Choosing the Right Label Printer for Your Business

Whether used for shipments, products, or equipment needed to conduct operations, printed labels offer an optimal way to identify items quickly and easily. They can be used for various applications as a means to organise and manage any tracking system, and there are a number of different types of label and printing options suitable for your business needs.  

Label printers come in a range of formats, from desktop, to stand alone and industrial, for low level printing to larger scale industrial applications. Choosing the right printer for your printing level demands and business needs is vital in order to achieve maximum practicality and cost efficiency. Desktop label printers are ideal as a lower volume printing solution for offices or smaller retailers. Industrial sized printers in comparison are suited for the continuous printing of thousands of labels, for a quick turnaround. There are also mobile printers, which are suited to printing labels on the move. Connecting to a range of smart devices such as tablets and phones, this option would be beneficial for companies within transportation or logistics, or those operating outside for instance. 

 

 

Label printers allow businesses of any size and within any environment to enhance the accuracy of their data for any assets or stock, at the same time increasing efficiency and maintaining consistency in operations. When choosing the right label printer there are a number of questions to consider, some of which include:

• What is being labelled, and what conditions will the label will be exposed to?
• What will be the printing volume and cycle level?
• Where will the printing be carried out, at fixed station or in a mobile environment?
•  How long does the label need to last?
• What will be printed on the label, and what label sizes are needed?

The types of label needed can vary massively according to the different industry your business falls within. For example, small silver polyester labels, are designed specifically for use as a security device, often to protect high value goods such as electrical equipment from unauthorised access or tampering. Polyester is a durable label material for high performance requirements, and can withstand harsh weather conditions, chemicals, or extremely high or low temperature environments.

Printing on label rolls is a rapid way to print fixed label designs for use in sales or automatic machines. These labels are versatile, and come in a range of materials including vinyl, aluminium and paper. Labels in rolls can easily be transferred between print machines, such as direct, thermal or ink injection printers. 

Clear and concise label design is essential for medical, chemical and food processing companies, where labelling needs to provide critical information to prevent danger. Digital label printers are best suited for companies within these industries, because of the high quality and clarity of the label graphic and text that will not fade over time.

 

Once the requirements for labelling are apparent, it will be easier to select the type of printer that would best fit the needs of your business in line with time and budget. Thermal printers are an efficient and practical solution for businesses in that they support the application of most materials from paper to synthetic, like polypropylene and polyester, for a range of different environments. Most barcode labels are produced by thermal based printers, as they are provide a cost effective solution compared to the other technologies, and achieve a precise, clear print for even the simplest scanning device.

There are two types of thermal printing, direct thermal and thermal transfer, which both have different functions according to the demands of a business. 

Direct Thermal Printing – direct thermal printers are simplistic, and do not use a ribbon. This form of printing creates a clear print quality with good scanning ability for barcode labelling. Direct thermal printers are highly effective for short term labelling, such as shipping or mailer labels.

Thermal Transfer Printing - labels printed through thermal transfer are also noted for their clarity, and can often have a glossy finish. Using a ribbon, thermal transfer printers produce a durable, reliable label solution for a number of business applications. The ribbon used for thermal transfer label printers also determine the labels’ suitability for use, as the three different types of ribbon, wax, was resin and resin, can function to improve label resilience to substances, resistance to wear or image quality. 

The TSC printing range offers a diverse selection of thermal label printers and equipment ideal for office based operations to large scale applications. To see their range of desktop printers and label printing devices, and for more information on available label printers, please contact the Phoenix Supplies team on 08454 66 66 55.

Printer maintenance and the importance of the printhead

There are several component parts to a printer but the essentials common to all printers are:

•      Paper feed

•      Ink toner replacement

•      Control panel

•      Memory card reader

•      Paper output tray

To ensure that you prolong the life of your printer it is worth making sure that you regularly maintain these parts, checking them regularly and making sure they remain dirt and dust free.

The Printhead

The ink that is used in the printer is contained within cartridges. Cartridges are replaced when the ink has been used up but there are often ways that the cartridges can be further optimised. The printhead for example, which works with the cartridges, or can be part of the cartridges, can often affect the functioning of the cartridge. The purpose of the printhead is to assemble and hold the characters, and from there images of the characters are transferred to the printing medium. In order to ensure the maximum use of the printhead there are simple ways of keeping it clean that can be followed:

•      clean the printhead regularly e.g. after a change every couple of rolls of media

•      clean the printhead each time you change the ribbon

•      clean the printhead after any event that could cause material to build up on

the printhead, such as a ribbon melting, incorrect installation of the ribbon

Even a small amount of dirt and grime can cause wear on the printhead and affect its lifespan so it is important to keep it clean.

How do you clean the printhead?

There are a number of options for this but it is always best to read the user guide first to see what is recommended for your printer. Options include:

•      Self-clean programmes (pc/MAC specific)

•      Manual cleaning- steps should be in the user guide but will include using hot water or isopropyl alcohol, then run the printer’s own clean programme

•      If the printhead is within the ink cartridge then it can be soaked in a bowl of hot water and dried thoroughly (or with isopropyl alcohol if water does not work), the self-cleaning programme should then be used

Another key area to consider for prolonging the life of your printhead is the setting that you use for darkness. The darkness setting should be set as low as possible because the higher it is, the more energy is sent to the printhead and the more energy it receives, the quicker any heating element is going to wear out and need replacing.

It is certainly worth maintaining your printhead but if a replacement is needed then one can always be purchased. At Phoenix Supplies we have a range of printheads to suit your needs.

Contact us on 08454 666655

Replacing Ink Ribbons in Thermal Printers

Many industries use thermal printers to produce things like printed receipts and barcodes.  Thermal printing is a digital printing process, where coated thermal paper is heated as it is passed over the thermal print head.  When the paper is exposed to heat, the coating then turns black to produce an image in the specified areas.  

Thermal printers use ink ribbons to print off self-adhesive labels and receipts, which can be created by using a computer.  Even though technology may have advanced into the digital age, thermal printers are still popular and are used by many industries including: retail, restaurants, packaging companies and laboratories.

Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfers

There are many types of print mechanisms that can be used, such as laser and impact.  Thermal printer mechanisms are the most popular, and commonly appear in the forms of direct thermal and thermal transfer.  Direct Thermal printing uses heat sensitive paper, and is primarily used for short duration applications, such as shipping labels. This is because direct thermal printing often fades, so it is more useful to be used in the short term.  Thermal transfer is slightly different, as it uses the heat to transfer the ink from the ribbon onto a label, for permanent printing instead. 

When You Should Think About Replacing Ink Ribbons

Using any thermal printer, will eventually mean that over time, the ink ribbons will need to be replaced.  You may start to notice that the quality of print isn’t as strong, and anything that is printed may appear to be faded, whilst some information may not have printed at all.  It is vital that you find the correct ink ribbons to suit your printer, so you can get the best out of it.  Replacement ink ribbons for your label printer are easy to find, and a company who supply labelling equipment and consumables would be able to help and advise you.

Ink Grades

Ink will be coated on either the inside or outside of the ribbon, depending on the manufacturer.  The length of ribbons will co-ordinate with the size of the printer it will be used in.  There are three grades of ribbon which are popularly used in thermal transfer printers:

Wax Ink Ribbons – this is one of the most popular types of ribbon, as it is smudge free and suitable for both semi-gloss and matte paper labels.

Wax Resin Ribbon – this is also smudge resistant and is commonly used on semi-gloss paper.

Resin Ink Ribbons – as this type of ribbon is chemical and scratch resistant, it can be used for coated synthetic labels.

Depending on what you would like to print and the nature of the industry you work in, you should choose the most suitable ink ribbon, to ensure that your receive high quality printing.

Phoenix Supplies are able to provide a range of replacement ink cartridges for your thermal printer.  For more information, you can give them a call on 08454 666655.