Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Prolong your printheads life with some helpful steps



All barcode printers need print heads but all the print heads are not same. The print heads are said to be the hubs to send the ink from the cartridge and push it through the nozzles for applying intricately and precisely to the paper. And the most common replacement in the printer is the print head. This is also more costly. In this article, we are here to discuss why these print heads are worn out and what to do to slow down this process of wear and tear.  First off, let’s discuss what printheads are and how they work.

What is print head? How it works?
In a barcode printer, a print head is a device which works to make an image on the face of label or tag. This heats the small resistor element called as dots by utilizing the electric current. The heat from these resistor elements is transferred to either the direct thermal media or thermal transfer ribbon. This helps to produce text, image or barcode. The worst thing in print head it will wear out eventually. With the rapid heating and cooling of dots, it creates friction with the passing of media against the print head. Throughout the print head’s life, the dots may stop heating which make the output lighter and ultimately it affects printing quality.

How to prolong print heads life?
As a solution, here are some simple steps to follow for enhancing the life of your print heads:
1. Clean the print head properly and regularly as per the description and steps written on your user manual of printer. The dirty print head will diminish the printing quality and having the built up residue from the process of printing will cause rough heating of the dots.

2. Use the printing media type as per recommended in the printer’s user manual. This may cause mechanical and thermal wear and tear on the printhead by using the incorrect type of media.
3. Adjust your printer with the lowest print speed setting for the proper print quality which can be allowable. By doing that, it will reduce the mechanical wear on your print head.

4. Always set the printer as per your room temperature. If the room temperature is lower, it will utilize more energy to heat up the dots for making the prints. This excessive heating and cooling will become the main cause of shortening the lifespan of print head.

5. Adjust the contrast of printer with the lowest setting to allow for acceptable quality. It means, the higher the heat, the shorter will be the lifespan of your print head.

6. If the model of printer has an option of adjusting the head pressure, also use the lowest setting for acceptable result in quality printing. The lower the pressure, the less will be the friction on your print head. 

Which brand is better of print head?
When it comes to buy a print head for quality printing, Zebra printheads is the better option which has a long life and manufacturer warranty. 

Via

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