Do You Have The Right Media In Your Mobile Printers?

Printer media can vary, so make sure you have the correct configuration for your application.

Implementing mobile printers can add much efficiency and accuracy to field service and route delivery applications. But the printers are not one-size-fits-all, and neither is the media (e.g. paper, ribbons) each printer takes. "Quite often in mobile applications, the printer is one of the last things considered, and the print media even later than that," says Amy Defayette, product manager for PrintekMobile Group, Printek, Inc. "Because there are important aspects of a printer to be considered that must accommodate the print media chosen, the two should be chosen and evaluated together." You'll need to know the various media properties to ensure you're implementing the best printer solution for your application.

Mobile printer choice starts with the method in which it prints: thermal transfer, direct thermal, or, though it's uncommon in mobile environments, inkjet. Nearly all mobile printers use the first two methods. Thermal transfer prints on paper by melting a coating of ribbon (wax, wax/resin, or resin) so that it stays glued to the material on which the print is applied. Direct thermal uses a heat-sensitive layer embedded in the media, which is activated by a heated printhead. "Both types of printing methods can be used to print labels, receipts, and tickets, although thermal transfer is typically used for color and more durable labels," says Tony Revis, general manager, Extech Data Systems Division of Extech Instruments. "However, direct thermal is the more popular method for mobile printers because it has fewer moving parts and paper is the only consumable."