In businesses, even if you don’t realize it, most products or items we encounter have some type of identification or date codes printed on them. These markings or codes allow for easy tracking of the products while also providing product safety in a multitude of ways. For most of these products, there are global and national rules and regulations that go hand-in-hand with date coding and marking to ensure that all the products are safe for consumers.
But in life, problems will occur. It’s only natural. If something were to go wrong with the date coding, this could cause issues not only for the business but for the consumer as well. Many businesses and companies have different strategies and technologies to complete this part of the distribution process, but the most common include laser coding, continuous inkjet, and thermal inkjet. No matter what process you are using, it is important and necessary to ensure that your marking or barcode is readable and that it can provide the necessary information correctly. You don’t want unhappy customers, and you don’t want to lose money.
If you are moving forward with printing using the thermal inkjet printer or are looking for ways to better your product printing altogether, below are some common issues with inkjet date coding and printing. Continue reading to educate yourself so that you can ensure success with the barcodes and markings for your products.
Print Quality
The quality of the marking or barcode, no matter the content, is extremely important. Whether it is a barcode that tracks the package or a logo printed on a box to identify the brand, it is important. When the printing quality isn’t great, issues begin to arise. The printing of the barcode or marking should be clear and easy to see. Make sure that the colors are compatible and that the materials that you are printing on work well with the thermal inkjet printer.
This can result from improper print head installation, depending on the technology you’re using. Certain technologies require that the print head be very close to the package or product for optimal print quality. Print quality can also be low because of a clogged or dirty print head. Depending on the technology, this can be a very simple or very costly and time-consuming process.
Poor quality leads directly to unhappy customers. Nobody wants unhappy customers! Not only does it give off a bad impression to the consumer if the quality of the print or package is lacking, but it can create technical errors as well.
Print Trigger/Product Sensor Issues
Print triggers and product sensor issues are other common problems that you need to be aware of. What happens here is that the printer is not triggering to print properly. Many times, customers believe that this is because the printer isn’t printing—but, in fact, it is that the timing is off. When the timing is off, it prints before or after the product package has passed through the print head. You do not want this common issue to occur because it can lead to a slew of products that don’t display the correct date or lot code. The worst part is that technicians rarely catch this problem right away, which could leave multiple products with this issue. This, in turn, requires a company to repackage and recode all those products before they can go out to the consumer or client.
Print Speed Issues
The speed of the printer can affect more than anyone even realizes—and it isn’t just about completing the job as quickly as possible. Truthfully, it can be the root cause of both issues we described above. To execute a job successfully, the conveyor speed and the print speed settings must match. If these two settings don’t match, it will result in distorted print images or incorrect placement.
For customers who do not have a consistent conveyor or line speed, there are still solutions to this problem. We recommend that you use an encoder that can accurately calculate the print speed settings on demand for each product as it passes by the print head. This will ultimately solve many issues that you might have in the future!
Print Head Clogged
There are just some technologies and devices that cannot handle certain conditions—and one of these conditions is being idle. Idle time is just not ideal for some of these printers because it can cause a multitude of issues. With extended periods of downtime, there is a good chance that the ink in a printer will start to settle inside the various components and in the print head. And yes, this can happen over the course of a weekend or a product shutdown.
You do not want this to be the case! Print heads clogged with dried ink are more than just a trivial issue—they can be extremely time-consuming and costly.
Whether you are looking for the right technology to print date codes or markings or are simply doing the research in hopes of one day starting a business, you have come to the right place. All the information above thoroughly explains some of the errors that come up in products that require printed barcodes or date coding. Accounting for these common issues with inkjet date coding and printing can only take you a step closer to achieving success.
If you are looking to get started and want to see the printing equipment available to complete such tasks, we’re here to help. Here at Sneed Coding Inc., not only do we have the best equipment for the job, but we also have professionals who can help you find just the right piece of equipment for you. Are you looking for an industrial inkjet printer for your production line? We have the perfect one for you, and we can help you #keepcodingsimple. Call us today to speak with a professional or visit our website to get started in making a great purchase for your business.
