FAQ: Thermal Printheads

Be aware that pre printed labels may have been printed with inks that contain abrasive particles.  A main component in white ink is titanium dioxide, which is used as a grinding agent in some industries.

Also, labels printed with non-standard topcoats or varnishes will impact printhead performance in a number of ways.  Possibly requiring higher heat setting or leaving trace residue on the printhead.  Most manufactures will also produce custom preprinted labels.  This is the best option when buying preprinted labels, as you know that the materials used are compatible with your printers.

If you require replacement thermal printheads, thermal transfer ribbon or labels contact us for a competitive quote.

The rule of thumb is to clean the printhead every time you change the ribbon on the printer and with a direct thermal setup, every time you change a roll of labels.

Most printers have a release that allows the printhead to open. Once the head is open, the easiest way to clean it is with a recommended printhead wipe, just wipe the printhead clean. It is also wise to wipe the platen roller also. Reload all the label material and ribbon and away you go.

Do

• Take great care not to scratch the surface and to get the entire residue off with alcohol wipes
• Wipe down the platen roller
• Keep print head cleaner kits on hand to perform regular printhead maintenance and ensure optimum printer performance.

Don’t

• Use a sharp instrument to scrape either the head or the platen roller that the head rests on. It can destroy the roller or print head surface requiring it to be replaced.

There are some simple steps you can take to prolong the life of thermal label printer printhead.

• Clean the printhead regularly. Dirty printheads produce less than optimal output and residue from the printing process can cause uneven heating or dissipation of heat by the dots.
• Use the right type and good quality paper type and thermal transfer ribbon. Using the wrong type causes additional mechanical and thermal wear on the printhead.
• Use the lowest print speed setting that produces acceptable results.  This helps reduce mechanical wear on the printhead.
• Try to run prints at room temperature where possible.  Lower ambient temperatures require more energy to be sent to the dots to produce the print.  Excessive heating and cooling of the printhead dots will shorten the printhead’s life.
• Use the lowest contrast setting you can.  Higher contrast means more heat to the printhead.  Higher heat translates to a shorter life span.
• If your printer has a printhead pressure adjustment, use the lowest setting possible.  This will reduce the amount of friction the printhead sustains during printing.
• Make sure you are not printing off of the thermal transfer ribbon. Thermal printers are designed to use the transfer of heat from the printhead to the print TTR as the primary cooling method.  If the dots on the printhead are not printing on TTR, they are not cooling properly.

Heat, cooling and pressure are the main reasons thermal printheads fail. As thermal transfer ribbon (TTR) is fed past the printhead, small resistor elements, known as dots are heated by applying an electric current to them.  The heat from the dots is then transferred to either the direct thermal paper (media) or thermal transfer ribbon.  This dot pattern produces the text, barcode or image on the label.

Because the dots must be heated and cooled very rapidly, and there is friction as the ribbon or paper passes against the printhead, the printhead will eventually wear out.  As the printhead ages, the output will become lighter or sections of dots may stop heating and cause voids in the print.