Thermal transfer printer OEMs recommend regular maintenance to protect against premature printhead failure and poor quality printing. Printheads are the most expensive part of printers and usually the cause of printer related issues. This makes printhead maintenance even more important. However, less than 20% of printer owners clean their printhead regularly. Poor printhead maintenance can lead to high costs for repairs, downtime and replacement. Over time, debris will harden on printheads and reduce print quality. It will also cause the printhead to require more heat to transfer images.