User guide

Routine Maintenance
Clean Interior
13383L-001 Rev. 1 7/8/2004 XiIIIPlus User Guide 93
Clean Interior
After every four rolls of media, inspect the inside of the printer. Use a soft bristle brush or a
vacuum cleaner to remove any dirt and lint from the interior of the printer.
Printhead and Platen Roller
After every roll of ribbon, clean the printhead. Clean the printhead more often if you see
inconsistent print quality, such as voids in the bar code or graphics.
For 200 and 300 dpi printers Clean after every roll (1500 feet or 450 m) of thermal
transfer ribbon or after every roll (500 feet or 150 m) of direct thermal labels or when
CLEAN
HEAD NOW
appears on the LCD.
For 600 dpi printers Clean after each roll (500 feet or 150 m) of labels or when
CLEAN
HEAD NOW
appears on the LCD.
To clean the printhead and platen roller, complete these steps:
1. Open the printhead.
2. Remove the media and ribbon (if loaded).
3. Use Zebra’s Preventative Maintenance kit, part number 47362, or a solution of
90% isopropyl alcohol and 10% deionized water on an applicator to wipe along the print
elements from end to end, as shown in Figure 46. (The print elements are on the brown
strip on the printhead.) Allow a few seconds for the solvent to evaporate.
Note • You do not need to turn off the printer before cleaning the printhead. If power is turned
off, all label formats and images, as well as any temporarily saved parameter settings stored in
the printer’s internal memory, are lost. When power is turned back on, these items must be
reloaded.
If power is removed from a 600 dpi printer when cleaning the printhead, the
CLEAN HEAD NOW
warning shown on the LCD will not disappear.
If print quality does not improve after you perform this procedure, clean the printhead with
Save-a-Printhead cleaning film. This specially coated material removes contamination
buildup without damaging the printhead. Call your authorized Zebra reseller or distributor for
more information.
Caution • The printhead is hot and can cause severe burns. Allow the printhead to cool.
Caution • Observe proper electrostatic safety precautions when handling any static-
sensitive components such as circuit boards and printheads.