SATO HT200e - Manual (Page 144)

SECTION 8: CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Page 8-2 SATO HT200e
ADJUSTING THE PRINT QUALITY
One of the nice features of the SATO printers is their high print quality. They are equipped with
two different methods of adjusting the quality of the print; print darkness and speed. When
adjusting for optimum print quality, a bar code verifier system should be used. The human eye is
a poor judge of the relative widths of the bars in a symbol, a characteristic that is extremely
important for good bar code quality.
PRINT (DARKNESS)
This adjustment allows the user to control (within a specified range) the amount of power that is
used to activate the individual print head heat elements. It is important to find a proper print
darkness level based on your particular label and ribbon combination. The printed images should
not be too light nor should the ink from the ribbon “bleed.” The edges of each image should be
crisp and well defined.
The Print Darkness is set using the front panel LCD
PRINT SPEED
The other method of controlling print quality is by controlling the speed at which the label is
printed. This adjustment is made using the LCD panel. Changing the print speed allows the user
to control the amount of time allowed for print element cooling before the media is stepped to the
next print position. It is especially critical when printing, “ladder” bar codes (bar codes printed
with the bars parallel to the print line). When printing a “ladder” bar code, it is important to allow
the head to cool sufficiently before stepping to the next position. If it does not have sufficient time
to cool, the bar will be “smeared” on the trailing edge.