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Zebra Z4M/Z6M Printers User’s Guide 59
Next, press the swab tip against the printhead and swipe the print elements from end to
end. Then, turn the platen rollers while wiping them from side to side. Repeat this
step until the swab no longer shows dirt.
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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 bal-
ance 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.