Datamax Prodigy, Operator'S Manual

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Product Description
Common direct thermal stocks include visible-light scannable paper,
infrared scannable paper, thermal ticket, tag, and sensitive plastic stocks.
A similar list of thermal transfer stocks includes plain coated vinyl,
Mylar, metalized paper, and nonwoven and fine woven fabrics.
Consider three important factors when selecting direct thermal media:
1. The abrasive qualities of the material that covers the thermal
reactive layer of the paper.
2. The ability of that layer to control the chemical reaction that
occurs when the image is “burned.”
3. The amount of heat required to image the paper.
If the coating layer is too abrasive, the printhead will be “sanded off” at
a faster rate than would normally occur. If the layer cannot contain the
reaction, the printhead will become “pitted,” and the dots across the web
of the printhead will fail.
The reaction temperature, or the temperature at which the chemical
process causes an image to print, is important because the greater the
degree of heat required to image the paper, the greater the amount of
time needed for the printhead and paper to cool. This process reduces
the maximum print speed that can be obtained with the media.
The abrasive qualities of the media are not as critical in thermal transfer
applications because the thermal transfer ribbon not the media is in
contact with the printhead .