10 Most Common Questions Asked About Thermal Printheads - Answered!

Thermal printheads are a vital part and extremely sensitive and expensive. Important care and maintenance is important to the optimal functioning.

Below are a collection of questions and answers to help provide you with information and direction to follow to get the most out of your printheads :

1. Why is preserving the printhead life important?

• save money as printheads are very expensive
• reduce poor print quality and marginally scannable bar codes, due to worn out printheads

2. What causes wear to the printhead ?

• friction
• prolonged use at high printhead energies (i.e. heat)
• excessive buildup or ink residue on the printhead
• misuse or abuse by the operator

3. What protects the printhead from abrasion?

• a thin, hard coating over the heating elements protect them from abrasion while providing efficient heat transfer
• the ribbon also protects the printhead from abrasion damage. It is separates the printhead from the printing substrate to shield it from abrasive movements, and also has a lubricated backcoat that allows it to flow smoothly over the printhead

4. What causes abrasive damage to printheads ?

• when a label or tag stock is wider than the ribbon (which causes the media on either side of the ribbon’s edges passes directly over the printhead ).
• using a ribbon with an ineffective backcoat
• using inappropriate media for thermal transfer
• improper cleaning of the printhead
• some ribbons with backcoats specially formulated to clean the printhead

5. How can abrasive damage be recognized?

• the first sign is usually a decrease in image quality
  
• also can be failure of one or more heating elements, which shows as a “white line” through the printed image where the printhead no longer has the ability to transfer ink
  

6. Do quality ribbons require lower energy settings?

• yes, a ribbon and substrate combination that is matched for optimum print quality at the lowest energy settings can extend printhead life

7. What is "Printhead Buildup"?

• buildup is the accumulation of deposits of ink, ribbon backcoat, paper particles, label adhesive, dust, dirt, etc. over time

8. When does printhead buildup become a problem?

• buildup becomes a problem when maintenance guidelines are not followed and print quality results
  
• any deposit on the printhead , if not removed regularly, can insulate the heating elements from the ribbon and thus require printing at higher energy settings, which can ultimately shorten printhead life
  
• burned-out pixels in the printhead result in unscannable bar codes
  

9. How to prevent buildup from becoming a problem?

• purchase a good quality ribbon and printing substrate
  
• minimize the accumulation of dust by keeping the printer cover closed
  
• follow the OEM’s recommended operating, maintenance, and printhead cleaning schedule

10. How long will a printhead last if the best possible ribbons are used?

• this will depend on the printhead design and other factors such as printer speed, energy settings, static, substrate, and ribbon quality
  
• a good ribbon should be guaranteed not to cause significant degradation due to buildup or abrasion throughout the printhead’s rated life
  
• the industry standard is that the printhead should last for one million linear inches of use

Be sure to keep these answers and tips handy for quick reference. For more information on printheads and to learn more about your options for all your printer, labeling and barcode printing and scanning needs, call us at (800) 643-2664 and immediately talk to one of our friendly representatives; or chat us up on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn !

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