Hand Held Printer EBS 250

The innovative HandJet®️ EBS-250 combines the proven success of our EBS-230 production line ink-jet system and adds a unique, wireless interface.

It signals a new era in portable, hand-held ink-jet coding, replacing antiquated hand coders such as stencil machines, stamps and roll coders, which are laborious and expensive in use and problematic with ink management.

Weighing in at just under two pounds – including its on-board rechargeable battery and ink cartridge – the HandJet®️ EBS-250 is the ultimate in lightweight, compact coding.

With its patented print technology, the unit improves and economizes ink management to make traditional manual coding methods like stencil marking, hand stamps and roll coders virtually obsolete.

By using solvent-based inks in an array of colors, the HandJet®️ EBS-250 provides fast, clean printing on a variety of corrugated materials, in addition to metal, glass and plastic substrates. The unit’s high-volume ink-jet cartridge efficiently provides up to 100,000 characters with a dot matrix of 7×5.

The HandJet®️ EBS-250 uses a simple MicrosoftTM Windows®-based program to format and transmit messages that are easily created on a personal computer. Messages can consist of alphanumerics and logos from Windows® fonts and symbols, as well as diacritical characters.

The hand-held system minimizes energy consumption to print for up to 50 continuous hours thanks to its rechargeable Li-ion battery – and recharging takes only two and a half hours.

Specifications

Nozzles: 16
Nozzle diameter: 150 μm
Minimum size of printed object: 1.38” (35mm)
Working position: Any angle
Printing: Enables printing of up to 10 texts in successive lines
Maximum characters per text: 1500 – includes control character for built-in fonts
Text and print parameters: 1 to 10 – loaded into unit via PC
Graphics: Editing and printing of graphical text and symbols using Windows® fonts (True Type) standard
Special characters: National (diacritical) characters and graphics
Variable fields: Date, time, ascending/descending sequential numbers, universal counter
Timing: Synchronized with rotational speed of the lower stabilizer, or at intervals by an internal generator
Power supply: Three (3) Li-ion rechargeable batteries
Operating time: Up to 50 hours continuous operation with fully-charged battery at 68°F (20°C); automatic low-battery indicator
Recharging: Automatically using external 24-volt, 1-amp DC power pack; charging time less than 2.5 hours
Ink: Cartridges; ethanol-, acetone-, water-based, or MEK, in various colors
Cartridge capacity: 3.7 ounces (110ml); prints approx. 100,000, 7×5 dot-matrix characters or 17,000 16×10 dot-matrix characters
Working pressure: 4.4 to 5.8 psi (0.3 to 0.4 bar) via internal pump
Operating temp: 33°F to 104°F (0.5°C to 40°C)
Storage temp: 34°F to 113°F (1°C to 45°C) – water-based ink; 14°F to 113°F (-10°C to 45°C) – ethanol- or acetone-based ink
Humidity: Up to 95% non-condensing; printer operates in rain on dry surface

Programming

  • Wireless Bluetooth® up to 300 feet

  • Text- and parameter-processing software; Windows® 98SE/ME/NT/2000/XP

  • Network up to 20 units from PC

Applications

EBS non-contact printing technology clearly prints on a variety of material and surface types —even coarse or porous surfaces or those containing depressions or protrusions:
  • Paper
  • Fabric
  • Natural Materials
  • Plastics
  • Metals
  • Glass and Ceramic Ware
  • Wood and Wood-Like Products
  • Leather and Leather-Like Goods
  • Construction Materials and a variety of derived products
  • Food Products
  • Pharmaceutical Agents
  • Raw Materials: Prefabricated, Intermediate Work-In-Progress and Finished Goods

Click images to enlarge.

Handjet® EBS-250 Operational Instructions

NOTICE: Failure to follow these instructions will result in the warranty being voided. Mixing inks will also void the warranty.

1. General Maintenance and Care

  • Always turn the unit off before removing or installing cartridge

  • Be mindful of the cartridge expiration date


2. Start up

  • Turn on unit (press trigger and Print On/off Button at the same time

  •  Wait for pressurization of the unit to stop

    • Move unit to product to be printed

      • Select message to print

        • Begin printing by

        • Pressing the Print On/off button

        • Pressing trigger once and releasing

        • Move EBS‐250 along product to be printed


3. Shut down

  • Press trigger and “F” key until LED’s cycle and turn off

  • Loosen the ink cartridge

    • This releases the pressure from the ink system

  • Re‐attach the cartridge

    • This prevents dust, dirt or air from entering the back of the unit

  • Apply a moderate amount of cleaning solution to a piece of cleaning cloth, and gently wipe the nozzle plate

  • Store the unit in the case until next use


4. Charging the unit

  • After 50 hours of use, or when the charge light is on, charging the unit battery is recommended

    • Please follow the EBS procedures, included in the user’s manual

      • This manual is included on the disk inside the carrying case


5. Starting a new unit

  • A new unit has been purged with the cleaning cartridge that matches the ink type

  • Install the ink cartridge and power‐up the unit

  • Press the Print On/Off button

    • Wait for pressurization to finish

  • Caution

    • Ensure adequate ventilation in the area

  • Point the unit downward into a hazmat‐type container or scrap cardboard

  • Press the trigger 3 times (within 1‐2 seconds) and hold the trigger in on the third press

  • The unit will emit 2 beeps, then the unit will ‘fire’ all 16 nozzles

    • This is called the PURGING procedure

      • When the purging starts, it will take approximately 5‐10 seconds until the cleaning fluid is replaced by ink

      • At this time, release the trigger


6. Periodic Purging (by ink type)

  • The unit should be purged of ink based on the following recommended intervals

    • Water Based Ink

      • Once per week

    • Ethanol Based Ink

      • Once per week

    • Acetone Based Ink

      •  Once every two days

    • MEK Based Ink

      • Once every two days

    • Pigmented Ink

      • Every day after the shift is over

  • Purging the unit of ink

    • Power down (normal power down procedure)

    • Remove the ink cartridge

  • Install the correct cleaning cartridge and power‐up the unit
  • Press the Print On/Off button
    • Wait for pressurization to finish
  • Caution
    • Ensure adequate ventilation in the area
  • Point the unit downward into a hazmat‐type container or scrap cardboard
  • Press the trigger 3 times (within 1‐2 seconds) and hold the trigger in on the third press
  • The unit will emit 2 beeps, then the unit will ‘fire’ all 16 nozzle
    • When the purging starts, it will take approximately 5‐10 seconds until the cleaning fluid is replaced by ink
    • At this time, release the trigger
    • Power down the unit
  • Loosen the ink cartridge
    • This releases the pressure from the ink system
  • Re‐attach the cartridge
    • This prevents dust, dirt or air from entering the back of the unit
  • Store the unit with the cartridge attached
  • First take care that the Bluetooth module is connected and that the printer is switched on.
  • Open the menu “Guides / Network configuration” and follow the instructions.
  • When you still cannot communicate with a printer, check the COM port setting.
  • Open the network window (menu “Tools / Printer network”). In the left upper corner you see the program’s setting of the COM port. Please open the list and choose another port if available.
  • Start the HandJet® in the normal way but keep holding the “Print On/Off” button until all LED’s (except “Charge”) are lighting.
  • Now press the “F” button once. When you release the “Print On/Off” button the HandJet® begins immediately to print a test text continuously with high printing speed. Pressing the “Print On/Off” button once more it prints a test text slowly with high intensity. Next pressing prints the same test text with low intensity. Pressing once more the HandJet® is silent.
  • Pressing once more starts printing continuously only nozzle 1. Next pressing starts nozzle 2, and so on until nozzle 16. First only the nozzles on the right side will be fired, then only the nozzles on the left side. The actual nozzle number is shown in the display.
  • Next pressing starts printing continuously with all nozzles. Next pressing starts again with the first test print.
  • To adjust the dot size, remove the rubber plugs at the side of the HandJet® and adjust carefully the Torx-screws.
  • To leave the service mode, switch off the HandJet® in the normal way (“F” button and Release key).

If the HandJet® cannot be switched off, remove the cartridge and cross the cartridge contacts in the rear plate with a wire (e.g. bended paper clip) until the HandJet® goes off.

You can create an own graphic directly in the PC program.

For this open the bitmap editor.

An existing logo can be inserted as follows:

  • The logo should be available as black and white bitmap with the suitable dot-height, max. 16 dots.
  • Then start the program Gfx-Maker, which you find in “C:\program files(X86)\ EBS Printers\
  • EBS-250\Graphics\GFX Maker”
  • Click on “Graphic”, “Load bitmap”, select your bitmap file.
  • In the following window insert the password ” e25pix” + Enter, then click on “Convert”.
  • The dot-graphics appears in the window and can be stored with “Save to EBS-200 format” (don’t forget to give a file name).
  • In the EBS250 PC program the image can be inserted with “File / Insert image”.
  • The character rotation works only with Windows fonts, not with system fonts.
  • After the choice of a Windows font appears in “Parameters 2“ the drop-down list “Rotation“.
  • Choose the rotation angle and enter the message.
  • If the message does not fill the entire printheight, you can additionally select the alignment.

Select from the font list “Spec 7“ or “Spec 16“. The symbols appear after typing the corresponding capital.

Spec 7.
Spec 16.

If the nozzle plate is dirty, clean it by spraying solvent on it. Hold the printer face down spray from below, that no solvent (mixed with ink) can flow into the unit or onto the guiding rolls.

  • In the next step use the purge function. Hold the HandJet® over a vessel or over a cloth.
  • When the HandJet® is switched on, press the trigger button three times and hold it with the third pressing. After a second the HandJet® beeps short and fires ink out of all nozzles for a short moment. Keep holding the trigger button, after one more second delay it starts firing ink continuously out of all nozzles until you loose the button.
  • If some dots are still missing, it is necessary to remove the nozzle plate for cleaning.

When you use special inks, e.g. pigmented inks or fast drying inks, it can happen that due to pigments or ink rests nozzles will be blocked. In this case it is recommended to use a cleaner cartridge daily. Use the purge function to flush out old ink rests. This is also recommended when a HandJet® will not be used for longer time. You must take care to use a cleaner which is adequate to the ink base.

  • The cartridges are encoded, and because of this only original EBS cartridges can be used. Refilling is not possible.
  • Before you change a cartridge, shut off the HandJet®! Otherwise the encoding can be destroyed and the cartridge will not be accepted anymore from the HandJet®.
  • To remove the cartridge, turn it counterclockwise and pull it from the HandJet®. The new cartridge matches only in one position and must be locked with a clockwise turn.
  • After power on the new cartridge will be verified from the HandJet®, in the mean time the Power-LED blinks.
  • After 10 seconds the Power-LED and the Print-LED blink fast and the HandJet® beeps once, if the new cartridge is okay and is accepted. In case of a wrong or empty cartridge the Error-LED blinks. In this case please check also the date setting of the HandJet® and correct it if necessary.
  • In this case please click on “Retrieve”, under the Info-tab you will find an error message.
  • If there appears “Empty bottle” or “Bottle too old”, please use a new cartridge.
  • In case of “Bottle too old” replace expired cartridge with a fluid cartridge that’s not expired
  • “No bottle” appears when there is no cartridge connected, or when the electrical contacts in the HandJet®’s rear plate are dirty. Check also if the three locking pins on the cartridge are dirty, these are also electrical contacts.
  • “Bottle already cancelled” appears when the cartridge transponder is deleted. This can happen when a cartridge is connected or disconnected while the HandJet®is switched on.

Click in the Guides menu on Network configuration.

The network window appears and a configuration dialog. To add more printers later, you can also

click here.

All printers can be switched on at the same time. In the network window appears after each recognized and added printer an entry “Handjet® with its serial number. After finishing the network highlight this printer in the list with which you want to communicate.

Yes! Regular maintenance on your EBS-250 printers is important to keep printers operating smoothly. Download cleaning instructions and find out how to clean the nozzle faceplate, the recommended time for periodic ink purging as well as review a step-by-step guide to purging ink out of a printer. Download the PDF.

Have questions?
Want to take the next steps?

We’re ready to help you...

Product Sales/Service: (847) 996-0739 or sales@ebs-inkjet-usa.com

Why EBS Printers?

Quick Delivery

Our warehouse is stocked with a large inventory of inkink‐jet printers and supplies which means that you get your printers and supplies delivered when you need them.

Try Before You Buy

Print Samples Test and inspect character size, dry time, color FPM speed and number of prints before you buy.

Onsite Demos & Trials

Test our printers in your facility, and on your specific applications, against any competitive printers.

Customer Training

To ensure proper setup and operation of your ink jet printing systems, we offer leading edge training sessions on all of our products either on site or at our facility.

Full Service Repair Center

If your equipment requires repairs and/or maintenance, let us take care of it. Our expert repair technicians evaluate, repair, and test EBS printers for peak performance operation either on site or at our facility.

Technical Support

Reduce downtime with either our technical on site service or phone support. Whether you need to troubleshoot a problem, get regular maintenance instructions or service, or diagnose a more complex repair, we are here to help.