Media And Ribbons; Printing Modes - Printronix T3204 Maintenance Manual

Media and Ribbons

The following section describes the available print modes, the types of print
media that can be used in the printer, how to install media and how to install
and remove ribbons.

Printing Modes

The printer is able to print using either of two methods, direct thermal or
thermal transfer. Both methods use heat to produce a printed image; they
differ only in the way in which the heat is applied.
In thermal transfer printing, the individual dot elements of the printhead apply
heat to a ribbon. The "ink" on the ribbon is a specially formulated material
that is literally melted into the print media, bonding with the media to produce
the black dots that form an image.
Direct thermal printing dispenses with a ribbon and instead applies heat
directly to the print media. This media is formulated to react to the heat by
turning black. Direct thermal printing requires the use of a special direct
thermal print media. It also requires that, if a ribbon is already installed, it
must be removed.
NOTE: Using direct thermal print media with a ribbon will produce very poor
3–4
print quality.
Basic Operations