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The Direct Thermal Printing Process |
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 Direct thermal printers use the selective heating of elements in the thermal printhead to produce an image. The heated pins cause a reaction in a special coating on the label.
Thermal coatings are mainly based on leuco dye which contains a colour former, a developer and a sensitizer. Under the heat of the thermal printhead the colour former reacts with the colour developer to form the final image.
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| Standard or Premium? |
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 The thermal reaction is reversible. Contact between the thermal layer and plasticizers, oil or water can erase the printed image. For this reason we offer two main grades of direct thermal paper. Our Premium grades feature a top and reverse side barrier coating to protect the printed image.
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Standard
•No top coating.
•No resistance to plasticizers, oil or water
•No scratch resistance, recommended for short life labels. |
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Premium
•Top and reverse barrier-coated.
•Resists plasticizers, oil and water.
•Well protected against chemical and mechanical stress and high humidity. |
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| Improving Print Quality |
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 The combination of printhead temperature , print speed and label material are key to achieving the desired print quality in direct thermal printing. For high speed printing a high sensitivity grade should be selected. A standard sensitivity grade is a good choice for speeds below six inches per second.
Assuming that you have a suitable combination for your requirements you need to make sure that the printer is set up correctly:
Balanced Printhead Pressure and Temperature
The aim is to set the pressure and temperature at the lowest levels that achieve the desired print quality. As well as helping to maintain print quality this also ensures that printhead life will be as long as possible. One way to establish the best settings is to start with pressure and temperature set at the lowest levels and gradually increase both, test printing between adjustments, until you have print quality that you are happy with.
Keep Everything Clean
Labels generate dust. You should periodically clean the dust from your printer paying particular attention to the path followed by the labels. If dust gets between the printhead and label print quality will be adversely affected.
As the printhead is in direct contact with the labels a build up of residue can occur on the printhead. This build up prevents the effective transfer of heat from the printhead to the label which results in poor print quality. The residue can be removed from the printhead with a soft, lint free cloth or swab moistened with an appropriate cleaning fluid. We recommend that this is done after each roll of labels.
If these steps are followed you should find that your print quality is improved and you will be helping to prolong the life of your printhead.
If you would like any more information feel free to contact us on 020 8653 4477 or email info@nslabels.co.uk |
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020 8653 4477 