Thermal Transfer Ribbon Wrinkling: Causes and Fixes

Printer-maker guides point to six things to check when a thermal transfer ribbon wrinkles: ribbon loading, burn temperature, ribbon width, the ink side, printhead pressure and balance, and core fit. Work through them in that order, changing one thing at a time, and try a fresh roll last. The table below pairs each cause with its fix.

The sections below take the causes in the same order.

Zebra's ribbon-issues table puts a wrongly loaded ribbon first among the causes of a wrinkled ribbon, and the fix is to reload it by the printer's loading procedure. Zebra's ZT231 guide adds that, under the printhead, the ribbon should track all the way back.

For a desktop printer, Zebra's loading steps say to attach the ribbon so that it is taken straight onto the take-up core, turn the take-up hub to remove slack, then feed at least 20 cm of media to straighten the ribbon, remove any wrinkle and align it on the spindles. The ribbon roll and empty core should sit centred on the media.

Fix: unload the ribbon, reload it by your printer's diagram, remove the slack, and feed a short length of labels before you print a job.

Zebra lists incorrect burn temperature as a cause of a wrinkled ribbon. Its fix is to set the print darkness to the lowest setting that provides good print quality. Zebra warns that a darkness set too high can make the image print unclearly, stop barcodes scanning, burn through the ribbon and wear the printhead early, and that slower print speeds typically give better print quality.

Settings tuned for one ribbon grade should be tested again when you change grade. Barcode not scanning: 6 ribbon-related causes shows how to test the result.

Two printer makers give two sides of one rule. Zebra says ribbon must be as wide as or wider than the media, because a ribbon narrower than the media leaves areas of the printhead unprotected and open to early wear. TSC's FAQ on wrinkled printouts says to use the correct ribbon, and that its width should not be much wider than the label. TSC's ribbon guide puts the right width at slightly wider than the label, typically by about 3–5mm.

On the ZT231, Zebra also says the ribbon supply and take-up spindles must use the same tension setting, and that narrow ribbon may need the low-tension setting.

Fix: measure the media width including its backing, then order a ribbon a few millimetres wider. Codewell slits custom widths from 25mm to 160mm, so the width can match your label. How to choose ribbon width and length shows how to measure, and barcode label sizes and the ribbon each one needs lists the usual widths.

Check which winding your printer takes. Zebra's ZT231 guide says that printer uses only ribbon coated on the outside, unless an optional spindle for inside-coated ribbon is fitted, and Honeywell's PC42t guide says that printer takes ink-out ribbon only. Zebra files a ribbon coated on the wrong side under broken or melted ribbon rather than under wrinkling, but it takes two minutes to rule out.

Fix: do Zebra's adhesive test, or its scratch test. For the adhesive test, press the sticky side of a label to the outer surface of the roll; if flakes of ink stick to the label, the ribbon is coated on the outside. For the scratch test, lay an unrolled length on paper with its outer surface against the paper and scratch the inner surface; a mark on the paper means it is coated on the outside. Then match the roll to your printer: see inside wound vs outside wound ribbon.

Zebra lists incorrect or uneven printhead pressure as a cause of a wrinkled ribbon and says to set the pressure to the minimum needed for good print quality. TSC's FAQ gives the same first check: inspect the printhead mechanism and make sure the pressure is even. Zebra's glossary defines a ribbon wrinkle as caused by improper alignment or improper printhead pressure, and says it can cause voids in the print.

On Zebra's ZT610 and ZT620, the direction of the wrinkle tells you which setting to change. Wrinkles from the lower left to the upper right call for more pressure on the outside toggle or less on the inside toggle. Wrinkles from the upper left to the lower right call for the reverse. Wrinkles in the middle call for moving both toggles toward the centre of the label. Other printers have different controls, so follow your own manual.

Also check that the labels are not wandering. Zebra lists media that walks from side to side among the causes, and says to adjust the media guide until it just touches the edge of the media.

Zebra's desktop guide says that, to avoid ribbon wrinkling and other print problems, you should always use an empty ribbon core that matches your transfer ribbon roll's inner diameter. It adds that the core notches must be square to lock the core onto the spindle, and that otherwise the core may slip and cause ribbon wrinkle, poor end-of-ribbon sensing or other intermittent failures. On the ZD421 and ZD621, both the ribbon and the empty core need notches on the left side.

Core sizes differ by printer. The ZT231 takes a 25mm (1 inch) core, and Honeywell's PC42t takes a core of 25.2 to 25.6mm inside diameter, notched or notchless. TSC says a 1-inch core is standard and that smaller printers often use 0.5 inch.

Fix: use an empty take-up core of the same inner diameter as the supply roll, with square, undamaged notches if your printer needs them, and push it fully onto the spindle. Codewell supplies ½-inch and 1-inch cores, with or without notches, inside or outside wound.

If all six checks pass and the wrinkle stays, change one thing: fit a fresh roll of the right grade, width and core. If the fresh roll runs flat, the old roll was damaged or the wrong size. If it wrinkles the same way, the cause is still in the printer: see 10 common ribbon print problems and the printhead or ribbon test.

Codewell slits ribbon to your label width, in custom widths from 25mm to 160mm and lengths from 50m to 600m, and sends a free sample roll to test. WhatsApp or call +91-9818254785 with your printer model, label width and core size.

1. Zebra ZT231 user guide: Ribbon Issues, and its glossary entry on ribbon wrinkle: loading, burn temperature, printhead pressure, media walking, wrong-side coating
2. Zebra ZT610/ZT620 user guide: Ribbon Issues: wrinkle direction and toggle pressure
3. Zebra ZT231 user guide: Ribbon, with the adhesive test and the scratch test: outside-coated ribbon and how to find the coated side
4. Zebra ZT231 user guide: Ribbon Specifications and Adjusting Ribbon Tension: ribbon width, core size, spindle tension
5. Zebra ZD421/ZD621 user guide: Thermal Transfer Roll Ribbon Loading: matching core diameter and square notches
6. Zebra ZD421/ZD621 user guide: Loading Zebra Transfer Roll Ribbon and Loading Non-Zebra 300-Meter Transfer Ribbon: straight take-up, feeding 20 cm to remove wrinkle, ribbon wider than the media and its backing
7. TSC FAQs and TSC Thermal Transfer Ribbons: even pressure, ribbon width, core sizes
8. Honeywell PC42t Desktop Printer User Guide: ink-out ribbon only, core inner diameter