4 turn solid red? | Two solid red lights indicate that the cover (printhead) was opened during printing. Close the print module, checking that it is properly locked; a green and orange combination at power-on likewise indicates a module left open. |
| Godex EZ6250i and EZ6350i | Why does my Godex EZ6250i show “Print Head Error” and give two series of 4 beeps? | The print mechanism is not properly closed. Open it, then close it again until it is firmly locked. |
| Godex G500 | Why does my Godex G500 give 2 series of 4 beeps with the STATUS light red? | The print mechanism (the printhead) is not properly closed. The GoDEX manual asks you to open it again, then close it until it clicks into place. |
| Godex ZX400 | Why does my Godex ZX420i show “Print head is open” with 4 beeps repeated twice? | The print mechanism is not fully closed. Return the printhead release lever to its original position, then close the cover. |
| Brother RJ-4250WB | Why does my Brother RJ-4250WB show “Erreur capot ouvert” (cover open error)? | According to Brother, the roll compartment cover is open. Check that the roll is correctly in place, then close the cover until it locks. |
| Brother TD-2 | Why is the STATUS light on my Brother TD-2 solid orange? | The top cover of the roll compartment is open. Close it: this is the only action Brother specifies for this state. |
| Brother TD-4 | Why is the light on my Brother TD-4420TN red, with the “Head Open” status in BPM? | The printhead mechanism is not closed and latched. Open the roll compartment cover, open the printhead with its release button, then close it with both hands until it latches. |
| Brother TJ-4420TN | Why does the light on my Brother TJ-4420TN stay solid red (head open)? | According to Brother, a solid red LED indicates an open printhead or a cutter error. Close the printhead by pressing on both sides until it locks, then close the roll compartment cover properly. |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the “Head Open” message stay on when the printhead is closed?
Most often, the printhead or cover is not fully latched: open it and close it again until it clicks, checking that neither the media nor the ribbon is in the way. If the message persists with the printhead latched, Zebra and Sato blame the head-open sensor or switch. Checking it is then a job for a technician or the manufacturer's support.
What does error 1007 mean on a Sato printer?
Depending on the model, it indicates an open printhead (Head Open on the CL4NX and CL6NX Plus) or an open cover (Cover Open on the FX3-LX, CT4-LX, PW208NX and PW4NX). Sato cites two causes: printhead or cover not latched, or a faulty open sensor. Close it until it clicks; if the error persists, clean the sensor with a can of compressed air on the FX3-LX and CT4-LX, then contact Sato technical support.
Do I need to turn the printer off to clear “HEAD OPEN”?
Not first. On Toshiba printers, lock the printhead and press RESTART; switching off and on again only comes in if the message does not clear, and it erases the print data in memory. On Honeywell printers (PM43, PM23c, PM45), switching the printer on with the printhead raised and then pressing Print restores the default settings.
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