Thermal Printer Technology; The Printing Process; Dynamic Print Control; Warnings And Special Information - Printronix t8000 Administrator's Manual

Thermal Printer Technology

Quiet and fast, with excellent print quality, your multifunction thermal printer uses an inline thermal
printhead. The thermal printer operates differently from a line matrix or laser printer, because the thermal
printer uses a printhead with heating elements and special paper or ribbon.

The Printing Process

The thermal printhead allows two modes of operation:
•
Direct Thermal
During direct thermal printing, the thermal printhead selectively heats small, rectangular thermal dots.
When these contact the coated thermal paper, the dyes and developers in the coating react to the heat
and develop an image. This mode of printing is generally used for short-term labeling applications.
•
Thermal Transfer
During thermal transfer printing, the heated thermal dots contact a thermal ribbon. The heat reacts with the
ribbon and bonds the image to the paper. This method is used especially for abrasive, long-storage
applications and for specialized applications, such as in extreme environmental conditions or where
tamper-proofing is required.

Dynamic Print Control

Dynamic print control is a unique feature of your thermal printer that provides excellent print quality by
preventing unevenness of print density.
Print quality largely depends on how the thermal paper or the thermal ribbon and thermal transfer paper
responds to the heat of the thermal printhead.
During printing, the thermal printhead must reach a set temperature in the shortest possible time. Then it
must cool down to the original temperature in the shortest possible time after printing. Thus print quality is
dependent on the precise control of the energy supplied to the thermal dots.
The dynamic print control is a method for predicting the quantity of heat required to print dots based on the
results of the previous printing. This prevents unevenness of print density and results in the printing of
narrow- ladder bar codes or vertical grid lines that are straight from the microscopic viewpoint.

Warnings and Special Information

For your safety and to protect valuable equipment, read and comply with all information highlighted under
special headings:
WARNING
Conditions that could harm you and damage the equipment.
WARNING
Achten Sie auf folgendes, um keine Personen in Gefahr zubringen bzw. das
Gerät zu beschädigen.
WARNING
Condiciones que pueden causar daños a personas y equipos.
WARNING
Conditions à respecter pour éviter tout danger corporel et dommage matériel.
WARNING
Condizioni che possono arrecare danni alle persone e alle apparecchiature.
CAUTION
Conditions that could damage the printer or related equipment.
IMPORTANT
Information vital to proper operation of the printer.
NOTE:
Information and helpful tips about printer operation.
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