Best practices for adjusting thermal printhead heat

Setting Print Head Heat

Typical heat settings are 0-5 for most printer models. Higher heat causes greater wear on the print head, we recommend finding the lowest possible setting that still gives good quality print.

Confirm Direct Thermal is Off in Driver and On Printer

Some printers support Direct Thermal printing. Direct thermal is a feature that allows the print head to print directly to certain label types without the use of a ribbon. There is a setting in the driver and in the printer display menu called "direct thermal". This feature requires significantly more print energy, it should not be enabled when using a ribbon with your label material.

Increasing Print Head Heat to Compensate for Poor Quality Print

Always troubleshoot other potential causes before increasing print head temperature. While increasing heat may be an effective workaround, you may be causing unneeded wear on the print head. An incompatible ribbon may cause light print or no print.

Additionally, make sure your ribbons always overlap the edge of the label liner - you do not want your labels making direct contact with the print head during printing.

Where is the Print Energy Setting on My Printer?

This information is available in your printer's user manual.