A thermal label printer is one of the most cost-effective tools for quickly printing a large volume of text. This tool has entered many industries like E-commerce, food production, pharmacies and health centres, event management, and restaurants.
While these printers have a long lifespan, users may sometimes experience difficulties printing their materials. This can be disturbing and inconvenient, but don’t fret; your shiny new thermal printer hasn’t developed a fault after only six months of use. It only requires a slight adjustment.
Here are some pointers on troubleshooting your thermal label printer, pinpointing some common issues, and fixing them.
So, your thermal label printer is not printing correctly?
Before you spend your time and money calling for tech support due to a printing issue, it might be something you can quickly fix. Here’s what to do:
- Ensure the correct thermal paper was loaded: There are two methods of thermal label printing which use different types of paper. Thermal transfer paper is unsuitable for direct thermal paper and vice versa.
Scratch the paper with a fingernail to assess this. Direct thermal paper would leave a dark mark, while thermal transfer paper won’t.
- Ensure the paper is loaded correctly: The paper in a thermal label printer has a specific loading style where the roll paper feeds under and not on top. Inappropriate loading would cause printing issues.
This also includes the ribbon in a thermal transfer printer. Ensure it is loaded correctly and without any creases.
- Check your print settings: Check your print settings to ensure that everything is in order. Make sure you have the correct label size, orientation and print quality.
Also, check the heat settings, as that can cause faint printouts. Increase the heat to darken the print and reduce it for the opposite. However, high heat settings would reduce the lifespan of your print head, so be cautious.
- Calibrate your printer: If your printer is cutting off the materials to be printed and your paper is loaded correctly, it may not be adequately calibrated. That can be rectified easily by calibrating your printer. Different manufacturers and software run this differently, so check your user manual for the steps to follow for calibration.
- Inspect your printhead for damage: You may have to inspect your printhead to ensure it is still in good shape. This part of the printer undergoes a lot of wear, especially in direct thermal printing, so it may be damaged. Clean it gently with a clean cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol for better visibility.
Conclusion
Not all printing issues require a call to tech support; you can easily handle some. However, if you don’t see results after following these steps, update your drivers and check your connectivity if you use a wireless printer. If the problem persists, call for professional help. Suppliers like CDM labels are always available to support.
These troubleshooting steps can help you resolve some common thermal label printing issues. That would ensure smooth and consistent printing operations in your warehouse or office.
