Thermal label printing is a reliable and cost-effective solution for producing labels, whether for shipping, barcodes, or retail. However, like any technology, thermal printers can encounter issues which can be particularly infuriating when related to print quality. In this blog we discuss common print quality issues and how to remedy them.
Before we move on to individual quality issues, we always recommend as a first step when troubleshooting to thoroughly clean the entire printer as this critical maintenance task is often neglected yet can cause print quality issues as adhesive, residue and dust builds up on the internal printer elements. We recommend cleaning the printhead, all the rollers and sensors with isopropyl alcohol. This can come in the form of wipes, cleaning pens and cotton swabs.
Print is blurry
If a thermal printer is producing labels with a blurry low quality print, slowing the speed of the printer can help produce a sharper more accurate image. Please note however that the print quality a printer can produce is limited by their DPI. The higher the DPI of a printer the higher the resolution and print quality. Thermal printers typically are either 203dpi, 300dpi or 609dpi. You may require a printer with a higher resolution if the sharpness and clarity are not adequate.
Print is too light
If your thermal label printer is printing too light, this is likely to be an issue with the heat settings (density/darkness).You will need to increase the heat in the settings either within your labelling software, in the printer driver, or on the printer screen itself.
Print is smudged
If the thermal printer is producing smudged images the heat setting may be too high and the ink may be burning or bleeding onto the label. You will need to decrease the heat settings. It’s important to note that different ribbon types have different heat settings required as they melt at different temperatures. Wax ribbons have a low melting point, wax-resin ribbons require a moderate heat setting and resin ribbons require the highest heat setting. If the heat setting issue still cannot be resolved you should check the ribbon is suitable to use with your label material.
Vertical white line through print
If there is a vertical line running through the label this is a likely sign that the printhead is damaged and will need replacing. We sell a wide range of printheads and also offer printhead fitting services.
Diagonal white line though print
Diagonal white lines running through the print is likely to be a wrinkle in the ribbon. You can fix this issue by fine-tuning the ribbon print head.
Blank print
If the printer is not printing anything at all, it is likely the ribbon has been loaded backward into the printer, this can be tested by pressing a label against the ribbon to test if ink transfers, if no ink transfers, the ribbon has been loaded incorrectly. Blank print can also be the result of using direct thermal labels rather than thermal transfer.
Experiencing print quality issues with your thermal transfer printer can be extremely infuriating so we hope this blog is helpful in remedying some common problems. We advise all thermal transfer users to regularly clean the interior of their printer and also pay close attention when loading and unloading labels and ribbon to reduce potential problems. It’s also important to invest in good quality labels and ribbon as this will lead to higher print quality. Our blog ‘Tips in maintaining your thermal printer’ is a useful read for properly maintaining and caring for your printer.
