Extend The Life of Your Print Head
with Save-A-PrintHead Cleaning Film
Challenge
The print head is the most critical component in your printer, and possibly the most delicate. It is a consumable
item just like the brakes on your car, which will eventually wear over time. However, with ongoing careful
attention and maintenance, you can extend the life of the print head!
Below are photographs of three print heads. The first print head is brand new. The second has printed over 1
million linear inches of thermal transfer labels and has been properly maintained. The third print head has printed
far fewer labels, but without proper care and maintenance, signs of abrasion and contamination build-up are
evident.
New Over 1 Million Inches Less Than 1 Million Inches
(Properly Maintained) (Without Proper Care)
Preventive Maintenance
For optimum performance, clean the print head regularly after every roll of thermal transfer ribbon or after every
roll of direct thermal labels. Take care when handling or cleaning the print head by removing any jewelry that may
scratch the print head, and use a grounding strap or anti-static mat to discharge static electricity that could damage
the print head.
⇒ NOTE: For later model 600 dpi printers, clean after each roll of media or when a “CLEAN HEAD NOW”
warning appears on the liquid crystal display (LCD).
To start, use only the pre-soaked (isopropyl alcohol) cleaning swabs provided in the preventive maintenance kit
(47362M). 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/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 Print Head Failure
Abrasion- Over time, the movement of media/ribbon across the print head will wear through the protective ceramic
coating, exposing and eventually damaging the print elements (dots).
In order to avoid abrasion:
• Clean your print head frequently and use well-lubricated thermal transfer ribbons with backcoatings optimized
to reduce friction.
• Minimize print head pressure and burn temperature settings by optimizing the balance between the two.
• Ensure that the thermal transfer ribbon is as wide or wider than the label media to prevent exposing the
elements to the more abrasive label material.
Ribbon Backcoating and Buildup: Printhead contamination from direct thermal media or thermal transfer
ribbon may occur in applications requiring high burn settings, high head pressure, high speed, or high volume.
This contamination builds up on the printhead elements, creating a barrier to the heat transformation required
to produce high-quality images. Contaminant buildup occurs gradually and results in poor print quality that
may look like faded print or failed print element(s). This buildup is very resistant to cleaning with pre-soaked
swabs and is difficult to remove.
In order to avoid backcoating buildup:
• Use thermal transfer ribbons or direct thermal media that have been specially cured to provide backcoat
protection for high demand applications. These ribbons—sometimes referred to as anti-stick ribbons—also
dissipate static and provide more lubrication.
• Follow the recommended Print Head Preventive Maintenance procedures.
• Use Zebra's Save-a-PrintHead cleaning film to remove print head contamination buildup quickly and easily.
Save-a-Printhead Cleaning Film
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film is a specially coated film that removes contamination buildup without
damaging the printhead.
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film extends the life of your printhead, reduces maintenance downtime and the cost
of replacing a printhead, and is an inexpensive, easy, and quick way to remove contaminants without removing
the printhead.
Use Save-a-Printhead cleaning film when you see degrading print quality that looks like faded print or a failed
print element(s) that cannot be corrected by cleaning with the pre-soaked cleaning swabs.
⇒ NOTE: For 600 dpi printheads, use Save-a-Printhead cleaning film after every roll of media or when
the printer LCD shows a “CLEAN HEAD NOW” warning.
How to Use Save-a-PrintHead Cleaning Film
⇒ NOTE: If power is removed from a 600 dpi printer when cleaning the printhead, the “CLEAN HEAD
NOW” warning shown on the LCD will not disappear.
1. Open the media cover.
2. Open the print head, remove media and ribbon from the print mechanism.
3. Clean the print head per the recommended Preventive Maintenance procedures.
4. Position the Save-a-PrintHead film in the print path, placing the gloss side down away from the print head (matte
side up).
5. Close and latch the print head.
6. Slowly pull the full length of the film through the print mechanism.
7. Clean the printhead a second time per the recommended Preventive Maintenance procedures..
8. Reload media and ribbon, close and latch the print head.
9. Close the media cover.
10. Print labels and inspect for improved print quality. If quality has not improved, contact your distributor or
Zebra Technologies Technical Support.
Only one pass of Save-a-Printhead film is required to remove contamination buildup, and each strip of film
can be used up to 10 times. Discard the strip when residue buildup or other contamination is apparent.
If a replacement printhead is needed, Zebra strongly recommends using a product from the Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to ensure that your printer and part warranties remain intact and that the
product performs optimally.
How to Order Save-a-PrintHead Cleaning Film Kits
There are five kits to accommodate printers with different print widths Each kit contains three 10” (254 mm) long
strips of film. Reference the following table to order the kit for your printer:
Order kit number: For Printers with Print Widths:
46902 3.0” – 4.0” (76 mm–102 mm)
44902 4.0” – 5.0” (102 mm–127 mm)
48902 5.0” – 6.0” (127 mm–152 mm)
38902 6.0” – 7.0” (152 mm–178 mm)
22902 8.0” – 9.0” (178 mm–229 mm)
46902L Rev. 3—5/3/02
