When a label printer stops working properly, the problem isn't always as serious as it first appears.
Poor print quality, labels that won't feed and barcodes that won't scan can sometimes be caused by something as straightforward as a dirty printhead, incorrectly loaded media or unsuitable printer settings.
The important thing is recognising the warning signs early. A minor printer problem can quickly become a bigger business problem if it starts delaying production, holding up orders or producing labels that can't be used.
Here are seven common label printer problems, what might be causing them and what you can do about them.
If labels are printing but text and barcodes appear faint or inconsistent, start with the basics.
A dirty printhead is a common cause of poor print quality, particularly in printers operating in busy or dusty environments. Incorrect heat or speed settings and unsuitable combinations of labels and ribbons can also affect the finished result.
What should you do?
Clean the printhead according to the manufacturer's recommendations and check that the labels, ribbons and printer settings are appropriate for the job.
If print quality continues to deteriorate despite cleaning and adjustment, the printhead or another component may be worn and require further investigation.
Consistent white lines running through text, graphics or barcodes can indicate a problem with the printhead.
Before replacing the printhead, however, clean the printhead carefully. Dust, adhesive residue and other contamination can sometimes create similar symptoms.
If the line consistently appears in exactly the same position after cleaning, damaged or failed printhead elements may be responsible.
What should you do?
Clean and inspect the printhead first. If the problem remains, it may be time to have the printer checked and potentially replace the printhead.
A printer that continually skips labels, feeds several at once or stops in the wrong position can quickly become frustrating.
Possible causes include incorrectly loaded media, dirty label sensors, incorrect calibration or worn components.
Changing to a different size or type of label can also require the printer to be recalibrated.
What should you do?
Check that the labels are correctly loaded and that nothing is obstructing the media path. Check and clean the relevant sensors and recalibrate the printer where appropriate.
If the problem continually returns, further inspection may be required.
Repeated label jams shouldn't simply be accepted as part of using the printer.
Labels may have been loaded incorrectly, rolls could be damaged or adhesive residue may have accumulated around rollers and the media path.
Worn or damaged mechanical components can also cause repeated feeding problems.
What should you do?
Remove the labels carefully and inspect the media path for adhesive, torn label material or other debris.
If the same problem keeps occurring after cleaning and correctly reloading the printer, don't continually force labels through it. The underlying cause needs identifying.
A barcode can look perfectly acceptable to the human eye and still cause problems for a scanner.
Poor print quality, incorrect sizing, insufficient contrast, unsuitable printer settings or damage to the printhead can all affect barcode readability.
This is one fault businesses shouldn't ignore.
An unreadable barcode can cause problems with stock control, production, picking, dispatch and ultimately customer deliveries.
What should you do?
Check the general print quality first and make sure the barcode isn't being distorted, faded or interrupted by lines.
If you're regularly having to reprint labels or operators are struggling to scan them, investigate the cause rather than allowing an unreliable barcode to become part of the process.
Modern commercial label printers monitor numerous aspects of the printing process, so an error message doesn't necessarily mean something has broken.
The printer may have detected incorrectly loaded media, a ribbon problem, an open printhead mechanism or an issue with its sensors.
What should you do?
Start with the error being displayed rather than repeatedly restarting the printer.
Check the labels and ribbon are loaded correctly and consult the manufacturer's guidance for the particular error code or warning.
If the same error repeatedly returns after the obvious causes have been eliminated, it may indicate a component or sensor that requires attention.
Sometimes the printer itself is working perfectly well – it simply isn't receiving anything to print.
USB or network connections, printer drivers, IP addresses, software configuration and communication with warehouse or stock-management systems can all cause apparent printer faults.
What should you do?
Check physical connections and establish whether the printer can produce a test label independently of your normal software.
If it can, the problem may lie with the connection, software or configuration rather than the printer hardware.
Identifying which side of the system is causing the problem can save a lot of unnecessary troubleshooting.
A faulty label printer might seem like a relatively small issue until orders can't be dispatched, products can't be identified or a production line is waiting for labels.
Regular cleaning and preventative maintenance can help avoid many common problems, while dealing with deterioration early can prevent minor faults developing into unexpected downtime.
Labelline repairs and maintains commercial label printers from leading manufacturers and can diagnose everything from print-quality and media-feed problems to replacement printheads and mechanical faults.
If your printer keeps developing the same problem, speak to the Labelline team and get the underlying cause identified rather than continually working around it.
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