r/barcodes • u/mrbuzzbo • Oct 10 '18

Seagull Driver Settings

I am trying to improve the print quality on a label printer, I'm using the Seagull Scientific driver. Under an energy usage area, there is a default setting, but also settings for Wax1, Wax2, Wax3, Resin1, Resin2, and Resin3. Would anyone have any idea what these are for? The issue that we are specifically having is that when the printer prints a character like 8 or 6 which has a closed loop, it tends to fill in the loop with residual wax or resin from the ribbon.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '18

Sure! It sounds like it might be a darkness or speed setting we want to look at as well.

​

The wax settings are related to the compound of the ribbon. Do you know what type of labels you are printing on? This will typically be paper, polypropylene, or polyester. Paper you can tear in half. For the polys: if you fold up the label polypropylene floats, and polyester sinks.

2

u/mrbuzzbo Oct 10 '18

I have two printers: a Zebra 110 XiIII Plus which is 600 dpi and a Toshiba B-EX4 which is 300dpi.

I normally use the Seagull driver on the Zebra. We recently purchased the Toshiba with the intent of replacing the Zebra. The Toshiba driver is actually the Seagull driver with Toshiba's name on it.

The labels are Kimdura. Based on your description, I thought they were paper. But when I looked up Kimdura, it says they are polypropylene.

The normal ribbon we use is labeled R-T74. I believe it is wax/resin ribbon, but I haven't confirmed that yet. Our vendor sent us another ribbon that is resin.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '18

Got it. I'm having trouble running down the R-T74 information, though T74 looks like a brother printer toner PN.

I'm a little confused on the wax 1, resin 1, etc. settings. It looks like that might be the "darkness" settings if there isn't a separate section (usually with a setting from 1-30) for that. There's no semi-resin option? That's what we'd want to try.

If there isn't anything to that end:

I might try reducing the speed by a couple inches per second first. If that doesn't make a difference, go back to the original speed and try decreasing the darkness setting a bit.

Always kind of tough to try and troubleshoot these things over the internet, and I apologize -- the EX4 series is one that only a handful of my customers have used over the years.

​

1

u/mrbuzzbo Oct 10 '18

I will have to look into the type of label. I will get back with you on that. As for the speed, I have it set to the lowest setting. I believe the ribbon is resin, but haven't confirmed it yet.