Thermal Printers at the University of Minnesota Duluth Library:
We currently have one "Zebra TLP 2844" printer in use.
This is not the 2844-Z model. (There is no need for the ZPL option.)
We have ordered another TLP 2844, and two TLP 2824 printers.
We purchase basic models with USB connectivity.
See these printers at the Zebra website.
Note: We selected "thermal transfer" printers with "resin" ribbons.
This is different from "thermal direct" printing, which uses heat-sensitive label stock and no ribbons.
We were warned by other libraries' experience that thermal direct spine labels fade very significantly over time. (We heard through correspondence of a library that used thermal direct printers to produce spine labels for 2 or 3 years. They are now replacing all of those labels.)
Background: A document we found useful when we were first considering a thermal printer was this one, at the Library of Congress website: Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Labels for Application to Covers of Bound Books for use in Thermal Transfer Printers
Based on the LOC document cited above, we decided to choose "resin" ribbons. We will avoid wax ribbons. There are combo "wax/resin" ribbons available - we have not looked into using them.
Other Thermal Transfer Printers
We've heard from one library that has been using the KSun Labelshop 2010 printer with UMDPrint for some time and they report no problems.
Label Media and Ribbons:
Initial Supplier - Computype
We began using "TS905 Polypropylene blank labels" and "TR618HZN ribbons" from Computype. We've bought these together based on Computype quotes. The company takes care of sending us the number of ribbons needed for the volume of labels we order. They also include a cleaning pen for the printer's print head. We've had some frustration with slow processing/delivery of orders.
These labels have very good adhesion. Text on them is very scratch resistant. We do not expect them to fade over time.
Our Current Supplier for Ribbons - SystemID.com
We recently purchased Zebra Resin Ribbons - type 5095 - from SystemID.com. Order processing and delivery was quick.
We will also try ordering labels through them. First choice in Zebra label stock would probably be "PolyPro 3000T High-Tack". Second choice: "PolyPro 4000T High-Tack". We'll update this page once we've tried them out.
Where do other libraries buy labels/ribbons?
We've found a number of libraries and consortiums do business with Computype. We also are aware of a consortium that is planning to buy labels/ribbons for Zebra printers from Gaylord.
Purchasing Printers
Our first Zebra printer was purchased from Computype. They matched the pricing we had found at an online vendor. Additional printers were recently ordered from Provantage.com - an online vendor we use frequently. Approximate pricing (as of 6/21/2007):
Manuf part# 2824-11100-0001: $265
Manuf part# 2844-10300-0001: $366
Using the TLP 2844 with UMDPrint - Issues:
Note: This section is not up to date. Issues that have come up since this was written include: Setting form size in printer control panel and in the UMDPrint printer settings; May want to leave formfeed active; printer recognizes certain problems with mis-installed ribbon and refuses to run..
I will look for my notes so I can get this page updated.
- Turning off formfeed distance control in UMDPrint.
The printer can sense the location of gaps between the labels, and can control formfeed distance. The latest version of UMDPrint has a per-printer setting which can be selected to prevent UMDPrint from trying to manage formfeed distance.
- Label alignment:
We found ourselves using negative values in UMDPrint's "shift printing right" and "shift printing down" fields to get things lined up right.
- Font selection:
Serif fonts, and other fonts where the stroke width varies, have produced poor results for us. Fonts that have a consistent stroke width have been pretty good. The fonts we favor are: Tahoma, Verdana, and Helvetica. Some additional fonts that we felt were acceptable: Zurich, Albertus, Arial black, and Lucida Sans.
- Wasted labels:
When printing stops, the next blank label sits beneath the print head. If printing stops for more than 10 or 15 minutes, a black line develops across that label.
The next time we print labels, we discard the first label printed.
- Label orientation - printing in Landscape Mode:
We've heard that some suppliers may provide spine labels in "landscape mode". That is, they will be provided on a roll where each label is 1" high, and 1.5" wide.
The latest version of UMDPrint has settings (set per printer) for printing labels in landscape mode. When landscape mode is selected, UMDPrint's formfeed advance control will automatically be deselected.
- Printer driver settings:
Within the printer driver, we adjusted several options. Within the "properties" of the printer, select Advanced, then click on the Printing Defaults button. With the Document tab selected, here are the settings we used:
Paper/Output...
===========
Paper Layout: Portrait
Paper Size: (our label size - 3.00" x 1.00")
Copies: 1
Rotate 180: off
Media Settings...
============
Media Type: Thermal Transfer
Media Tracking: Use Label Gaps
Reverse Sensor: Off
Document Options...
===============
Dispense Mode: None
Tap to Print: Disabled
SmartDownload: On
Top of Form Backup: Enable
Device Options...
================
- Speed Settings...
Print Speed: 4 IPS
-Head Settings...
*Print Darkness: 8
*Note 1 on Print Darkness:
We set this to 15 on our latest printer using Zebra resin ribbons.
*Note 2 on Print Darkness:
We experimented with this setting and found that it cannot be used to eliminate the horizontal line that appears on the next label after the printer has been idle for 10 or 15 minutes. It had no effect.
User Commands...
==============
Start of Job: Do Nothing
End of Job: Do Nothing
Start of Page: Do Nothing
End of Page: Do Nothing
These settings do NOT represent a great deal of experimentation.
We changed Print Speed and Print Darkness from their defaults while we were testing various fonts. We did this before we found fonts that worked well with this printer. Once we found fonts we liked, we did not test them with Print Speed and Print Darkness set to their default values. The defaults may be fine.
Also note that the UMDPrint setting for printing in landscape mode might be redundant with this printer, as it has a "Rotate 180" option. But we can't vouch for it, as we haven't tested it.
Overall Impression :
Staff appreciate the small desktop footprint of this printer.
It is also much quieter than the previous printer we used - an old pinfed dot matrix model.
Finally, staff are happy with the clarity of the labels. Text is solid and dark, while the background is a bright white - making the label very legible even in poor lighting.
Disclaimer:
We have not tested other thermal transfer printers or label stock and we don't intend for this page to be taken as a comparative recommendation.
