The most common printer replacement part is the printhead itself. It can also be the most costly. Here are some reasons why the printhead wears out and what you can do to help slow down that process.
What is a printhead and what does it do? In a barcode printer, a printhead is the device that creates the image on the face of your label or tag. It heats small resistor elements known as dots by applying an electrical current. The heat from the dots is then transferred to either the direct thermal media or thermal transfer ribbon. This produces your text, image, or barcode.
Printheads will eventually wear out. When the dots are heated and cooled rapidly, friction will occur as the media passes against the printhead. During the life of the printhead, the dots may stop heating which will cause the output to become lighter and ultimately effect print quality.
Here are some simple steps to prolong your printheads life:
* Read your printer’s user manual, and clean the print head as described regularly. Having a dirty print head will diminish your optimal output and built up residue from the printing process causing uneven heating of the dots.
* Use the paper and media type that your printer’s user manual recommends. You can cause mechanical and thermal wear on your printhead by using the wrong type of media.
* Adjust your printer to the lowest print speed setting that allows for acceptable print quality. By doing so, it will help reduce the mechanical wear on your printhead.
* Try to have your printer in a setting that is room temperature. If the temperature is lower it will require more energy to heat the dots to produce the print, this excessive heating and cooling will shorten the lifespan of a printhead.
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