Extend Printhead Life

Extend the Life of Your Printhead with Save-a-Printhead Cleaning Film

Preventive Maintenance

For optimum performance, clean the printhead regularly. Take care when handling or cleaning the printhead by removing any jewelry that may scratch it, and use a grounding strap or anti-static mat to discharge static electricity that could damage the printhead.

For 200 and 300 dpi printers: Clean after every roll (1500 feet or 450 m) of thermal transfer ribbon or after every roll (500 feet or 150 m) of direct thermal labels.

To start, use only the presoaked (isopropyl alcohol) cleaning swabs provided in the preventive maintenance kit (Zebra part number 47362). Open the media cover to access the printhead, then open the printhead. Lightly blow or brush away any loose dust and lint particles within the print mechanism (such as rollers, media or ribbon sensors, and printhead). Never use any hard, metallic, or abrasive objects—such as a screwdriver—to remove adhesives or other contaminants that may have built up on the printhead. Next, press the swab tip against the printhead and swipe the print elements from end to end. Finally, turn the platen rollers while wiping them from side to side. Repeat this last step until the swab no longer shows dirt.

Avoid the Contributing Factors to Premature Printhead Failure

Abrasion: Over time, the movement of media and ribbon across the printhead wears through the protective ceramic coating, exposing and eventually damaging the print elements (dots).

To avoid abrasion:

•Clean your printhead frequently and use well-lubricated thermal transfer ribbons with backcoatings optimized to reduce friction.

•Minimize printhead pressure and burn temperature settings by optimizing the balance between the two.

•Ensure that the thermal transfer ribbon is as wide as or wider than the label media to prevent exposing the elements to the more abrasive label material.

Z4Mplus and Z6Mplus User Guide

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