| printhead |
It is important to keep the printhead clean because it will increase the life span of this costly part and maintain the best print quality for your labels. Always make sure that the ribbon you use is wider then the labels liner to prevent damage to the printhead but not so wide that it causes ribbon wrinkle (maximum half inch from right side of label liner). To clean a printhead use a clean soft rag and some isopropyl alcohol (special pens and cards are available also) to gently rub along the length of the printing elements. This should loosen any debre or ribbon buildup on the printhead. Make sure you DO NOT use anything abrasive or sharp items to remove stuck labels or adhesive from the printhead. Doing so can damage the printhead causing you to see missing vertical white lines in the print on your labels. If you see these symptoms it is most likely you will need to replace your printhead (very important if missing lines run through barcodes which causes no reads).
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| platen roller |
The roller located directly below the printhead which drives the labels and ribbon forward. It is very common for heavy amounts of dust and adhesive to build up on this item and can cause printquality or feeding issues. With the same rag and alcohol used for cleaning your printhead you will need to clean the roller. Unlock the printhead then clean small sections at a time advancing the roller with the feed key on the printers front panel. Since this item is made of rubber it will wear down over time much like a tire on a car. A worn down rollers symptoms include: light printing, labels dont feed straight, and ribbon wrinkle. Make sure you DO NOT use anything abrasive or sharp items to remove stuck labels or adhesive from the roller. Doing so can damage the roller causing you to see missing areas of print on your labels.
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| printhead |
Clean the printhead by removing the cover (this will stop print and might give you an error) then place the printhead over a waste receptacle. Now flush the printhead down with the correct solvent based on machines ink type. Let the printhead then dry for 10 minutes (longer if in old weather) to let the solvent evaporate and prevent from getting deflector voltage errors. Place the cover back on the printhead and return it to its mounting bracket. |
| startup/shutdown |
Most inkjet machines go through a lengthy startup and shut down procedure to ensure optimal performance. During startup the machine will cycle fluids throughout its hydraulic system to ensure there is no pressure loss (leaks), electronic system is functioning, and TOF can be stabilized. You may receive deflector voltage errors, internal spill errors, or TOF errors during the startup process, please contact our technical support staff to trouble shoot these errors in more detail or reference the manual. A properly started machine can then be used to create a new printjob or print a previously created one. The shut process is similar to the startup but clears the lines of any ink that might harden when not in use. It is VERY important to let an inkjet machine properly shutdown completely before disconnecting power. Machines that are not properly shut down will need a trained technical service person to go through various steps to remove dried ink from the gutters return line. |
| scheduled service hours |
Very important to monitor the service needed internal for your machinery. Based on a length of time or a specific number of hours the printer has been in operation. This counter is then reset once the maintenance procedure has been completed by a trained service technician or trained maintenance personnel ONLY. The process requires the replacement of filters and ink to ensure the the printer continues to run at optimal performance. A notification will alert the operator as to when the service will be needed but will not shut down the operation of the printer completely. You may experience problems if you exceed the scheduled service for an excessive length of time. |
