Extend the Life of Your Printer

Maintaining your thermal transfer printer on a regular basis is the only way to ensure clear, crisp text and graphics for your labels and to prolong the life of the printhead. The advantages of thermal transfer printers – reliability, image quality, high printing speed – are adversely impacted unless you keep up with preventative maintenance.

Over time and during routine use, many factors can begin to affect print quality and wear of the print head.  Residue is deposited on the printhead and can start to build up. Eventually the buildup becomes permanent and causes a barrier between the printhead element and the substrate, resulting in poor quality labels.  Label formats with complex graphics, fast print speeds, high heat setting and high volume printing contribute to this buildup.

Abrasion is another factor that can cause premature wear of the printhead. Abrasion occurs when the ribbon is not properly matched to the label. If the ribbon is not wide enough to cover the width of the label, the edge of the label will come in contact with the printhead and cause abrasion. You should always use a ribbon that is a bit wider that the label stock to protect the printhead.  Abrasion also occurs if you are using the printer in a dirty or dusty environment since particles can stick to the printhead and cause excessive wear.

Low quality ribbon without scratch or abrasion resistance increases the abrasion problem too. An overly high heat setting also creates problems for the printhead, so use the lowest heat setting possible to achieve quality print.

So how can you care for your printers? The printhead manufacturers recommend cleaning your printers after every ribbon change. To make cleaning more convenient, ID Technology offers pre-moistened textured towelettes that are specifically designed for thermal printers and are easy to use.

Beyond routine cleaning, we also offer service plans that protect your investment.  A service plan offers you protection from downtime or printer failure that can slow down or bring to a stop your production line or shipping department. Consider what our service plans can do for you:

• We can cover a particular defect or problem that the manufacturer’s warranty won’t. What happens if something that is not covered by a warranty fails. With one of our plans, a technician will come to your plant and replace that part right away. If you’d rather do the repair yourself, then we can ship the part to you.
• We can offer expert consulting on using your printer. You might be unfamiliar with a new printer, or you might run into problems with poor print quality. Isn’t it good to know that you can call someone and have them help you out? We can advise you on the proper ribbon and label combinations, or give you simple maintenance tips that will ensure clean, readable labels.
• We have professional, factory-trained technicians. Our technicians are top-notch and dedicated to helping you get the most from your products. When you call us for service, your problem becomes our priority and we can fix or replace whatever is wrong to get you going again.
• We can address small problems before they become big ones. Our preventative maintenance is the key to making sure that your printing operations are successful during the lifetime of the service plan. Our technicians will inspect and clean every printer and replace any parts that are showing signs of wear. The result ­- printers that produce good quality printed labels every time.

We have many plans to suit your needs. Our service department offers a variety of printer repair and preventative maintenance plans, and we can help you decide which is best for you. Preventative maintenance is key to protecting your investment in your labeling equipment, so talk to us today about your printing needs. Call us  toll free at: 888-438-3242 Option#3 or you can contact David Holliday directly at dholliday@idtechnology.com