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Zebra S-Series User’s Guide 55
Avoid the Contributing Factors to Premature Printhead Failure
Abrasion
- Over time, the movement of media/ribbon across the printhead wears
through the protective ceramic coating, exposing and eventually damaging the print
elements (dots).
In order to avoid abrasion:
• Clean your printhead frequently and use well-lubricated thermal transfer ribbons
with backcoatings optimized to reduce friction.
• Minimize printhead pressure and burn temperature settings by optimizing the
balance between the two.
• Ensure that the thermal transfer ribbon is as wide or wider than the label media to
prevent exposing the elements to the more abrasive label material.
Ribbon Backcoating and Buildup
- Printhead contamination from direct thermal media
or thermal transfer ribbon may occur in applications requiring high burn settings, high
head pressure, high speed, or high volume. This contamination builds up on the
printhead elements, creating a barrier to the heat transformation required to produce
high quality images. Contaminant buildup occurs gradually and results in poor print
quality that may look like faded print or failed print element(s). This build up is very
resistant to cleaning with the pre-soaked swabs and is difficult to remove.
In order to avoid ribbon backcoating and buildup:
• Use thermal transfer ribbons that have been specially cured to provide backcoat
protection for high demand applications. These ribbons — sometimes referred to
as anti-stick ribbons — also dissipate static and provide more lubrication.
• Follow the recommended Printhead Preventive Maintenance procedures.
• Use our Save-a-Printhead cleaning film to remove printhead contamination
buildup quickly and easily.
Save-a-Printhead Cleaning Film
What is
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film? A specially coated film that removes
contamination buildup without damaging the printhead.
What are the benefits of
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film?
• Extends the life of your printhead.
• Reduces maintenance downtime and the cost of replacing a printhead.
• An inexpensive, easy and quick way to remove contaminants without having to
remove the printhead.
When should you use
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film? When you see degrading print
quality that looks like faded print or a failed print element(s) that cannot be corrected
by cleaning with the pre-soaked cleaning swabs.