Electrostatic problems in thermal transfer printing

The generation and release of static electricity has been a factor in thermal transfer printing, mainly caused by the friction of the ribbon and the printer's machinery, including the print head. Studies have shown that there is no direct relationship between static electricity and print head life. However, some applied technologies such as the back coating of ribbons and electrostatic brushes on the printer can effectively reduce static electricity. Although there are instruments that can measure the static electricity generated during printing, the easiest way to know if the amount of static electricity is small enough is to look at the quality of the printed image. If you are still troubled by static electricity problems, there will be no white spots that can be scanned by the scanner. Quick reading is the best explanation. If you care about the life of the print head, cleaning and using the correct tension and pressure are the problems you should pay attention to. When the printing speed is increased, static electricity will affect the print quality. The electrostatically adsorbed fine particles will have a negative impact on the print quality. At this time, high-speed carbon ribbons can be used to solve the problem.

Source; 21st Century Fine Chemicals Network